The Parking Spot Escalation



The Parking Spot Escalation is the ninth episode of the sixth season of the CBS sitcom, The Big Bang Theory. This episode first aired on November 29, 2012 due to Thanksgiving being the week before.

Summary
Howard buys a new car that is assigned the parking space that was once Sheldon's, but was not being used. Since Howard is in "his spot" a war escalates that also affects the girls.

Extended Plot
While having lunch in the Caltech cafeteria, Raj is insisting that zombies and mummies are the same thing. Sheldon joins in the argument at Leonard's request and explains that a zombie bite will turn one into a zombie, while a mummy bite will only turn you into is some schmoe with a mummy bite. Howard enters announcing that he has taken delivery of his new car and that it will have that new car smell as long as he keeps his mother out of it. He adds that if they want to check it out, it's parked out front in space 294. Sheldon insists that that is his parking spot even though he has no car and doesn't drive. ("That's my spot!")  To Sheldon the parking space is perfect since it is a corner spot reducing the possibility of door dings in half, its 28 spaces from the front entrance, it has a tree to shade it from the sun on hot days and a delightful squirrel lives in the tree (squirrels are usually real jerks.) Leonard points out that the university probably reassigned since he wasn't using it. Howard refuses to move his car so Sheldon tries to push Howard's parked car out of the space unsuccessfully.

Sheldon again disturbs university president Seibert at home about Howard being assigned his parking place. President Seibert points out that Howard is an asset to Caltech since he is an astronaut that worked on the International Space Station. Sheldon asks Leonard why he is his best friend, but he never takes his side. Leonard exclaims that he can never understand Sheldon's side. Howard enters Sheldon's office demanding his special edition Iron Man helmet back, however Sheldon tells him that since he isn't using it, like the parking space conundrum, he took it since those are the rules they are now living by. Howard then takes Sheldon's diploma off the wall. Sheldon yells at him that it's the only doctorate he'll ever get.

Penny, Bernadette and Amy are walking up the stairs returning from a bikini wax with Amy having had her first. Not only is Amy walking strangely, she required much more work. First, the girls talk about how silly the feud was. Amy couldn't understand Sheldon because he wouldn't take odd that "stupid robot mask". Howard was so angry that Bernadette mixed up Benadryl in his ice cream to get him to fall asleep. Amy then describes Howard's trip into space as his little moment in the sun. Bernadette follows with maybe Sheldon can get another parking spot if he ever makes a worth while contribution to science. Penny tries to change the subject as the insults escalate. Bernadette says that she is sensing some hostility from Amy because like Sheldon's work her sex life is also theoretical. Amy counters that at least when they have sex, Sheldon won't be thinking about his mother and his need to crawl back into her womb. Bernadette storms out yelling that she is actually going have sex with her guy. Penny looks very distraught.

The gang enters Sheldon's apartment while discussing vampires and zombies and finds Howard sitting in Sheldon's couch spot naked using his laptop as revenge. They again demand their stuff back though Howard thought Sheldon would be more upset about his computer sitting on Howard's naked "junk".

At night, Amy and Sheldon sneak in and apply or reapply (?) his name to the parking space. Amy feels all excited, however she feels it may just be the result of her bikini wax. Sheldon tells her to keep an eye out for campus security which she calls "freaking pigs!" Amy is asked to park her car in the parking spot, but first shows Sheldon her bikini wax results which all Sheldon comments on is that she must be high on paint fumes and that there were an awful lot of bandaids used. Penny and Bernadette are looking at her wedding photos when Amy storms in thinking that Howard had her car towed costing her $200. Bernadette coyly says "Oh, no. Where was it parked?" She proudly announces that she had Amy's car towed and that Amy probably didn't see that one coming. Amy returns that she won't see this coming as she swings her purse at Bernadette who ducks. The bag hits Penny in the face, and unfortunately Amy had a heavy can of change that she had been meaning to take to the bank in it. They continue to argue as they take Penny to the emergency room. Amy says that she'll drive so that they can see where the tow truck scratched her car. Bernadette retorts that she scratched Amy's car deliberately.

Sheldon moves his chair and whiteboard out to the parking spot and tells the approaching Howard that since he said that he wasn't using his space, he decided to actually use it. Sheldon taunts him saying that he is tangling with a superior intellect that he can't do anything about. Howard then honks his horn for a long time. Sheldon put on headphones and tells Howard there is his threats are empty and there is nothing he can do to move him. Howard then pushes Sheldon with his car in his chair so he can park his car. Leonard comes running out asking what is going on. Sheldon tells him that Howard tried to kill him because video games and rock music had desensitized him to violence. Leonard tells them that they are both acting like idiots over a stupid parking spot. Leonard can't believe that Howard tried to run Sheldon over. Howard asks him how often has he wanted to do that to Sheldon. Sheldon then crawls into Howard's car and strips, breaking in the new car for him.

Finally, Raj drags Howard in to see Sheldon to apologize and give him back the space. Sheldon replies thank you and that he was a big man to do that, but Sheldon finds that unacceptable. He should be the bigger man and loans him the space until Sheldon learns to drive or gets a Batmobile. He also has Howard say, at Raj's insistence, that Sheldon is the bigger man. And he returns his Iron Man helmet which Sheldon found that he couldn't wear to a bank because they will tackle you to the ground. Later Amy, Bernadette, Howard and Sheldon get together at the Cheesecake Factory telling each other that they feel closer because of the experience. Penny, who has a broken nose and is visibly bruised about the face, passes by and says "Yeah, everybody is happier. Great!".

Finally, Sheldon takes his cushion to the dry cleaners to clean his cushion to remove any residue that Howard had left. He also tries to sell his laptop to the dry cleaner's teenage son.

Trivia

 * For the first time, Leonard takes advantage of Sheldon's lecturing ablity as a tool in the gang's chatting; while before this episode, the other three only passively bear Sheldon's lecture.
 * Sheldon seems to appreciate the cookie that Leonard hands to him, which is inconsistent with his nature of hating others touching his food (as mentioned in The Codpiece Topology [S2E02] and The Panty Piñata Polarization [S2E07]).
 * Sheldon goes to President Siebert' home again after he first did so in The Monopolar Expedition (S2E23), when the President's family got angry and release dogs at Sheldon; and this time the President doen't even answer the door.
 * Sheldon's announcement in claiming the parking spot is obviously an intended analog to his claiming on his spot on the apartment couch:


 * I don’t want another parking space. I want my parking space. It’s perfect. It’s a corner spot, cutting the risk of door-dings in half. It’s a mere 28 steps from the building entrance. The nearby tree provides shade on hot days and is also home to a delightful squirrel. Which is fortuitous because most squirrels are real jerks.


 * Amy and Sheldon vandalize the parking spot at night though the photographs issued before the show aired appeared to take place during the daylight hours.
 * In The 21-Second Excitation (S4E08), when the gang are lining waiting for the movie, Howard used a device ("stadium pal" as he called it) that can collect his urine in a bag so that he need not leave for toilet and thus can hold his position in the line. In this second Sheldon uses a similiar device to hold the disputed parking spot.
 * It is shown that the parking spot is just before the main entrance to the Loeb Building; It is implied that the gang work in this building.
 * Sheldon claims that he is "solely responsible for this university’s six-loop quantum gravity calculations". It should be noted that in The Codpiece Topology (S2E02), Sheldon is against Loop Quantum Gravity, and even has a fight with Leslie Winkle for this reason.
 * Sheldon also asserts that he has changed the way we think about Bose-Einstein condensates. In The Cooper-Hofstadter Polarization (S1E09), he coauthored the paper Paradoxical Moment-of-Inertia Changes Due to Putative Super-Solids, to be presented at an Institute for Experimental Physics topical conference on Bose-Einstein condensates.
 * Howard's car appears to be a Mini Countryman crossover SUV, first released to the market in September of 2010.
 * Bernadette is showing a bit of the dark side that had been mentioned by Melissa and the producers when she scratches Amy's car and has it towed. In another episode Bernadette said that she didn't know what she would do if she and Howard broke up because she can be vengeful (as shown in this episode) and had access to biological weapons.
 * Whilst discussing the nature of Vampires, Mummies and Zombies, Raj mentions Zompires. Zompires are creatures recently introduced in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 comic.

Quotes
Bernadette: I’m really sorry that they took Sheldon’s spot away. He shouldn’t have to suffer just because Howard’s such a big deal now.

Amy: I know. Sheldon should just let Howard have his little moment in the sun.

Bernadette: What’s that supposed to mean?

Amy: Well, Howard’s never go to space again, but Sheldon will always be a genius.

Bernadette: You’re right. And I’m sure Sheldon will get a fancy parking spot again if and when he makes a worthwhile contribution to science.

Amy: If and when?

Penny: All right. Maybe we should change the subject. Amy, how are your lady parts? Still chilly down there?

Bernadette: Hang on. Hey. None of Sheldon’s theories have ever been definitively proven. My husband actually went to outer space.

Amy: That’s an impressive accomplishment. He’s now an inspiration to millions of Americans who know you don’t have to be special or even qualified to go into space.

Penny: You know, I remember the first time I got a bikini wax. My..my sister did it with melted Crayolas and duct tape. [Laughs] It’s a bad idea.

Bernadette: Gosh, Amy I’m sensing a little hostility. Is it maybe because like Sheldon’s work your sex life is also theoretical?

Penny: Damn!

Amy: Well, at least when we do make love Sheldon won’t be thinking about his MOTHER! And yes that’s a cleverly veiled reference to Howard’s lifelong obsession to crawl back into her spacious womb.

Penny: Anyway, to this day I still can’t see a box of crayons without crossing my legs.

Bernadette:  I don’t have to take this. I’m going to go home and have sex with my husband right now. Maybe I’ll let him do it to me in a parking spot; which sounds dirty, but I didn’t mean it that way.

Reference
Taping report by Kyzzx

The Parking Lot Escalation