Recap / The Big Bang Theory S 6 E 9 The Parking Spot Escalation

The Parking Spot Escalation is the 9th episode of the 6th season of The Big Bang Theory.

Howard buys a new car that is assigned the parking spot that once belonged to Sheldon, but which was not being used since Sheldon doesn't have a car. Howard emphasizes the parking, while Sheldon emphasizes the spot in parking spot. However, Sheldon does not take kindly to Howard being in "his spot", and an Escalating War breaks out between them that also affects their respective girls.

Tropes

• Actually Pretty Funny:
  • As she tries to keep calm between the girls, Penny can't help but giggle at Bernadette's "theoretical sex life" remark to Amy.
  • Also, Leonard and Raj can't help but laugh at Howard sitting naked in Sheldon's spot on the couch. Leonard also cracks up at Sheldon sitting naked in Howard's car.
• Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: When Howard accuses Sheldon of being unable to handle that he's a bigger deal than Sheldon now, Sheldon says that's preposterous because he's been solely responsible for this university's six-loop quantum gravity calculations, has changed the way they think about Bose-Einstein condensates, and he's also the one who got Nutter Butters in the cafeteria vending machine.
  Sheldon: Maybe you missed that news while you were floating like a goof in outer space.
• Brick Joke: During the war between Sheldon and Howard over the parking spot, Howard retaliated at Sheldon taking away his Iron Man helmet by sitting nude on his cushion spot and also putting Sheldon's laptop on top of his crotch. In the epilogue, Sheldon takes the cushion spot to the dry cleaners, even trying to sell the dry cleaner his laptop.
• Change the Uncomfortable Subject: After getting a bikini wax, Amy and Bernadette start arguing with each other over Sheldon and Howard, and Penny tries to keep peace by changing the subject. It doesn't work.
  Penny: You know, I remember the first time I got a bikini wax. My sister did it with melted Crayolas and duct tape. It's a bad idea.
• Entitled Bastard: Sheldon feels that the parking spot is his by right, even though he doesn't own a car and thus never uses the parking spot, because it fits all his criteria for being the "best" parking spot.
• Escalating War: Between Sheldon and Howard, which also triggers a satellite war between Amy and Bernadette. It's in the title itself.
• Exact Words: The university ceded Sheldon's parking spot to Howard because he wasn't using it. So Sheldon decides to uses it — by setting up his whiteboard on it and doing his work there.
• Handbag of Hurt: Amy tries to hit Bernadette with her purse, but hit Penny instead, breaking her nose.
  Penny: You idiot! What the hell did you have in there?
  Amy: Just my wallet, keys, and a coffee can full of change I’ve been meaning to take to the bank!
• Hypocritical Humor: Amy calls Sheldon and Howard warlike for arguing over a parking space, but when Bernadette asserts it's Howard's and not Sheldon's, Amy tries to swing a bag full of change at her and they resort to arguing and screaming at each other.
• Idiot Ball: Sheldon trying to push out Howard's 3 to 4000-pound car out of his parking spot. Given that he's a professional physicist, what made Sheldon think he could push a car in "Park" mode with his own body?
• Innocent Bystander:
  • Penny in the girls' satellite war, culminating in Amy accidentally hitting her with her purse instead of Bernadette.
  • Leonard, too, as he's always stuck in the middle of Sheldon and Howard fighting about the parking spot. Though he does giggle both at Howard sitting nude in Sheldon's spot on the couch and, later, at Sheldon sitting nude in Howard's driver seat (no underwear in both cases).
• Insane Troll Logic:
  • Sheldon argues that owning a parking space has nothing to do with cars. Even the university's president disregarded Sheldon's logic as buffoonery since Sheldon never used it, never drove a car, never owned a car and does not have a driver's license.
  • Sheldon also at one point argues that it's his parking space and that is why Howard can't use it. It's not his space, it's really the University's parking space and they have every right to revoke Sheldon's access to it.
• Mirroring Factions: Amy at first believes Howard and Sheldon are fighting just because they're men and goes on to state that men are traditionally more warlike in nature than women, but then when Bernadette derides Sheldon for not even having a car, Amy and Bernadette start inflicting violent attacks on each other as well regarding whose boyfriend deserves the parking spot, succumbing to if not even sinking deeper than the same level as Sheldon and Howard.
• Misplaced Retribution: Because Bernadette towed Amy's car, Penny gets her nose broken by Amy's handbag filled with coins (which is made of copper-plated steel).
• Momma's Boy: Amy brings up Howard's mother to Bernadette as they argue about if Amy's sex life with Sheldon is as theoretical as Sheldon's work:
  Amy: 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!
• Naked People Are Funny:
  • As the war for the spot goes on, the gang spots Howard sitting on Sheldon's spot on the couch, naked.
    Sheldon: Leonard, make him stop being naked in my spot!
    Leonard: Howard, what are you doing?
    Howard: He wasn't using it, and I needed a nice, cool piece of leather to wiggle my naked ass on.
  • Later, Sheldon retaliates by "breaking in" Howard's car by sitting in it naked — even holding up his underwear to Howard for good measure!
    Sheldon: You know what they say — revenge is a dish best served nude!
  • In both instances, Leonard can't help but laugh at these sights.
• Noodle Incident: As Sheldon returns Howard's Iron Man mask, he cautions not to wear it at the bank lest he get tackled by security, implying that it happened to him.
• Oh, Crap!:
  • Penny mutters "Damn!" when her attempt to keep peace between the girls fails and they keep on arguing.
  • Amy has the same reaction when she accidentally hits Penny instead of Bernadette.
• Only Sane Woman: Penny, in the girls' satellite war.
• Outhumbling Each Other: When Howard apologizes to Sheldon and gives him the parking spot back, Sheldon is indignant because of this trope. Their exchange provides the current page quote.
  Sheldon: Howard, that's quite a gesture on your part. Showing yourself to be the bigger man.
  Howard: Thank you.
  Sheldon: Which I find totally unacceptable. I must be the bigger man.
• Painful Body Waxing: The girls take Amy for her first bikini wax. She's shown walking very wobbly afterwards, and it's heavily implied that she had a lot of hair down there before the waxing.
  Amy: I feel five pounds lighter.
  Bernadette: Really? Only five?
• Take a Third Option: About zombie bites, Raj asks Leonard if a zombie bit a vampire and then the vampire bit a human, if that human turns into a vampire or a zombie or a "zompire".
• Tempting Fate: Howard demands that Sheldon move out of the parking spot. Sheldon, sitting on his chair, says that there is nothing he can do to make him move. Howard then pushes Sheldon with his car.
• This Is My Chair: Sheldon extends the concept to his parking spot, despite never using it. Like with his famous spot on the couch, he has a long list of reasons why.
  Sheldon: 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.
• T-Word Euphemism: "Payback. It certainly is the B-word, isn't it?"
• Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Howard happens to park his new car in a parking spot that once belonged to Sheldon, who doesn't even have a car to park it in. The small argument between the two escalates so bad that even their respective girlfriends get involved, including Bernadette talking trash about Amy's theoretical love life, and Amy accidentally hitting Penny instead of Bernadette with a bag full of change, bruising Penny's nose.