"The Convention Conundrum" is an episode of The Big Bang Theory that first aired on January 30, 2014. Directed by Mark Cendrowski. Teleplay by Steven Molaro, David Goetsch and Steve Holland, based on a story by Eric Kaplan, Jim Reynolds and Adam Faberman.
Howard, Leonard and Raj can't get tickets to comic-con, so they decide to buy black market tickets, despite dire warnings from Sheldon.
Sheldon decides to start his own convention. On the phone, he has no luck getting any celebrities to agree to be panelists at his convention. So he decides to track down James Earl Jones, and meets him face to face at a restaurant.
Meanwhile, Amy, Bernadette and Penny try having a tea party. They can't shake the feeling that they're not really adults. It doesn't help that they go to a place where most of the other guests are little girls.
Tropes:
- Adam Westing: James Earl Jones befriends Sheldon and takes him on a wild night on the town, revealing himself to being a Star Wars geek and prone to playing practical jokes on Carrie Fisher, who turns out to be a little crazy herself.
- Bait-and-Switch Comment: When Sheldon sits down across from him and begins nerding out over his role as Darth Vader, James Earl Jones tells him, seemingly irritatedly, that he's been in a lot of other works too. However, nobody cares about those; they like Star Wars.James Earl Jones: I have one thing to say to people like you...I like Star Wars too!
- Brick Joke; While trying to contact celebrities for his own convention, Sheldon tells Leonard that he needs him to contact some of them: Stan Lee, Leonard Nimoy and Bill Nye are on his list of restraining orders, and Carrie Fisher is said to be slightly nuts. Later, while James Earl Jones and Sheldon are ringing Carrie's doorbell, James says they'll need to be careful because Carrie is slightly nuts.
- Continuity Nod:
- Sheldon needs Leonard to call up some of the potential guests on his list — Stan Lee, Leonard Nimoy, and Bill Nye — as they have pre-established restraining orders against him.
- When going out for tea, Amy wears the tiara Sheldon gave her in "The Shiny Trinket Maneuver".
- Ding-Dong-Ditch Distraction: James Earl Jones and Sheldon ding-dong-ditch Carrie Fisher. And judging from her reaction, it's not the first time James has done this.Carrie: It's not fun anymore, James!
James: Then why are we laughing? - Odd Friendship: James Earl Jones is a lot friendlier toward a fan who stalked him to his favorite restaurant than you'd expect. He takes Sheldon on a ferris wheel ride, to a steamroom, and ding-dong-ditching on Carrie Fisher.
- Oh, No... Not Again!: When Carrie answers the door after James and Sheldon ring it, she yells at her old co-star that this trick isn't funny anymore, implying that he's done this multiple times.
- Shout-Out: Sheldon approaches James Earl Jones in a restaurant and they end up talking about Star Wars and The Lion King (1994).
- Start My Own: Unable to get tickets to Comic Con, Sheldon decides to start his own convention.
- Take That!: Sheldon talks to Robert Downey Jr.'s agent on the phone. During the call, Sheldon casts aspersions on one of Downey's movies, and Leonard smiles approvingly.Sheldon: Yes, I'm starting my own comic book convention, and I thought that your client, Robert Downey Jr., would be perfect to appear on our first panel. Oh, well, now, why are you saying no? You haven't even asked him yet. You know, excuse me, but I sat through Iron Man 2. I believe he owes me two hours of his time. They hung up on me!
