Excelsior Acquisition

The Excelsior Acquisition
Writers	Chuck Lorre (Story), Lee Aronsohn (Story), Steve Molaro (Story), Bill Prady (Teleplay), Steve Holland (Teleplay),Maria Ferrari (Teleplay)
Director	Peter Chakos
Starring	Stan Lee as himself, Kevin Sussman as Stuart, Steve Paymer as Judge Taylor, Marcus Folmar as Guard
Vanity	Card #277
Guide	Episode #316
Quotes	Episode #316
Forums	Discuss Episode

Season 3, Episode 16 (0316)

Large Hadron Collision . . . << The Excelsior Acquisition >> . . . Precious Fragmentation

Summary

Sheldon learns that he was photographed driving Penny to the hospital the night she dislocated her arm and, thus, has been ticketed. To make matters worse, his court date just happens to be the same day that his idol is having his comic-book signing. Presumably to get in and out of the courtroom faster, he calls Penny as a witness, then has her recite an account of what transpired in her own voice — as written by himself.

Episode Outline

I. Comic Center

• Raj enters wearing a Personal Soundtrack Shirt playing the Imperial March from Star Wars.
• Stuart tells the guys that Stan Lee will do a signing at the Comic Center on March 4th.

Title and Opening Themes

II. Living room

• The guys try to decide which comic book to give Stan Lee for signing, while Penny has no idea who he is.
• When Howard cuts himself and searches for a band aid in Sheldon's desk drawer, he discovers a summons for traffic violation on November, 16th, 2009 by the municipal court to Sheldon.
• Sheldon does not feel guilty and declares he won't pay the fee when he finds out that the hearing will be on the same day as the signing by Stan Lee.
• The other guys make clear they won't accompany Sheldon to court.

III. hallway in front of apartments, morning of Thursday, 4 March

• Sheldon knocks on Penny's door.

IV. Penny's apartment

• Sheldon has written the speech Penny is supposed to give in the witness stand and rehearses it with Penny.

V. Court room

• Sheldon tries to convince judge J. Kirby of his innocence. He fails.
• When Sheldon, infuriated by the judge, offends him, he is thrown into jail until he apologises.

VI. Cell in jail

• Sheldon is placed into a cell with three other people. He points out that one of them is sitting in his spot.

VII. in front of the Comic Center; (switch during phone call from Penny to an unspecified room in the court or jail)

• Raj, Howard and Leonard are queuing for the signing.
• Raj announces he will ask Stan Lee why all his characters have first and last names that start with the same letter. Howard suggests he'd rather not ask that question.
• Penny informs Leonard is in jail, but the latter is rather unimpressed.

VIII. Cell in jail

• Sheldon needs to go to the restroom. When the guard points to a urinary in the cell, Sheldon is ready to apologise.

IX. Living room, evening of Thursday, 4 March

• Leonard and Howard admire their Stan Lee autographs, while Raj is rather upset.
• Penny and Sheldon return and gets mobbed by his friends.
• Sheldon blames Penny for all the evil that has befallen him this day.

X. Comic Center

• Penny asks Stuart if he could give her Stan Lee's phone number or address.

XI. in front of Stan Lee's house

• Penny explains to Stan Lee that Sheldon missed his signing because of her.
• Stan Lee is rather annoyed and answers with sarcasm, which Sheldon fails to understand.
• When Sheldon enters his house, Stan Lee calls the police.

XII. Living room

• Sheldon returns with an "autographed restraining order" from Stan Lee.

Resources

List of entries from this episode

David Salzberg's science blog about this episode

Notes and Trivia

The traffic court judge's name (according to the nameplate in front of him) is J. Kirby. Jack Kirby was a comic book artist who co-created many Marvel Comics characters—including the Fantastic Four and the X-Men—with Stan Lee.

Timeline

The episode most likely opens on March 1, 2010, a Monday night. Stuart says that Stan Lee is going to do a signing on Thursday, for which the poster gives the date as March 4, and the episode closes a few days later. Stan Lee is watching a Lakers Game on the evening of Sheldon's and Penny's visit and Penny says the signing was "the other day". There was a game on Thursday, March 4, Friday, March 5 and Sunday, March 7. Thus we could assume that they went to his house on March 7.

Title

The title refers to Stan Lee's trademark autograph phrase "Excelsior!" and the fact that all the guys wanted to acquire it - and did, though in different ways.