Large Hadron Collision

Large Hadron Collision
Writers	Chuck Lorre (story), Steven Molaro (story), Jim Reynolds (story), Lee Aronsohn (teleplay), Richard Rosenstock (teleplay), Maria Ferrari (teleplay)
Director	Mark Cendrowski
Air Date	8 February 2010
Vanity	Card #277
Guide	Episode #315
Quotes	Episode #315
Forums	Discuss Episode

Season 3, Episode 15 (0315)

Einstein Approximation . . . << Large Hadron Collision >> . . . Excelsior Acquisition

Summary

Leonard can only bring one guest on a trip to see CERN's Large Hadron Collider (the world's largest and highest energy particle accelerator) in Switzerland on Valentine's Day.

Episode Outline

I. Cafeteria, Wednesday, 10 February

• Howard chats with Bernadette on the phone and Raj points out that it makes him jealous.
• Leonard turns up and asks what everyone has planned for Valentine's Day. He announces that the university picked him to go to see CERN's Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, Switzerland.
• Sheldon assumes that Leonard will take him with him and excitedly runs off to start packing.
• Leonard tells Howard and Raj that he will take Penny.

Title and Opening Themes

II. Sheldon's bedroom

• Sheldon is happily packing for his trip to Geneva, when Leonard enters and tells him that he will take Penny. Sheldon is horrified.

III. Living room

• Leonard tells Penny about their planned trip to Geneva for Valentine's Day.
• Sheldon enters and cites the Roommate Agreement, which states that Leonard has to take him. Leonard objects.

IV. Leonard's car, Thursday, 11 February

• Leonard and Sheldon are driving to work. Sheldon calls Leonard a traitor, while the latter tries to explain his decision.

V. Cafeteria

• Howard apologises to Raj for not hanging-out with him the night before because of a date with Bernadette.
• Leonard turns up and discusses his decision to take Penny to Switzerland with them.
• Sheldon turns up and presents Leonard a tablet with knifes and forks on it in a reference to Judas - "30 pieces of silverware".

VI. Leonard's bedroom, Friday morning, 12 February

• Leonard wakes up to Sheldon playing "Morning Mood" on a flute.
• Sheldon made breakfast to present his "respect and affection" to Leonard, in an attempt to woe him to change his mind. He also suggests they could later watch Babylon 5.
• When Leonard refuses to change his mind, Sheldon takes the breakfast away from him.

VII. Laundry room, Friday evening

• Sheldon presents a powerpoint presentation to Penny about why he should go to Swizerland and not Penny.
• When Penny realises how much Sheldon wants to go, she feels guilty and promises to talk to Leonard. Sheldon is so excited that he hugs her.

VIII. Living room

• Howard and Raj discuss Raj's plans for Valentine's Day, while Sheldon makes cholermus.
• Leonard turns up and tells Sheldon that he won't take him to Geneva. Sheldon announces that this nullifies the friendship clause of their Roommate Agreement.

IX. Penny's bedroom

• Penny and Leonard happily anticipate the trip to Geneva when Penny starts sneezing.

X. Penny's bedroom, middle of Friday night

• Leonard wakes up because Penny is vomiting in the bathroom. She's got sick.

XI. hallway in front of Sheldon's bedroom

• Leonard tells Sheldon that he could come with him on the trip just to find Sheldon in the bathroom, vomiting as well.

XII. Living room, Valentine's Day 14 February

• Sheldon and Penny, both sick, are having soup. Sheldon blames Penny for being the source of their flu.

XIII. hotel room in Switzerland

• Leonard took Raj to come with him.

Resources

List of entries from this episode

science blog for this episode

Notes and Trivia

Sheldon's interest in Tuvan Throat Singing is a reference to the interest of Physics Novel Laureate Richard Feynman in Tuva, as described in the book "Tuva or Bust!"([1])

Timeline

This episode starts on Wednesday, 10th of February when Leonard announces he will go to Geneva. The next morning Sheldon and Leonard are seen driving to work. Sheldon brings Leonard breakfast on Friday morning. During the night from Friday to Saturday, Penny and Sheldon get sick. Leonard takes the plane to Geneva at 9 a.m. Saturday morning and arrives with Raj on Sunday, Valentine's Day, 14th of February.

Title

The title refers to the collision between Leonard and Sheldon about who Leonard should take to accompany him on a trip to see the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, Switzerland.