"The Skywalker Incursion" is an episode of The Big Bang Theory that first aired on April 2, 2015. Directed by Mark Cendrowski. Teleplay by Steven Molaro, Steve Holland and Maria Ferrari, based on a story by Jim Reynolds, Tara Hernandez and Jeremy Howe.
Sheldon and Leonard are invited to give a talk at Berkeley university, so they decide to stop by Skywalker Ranch along the way. Much to their surprise, the gate is opened to them, because the call box is broken. But when they drive up to the security checkpoint, the security guard turns them away.
Sheldon, however, refuses to give up, and makes a run for the ranch. In the security office, they meet Star Wars superfan Mitchell (Tate Ellington), who allegedly broke into the ranch to make out with a Chewbacca sculpture.
Meanwhile, Amy, Penny and Raj help Bernadette and Howard clear out his late mother's garage. Bernadette has decided they will get rid of Howard's TARDIS replica. But Howard doesn't want to get rid of it. To resolve this disagreement, Bernadette and Howard choose Penny and Raj as their champions to play ping-pong for the TARDIS.
Tropes:
- Bait-and-Switch: Sheldon talks to Mitchell, who broke into Skywalker Ranch and made out with a Chewbacca statue in the sculpture gallery. Seemingly disturbed, Sheldon excuses himself, turns to Leonard and tells him... "They have a sculpture gallery!"
- Closet Geek: Played with. Penny is dismayed that she knows so much about Doctor Who, but freely admits to liking Game of Thrones because "It's got dragons and people doing it"
- Did Not Think This Through: Bernadette convinces Amy to take the TARDIS and install the doors in her bedroom, in a bid to get Sheldon into her bedroom. In The Tag, he's dressed up as the Fourth Doctor running in and out of the room.
- Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: Sheldon runs onto the Lucas ranch, shouting that guards are chasing him, and they have tasers, but they wouldn't dare u— but gets interrupted by his own incoherent screaming.
- Garage Sale: Howard and Bernadette are selling off the stuff in his mother's house. Items for sale include Howard's TARDIS replica and a ping-pong table, which Amy and Raj play on.
- Hypocritical Humor: Sheldon brings a mirror on a stick to public bathrooms so he can make sure the guy in the next stall isn't some weirdo.
- Loony Fan: While he and Leonard are in the holding room at Skywalker Ranch, Sheldon talks to a third detainee, Mitchell. He tells Sheldon that he just wanted to thank George Lucas personally because his works gave him a world where he feels he can belong. Then he confesses that they caught him making out with a Chewbacca sculpture.
- Rule of Three: Played with when Howard is cheering Raj during his ping-pong game with Amy.Howard: Come on, Raj! You are the King Kong of ping-pong! You are the menace of table tennis! Put her away, because I don't have a third one!
- Shout-Out:
- Defied. Sheldon keeps expressing excitement in the form of song quotes, but he has never heard of the songs.
- Howard's TARDIS inspires many references.
- Sheldon and Leonard drop by George Lucas's house on their way to the university.
- Stalker without a Crush: Zigzagged by Sheldon, who succumbs to his apparent compulsion to engage in celebrity stalking.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: You might be a former child prodigy who has a dozen degrees to your name and has written numerous well-respected scholarly papers, but you still can't barge into George Lucas' private studio area without getting arrested. Just ask Sheldon.
