- The guys are stranded in the middle of nowhere when Leonard's car is stolen on the way to the Bakersfield Comic-Con. Back home, the girls try to figure out why the guys are so fascinated with comic books.
- The guys are off to a Comic-Con in Bakersfield. On the way they decide to stop at Vasquez Rocks where many Star Trek episodes were filmed and take some pictures of their own in their costumes. While doing so, the car is stolen, along with their street clothes, wallets and cell phones. In the meantime, the girls don't understand the attraction of Comic-Con since none of them have ever read a comic, so they go to the comic book store and buy a Thor comic. After reading it, they all decide it is stupid, but then start arguing about attributes in the comic, such as who can pick up and use Thor's hammer.—JDCrownover
- Leonard, Sheldon, Howard and Raj head to Bakersfield for a local Comic-Con event. Driving on the way, they decide on the spur of the moment to stop at Vasquez Rocks where many episodes of Star Trek (1966) were filmed, there where they can get into their Star Trek costumes and pretend to be on the show. Their stop doesn't end up being quite what they expect, which leads to a surprising reaction from the group about their comic book focus. Meanwhile, Penny, Bernadette and Amy ponder why the guys are so enthralled with comic books. As such, the females head to the comic book store to ask Stuart for his recommendations on what novice comic book readers to should read. Reading the chosen comic book also leads to a surprising reaction between the three.—Huggo
- Sheldon and Leonard are preparing for their trip to the Bakersfield Comic-con and plan on wearing their Star Trek: The Next Generation costumes. Penny mentions that Leonard has more and better makeup than she does. Sheldon says he once borrowed his sister's makeup and got a terrible case of pink eye, but the up side was that he was dressing as a zombie and the added effect helped him win second place. Penny remarks that they just went to the San Diego Comic-Con, and Leonard replies that the Bakersfield one is smaller and more about the comic books, which was what the San Diego one was like before it "went all Hollywood."
The girls are enjoying a Saturday brunch since they are all alone. Leonard texts Penny that they are heading to Bakersfield at warp speed. Penny wonders how these super-smart guys who work at a major university can get so excited about something made for twelve-year-old people. Amy thinks that since they were bullied when they were kids in a world where you can't fight back, superheroes provide meaningful wish fulfillment. The girls realize that none of them have ever read a comic book and that maybe they should look into it since it is such an important part of their guys' lives. Bernadette tells them that the comic book store is nearby and Penny exclaims that that is an amazing idea, then wonders how many mimosas she has had.
On their trip, Sheldon keeps insisting that they enable the turn-by-turn voice option on the GPS. When Leonard finally gives in and turns it on, they discover that Sheldon has downloaded his voice and "fun" trip facts into the GPS software. Raj then suggests they stop at Vasquez Rocks, the filming location of several Star Trek episodes, and take some action photos in costume.
Visiting the comic book store, the girls get stared at by all the male customers. Penny tells Stuart that they were wondering why the guys liked comic books so much and wanted to give them a try. Stuart asks what kind they wanted--superhero, graphic novel, fantasy, manga. When Amy asks who the best superhero is, Stuart tells her to keep quiet or she could start a rumble. Penny asks what he recommends, and he explains that you have your good guy superheroes like Superman and Spider-Man, or your darker anti-heroes like Batman and Wolverine. Stuart recommends Fables due to its excellent artwork, sophisticated stories, and the fact that it doesn't objectify women, while Penny thinks that Thor looks hot, to which Stuart agrees.
The guys are finished with their costumes: Sheldon is Data, Leonard is Jean-Luc Picard, Howard is a Borg drone, and Raj is Worf. First they pose in a fight scene, with Sheldon looking thoughtful because "Data's weapon is his mind." They then draw their phasers on Howard-as-a-Borg and take some Charlie's Angels and glamour shots, all with Sheldon holding his thoughtful pose. Suddenly, Leonard's car is stolen due to the key being left in it, along with their regular clothes and cell phones. Leonard tells them that they should head off and find a gas station or something. Sheldon asks if he was taking charge just because he had on the Captain's uniform. When Leonard says yes, Sheldon agrees.
Back at Penny's apartment, Bernadette and Amy are waiting for Penny to finish her comic book. They wonder how the guys can get caught up for hours discussing something that doesn't even exist. Penny scoffs at Thor's hammer being so heavy that no one else can pick it up; Bernadette says that it's some kind of magic from Thor, while Amy counters that Thor is a god, it's his hammer, therefore only he can use it (like Sheldon and his toothbrush or his "thin, beckoning lips"). Wondering if they missed something, they go back to their comics.
Walking through the desert, everyone is complaining. Sheldon tells them to stop it because they are Starfleet officers. He reminds them that it's like they are living a Star Trek fantasy as a landing party lost on an alien world, relying only on their wits... a scenario that lasts until a passing car throws an Icee-like drink at Sheldon. After a long walk, they arrive at a diner and ask the waitress for some water and to borrow a telephone to call the police. The waitress asks why they don't just have Scotty beam them up, and as she and the patrons laugh, Sheldon corrects her, telling her that they are Next Generation characters, not Original Series.
Meanwhile, the girls continue arguing about Thor's hammer and who can pick it up. They decide to go over to Leonard and Sheldon's apartment and go through the guys' comics to learn more about the hammer.
Back at the diner, a policeman takes a stolen vehicle report about the car, clothes, makeup, and cell phones, then asks if he can call someone, like their mothers. Right on cue, Howard enters and tells them that his mother has gotten them a rental car. The guys decide to return home. Raj reluctantly gives in, but insists that they at least rent their car from Enterprise.
The girls are now sitting in the living room, eating Chinese food and arguing over comic books, just like their guys (Penny and Amy are even sitting in Leonard and Sheldon's traditional spots on the couch). They have morphed into their own significant others. Bernadette proposes that if Thor picked up the hammer and The Hulk picked up Thor, then by the transitive rule of picking things up, Hulk has picked up the hammer. Penny counters that if she picks up a guy in a bar who then picks up a girl and they all leave together, does that mean that she picked up the girl? As the tired Star Trek enthusiasts return, they hear their ladies arguing and Sheldon wonders if they have somehow "tumbled into an alternate universe where the girls appreciate great literature." He figures that if they are in a different reality, a Star Trek landing party should investigate. Thinking that they might be hostile, they pull out their phasers, but before charging through the door, Leonard orders them to set the phasers on stun (because if they vaporize them, he'll never find another girlfriend as pretty as Penny).
In the final scene, the car thieves are seen driving Leonard's car on the interstate highway while listening to Sheldon's modified GPS. Unlike the guys, however, the two find the facts interesting and the quizzes fun.
Title reference: The men's journey to the Bakersfield Comic Con.
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