Bagpipes (How I Met Your Mother)
Encyclopedia
"Bagpipes" is the sixth episode of the fifth season of the CBS
situation comedy
How I Met Your Mother
and 94th overall. It originally aired on November 2, 2009.
even says, "Shut the bagpipes-up!".) At MacLaren's, Barney
worries about Lily
and Marshall
divorcing after witnessing Marshall clean a dish at Lily's request. He explains that he would never give in to a demand he didn't care about (playing out several sexy scenarios with an imaginary Lily), and that he and Robin
never fight. In fact, both of them pathologically avoid fighting if a conflict comes up; Barney simply leaves, while Robin gets naked. After Marshall shows up, Barney consoles him on "how he's holding up", and Ted explains that he thinks that they are splitting up. Barney then claims that he is the "King of Relationships", and Marshall claims that he can be a good boyfriend "in his sleep". Barney then convinces Marshall that he shouldn't have to wash dishes if he doesn't mind it, by using a hypothetical situation if Barney was married to Lily. In the re-enactment, Barney treats Lily like a classic 1950's housewife, and then imagines Lily giving him a lap dance. Ted then tries to tell Marshall that Barney is completely wrong, but Marshall is thwarted by his suggestions, and even though he didn't mind before, he "hates" washing the dishes. Robin then shows up, confirming that she and Barney never fight, except for a fight pertaining to "who's more awesome". They leave for a skiing trip, and Marshall, heeding Barney's advice, decides to tell Lily he won't wash his dishes immediately. Ted warns Marshall it is a bad idea and they make a "slap bet".
She promptly kicks him out after Marshall's incoherent argument escalates into several separate issues. Ted slaps Marshall then gladly lets him stay at his apartment. While Lily and Marshall fight, Ted observes that Barney and Robin are acting suspiciously romantic, as if they were the perfect couple. Marshall then explains what happened that night when Lily kicked him out. Trying to copy Barney's example, but explains them all wrong to Lily, and makes it look like that Marshall is complaining that he makes more money then she does. Then, they start fighting about everything else they disagreed on, while Lily and Marshall multiply into multiple fights. Marshall claims that it's hard to talk to Lily because she's all "eyes and boobs". Barney then gives him more advice to continue his shenanigans, and Marshall is again convinced. Ted thinks that he should just wash the dishes, but Marshall is pumped up with manhood, and storms off. Robin shows up, and Barney and her call each other disgusting nicknames, which Ted knows that Robin hates, when he tried to call her "Robsie-Wobsie", "Sherbs", and even calling himself "T-Moz".
After another night of listening to his upstairs neighbors "bagpipe," Ted goes to their door to confront them, only to find they are very old. Since Ted didn't have the heart to tell them to stop, he just had some hard candy, smiled at a few racist
comments, and left. It then occurs to him then how to find out what's going on with Robin and Barney. He confronts them at the bar with a secret weapon: Phil, Barney's downstairs neighbor. Phil's presence makes them admit that they fight often. It all began after being stuck together on a ski lift during a disagreement, preventing Barney from leaving or Robin from taking her clothes off. Marshall and Lily continue to fight, and Marshall complains that Lily has stopped feeding him. By showing his frustration, he tells him that Lily made "panCAKE, and bacon STRIP".
They had perpetrated the charade because they felt bad about being a bad couple, which they confess to Lily and Marshall. As Ted basks in his glory of being right, Lily has made dinner for herself, but it's Marshall's favorite. As Robin and Barney describe their violent and frequent fights, Lily and Marshall start to appreciate how calm their own relationship is, and forgive each other immediately. Robin and Barney are perplexed by the mutual surrender, claiming that someone always has to "win" an argument, but Marshall and Lily assure them it is not a competition. When Barney and Robin leave Lily and Marshall celebrate being the better couple. A scene is then shown of the floor below Marshall and Lily's apartment, where an old couple's chandelier is shaking violently, and bagpipes are heard.
Barney advises older couples who have an active and loud sex life.
rated the episode with a grade B.
Brian Zoromski of IGN
gave the episode 9.2 out of 10.
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
situation comedy
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
and 94th overall. It originally aired on November 2, 2009.
Plot
Future Ted mentions the time new upstairs neighbors moved in, and proceeded to have loud sex on a regular basis, which he euphemistically describes as "playing the bagpipes" to his children. (Past TedTed Mosby
Theodore Evelyn "Ted" Mosby is the titular fictional character of the U.S. television sitcom How I Met Your Mother, portrayed by Josh Radnor...
even says, "Shut the bagpipes-up!".) At MacLaren's, Barney
Barney Stinson
Barnabas "Barney" Stinson is a fictional character created by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas for the CBS television series How I Met Your Mother, portrayed by Neil Patrick Harris. The character has been extremely well received by critics and has been credited for much of the show's success...
worries about Lily
Lily Aldrin
Lillian "Lily" Aldrin is a fictional character created by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas for the CBS television series How I Met Your Mother, portrayed by American actress Alyson Hannigan. She is the wife of Marshall Eriksen and the best friend of Robin Scherbatsky...
and Marshall
Marshall Eriksen
Marshall Eriksen is a fictional character in the American sitcom How I Met Your Mother, created by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas and portrayed by Jason Segel.-Character profile:Marshall is an easy-going, naive optimist from St. Cloud, Minnesota...
divorcing after witnessing Marshall clean a dish at Lily's request. He explains that he would never give in to a demand he didn't care about (playing out several sexy scenarios with an imaginary Lily), and that he and Robin
Robin Scherbatsky
Robin Charles Scherbatsky, Jr. is a fictional character created by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas for the CBS television series How I Met Your Mother, portrayed by Canadian actress Cobie Smulders.- Early life :...
never fight. In fact, both of them pathologically avoid fighting if a conflict comes up; Barney simply leaves, while Robin gets naked. After Marshall shows up, Barney consoles him on "how he's holding up", and Ted explains that he thinks that they are splitting up. Barney then claims that he is the "King of Relationships", and Marshall claims that he can be a good boyfriend "in his sleep". Barney then convinces Marshall that he shouldn't have to wash dishes if he doesn't mind it, by using a hypothetical situation if Barney was married to Lily. In the re-enactment, Barney treats Lily like a classic 1950's housewife, and then imagines Lily giving him a lap dance. Ted then tries to tell Marshall that Barney is completely wrong, but Marshall is thwarted by his suggestions, and even though he didn't mind before, he "hates" washing the dishes. Robin then shows up, confirming that she and Barney never fight, except for a fight pertaining to "who's more awesome". They leave for a skiing trip, and Marshall, heeding Barney's advice, decides to tell Lily he won't wash his dishes immediately. Ted warns Marshall it is a bad idea and they make a "slap bet".
She promptly kicks him out after Marshall's incoherent argument escalates into several separate issues. Ted slaps Marshall then gladly lets him stay at his apartment. While Lily and Marshall fight, Ted observes that Barney and Robin are acting suspiciously romantic, as if they were the perfect couple. Marshall then explains what happened that night when Lily kicked him out. Trying to copy Barney's example, but explains them all wrong to Lily, and makes it look like that Marshall is complaining that he makes more money then she does. Then, they start fighting about everything else they disagreed on, while Lily and Marshall multiply into multiple fights. Marshall claims that it's hard to talk to Lily because she's all "eyes and boobs". Barney then gives him more advice to continue his shenanigans, and Marshall is again convinced. Ted thinks that he should just wash the dishes, but Marshall is pumped up with manhood, and storms off. Robin shows up, and Barney and her call each other disgusting nicknames, which Ted knows that Robin hates, when he tried to call her "Robsie-Wobsie", "Sherbs", and even calling himself "T-Moz".
After another night of listening to his upstairs neighbors "bagpipe," Ted goes to their door to confront them, only to find they are very old. Since Ted didn't have the heart to tell them to stop, he just had some hard candy, smiled at a few racist
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
comments, and left. It then occurs to him then how to find out what's going on with Robin and Barney. He confronts them at the bar with a secret weapon: Phil, Barney's downstairs neighbor. Phil's presence makes them admit that they fight often. It all began after being stuck together on a ski lift during a disagreement, preventing Barney from leaving or Robin from taking her clothes off. Marshall and Lily continue to fight, and Marshall complains that Lily has stopped feeding him. By showing his frustration, he tells him that Lily made "panCAKE, and bacon STRIP".
They had perpetrated the charade because they felt bad about being a bad couple, which they confess to Lily and Marshall. As Ted basks in his glory of being right, Lily has made dinner for herself, but it's Marshall's favorite. As Robin and Barney describe their violent and frequent fights, Lily and Marshall start to appreciate how calm their own relationship is, and forgive each other immediately. Robin and Barney are perplexed by the mutual surrender, claiming that someone always has to "win" an argument, but Marshall and Lily assure them it is not a competition. When Barney and Robin leave Lily and Marshall celebrate being the better couple. A scene is then shown of the floor below Marshall and Lily's apartment, where an old couple's chandelier is shaking violently, and bagpipes are heard.
Cultural references
- Barney misquotes and imitates Gandhi incorrectly, misconstruing his practice of civil disobedienceCivil disobedienceCivil disobedience is the active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, or of an occupying international power. Civil disobedience is commonly, though not always, defined as being nonviolent resistance. It is one form of civil resistance...
as a laid-back passive approach to conflicts. - Marshall tells Barney he has "forgotten more about microwaving fat-free popcorn and watching Sandra BullockSandra BullockSandra Annette Bullock is an Academy Award winning American actress and producer who rose to fame in the 1990s after roles in successful films such as Demolition Man, Speed, The Net, A Time to Kill, and While You Were Sleeping. She continued with films such as Miss Congeniality, The Lake House,...
movies than you’ll ever know" as a sign of his relationship expertise. - Ted wears an old Detroit ExpressDetroit ExpressThe Detroit Express was a soccer team based in suburban Detroit that played in the now defunct North American Soccer League from 1978 to 1980. Its home field was the Pontiac Silverdome. The Express were co-owned and directed by famous English soccer pundit Jimmy Hill who was also the managing...
shirt when going to confront his upstairs neighbors about their bagpiping. The Detroit Express is an old North American Soccer LeagueNorth American Soccer LeagueNorth American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
team. - During their argument, one of the things Marshall complains about is Lily's ShiningThe Shining (film)The Shining is a 1980 psychological horror film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, co-written with novelist Diane Johnson, and starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, and Danny Lloyd. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. A writer, Jack Torrance, takes a job as an...
impression. Lily responds by bending her index finger and saying "Danny's not here, Mrs. Torrance" imitating the behavior and voice of the boy in the film.
Continuity
- Marshall and Ted place a "slap bet", a reference to their tradition of wagering slaps from the second season episode "Slap BetSlap Bet"Slap Bet" is the 9th episode in season 2 of the television series How I Met Your Mother. It originally aired on November 20, 2006. This episode was originally titled "Robin Sparkles."- Plot :...
". - When Marshall argues with Barney about his relationship experience, he brags that he was in a committed relationship when Barney "had a ponytail while you were still playing Dave Matthews BandDave Matthews BandDave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is a U.S. rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. The founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer/backing vocalist Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Boyd Tinsley was...
on your mama's CasioCasiois a multinational electronic devices manufacturing company founded in 1946, with its headquarters in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Casio is best known for its electronic products, such as calculators, audio equipment, PDAs, cameras, musical instruments, and watches...
," a reference to Barney's past, depicted in the first season episode, "Game NightGame Night"Game Night" is the 15th episode in the first season of the television series How I Met Your Mother. It originally aired on February 27, 2006.- Plot :...
". - Barney is known to use the number 83 when making up fake statistics. He claims to have slept with Robin in eighty-three and a half beds since they started going out.
- Ted claims Robin is against nicknames, and uses this fact to realize that Barney and Robin's harmony is a charade. In the season 2 episode "Where Were We?Where Were We? (How I Met Your Mother)"Where Were We?" is the 23rd episode, and first episode in the second season of the television series How I Met Your Mother. It originally aired on September 18, 2006.- Plot :...
", Robin calls Ted "Teddy Bear" after Ted compliments Robin on the blueness of her eyes. Robin also calls Ted "Teddy Boy" after Ted explains himself about the argument with Lily in "How Lily Stole ChristmasHow Lily Stole Christmas"How Lily Stole Christmas" is the 11th episode in the second season of the television series How I Met Your Mother. It originally aired on December 11, 2006.- Plot :...
". - Robin gets naked every time she and Barney are about to have a fight. Likewise, in season 4's "BenefitsBenefits (How I Met Your Mother)"Benefits" is the 12th episode in the fourth season of the television series How I Met Your Mother and 76th overall. It originally aired on January 12, 2009.- Plot :...
", Ted and Robin had sex to avoid fighting.
Barney's Blog
In his blogBlog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
Barney advises older couples who have an active and loud sex life.
Critical response
Noel Murray of The A.V. ClubThe A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
rated the episode with a grade B.
Brian Zoromski of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the episode 9.2 out of 10.