Hopeless (How I Met Your Mother)
Encyclopedia
"Hopeless" is the 21st episode of the sixth season of the CBS
sitcom How I Met Your Mother
and the 133rd episode overall. It aired on April 18, 2011.
and his father, Jerry, parting in 1983. Back in the present, Barney is disappointed in Jerry's normal suburban lifestyle, and decides not to pursue any further contact. However, Barney is surprised by a call from Jerry, who invites Barney to go fishing with him and his son JJ. Barney declines, and tells the gang he resolves to take his dad out to lead him back to his old "party hard" lifestyle. He creates alternate identities for the group so as to impress Jerry: Marshall
is a playwright in an open marriage
with Lily
, while Robin
and Ted
are dating. The next night, the group meets Jerry at MacLaren's where, after a brief discussion on which club to head to, they decide on one called Hopeless. Jerry is reluctant to get drunk, as he is going fishing with JJ the next day, but finally agrees and begins downing several shots. Jerry and Barney begin having a great time, eventually roaming the streets of New York
and pulling various pranks, such as picking a fight with a heavyset biker and yanking out a parking meter.
Meanwhile, Marshall and Lily make a bet to see who can pick up five numbers from people at the club the fastest, with either winner getting to have sex in the bathroom. Lily ends up winning, though Marshall claims to have “won the race” of the prize. Robin runs into an old crush of hers at the club; before she has a chance to ask him out, Ted claims to be dating her, to keep up the ruse for Jerry. Robin had met the man several years before at a clothing store; Ted realizes he and Robin had been dating at the time, and promptly decides to announce to everyone in the club that he and Robin are to get married, thus ruining any chance Robin has with the man. Robin points out Ted had bought his red cowboy boots that day because another woman had told him he would look good in them, and tells him to get off his high horse. As Marshall, Lily, Ted and Robin are heading home, Lily says that she is sorry that Robin's secret crush didn't work out. Robin replies that it is okay, and maybe it wasn't meant to be. Lily asks her why she is smiling and she says she doesn't know. Just as Robin and Ted are entering their building, Robin's crush passes by and is talking to someone on his cell phone saying that he met "that" girl again and that she is engaged to Ted. Future Ted hints there would be more between them later.
Barney and Jerry are eventually arrested after Jerry throws up on a police car. As they sit handcuffed on the curb, Jerry reveals that he was in fact never drunk, having only pretended to take the shots, while the various pranks really didn’t happen (due to Barney’s drunkenness, he couldn’t tell Jerry was pretending, and it was Barney who had thrown up.) Jerry wanted to hang out with Barney while at the same time showing him he can't keep partying forever. However, because Jerry is also an aspiring magician, like Barney, they manage to free themselves from the handcuffs, and head back to Jerry’s house (getting a ride with one of Jerry's driving students) so that he can make it on time for the fishing trip. On the ride back, Barney asks Jerry how he managed to settle down and live a "normal" life, and confides that someday he too wishes to settle down. Jerry tells him he won’t reveal his secret, but says he must first meet the right girl. Barney says that maybe he has already met the right girl.
Although he refuses at first, when Jerry produces a memento from their last day together when Barney was a kid and expresses how much it meant to him over the intervening years, Barney decides to go fishing with Jerry and his son, though later on the boat (wearing on his suit's lapel the "Legalize It" button Jerry had held onto all those years) he sighs and says, “This sucks!”
Henry Hanks of CNN.com's Marquee blog stated the episode was a "great example" of emotional arcs filling up the show.
Vlada Gelman of Showtracker.com said the episode dropped clues about the wedding seen in Big Days and added speculation as to whether Robin or Nora is the "right girl".
Robert Canning of IGN rated the episode 8.5 out of 10, saying that the episode paid homage to the history of the series and added much laughs in the process.
This is the second least viewed episode of the entire series so far, and only earned 6.49 million viewers.
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...
sitcom 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 the 133rd episode overall. It aired on April 18, 2011.
Plot
The episode starts with BarneyBarney 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...
and his father, Jerry, parting in 1983. Back in the present, Barney is disappointed in Jerry's normal suburban lifestyle, and decides not to pursue any further contact. However, Barney is surprised by a call from Jerry, who invites Barney to go fishing with him and his son JJ. Barney declines, and tells the gang he resolves to take his dad out to lead him back to his old "party hard" lifestyle. He creates alternate identities for the group so as to impress Jerry: 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...
is a playwright in an open marriage
Open marriage
Open marriage typically refers to a marriage in which the partners agree that each may engage in extramarital sexual relationships, without this being regarded as infidelity. There are many different styles of open marriage, with the partners having varying levels of input on their spouse's...
with 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...
, while 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 :...
and Ted
Ted 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...
are dating. The next night, the group meets Jerry at MacLaren's where, after a brief discussion on which club to head to, they decide on one called Hopeless. Jerry is reluctant to get drunk, as he is going fishing with JJ the next day, but finally agrees and begins downing several shots. Jerry and Barney begin having a great time, eventually roaming the streets of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and pulling various pranks, such as picking a fight with a heavyset biker and yanking out a parking meter.
Meanwhile, Marshall and Lily make a bet to see who can pick up five numbers from people at the club the fastest, with either winner getting to have sex in the bathroom. Lily ends up winning, though Marshall claims to have “won the race” of the prize. Robin runs into an old crush of hers at the club; before she has a chance to ask him out, Ted claims to be dating her, to keep up the ruse for Jerry. Robin had met the man several years before at a clothing store; Ted realizes he and Robin had been dating at the time, and promptly decides to announce to everyone in the club that he and Robin are to get married, thus ruining any chance Robin has with the man. Robin points out Ted had bought his red cowboy boots that day because another woman had told him he would look good in them, and tells him to get off his high horse. As Marshall, Lily, Ted and Robin are heading home, Lily says that she is sorry that Robin's secret crush didn't work out. Robin replies that it is okay, and maybe it wasn't meant to be. Lily asks her why she is smiling and she says she doesn't know. Just as Robin and Ted are entering their building, Robin's crush passes by and is talking to someone on his cell phone saying that he met "that" girl again and that she is engaged to Ted. Future Ted hints there would be more between them later.
Barney and Jerry are eventually arrested after Jerry throws up on a police car. As they sit handcuffed on the curb, Jerry reveals that he was in fact never drunk, having only pretended to take the shots, while the various pranks really didn’t happen (due to Barney’s drunkenness, he couldn’t tell Jerry was pretending, and it was Barney who had thrown up.) Jerry wanted to hang out with Barney while at the same time showing him he can't keep partying forever. However, because Jerry is also an aspiring magician, like Barney, they manage to free themselves from the handcuffs, and head back to Jerry’s house (getting a ride with one of Jerry's driving students) so that he can make it on time for the fishing trip. On the ride back, Barney asks Jerry how he managed to settle down and live a "normal" life, and confides that someday he too wishes to settle down. Jerry tells him he won’t reveal his secret, but says he must first meet the right girl. Barney says that maybe he has already met the right girl.
Although he refuses at first, when Jerry produces a memento from their last day together when Barney was a kid and expresses how much it meant to him over the intervening years, Barney decides to go fishing with Jerry and his son, though later on the boat (wearing on his suit's lapel the "Legalize It" button Jerry had held onto all those years) he sighs and says, “This sucks!”
Continuity
- It is revealed that apparently Barney became a magician due to the impression by his father.
- Barney tells his father that the group is actually a band, which is furthered by the cast members performing the title theme. Ted and Barney, in their drunken discussion at the end of "Three Days of Snow", also suggest starting a band after giving up on owning a bar.
- When the group is discussing clubs, Okay, the club from the episodes "Okay AwesomeOkay Awesome"Okay Awesome" is the fifth episode in the first season of the television series How I Met Your Mother. It originally aired on October 17, 2005.- Plot :...
" and "Ted Mosby: ArchitectTed Mosby: Architect"Ted Mosby: Architect" is the fourth episode in the second season of the television series How I Met Your Mother. It originally aired on October 9, 2006.- Plot :...
" is mentioned several times as being lame. - When Robin and Ted "break up" at the club, Ted says "I would've stolen you a whole orchestra," referencing what he said in "Something Blue," when he and Robin actually broke up, as well as the pilot episode, in which Ted steals a blue French horn to impress Robin.
- The story of how Ted got the red cowboy boots from "Everything Must Go" and "The Three Days RuleThe Three Days Rule"The Three Days Rule" is the twenty-first episode of the fourth season of the television series How I Met Your Mother and 85th overall. It aired on April 27, 2009.- Plot :...
" is revealed. - Lily says that her secret crush is Mila KunisMila KunisMilena "Mila" Kunis is an American actress. Her work includes the role of Jackie Burkhart on the TV series That '70s Show and the voice of Meg Griffin on the animated series Family Guy...
. Lily has shown bisexual tendencies in previous episodes, such as "Best Prom EverBest Prom Ever"Best Prom Ever" is the 20th episode in the first season of the television series How I Met Your Mother. It originally aired May 1, 2006. It has the least amount of viewership in season 1 .- Plot :...
", "Robin 101Robin 101"Robin 101" is the third episode of season 5 of the How I Met Your Mother TV series and 91st overall. It originally aired on October 5, 2009.- Plot :...
" and "Girls Versus SuitsGirls Versus Suits"Girls Versus Suits" is the twelfth episode of the fifth season of the CBS situation comedy How I Met Your Mother and 100th episode overall. It originally aired on January 11, 2010....
". - Marshall tells Jerry that he's writing a rock opera about a frozen yogurt shop. In the beginning of the Zoo or FalseZoo or False"Zoo or False" is the nineteenth episode of the fifth season of the CBS situation comedy How I Met Your Mother and 107th episode overall. It aired on April 12, 2010...
episode in season 5 he mentioned he had previously worked in a frozen yogurt shop, and it was "wild". - The shirt that Robin's secret crush wears in the store "flashback" scene, is the same shirt worn by the G-CWOK in "Everything Must GoEverything Must GoEverything Must Go may refer to:* Everything Must Go ** "Everything Must Go" , the title song* Everything Must Go * "Everything Must Go!", a song by The Weakerthans from Left and Leaving...
". - In Natural HistoryNatural History (How I Met Your Mother)"Natural History" is the eighth episode of the sixth season of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, and the 120th episode overall. It aired on November 8, 2010.- Plot :...
it's revealed, that Barney's father (then called Uncle Jerry) signed as his father when he tripped over the giant whale in the museum on July 23, 1981. The flashback at the beginning of this episode is in 1983.
Barney's blog
Barney presents five "personality improvement cards" which he claims will make someone more awesome.Cultural references
- The conversation about the names of the clubs is reminiscent to Abbott and CostelloAbbott and CostelloWilliam "Bud" Abbott and Lou Costello performed together as Abbott and Costello, an American comedy duo whose work on stage, radio, film and television made them the most popular comedy team during the 1940s and 1950s...
's Who's on First?Who's on First?Who's on First? is a vaudeville comedy routine made most famous by Abbott and Costello. In Abbott and Costello's version, the premise of the routine is that Abbott is identifying the players on a baseball team to Costello, but their names and nicknames can be interpreted as non-responsive answers...
joke. Jerry yells out "I don't know, Third Base" referring to the sketch. - When Barney approaches and questions Jerome (John LithgowJohn LithgowJohn Arthur Lithgow is an American actor, musician, and author. Presently, he is involved with a wide range of media projects, including stage, television, film, and radio...
) about being on the dancefloor, Jerome's "small town preacher - law against dancing" comment is directed at the 1984 film FootlooseFootlooseFootloose is a 1984 American musical-drama film directed by Herbert Ross. It tells the story of Ren McCormack , an upbeat Chicago teen who moves to a small town in which, as a result of the efforts of a local minister , dancing and rock music have been banned.The film is loosely based on events...
, where John Lithgow plays the small town preacher who gets a law passed against dancing. - Lily asked Barney to have him change her fake identity to something akin to Meryl StreepMeryl StreepMary Louise "Meryl" Streep is an American actress who has worked in theatre, television and film.Streep made her professional stage debut in 1971's The Playboy of Seville, before her screen debut in the television movie The Deadliest Season in 1977. In that same year, she made her film debut with...
's character in The Devil Wears PradaThe Devil Wears Prada (film)The Devil Wears Prada is a 2006 comedy-drama film, a loose screen adaptation of Lauren Weisberger's 2003 novel of the same name. It stars Anne Hathaway as Andrea Sachs, a recent college graduate who goes to New York City and gets a job as a co-assistant to powerful and demanding fashion magazine...
. Most of the things Lily claims to have done are references to that movie, but "I brought French cooking to America!" is a reference to Julie & JuliaJulie & JuliaJulie & Julia is a 2009 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Nora Ephron starring Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, Amy Adams, and Chris Messina...
, in which Streep played Julia ChildJulia ChildJulia Child was an American chef, author, and television personality. She is recognized for introducing French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and her subsequent television programs, the most notable of which was The French Chef, which...
. - Mila KunisMila KunisMilena "Mila" Kunis is an American actress. Her work includes the role of Jackie Burkhart on the TV series That '70s Show and the voice of Meg Griffin on the animated series Family Guy...
is Lily's secret crush. - Robin makes a wordplay when she says Ted should leave the field of the SuperdomeLouisiana SuperdomeThe Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
because he is no SaintNew Orleans SaintsThe New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
. - Barney asks if anyone of the group knows George ClooneyGeorge ClooneyGeorge Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award...
. - Barney tells Ted that he can't quote Oscar WildeOscar WildeOscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
as part of Ted's new fake identity.
Reception
Donna Bowman of the AV Club graded the episode at A-. She stated that the episode has moments that are part of people's transformation into married adults, and Barney's moments with his father are a step in the right direction, while praising John Lithgow's acting as definitive of the episode.Henry Hanks of CNN.com's Marquee blog stated the episode was a "great example" of emotional arcs filling up the show.
Vlada Gelman of Showtracker.com said the episode dropped clues about the wedding seen in Big Days and added speculation as to whether Robin or Nora is the "right girl".
Robert Canning of IGN rated the episode 8.5 out of 10, saying that the episode paid homage to the history of the series and added much laughs in the process.
This is the second least viewed episode of the entire series so far, and only earned 6.49 million viewers.