Of Course (How I Met Your Mother)
Encyclopedia
"Of Course" is the seventeenth episode of the fifth season of the CBS
sitcom How I Met Your Mother
and 105th episode overall. It originally aired on March 8, 2010.
out of the Hudson River
one night in March 2010. Upon being asked to explain by a police officer how he got there, Barney explains that the chain of events started one week before.
He had picked up Anita (Jennifer Lopez
) at MacLaren's. However, she suddenly leaves him just when they were ready to return to his place. Meanwhile, Robin
and Don, who have established good chemistry on their morning show, hang out with Marshall
and Lily
at the bar. Marshall encourages Robin to keep Don, to the point that he later pretends to be Robin accepting Don's invitation for a date. At Ted
's apartment, Barney tells the gang about his failure to snag the woman. Ted claims that the woman may have read tips from a certain book called Of Course You're Still Single, Take a Look at Yourself, You Dumb Slut. However, after checking out the book for a loophole, Barney discovers that the woman he met at the bar, Anita, is the author and announces that he is going to seduce her.
Later at the bar, Robin admits to Marshall and Lily that she met Anita during a segment on her show, wherein she told Anita the truth about Barney and their breakup. Anita shows how to break Barney's spirit by saying "No," which she demonstrates on the cameraman who suddenly gets her some coffee. After Barney had talked about one too many of his new ladies, Robin calls Anita and told her to put her plan into action. Marshall confesses to Lily about being upset that he'd been pushing Robin to keep up with Barney's sexual activity after their breakup. He was particularly mad at himself for rubbing Barney's exploits in Robin's face through song ("bang, bang, bangity-bang"). Barney tells Ted about his failure to find a counter-strategy in Anita's book. Ted concocts a strategy (in song) of a plan to combine 17 dates into one "super-date," which Barney says is gooey and romantic.
Robin cancels her date with Don after Ted informs her of the super-date Barney was planning. Marshall later vents his anger at Ted for crushing Robin - he (and also Barney) joined Marshall on the "bang bang, bangity bang" song. Then Ted realizes he, too, had been a jerk to Robin after she tried to bounce back from her breakup with Barney. After hugging Robin at the restroom, the three head to Barney's apartment, where Lily narrates to him every occasion that Robin cried somewhere else and later vented her frustration at the shooting range
after hearing Barney brag about his sexual conquests. Barney heads off to the shooting range and apologizes to Robin about preparing a wonderful date for Anita when he never tried it even once with her. He decides to let Robin and Don go on his super-date, promising as well to Robin that he would not sleep with Anita.
Anita confronts Barney at the bar for not showing up on their own date and finds herself being treated to her own "No" strategy. Barney is defiant and Anita offers him multiple compromise offers, the last of which prompts him to head to the Hudson River and jump. Barney is later fined $500 for the misdemeanor and watches fireworks meant to cap off the super date, while Don and Robin kiss watching them. Robin declines to talk to the gang about the date the following morning, but later breaks into the "bang, bang, bangity bang" song, and everyone except Barney joins in.
rated the episode with a grade A-.
Brian Zoromski of IGN gave the episode 9 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...
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 105th episode overall. It originally aired on March 8, 2010.
Plot
The New York Police Department's river patrol pulls 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...
out of the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
one night in March 2010. Upon being asked to explain by a police officer how he got there, Barney explains that the chain of events started one week before.
He had picked up Anita (Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
) at MacLaren's. However, she suddenly leaves him just when they were ready to return to his place. Meanwhile, 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 Don, who have established good chemistry on their morning show, hang out with 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...
and 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...
at the bar. Marshall encourages Robin to keep Don, to the point that he later pretends to be Robin accepting Don's invitation for a date. At 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...
's apartment, Barney tells the gang about his failure to snag the woman. Ted claims that the woman may have read tips from a certain book called Of Course You're Still Single, Take a Look at Yourself, You Dumb Slut. However, after checking out the book for a loophole, Barney discovers that the woman he met at the bar, Anita, is the author and announces that he is going to seduce her.
Later at the bar, Robin admits to Marshall and Lily that she met Anita during a segment on her show, wherein she told Anita the truth about Barney and their breakup. Anita shows how to break Barney's spirit by saying "No," which she demonstrates on the cameraman who suddenly gets her some coffee. After Barney had talked about one too many of his new ladies, Robin calls Anita and told her to put her plan into action. Marshall confesses to Lily about being upset that he'd been pushing Robin to keep up with Barney's sexual activity after their breakup. He was particularly mad at himself for rubbing Barney's exploits in Robin's face through song ("bang, bang, bangity-bang"). Barney tells Ted about his failure to find a counter-strategy in Anita's book. Ted concocts a strategy (in song) of a plan to combine 17 dates into one "super-date," which Barney says is gooey and romantic.
Robin cancels her date with Don after Ted informs her of the super-date Barney was planning. Marshall later vents his anger at Ted for crushing Robin - he (and also Barney) joined Marshall on the "bang bang, bangity bang" song. Then Ted realizes he, too, had been a jerk to Robin after she tried to bounce back from her breakup with Barney. After hugging Robin at the restroom, the three head to Barney's apartment, where Lily narrates to him every occasion that Robin cried somewhere else and later vented her frustration at the shooting range
Shooting range
A shooting range or firing range is a specialized facility designed for firearms practice. Each facility is typically overseen by one or more supervisory personnel, called variously a range master or "RSO – Range Safety Officer" in the United States or a range conducting officer or "RCO" in the UK...
after hearing Barney brag about his sexual conquests. Barney heads off to the shooting range and apologizes to Robin about preparing a wonderful date for Anita when he never tried it even once with her. He decides to let Robin and Don go on his super-date, promising as well to Robin that he would not sleep with Anita.
Anita confronts Barney at the bar for not showing up on their own date and finds herself being treated to her own "No" strategy. Barney is defiant and Anita offers him multiple compromise offers, the last of which prompts him to head to the Hudson River and jump. Barney is later fined $500 for the misdemeanor and watches fireworks meant to cap off the super date, while Don and Robin kiss watching them. Robin declines to talk to the gang about the date the following morning, but later breaks into the "bang, bang, bangity bang" song, and everyone except Barney joins in.
Continuity
- The episode refers to Barney and Robin's break up in "The Rough PatchThe Rough Patch"The Rough Patch" is the seventh episode of the fifth season of the CBS situation comedy How I Met Your Mother and 95th episode overall. It originally aired on November 9, 2009.- Plot :...
". - Robin's habit of saying "but...umm" is referenced in her interview with Anita.
- Flashbacks of Robin's depressionClinical depressionMajor depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
include scenes from "The PlaybookThe Playbook (How I Met Your Mother)"The Playbook" is the eighth episode of the fifth season of the CBS situation comedy How I Met Your Mother and 96th episode overall . It originally aired November 16, 2009...
" and "Rabbit or DuckRabbit or Duck"Rabbit or Duck" is the fifteenth episode of the fifth season of the CBS situation comedy How I Met Your Mother and 103rd episode overall. It originally aired on February 8, 2010.- Plot :...
." - Marshall's tendency to sing about whatever is going on around him can be seen in episodes like "Sweet Taste of LibertySweet Taste of Liberty"Sweet Taste of Liberty" is the 3rd episode in the first season of the television series How I Met Your Mother. It originally aired on October 3, 2005.- Plot :Barney has decided that it is time for Ted to get out of his routine of going to the same bar...
" and "Spoiler Alert". - Cameraman Mike immediately went off Robin's hook, and got on Anita's hook in this episode.
- Robin is said to have gone to the shooting range to get over Barney, first brought up in season 1.
- At the very end, when all five are at Ted's place and Robin starts singing "Bang Bang" song, Marshall plays Barney's "Magic Phone's" ringtone - "Turkey in the StrawTurkey in the Straw"Turkey in the Straw" is a well-known American folk song dating from the early 19th century.The song's tune was first popularized in the late 1820s and early 1830s by blackface performers, notably George Washington Dixon, Bob Farrell and George Nichols. Another song, "Zip Coon", was sung to the...
" - on a banjolele. - As Barney leaves the bar he passes a cab with the number 9Z72. Almost all the taxi cabs used across the show have the code 9Z72 on top.
- Barney desperately seeks a loophole in 'Of course you're still single, take a look at yourself you dumb slut' much the same way he seeks a loophole in 'The Bro Code' as seen in "The Goat"
Cultural references
- Barney explains to the gang that he did something else much worse than vomit in his stormtrooper helmet when Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom MenaceStar Wars Episode I: The Phantom MenaceStar Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is a 1999 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the fourth film to be released in the Star Wars saga, as the first of a three-part prequel to the original Star Wars trilogy, as well as the first film in the saga in terms...
came out. - Anita's dating book Of Course You're Still Single, Take a Look at Yourself, You Dumb Slut satirizes self-help books such as The RulesThe RulesThe Rules: Time-Tested Secrets for Capturing the Heart of Mr. Right is a controversial self-help book by Ellen Fein and Sherrie Schneider, originally published in 1995....
. - When Marshall goes to Barney's apartment and threw the StormtrooperStormtrooperStormtroopers were specialist soldiers of the German Army in World War I. In the last years of the war, Stoßtruppen were trained to fight with "infiltration tactics", part of the Germans' new method of attack on enemy trenches...
's head, Marshall says he is mad at Barney, mad at Ted, mad at himself, and honestly still mad at the empireGalactic Empire (Star Wars)The Galactic Empire is one of the main factions in the fictional universe of Star Wars. It is a galaxy-spanning regime established by the series' lead villain, Palpatine, to replace the Galactic Republic in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. The Galactic Empire is introduced in Star Wars...
.
Critical response
Donna Bowman 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 A-.
Brian Zoromski of IGN gave the episode 9 out of 10.