Robots Versus Wrestlers
Encyclopedia
"Robots Versus Wrestlers " is the 22nd episode of the fifth season of the CBS
situation comedy
How I Met Your Mother
and 110th episode overall. It aired on May 10, 2010.
is excited to get the gang to come with him to a grandscale fighting match called "Robots Versus Wrestlers". Barney had bought a fifth ticket for Robin
, despite knowing she had wished to spend time away from them, and indeed she ends up declining. Meanwhile, Ted
finds himself continuously snubbed by his friends whenever he tries to appear intellectual, such as by reciting a poem, as his friends always make fart
noises to interrupt him. At the apartment, Barney is introduced to Marissa Heller, who Ted explains was their apartment's previous occupant. Ted has been receiving her mail ever since they had moved in 10 years ago, and over the years, Marshall
and Ted had gotten a good idea of what she might be like, although they have no idea what she looks like. In the present, Ted opens another such envelope addressed to her, which is an invitation to a high-society party in the Alberta Building, a famous building that Ted describes as the most beautiful in Manhattan
. Unfortunately, the party is the same night as "Robots Versus Wrestlers", so Ted convinces the gang they'll make a brief appearance at the party before heading over to Robots, having Lily
pretend to be Marissa so that they can gain entry to the party.
As Lily is about to introduce herself as Marissa to the doorman, the real Marissa arrives, foiling their plan. Ted manages to impress Marissa with his intellectual knowledge, and Marissa agrees to take the group with her up to the party. Ted has a great time at the party, becoming a big hit, while Marshall, Lily, and Barney find it boring and want to leave. Ted decides to stay, leaving Barney hurt, as he, Marshall and Lily head to the Robots event.
Marshall thinks "Robots Versus Wrestlers" is awesome, but Barney is bothered by the fact that their group appears to be growing apart: Robin moving in with Don, Ted leaving them for the party, and Marshall and Lily possibly having a baby soon. Lily assures Barney that, though they might drift apart, they'll still remain friends. Meanwhile, Ted continues to have a good time at the party and begins reciting a poem to everyone there, in the original Italian. As he does so, Ted is amazed no one interrupts him and realizes maybe he has gone too far, and wishes someone would stop him. At that moment, Marshall and the others discover Ted's doppelgänger
, a Mexican wrestler at the event. Barney sends Ted a picture, who upon seeing it immediately leaves the party. Meanwhile, Barney, Marshall, and Lily are at MacLaren's, where Barney has been making a series of absurd rules they have to follow if Marshall and Lily have their baby. Barney gets up to get a drink, and Marshall asks Lily to seriously consider the possibility of having a baby. Lily points out they won't be able to do as many fun things as before, such as finding Ted's doppelgänger at "Robots Versus Wrestlers". They then agree that they won't start trying to have a baby until after they've found the fifth doppelgänger of the group, Barney's. Ted arrives later, where Barney apologizes to him and allows to him to recite another poem. As Ted begins to do so, Robin arrives and interrupts him with a fart noise. As the gang shows her Ted's doppelgänger, Future Ted explains that, although the group grew apart one time or another, they always made sure to get together every year for "Robots Versus Wrestlers".
; Arianna Huffington
, editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post
; and Will Shortz
, Crossword Editor of The New York Times
guest star as themselves.
rated the episode grade A.
Amanda Sloane Murray of IGN
gave the episode 7.2 out of 10. "With its rare departure from the show's signature blend of flashbacks and cutaways, this episode often felt like it was ganked from a completely different, less funny show."
Television Without Pity gave the episode a C+ rating.
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 110th episode overall. It aired on May 10, 2010.
Plot
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...
is excited to get the gang to come with him to a grandscale fighting match called "Robots Versus Wrestlers". Barney had bought a fifth ticket for 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 :...
, despite knowing she had wished to spend time away from them, and indeed she ends up declining. Meanwhile, 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...
finds himself continuously snubbed by his friends whenever he tries to appear intellectual, such as by reciting a poem, as his friends always make fart
Fart
Fart is an English language vulgarism most commonly used in reference to flatulence. The word "fart" is generally considered unsuitable in a formal environment by modern English speakers, and it may be considered vulgar or offensive in some situations. Fart can be used as a noun or a verb...
noises to interrupt him. At the apartment, Barney is introduced to Marissa Heller, who Ted explains was their apartment's previous occupant. Ted has been receiving her mail ever since they had moved in 10 years ago, and over the years, 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 Ted had gotten a good idea of what she might be like, although they have no idea what she looks like. In the present, Ted opens another such envelope addressed to her, which is an invitation to a high-society party in the Alberta Building, a famous building that Ted describes as the most beautiful in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. Unfortunately, the party is the same night as "Robots Versus Wrestlers", so Ted convinces the gang they'll make a brief appearance at the party before heading over to Robots, having 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...
pretend to be Marissa so that they can gain entry to the party.
As Lily is about to introduce herself as Marissa to the doorman, the real Marissa arrives, foiling their plan. Ted manages to impress Marissa with his intellectual knowledge, and Marissa agrees to take the group with her up to the party. Ted has a great time at the party, becoming a big hit, while Marshall, Lily, and Barney find it boring and want to leave. Ted decides to stay, leaving Barney hurt, as he, Marshall and Lily head to the Robots event.
Marshall thinks "Robots Versus Wrestlers" is awesome, but Barney is bothered by the fact that their group appears to be growing apart: Robin moving in with Don, Ted leaving them for the party, and Marshall and Lily possibly having a baby soon. Lily assures Barney that, though they might drift apart, they'll still remain friends. Meanwhile, Ted continues to have a good time at the party and begins reciting a poem to everyone there, in the original Italian. As he does so, Ted is amazed no one interrupts him and realizes maybe he has gone too far, and wishes someone would stop him. At that moment, Marshall and the others discover Ted's doppelgänger
Doppelgänger
In fiction and folklore, a doppelgänger is a paranormal double of a living person, typically representing evil or misfortune...
, a Mexican wrestler at the event. Barney sends Ted a picture, who upon seeing it immediately leaves the party. Meanwhile, Barney, Marshall, and Lily are at MacLaren's, where Barney has been making a series of absurd rules they have to follow if Marshall and Lily have their baby. Barney gets up to get a drink, and Marshall asks Lily to seriously consider the possibility of having a baby. Lily points out they won't be able to do as many fun things as before, such as finding Ted's doppelgänger at "Robots Versus Wrestlers". They then agree that they won't start trying to have a baby until after they've found the fifth doppelgänger of the group, Barney's. Ted arrives later, where Barney apologizes to him and allows to him to recite another poem. As Ted begins to do so, Robin arrives and interrupts him with a fart noise. As the gang shows her Ted's doppelgänger, Future Ted explains that, although the group grew apart one time or another, they always made sure to get together every year for "Robots Versus Wrestlers".
Production
Film director Peter BogdanovichPeter Bogdanovich
Peter Bogdanovich is an American film historian, director, writer, actor, producer, and critic. He was part of the wave of "New Hollywood" directors, which included William Friedkin, Brian De Palma, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, Michael Cimino, and Francis Ford Coppola...
; Arianna Huffington
Arianna Huffington
Arianna Huffington is a Greek American author and syndicated columnist. She is best known as co-founder of the news website The Huffington Post. A popular conservative commentator in the mid-1990s, she adopted more liberal political beliefs in the late 1990s...
, editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
; and Will Shortz
Will Shortz
Will Shortz is an American puzzle creator and editor, and currently the crossword puzzle editor for The New York Times.-Early life and education:...
, Crossword Editor of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
guest star as themselves.
Music
- "The Living End" by Jesus and Mary Chain
- "Tell Me Why" by From (first bar scene)
- "One Spring Away" by From (plays during Ted’s picture of Marissa Heller)
- "Constance Fry" (or Aura LeeAura Lee"Aura Lea" is an American Civil War song about a maiden. It was written by W. W. Fosdick and George R. Poulton .-Lyrics:The lyrics as written by Fosdick:...
) performed by the Ted Mosby Quartet - "We All Belong" by Dr. Dog (closing bar scene)
Continuity
- The fourth doppelgängerDoppelgängerIn fiction and folklore, a doppelgänger is a paranormal double of a living person, typically representing evil or misfortune...
, Mexican Wrestler Ted, appears in this episode. The existence of the doppelgängers was first mentioned in "Double DateDouble Date (How I Met Your Mother)"Double Date" is the second episode of season 5 of the sitcom How I Met Your Mother, and the 90th episode overall. It originally aired on September 28, 2009.- Plot :...
." Lesbian Robin, Mustache Marshall, and Stripper Lily were the first three doppelgängers shown. - Ted claims that they had seen the other three Doppelgängers "earlier that year", whereas in the episode "Double DateDouble Date (How I Met Your Mother)"Double Date" is the second episode of season 5 of the sitcom How I Met Your Mother, and the 90th episode overall. It originally aired on September 28, 2009.- Plot :...
" Ted informs us that the first two Doppelgängers had been seen over the past few years. - Lily's fake British accent was first used in "InterventionIntervention (How I Met Your Mother)"Intervention" is the fourth episode in the fourth season of the television series How I Met Your Mother and 68th overall. It originally aired on October 13, 2008.-Plot:...
" of Season 4. - Robin's reasons for being missing from the group were from the previous episode "Twin BedsTwin Beds (How I Met Your Mother)"Twin Beds" is the 21st episode of the fifth season of the CBS situation comedy How I Met Your Mother and 109th episode overall. It aired May 3, 2010.- Plot :...
". - Barney mentions watching "Robots Versus Wrestlers" as part of their group traditions. Several other traditions include the Super BowlSuper BowlThe Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
("Monday Night Football," Season 2) and Thanksgiving at Marshall and Lily's ("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 :...
", Season 2, "SlapsgivingSlapsgiving"Slapsgiving" is the 9th episode in the third season of the television series How I Met Your Mother and 53rd overall. It originally aired on November 19, 2007.- Plot :...
", Season 3 and "Slapsgiving 2: Revenge of the SlapSlapsgiving 2: Revenge of the Slap"Slapsgiving 2: Revenge of the Slap" is the ninth episode of the fifth season of the CBS situation comedy How I Met Your Mother and 97th episode overall. It aired on November 23, 2009.- Plot :...
", Season 5). - Ted meets the New York Times crossword-puzzle editor, Will Shortz, in this episode. In a flashback in "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 :...
", while answering a crossword, Don asks to himself why Ulee's GoldUlee's GoldUlee's Gold is a 1997 film written and directed by Victor Nuñez, and starring Peter Fonda in the title role. Co-stars include Patricia Richardson, Christine Dunford, Tom Wood, Jessica Biel, J. Kenneth Campbell, Steven Flynn, Dewey Weber, and Vanessa Zima...
was always used. In the flash forward, Ted answers that it is used because of the vowels. The editor confirms this reason in this episode. - Barney's usual method of hooking up with girls using elaborate lies fails to work with the high-end crowd.
- Ted uses his extensive knowledge of architecture, being an architect and a professor, to get invited by Marissa Heller to the party.
- Marshall and Lily's baby plans first surfaced in "Not a Father's DayNot a Father's Day"Not a Father's Day" is the seventh episode in the fourth season of the television series How I Met Your Mother and 71st overall. It originally aired on November 10, 2008.- Plot :...
" in Season 4. - When Ted and Marshall move into their apartment, in the flashback 10 years earlier, there is a cardboard box labeled Pot Lids, and when Ted moves into Robin's apartment that was the only box he had to move in with.
- In the same scene, where Ted and Marshall are moving in, Ted is seen without the goatee, even though this time of his life he wore it.
- The party the group attends is held by the Van Smoot's, which was also the name of the mansion in which Marshall and Lily got married in season 2. The following season Ted and the gang will meet more of the Van Smoot family.
- Barney makes up rules under which circumstances it is okay for Lily and Marshall to have a baby. A few scenes later, a scene stats with him saying "Rule Number 83" which is a reference to Barney always using the number 83 in various situations, first mentioned in "BrunchBrunchBrunch is a meal eaten between breakfast and lunch. The word is a portmanteau of breakfast and lunch.-Origin of the word:The 1896 supplement to the Oxford English Dictionary cites Punch magazine which wrote that the term was coined in Britain in 1895 to describe a Sunday meal for "Saturday-night...
".
Barney's blog
Barney lists the guidelines he presented to Lily and Marshall if they are to have kids.Cultural references
- The board game ClueClueClue may refer to:* Cluedo , a crime fiction board game** Clue , based on the board game** Clue , based on the board game** Clue , based on the board game...
: Lily jokingly murders Ted, saying "Miss Lily, in the living room, with the candlestick." - Ted recites a part of Dante's InfernoDante's InfernoDante's Inferno is the first part of Dante Alighieri's epic poem Divine Comedy.Dante's Inferno may also refer to:* Dante's Inferno , a silent film about a slum landlord sent to hell...
, from the Divine Comedy, written by the ItalianItalian peopleThe Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
poet Dante Aligheri. - Ted also recites the poem "Friendship," written by Ralph Waldo EmersonRalph Waldo EmersonRalph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century...
. - Marshall hits a gongGongA gong is an East and South East Asian musical percussion instrument that takes the form of a flat metal disc which is hit with a mallet....
, which was supposedly used in 1885 during the LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
premiere of The MikadoThe MikadoThe Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen operatic collaborations...
, by W.S. Gilbert and Arthur SullivanArthur SullivanSir Arthur Seymour Sullivan MVO was an English composer of Irish and Italian ancestry. He is best known for his series of 14 operatic collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including such enduring works as H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado...
. - Lily mentions the TV soap operaSoap operaA soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
The Young and the RestlessThe Young and the RestlessThe Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
in the elevator. - Actor Willem DafoeWillem DafoeWillem Dafoe is an American film, stage, and voice actor, and a founding member of the experimental theatre company The Wooster Group...
's name is used by Marshall as part of a joke. - Barney uses the "Stimulus Package" of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
as part of his attempts to hook up with Arianna HuffingtonArianna HuffingtonArianna Huffington is a Greek American author and syndicated columnist. She is best known as co-founder of the news website The Huffington Post. A popular conservative commentator in the mid-1990s, she adopted more liberal political beliefs in the late 1990s...
. He then mockingly calls her Zsa Zsa GaborZsa Zsa GaborZsa Zsa Gabor is a Hungarian-born American stage, film and television actress.She acted on stage in Vienna, Austria, in 1932, and was crowned Miss Hungary in 1936. She emigrated to the United States in 1941 and became a sought-after actress with "European flair and style", with a personality that...
. - The candlestickCandlestickA candlestick, chamberstick, or candelabrum is a holder for one or more candles, used for illumination, rituals, or decorative purposes. The name 'candlestick' derives from the fact that it is usually tall and stick-shaped.Candlesticks are also called candle holders...
that Lily holds supposedly belonged to the poet Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
. - A group at the party (including Ted) sings "Constance Frye," a barbershop quartet song that was first heard in the 1983 film Trading PlacesTrading PlacesTrading Places is a 1983 American comedy film, of the satire genre, directed by John Landis, starring Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy. It tells the story of an upper class commodities broker and a homeless street hustler whose lives cross paths when they are unknowingly made part of an elaborate bet...
. The song is based on the tune of the folk song "Aura LeeAura Lee"Aura Lea" is an American Civil War song about a maiden. It was written by W. W. Fosdick and George R. Poulton .-Lyrics:The lyrics as written by Fosdick:...
," which was also used in Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
's hit "Love Me TenderLove Me Tender (song)"Love Me Tender" is a song recorded by Elvis Presley and published by Elvis Presley Music, adapted from the tune of "Aura Lee" , a sentimental Civil War ballad.- History :...
." - Ted tells Marissa that the architect of the Alberta, Lewis Lamar Skolnick, is one of his favorite architects. Lewis Skolnick and Lamar were both characters in Revenge of the NerdsRevenge of the NerdsRevenge of the Nerds is a 1984 comedy film satirizing social life on a college campus. The film stars Robert Carradine and Anthony Edwards, with Curtis Armstrong, Ted McGinley, Julia Montgomery, Brian Tochi, Larry B. Scott, John Goodman, and Donald Gibb...
. - The Alberta is a parody of The DakotaThe DakotaThe Dakota, constructed from October 25, 1880 to October 27, 1884, is a co-op apartment building located on the northwest corner of 72nd Street and Central Park West in the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City...
a New York City apartment building with a storied history.
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 grade A.
Amanda Sloane Murray 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 7.2 out of 10. "With its rare departure from the show's signature blend of flashbacks and cutaways, this episode often felt like it was ganked from a completely different, less funny show."
Television Without Pity gave the episode a C+ rating.