Sorry, Bro
Encyclopedia
"Sorry, Bro" is the 16th episode in the fourth season of the television series How I Met Your Mother
and 80th overall. It originally aired on March 9, 2009.
gets up so she will be in time for her 4 am talk show
that she now anchors. Meanwhile Ted
tells his friends that Karen (Laura Prepon
), his girlfriend during high school
and college
, is now in town.
Marshall
and Lily
are not happy with this news. They tell Ted how annoyed they were by Karen's pretentiousness and how Ted imitated her opinions, and how Karen always cheated on Ted, left for a few months, and then got back together with him. The gang agrees he definitely should not call Karen. Ted admits he already called her. They say he should not ask her to lunch, but Ted admits he already did. The group discusses the four different reasons one would have lunch with an ex: They want to get back together, as depicted in Lily's lunch with Scooter; they want to kill you, depicted in Barney
's lunch with Wendy (when in fact she only wanted to give him back his tie); they want to give back something you left behind, depicted in Robin's lunch with "The Iron Man"; or they want to show off how well they are doing, depicted in an eight-year-old Marshall having lunch with eight-year-old Nicole.
Ted reveals that he has entered a relationship with Karen, facilitated by the strong sleeping pills Robin has been using to help her keep up with her schedule. Lily is extremely frustrated to hear this, and states the true reason she hates Karen: While she was painting Marshall in the nude, Karen entered and "lingered". Ted tells the rest of the story: while they were hooking up in her apartment, Karen's boyfriend entered. After the boyfriend left, Ted confronted Karen about it and said he never wanted to speak to her again. Karen later dumped the boyfriend. The gang is happy to hear this, but ask Ted how he could know Karen dumped him if he never spoke to her again. Ted quickly says that he and Karen called each other again, patched things up, are now back together and that she is coming to the bar. Karen enters the bar and the gang unhappily greets her.
The previous day at work, Marshall was playing basketball with his office colleagues and forgot his suit pants. He called Lily to come over and give him his pants. Lily gave the pants to Barney to give to Marshall, but Barney cut them up. Barney finds this story amusing and tries to tell it throughout the evening, while Marshall and Lily are much less happy about it.
rated the episode with a grade B+.
Michelle Zoromski of IGN
gave the episode 8.3 out of 10.
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 80th overall. It originally aired on March 9, 2009.
Plot
At 1:45 am, RobinRobin 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 :...
gets up so she will be in time for her 4 am talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
that she now anchors. 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...
tells his friends that Karen (Laura Prepon
Laura Prepon
Laura Prepon is an American actress, best known for her role as Donna Pinciotti in the long-running Fox situation comedy That '70s Show, for all eight seasons. She is also known for the role of Hannah Daniels on the ABC drama October Road...
), his girlfriend during high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
and college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
, is now in town.
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...
are not happy with this news. They tell Ted how annoyed they were by Karen's pretentiousness and how Ted imitated her opinions, and how Karen always cheated on Ted, left for a few months, and then got back together with him. The gang agrees he definitely should not call Karen. Ted admits he already called her. They say he should not ask her to lunch, but Ted admits he already did. The group discusses the four different reasons one would have lunch with an ex: They want to get back together, as depicted in Lily's lunch with Scooter; they want to kill you, depicted in 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...
's lunch with Wendy (when in fact she only wanted to give him back his tie); they want to give back something you left behind, depicted in Robin's lunch with "The Iron Man"; or they want to show off how well they are doing, depicted in an eight-year-old Marshall having lunch with eight-year-old Nicole.
Ted reveals that he has entered a relationship with Karen, facilitated by the strong sleeping pills Robin has been using to help her keep up with her schedule. Lily is extremely frustrated to hear this, and states the true reason she hates Karen: While she was painting Marshall in the nude, Karen entered and "lingered". Ted tells the rest of the story: while they were hooking up in her apartment, Karen's boyfriend entered. After the boyfriend left, Ted confronted Karen about it and said he never wanted to speak to her again. Karen later dumped the boyfriend. The gang is happy to hear this, but ask Ted how he could know Karen dumped him if he never spoke to her again. Ted quickly says that he and Karen called each other again, patched things up, are now back together and that she is coming to the bar. Karen enters the bar and the gang unhappily greets her.
The previous day at work, Marshall was playing basketball with his office colleagues and forgot his suit pants. He called Lily to come over and give him his pants. Lily gave the pants to Barney to give to Marshall, but Barney cut them up. Barney finds this story amusing and tries to tell it throughout the evening, while Marshall and Lily are much less happy about it.
Continuity
- Wendy and Barney dated during the episode "The Platinum Rule". Barney is still (mistakenly) convinced that Wendy is trying to kill him. She is in fact trying to give him a tie, which he is wearing during the episode.
- Robin and Kurt Irons dated in "The Platinum Rule" also.
- This episode shows a flashback of when Lily created Marshall's nude painting. The reason Lily gives for painting Marshall naked is because he had eaten her bowl of fruit. In an earlier flashback, Marshall is seen eating a bowl of fruit in bed. However, in "Columns", the reason stated for Lily painting him is that Marshall thinks that he should be the only guy she should see naked.
- In a flashback, Robin ate ribs while asleep. This is a reference to "The BracketThe Bracket"The Bracket" is the 14th episode in the third season of the television series How I Met Your Mother and 58th overall. It originally aired on March 31, 2008.-Plot:...
", when Ted says that Robin does not know how to lie, he asks her if she had ever fallen asleep while eating ribs. She answers "no", but she starts laughing, which Robin often does when she tries to lie. - Barney calls Ted by his full name, "Theodore Evelyn Mosby", which was first revealed in the episode "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 :...
". - Marshall says that he's been wearing his ripped pants all day because they show his calves, which is a reference to the season 2 episode, "Brunch", where the viewer learns that Lily is attracted to Marshall's calves.
- Scooter, Lily's desperate high school boyfriend, appears twice in the episode. In a flashback, the two exes meet for lunch, and the obsessive Scooter declares he will be the best waiter ever after Lily mentions waitering in passing. Scooter later appears as the waiter for Ted and Karen.
- Karen was first mentioned in "Arrivederci, FieroArrivederci, Fiero"Arrivederci, Fiero" is the 17th episode in the second season of the television series How I Met Your Mother. It originally aired on February 26, 2007.- Plot :...
" in the flashback of Marshall asking Ted if he wanted a ride home. - The character Blauman appears in this episode even though he supposedly died in "The Chain of ScreamingThe Chain of Screaming"The Chain of Screaming" is the 15th episode in the third season of the television series How I Met Your Mother and 59th overall. It originally aired on April 14, 2008.- Plot :...
". - In "The PossimpibleThe Possimpible"The Possimpible" is the 14th episode in the fourth season of the television series How I Met Your Mother and 78th overall. It originally aired on February 2, 2009.- Plot :...
", Marshall reveals he has a medical condition that prevents him from playing basketball. - Marshall's list of the worst things in the world that could happen is topped by supervolcanoSupervolcanoA supervolcano is a volcano capable of producing a volcanic eruption with an ejecta volume greater than 1,000 cubic kilometers . This is thousands of times larger than most historic volcanic eruptions. Supervolcanoes can occur when magma in the Earth rises into the crust from a hotspot but is...
, the supposed potential disaster that Barney suggests Ted mentions to seduce Rachel and Trudy in "Third WheelThird Wheel"Third Wheel" is the third episode in the third season of the television series How I Met Your Mother and 47th overall. It originally aired on October 8, 2007.- Plot :...
".
Cultural references
- The scene where Barney cuts Marshall's pants is a reference to Edward ScissorhandsEdward ScissorhandsEdward Scissorhands is a 1990 romantic fantasy film directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp. The film shows the story of an artificial man named Edward, an unfinished creation, who has scissors for hands. Edward is taken in by a suburban family and falls in love with their teenage daughter...
by Tim BurtonTim BurtonTimothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
, when Edward is clipping bushes (or cutting hair). - A few minutes later in the conference Barney says to Marshall, "Please, Sir, may I have some more?" in an English accent. This is adapted from Oliver TwistOliver TwistOliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens, published by Richard Bentley in 1838. The story is about an orphan Oliver Twist, who endures a miserable existence in a workhouse and then is placed with an undertaker. He escapes and travels to...
, when young Oliver begs for food at the workhouse. - Bilson's question about Marshall joining AC/DCAC/DCAC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
is a reference to some of the band members, notably Angus YoungAngus YoungAngus McKinnon Young is a Scottish-born Australian musician, and the lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder of the rock and roll band AC/DC. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with other members of AC/DC in 2003 and is known for his energetic performances,...
, wearing cut-off pants. - When Marshall thinks he is going to WrestlemaniaWrestleManiaWrestleMania is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event, produced annually in late March or early April by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut...
, he is dressed as the Ultimate Warrior. When Lily runs into the room she is dressed as Hacksaw Jim Duggan. - After Marshall enumerates the worst things that could happen in the world Lily says "I'm Lily and I approve the order of this list" in the same style as elections campaign advertisements where the candidates are required to say they approve those messages.
- Barney yells "Pants story bomaye!" which is a reference to boxer Muhammad AliMuhammad AliMuhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
and The Rumble in the JungleThe Rumble in the JungleThe Rumble in the Jungle was a historic boxing event that took place on October 30, 1974, in the Mai 20 Stadium in Kinshasa, Zaire . It pitted then world Heavyweight champion George Foreman against former world champion and challenger Muhammad Ali...
. A popular chant during the fight was "Ali bomaye!", which is CongoKongo languageThe Kongo language, or Kikongo, is the Bantu language spoken by the Bakongo and Bandundu people living in the tropical forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo and Angola. It is a tonal language and formed the base for Kituba, a Bantu creole and lingua franca...
lese meaning "Ali, kill him!" - Lily says of Karen, "She's gotsta get got," to which Robin replies, "The game is the game." This is a tacked-on reference to quotes from Omar LittleOmar LittleOmar Devone Little is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, portrayed by Michael K. Williams. Omar is a renowned stick-up man who lives by a strict moral code and never deviates from his rules, foremost of which is that he never robs or menaces people who are not involved in "the game"....
, Brother Mouzone, and Avon BarksdaleAvon BarksdaleAvon Randolph Barksdale is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire portrayed by actor Wood Harris. Avon is the dominant drug dealer of Baltimore's West Side, running the Barksdale Organization...
on The WireThe WIREthe WIRE is the student-run College radio station at the University of Oklahoma, broadcasting in a freeform format. The WIRE serves the University of Oklahoma and surrounding communities, and is staffed by student DJs. The WIRE broadcasts at 1710 kHz AM in Norman, Oklahoma...
. - During the first flashback of Ted and Karen sneaking around Robin, Robin says in her sleep: "Pat LaFontainePat LaFontainePatrick Michael LaFontaine is an American former ice hockey center in the National Hockey League who spent his entire career playing for the league's New York-based teams; LaFontaine skated for the New York Islanders from 1983 until 1991, the Buffalo Sabres from 1991 until 1997, and the New York...
gets the puck to Pierre TurgeonPierre TurgeonPierre Turgeon is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League for the Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars and the Colorado Avalanche...
. Turgeon shoots! Glove save!" Both players played for the New York IslandersNew York IslandersThe New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
and are most known for playing for the Buffalo SabresBuffalo SabresThe Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
. However, they never played on either team at the same time. Turgeon was in fact traded from the Sabres to the Islanders for LaFontaine on October 25, 1991. - During lunch, Ted tells Karen about an iron-on image of MolièreMolièreJean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature...
, a FrenchFrench peopleThe French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
playwright, on his backpack.
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 B+.
Michelle 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 8.3 out of 10.