The Best Man (How I Met Your Mother)
Encyclopedia
"The Best Man" is the premiere episode of the seventh season
of the CBS
sitcom How I Met Your Mother
and the 137th episode overall. It aired on September 19, 2011.
left off, when Ted
is called in to speak to Barney
before his wedding to a mystery bride. As Barney's best man, Barney wants Ted's opinion on the tie he's wearing, though Barney becomes nervous and goes into a long-winded confession in front of Ted about whether he should have gone with "the other tie", the tie being a metaphor for something, presumably his bride-to-be. In the midst of his wedding jitters, he fears that this wedding will be the worst wedding of all time. Ted responds by saying that they have already been to the worst wedding ever: Punchy's wedding, which Marshall ruined.
In September 2011, the gang attended Punchy's wedding in Cleveland
, with Ted as Punchy's best man. Ted reveals that he had become infamous for crying and embarrassing himself each time his high school friends asked him to make a toast at their weddings and they now look forward to seeing him break down at Punchy's wedding, so he is determined to make his wedding toast perfect. Barney suggests that Ted, who has made the cover of New York Magazine for his design of the new GNB building, to take the magazine to the wedding and brag about his accomplishments to the women there instead.
Meanwhile, Lily
and Marshall
are not prepared to reveal Lily's pregnancy to the group, and worry about the effort that it will take to keep the pregnancy a secret. At the wedding, Lily has Marshall consume all her drinks so nobody will suspect that she is pregnant; Marshall becomes extremely drunk as a result. After seeing all the couples with babies, though, they become convinced that they should reveal their pregnancy to the group.
When Robin
pokes Barney about not calling Nora, it becomes clear that Robin is happy about him apparently not having called Nora. Lily realizes that Robin still has feelings for Barney and encourages her to tell Barney and make their relationship clear. When Robin is about to confess her feelings, Barney receives a call from Nora, whom he reveals he actually called multiple times and lied that he had not called at all. At Barney's request, Robin feeds him the words that she had intended to say to him and Barney succeeds at convincing Nora to meet him again.
When Robin and Ted confess to one another that they are unhappy, Ted reveals that he is losing faith that he will find "the one," now that he has seen how all his high school friends have moved on to form families of their own and he is still nowhere near that. Robin convinces Ted not to lose hope and not to cry during his toast. When Marshall and Lily reveal their pregnancy to the group, Ted is emotional enough that he begins to cry during his toast, much to everyone's delight. An intoxicated Marshall stands up for Ted, citing that Ted's tears are because he is happy that Lily is going to have a baby. However, Punchy's wife Kelly believes that the words are for her and reveals that she is also pregnant. Future Ted explains that this was how Marshall ruined Punchy's wedding; Kelly's news caused a fight between Punchy's family and her own family. However, the gang didn't care, as they were rejoicing about the impending new addition to their pseudo-family.
Returning to Barney's wedding, Ted assures Barney that he has chosen the right tie when Lily enters the room to inform Ted that Barney's bride-to-be has asked to see him. As Ted leaves the room, Lily pokes Barney over the choice of the actual tie he is wearing, making him change his tie.
How I Met Your Mother (season 7)
The seventh season of the American television comedy series How I Met Your Mother was announced in March 2011, along with confirmation of an eighth season, and premiered on September 19, 2011 with two episodes airing back-to-back.-Main cast:...
of the CBS
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 137th episode overall. It aired on September 19, 2011.
Plot
The episode picks up from where the season 6 finaleChallenge Accepted
"Challenge Accepted" is the twenty fourth and final episode of the sixth season of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother and the 136th episode overall. It aired on May 16, 2011.-Plot:...
left off, when 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...
is called in to speak to 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...
before his wedding to a mystery bride. As Barney's best man, Barney wants Ted's opinion on the tie he's wearing, though Barney becomes nervous and goes into a long-winded confession in front of Ted about whether he should have gone with "the other tie", the tie being a metaphor for something, presumably his bride-to-be. In the midst of his wedding jitters, he fears that this wedding will be the worst wedding of all time. Ted responds by saying that they have already been to the worst wedding ever: Punchy's wedding, which Marshall ruined.
In September 2011, the gang attended Punchy's wedding in Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, with Ted as Punchy's best man. Ted reveals that he had become infamous for crying and embarrassing himself each time his high school friends asked him to make a toast at their weddings and they now look forward to seeing him break down at Punchy's wedding, so he is determined to make his wedding toast perfect. Barney suggests that Ted, who has made the cover of New York Magazine for his design of the new GNB building, to take the magazine to the wedding and brag about his accomplishments to the women there instead.
Meanwhile, 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...
are not prepared to reveal Lily's pregnancy to the group, and worry about the effort that it will take to keep the pregnancy a secret. At the wedding, Lily has Marshall consume all her drinks so nobody will suspect that she is pregnant; Marshall becomes extremely drunk as a result. After seeing all the couples with babies, though, they become convinced that they should reveal their pregnancy to the group.
When 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 :...
pokes Barney about not calling Nora, it becomes clear that Robin is happy about him apparently not having called Nora. Lily realizes that Robin still has feelings for Barney and encourages her to tell Barney and make their relationship clear. When Robin is about to confess her feelings, Barney receives a call from Nora, whom he reveals he actually called multiple times and lied that he had not called at all. At Barney's request, Robin feeds him the words that she had intended to say to him and Barney succeeds at convincing Nora to meet him again.
When Robin and Ted confess to one another that they are unhappy, Ted reveals that he is losing faith that he will find "the one," now that he has seen how all his high school friends have moved on to form families of their own and he is still nowhere near that. Robin convinces Ted not to lose hope and not to cry during his toast. When Marshall and Lily reveal their pregnancy to the group, Ted is emotional enough that he begins to cry during his toast, much to everyone's delight. An intoxicated Marshall stands up for Ted, citing that Ted's tears are because he is happy that Lily is going to have a baby. However, Punchy's wife Kelly believes that the words are for her and reveals that she is also pregnant. Future Ted explains that this was how Marshall ruined Punchy's wedding; Kelly's news caused a fight between Punchy's family and her own family. However, the gang didn't care, as they were rejoicing about the impending new addition to their pseudo-family.
Returning to Barney's wedding, Ted assures Barney that he has chosen the right tie when Lily enters the room to inform Ted that Barney's bride-to-be has asked to see him. As Ted leaves the room, Lily pokes Barney over the choice of the actual tie he is wearing, making him change his tie.
Continuity
- Ted's previous best man toasts referred to him being left at the altarShelter Island (How I Met Your Mother)"Shelter Island" is the fifth episode in the fourth season of the television series How I Met Your Mother and 69th overall. It originally aired on October 20, 2008.- Plot :...
, and the establishment of "Mosbius DesignsMosbius Designs"Mosbius Designs" is the 20th episode in the fourth season of the television series How I Met Your Mother and 84th overall. It aired on April 13, 2009.-Plot:...
". The last toast took place during a wedding three months after the events of Mosbius Designs, where he admits the company has gone under. - Punchy is a recurring character that first appears in "Sandcastles in the SandSandcastles In The Sand"Sandcastles in the Sand" is the 16th episode in the third season of the television series How I Met Your Mother and 60th overall. It originally aired on April 21, 2008.- Plot :...
" as Ted's high school friend. He asked Ted to be his best man in the episode "GlitterGlitter (How I Met Your Mother)"Glitter" is the ninth episode of the sixth season of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, and the 121st episode overall. It aired on November 15, 2010.- Plot :When Lily becomes obsessed with babies, Robin becomes distant from her...
." - Barney uses the number 83 in claiming statistical successes of his plays (a number he has used numerous times over the course of the show when making up statistics).
- Article headlines on the cover of New York magazineNew York (magazine)New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
mention George "The Captain" Van SmootNatural 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 :...
, future character Garrison CootesThe Naked Truth (How I Met Your Mother)"The Naked Truth" is the second episode of the seventh season of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, and the 138th episode overall. It originally aired on September 19, 2011.- Plot :...
, Marshall's joke about Willem DafoeWillem DafoeWillem Dafoe is an American film, stage, and voice actor, and a founding member of the experimental theatre company The Wooster Group...
in Season 5 episode "Robots Versus WrestlersRobots Versus Wrestlers"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.- Plot :...
", and future episode Mystery vs. HistoryMystery vs. History"Mystery vs. History" is the sixth episode of the seventh season of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother and the 142nd episode overall. It aired on October 17, 2011.-Plot:...
. The back of the magazine features a GNBThe Best Burger in New York"The Best Burger in New York" is the second episode in the fourth season of the television series How I Met Your Mother and 66th overall. It originally aired on September 29, 2008.- Plot :...
ad.
Cultural references
- Punchy and Kelly's wedding reception is designed to honor the Cleveland BrownsCleveland BrownsThe Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. - Barney said the last time someone ever screwed Cleveland and disappeared was LeBron JamesLeBron JamesLeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
, referring to his sudden departure from the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2010. Also, when Barney walks in he claps his hands and throws pretend chalk in the air as James does before games. Robin also says, "Barney is trying to LeBron every girl in here". - Lily yells "Hakuna Matata!Hakuna Matata (song)"Hakuna Matata" is a song from Disney's 32nd animated feature Timon & Pumbaa. The song is based on Timon and Pumbaa's common catchphrase in the movie, Hakuna matata, which is a Swahili phrase. It is characterized by its simple 4/4 time, upbeat message and catchy lyrics.-Music:The musical score was...
" when she fake-downs her shot at the bar at Punchy's and Kelly's wedding reception. - Punchy remixes one of Ted's best man speeches with Auto-TuneAuto-TuneAuto-Tune is a proprietary audio processor created by Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a phase vocoder to correct pitch in vocal and instrumental performances. It is used to disguise off-key inaccuracies and mistakes, and has allowed singers to perform apparently perfectly tuned vocal...
. - Robin wishes that the Spice GirlsSpice GirlsThe Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
would reunite. - Barney pretends to have invented FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
while flirting with a girl.