The Bracket
Encyclopedia
"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.
attempts to track down and identify a woman who is stalking
him in order to warn women he picks up from sleeping with him. He narrows down a list of 64 women most likely to want revenge, then has the gang help him eliminate possibilities tournament style
. Lily
, the only person who has seen the stalker, forces him to confront his "final four," none of whom is the stalker, although the woman from "Ted Mosby: Architect
" started tedmosbyisajerk.com, under the impression that Barney's identity is Ted
's. Lily is irked by his refusal to apologize to the women he's hurt, Barney reasoning that they were consenting adults, he showed them a good time, and remembered each and every one, even going so far as to scrapbook
each experience. Barney finally apologizes to a woman when he thinks that she is the avenger but he does not recall having slept with her. This turns out to be a friend of Robin's, but Lily nonetheless is proud of Barney for finally giving out a sincere apology. The woman isn't revealed, but Future Ted re-assures that she will be revealed another time.
At the end of the episode, Barney writes of the experience in his oft-mentioned blog. After glancing over at another conquest he snagged through deception, he concludes that the lesson to all this is, "I'm awesome." This is a reference to Neil Patrick Harris
' old show, Doogie Howser, M.D.
, then a simple website was added. Associate producer Carl MacLaren had the idea to do a song for the website, which sprawled into a much longer twenty-minute work. The song syncs up slightly with the episode a la the alleged Dark Side of the Moon/Wizard of Oz
sync, which can be seen on the season 3 DVD. The vocals were performed by Charlene Amoia (Wendy the Waitress).
IGN gave the episode a rating of 7.6 out of 10.
Omar G of Television Without Pity rated the episode A+.
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 58th overall. It originally aired on March 31, 2008.
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...
attempts to track down and identify a woman who is stalking
Stalking
Stalking is a term commonly used to refer to unwanted and obsessive attention by an individual or group to another person. Stalking behaviors are related to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person and/or monitoring them via the internet...
him in order to warn women he picks up from sleeping with him. He narrows down a list of 64 women most likely to want revenge, then has the gang help him eliminate possibilities tournament style
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
. 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...
, the only person who has seen the stalker, forces him to confront his "final four," none of whom is the stalker, although the woman from "Ted Mosby: Architect
Ted 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 :...
" started tedmosbyisajerk.com, under the impression that Barney's identity is 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. Lily is irked by his refusal to apologize to the women he's hurt, Barney reasoning that they were consenting adults, he showed them a good time, and remembered each and every one, even going so far as to scrapbook
Scrapbooking
Scrapbooking is a method for preserving personal and family history in the form of a scrapbook. Typical memorabilia include photographs, printed media, and artwork. Scrapbook albums are often decorated and frequently contain extensive journaling...
each experience. Barney finally apologizes to a woman when he thinks that she is the avenger but he does not recall having slept with her. This turns out to be a friend of Robin's, but Lily nonetheless is proud of Barney for finally giving out a sincere apology. The woman isn't revealed, but Future Ted re-assures that she will be revealed another time.
At the end of the episode, Barney writes of the experience in his oft-mentioned blog. After glancing over at another conquest he snagged through deception, he concludes that the lesson to all this is, "I'm awesome." This is a reference to Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris is an American actor, singer, director, and magician.Prominent roles of his career include the title role in Doogie Howser, M.D., Colonel Carl Jenkins in Starship Troopers, the womanizing Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, a fictionalized version of himself in the Harold...
' old show, Doogie Howser, M.D.
Doogie Howser, M.D.
Doogie Howser, M.D. is an American television comedy-drama starring Neil Patrick Harris as a 16-year-old doctor who also faces the problems of being a normal teenager. Created by Steven Bochco and David E. Kelley, ABC aired the show from 1989 to 1993 for four seasons totaling 97 episodes.-Plot:Dr....
Continuity
- The montage of women that Barney has slept with includes a picture of Madeleine AlbrightMadeleine AlbrightMadeleine Korbelová Albright is the first woman to become a United States Secretary of State. She was appointed by U.S. President Bill Clinton on December 5, 1996, and was unanimously confirmed by a U.S. Senate vote of 99–0...
that is visible if the montage is viewed frame by frame. In addition, Madeleine is one of the names on the upper right side of the bracket. Then, when looking at the scrapbook of all the women Barney has slept with, Lily mentions "one government official." This follows from "The Yips", in which Barney implies that he slept with the former Secretary of StateUnited States Secretary of StateThe United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
. Later, in the same episode, Barney states that he once sat next to Madeleine Albright at a benefit and he "did not intend to hit that." She is beaten out by Anna, better known as the kickboxing instructor "resident" from "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 :...
". - It is surprising that Anna is listed as "Anna." Barney did not know her name in the episode in which he slept with her.
- Meg re-appears, last seen being left by Barney in MarshallMarshall EriksenMarshall 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's new apartment in "DowisetreplaDowisetrepla"Dowisetrepla" is the 7th episode in the third season of the television series How I Met Your Mother and 51st overall. It originally aired on November 5, 2007.-Plot:...
". - The identity of the saboteur is revealed in "Everything Must Go". Oddly enough, despite being one of Barney's recent hook-ups, her name is not present in the bracket. This is explained later when she explains what Barney did to her and he replies, "That's it?"
- Barney uses the statistic 83 percent as how much he can see when he was acting as a blind man. In the episode "Brunch", Ted states that Barney always uses 83 percent when he makes up a statistic.
- Barney claims that he doesn't have a list of his sexual conquests. In "Little BoysLittle Boys"Little Boys" is the fourth episode in the third season of the television series How I Met Your Mother and 48th overall. It originally aired on October 15, 2007.- Plot:Lily tells Robin she can set her up on a date with a guy named George...
", Barney clearly says "You've seen my list", and in "Right Place Right TimeRight Place Right Time"Right Place, Right Time" is the 22nd episode of the fourth season of How I Met Your Mother and 86th overall. It aired on May 4, 2009.- Plot :...
", he reveals a list of 200 conquests. - Wendy the waitress, Stacey from "Little Boys", and Shannon, Barney's college girlfriend, all appear on the bracket, and all lose in the second round.
- Penelope, the raindancer from "Come On", appears on the bracket, and loses in the fourth round to Holly. Her presence on the list is also surprising, as she has brown hair, when Lily identified the mystery woman as a blonde.
- The mystery stalker tells Lily the man she is speaking to is "Barney Stinson" but Anna only knows him as "Ted Mosby". Barney realizes this before he can apologize, and instead further besmirches Ted's name.
- Ted claims that Robin is a terrible liar, but in "DefinitionsDefinitions (How I Met Your Mother)"Definitions" is the first episode of the fifth season of the How I Met Your Mother TV series and 89th episode overall. It originally aired on September 21, 2009.- Plot :...
", Robin says that she is a great liar. - Before facing one of the girls on the bracket, Barney asks Lily to go into his room and throw a metal case that he owns off into the East RiverEast RiverThe East River is a tidal strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island from the island of Manhattan and the Bronx on the North American mainland...
if the girl kills him. In a future episode Barney gives Ted a similar case which contains all of his porn.
Cultural references
- In Ted and Marshall's NCAA tournament bracket, they picked the Washington State University CougarsWashington State CougarsThe Washington State Cougars are the athletic teams at Washington State University; the term applies to any of the school's varsity teams. Washington State University is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, which participates in the NCAA Division I...
to win the national championship. The bracket was similar, but not identical to the actual 2008 bracket. - Near the beginning of the episode, Barney is trying to remember the name of Alan AldaAlan AldaAlphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo , better known as Alan Alda, is an American actor, director, screenwriter, and author. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for his role as Hawkeye Pierce in the TV series M*A*S*H...
, who played Hawkeye Pierce in the TV series M*A*S*H. - When Barney and Lily visit Holly, the restaurant across the street from her place is the Nolita Bar & Grill, the same restaurant featured in short-lived sitcom Kitchen Confidential, which premiered in the same time slot as How I Met Your Mother.
- The sequence at the end of the episode where Barney types an entry for March 21, 2008 into his blog is an allusion to Doogie Howser, M.D.Doogie Howser, M.D.Doogie Howser, M.D. is an American television comedy-drama starring Neil Patrick Harris as a 16-year-old doctor who also faces the problems of being a normal teenager. Created by Steven Bochco and David E. Kelley, ABC aired the show from 1989 to 1993 for four seasons totaling 97 episodes.-Plot:Dr....
, a TV series where the title character is also played by Neil Patrick HarrisNeil Patrick HarrisNeil Patrick Harris is an American actor, singer, director, and magician.Prominent roles of his career include the title role in Doogie Howser, M.D., Colonel Carl Jenkins in Starship Troopers, the womanizing Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, a fictionalized version of himself in the Harold...
and wrote journal entries on his computer at the end of most episodes. - Oprah WinfreyOprah WinfreyOprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
appears in the bracket as one of Barney's conquests. She is the last name in the 4th region and loses in the first round.
Production
The tie-in website http://www.tedmosbyisajerk.com was initially bought to prevent it being exploited by cybersquattersCybersquatting
Cybersquatting , according to the United States federal law known as the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act, is registering, trafficking in, or using a domain name with bad faith intent to profit from the goodwill of a trademark belonging to someone else...
, then a simple website was added. Associate producer Carl MacLaren had the idea to do a song for the website, which sprawled into a much longer twenty-minute work. The song syncs up slightly with the episode a la the alleged Dark Side of the Moon/Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
sync, which can be seen on the season 3 DVD. The vocals were performed by Charlene Amoia (Wendy the Waitress).
Critical response
The AV Club gave the episode a B rating.IGN gave the episode a rating of 7.6 out of 10.
Omar G of Television Without Pity rated the episode A+.