The Three Days Rule
Encyclopedia
"The Three Days Rule" is the twenty-first episode of the fourth season of the television series How I Met Your Mother
and 85th overall. It aired on April 27, 2009.
gets a phone number from a girl at the bar (Holli, played by Rebecca Budig
), and after announcing his catch to the gang, says that he'll call her immediately. Barney
nixes the idea, citing the "Three Days Rule" (waiting three days to call a prospective love interest). He claims the rule has its origins in Jesus
' resurrection
(whom Barney claims also invented the high five
).
Back at the apartment, Ted decides to text
(circumventing Barney's calling rule) Holli. After sending a fairly cheesy first text, he is pleased to get a reply 23 minutes later. The texts become flirtatious, and the two describe each other in various states of undress (revealing Ted's stunted laugh every time the idea of a naked woman comes into his head). The two text back and forth for the next two days, much to Robin
's dismay. Then, Ted receives a message he thinks is intended for someone else, describing take-out and sex.
Down at the bar, Robin encounters Barney and Marshall
, who happens to have a bag of takeout from the restaurant mentioned in the aforementioned text. Robin quickly finds out that the boys have been posing as Holli. Barney reveals Ted's premature mentions of love, marriage, and vacations in his texts (as well as an ignorance to the use of the term LOL
). After sending a bunch of sexy messages, they encounter Stan (played by Kevin Michael Richardson
), a night security guard who lunches at MacLaren's, and he gives them a beautiful and poetic message to send Ted to fool him into thinking that Holli loves him.
Robin returns to the apartment, and after Ted tells her that he may be falling for the girl, she tells Ted that it was Barney and Marshall. He decides to turn the tables on them, and sends them a text confessing that he had a gay
sex dream about his "best friend." Back at the GNB office, the two argue about which one is most sexually attractive to Ted.
Back at MacLaren's, Ted starts describing a dream (leading Barney and Marshall to believe he is about to reveal his gay sex dream), but wastes a half hour with a story about a dinner with famous architects. He then reveals he knows about their deception. Ted explains that he wants to meet someone who wouldn't be put off by his rapid romanticism, and at that moment, Holli shows up, saying she found Ted's immediacy romantic. They go out to dinner, but Ted soon finds out that Holli is every bit the romantic he is, but in a much more desperate fashion.
In the last scene, the gang encounters Stan at the bar, and he takes Robin out on a date, much to the dismay of Barney and Marshall.
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 85th overall. It aired on April 27, 2009.
Plot
At MacLaren's, TedTed 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...
gets a phone number from a girl at the bar (Holli, played by Rebecca Budig
Rebecca Budig
Rebecca Jo Budig is an American actress and television presenter, best known for her role as Greenlee Smythe Lavery on the ABC soap opera All My Children.-Early life:...
), and after announcing his catch to the gang, says that he'll call her immediately. 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...
nixes the idea, citing the "Three Days Rule" (waiting three days to call a prospective love interest). He claims the rule has its origins in Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
' resurrection
Resurrection of Jesus
The Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus states that Jesus returned to bodily life on the third day following his death by crucifixion. It is a key element of Christian faith and theology and part of the Nicene Creed: "On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures"...
(whom Barney claims also invented the high five
High five
The high five is a celebratory hand gesture that occurs when two people simultaneously raise one hand, about head high, and push, slide or slap the flat of their palm and hand against the palm and flat hand of their partner...
).
Back at the apartment, Ted decides to text
Text messaging
Text messaging, or texting, refers to the exchange of brief written text messages between fixed-line phone or mobile phone and fixed or portable devices over a network...
(circumventing Barney's calling rule) Holli. After sending a fairly cheesy first text, he is pleased to get a reply 23 minutes later. The texts become flirtatious, and the two describe each other in various states of undress (revealing Ted's stunted laugh every time the idea of a naked woman comes into his head). The two text back and forth for the next two days, much to 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 :...
's dismay. Then, Ted receives a message he thinks is intended for someone else, describing take-out and sex.
Down at the bar, Robin encounters Barney 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...
, who happens to have a bag of takeout from the restaurant mentioned in the aforementioned text. Robin quickly finds out that the boys have been posing as Holli. Barney reveals Ted's premature mentions of love, marriage, and vacations in his texts (as well as an ignorance to the use of the term LOL
LOL
LOL is an acronym or abbreviation of "laughing out loud", "lots of luck", or "lots of love". In medical slang, it is used as an acronym for "little old lady", a reference to the novel House of God.LOL or Lol may also refer to:...
). After sending a bunch of sexy messages, they encounter Stan (played by Kevin Michael Richardson
Kevin Michael Richardson
Kevin Michael Richardson is an American actor and voice actor who currently stars as Cleveland Brown, Jr. in The Cleveland Show...
), a night security guard who lunches at MacLaren's, and he gives them a beautiful and poetic message to send Ted to fool him into thinking that Holli loves him.
Robin returns to the apartment, and after Ted tells her that he may be falling for the girl, she tells Ted that it was Barney and Marshall. He decides to turn the tables on them, and sends them a text confessing that he had a gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
sex dream about his "best friend." Back at the GNB office, the two argue about which one is most sexually attractive to Ted.
Back at MacLaren's, Ted starts describing a dream (leading Barney and Marshall to believe he is about to reveal his gay sex dream), but wastes a half hour with a story about a dinner with famous architects. He then reveals he knows about their deception. Ted explains that he wants to meet someone who wouldn't be put off by his rapid romanticism, and at that moment, Holli shows up, saying she found Ted's immediacy romantic. They go out to dinner, but Ted soon finds out that Holli is every bit the romantic he is, but in a much more desperate fashion.
In the last scene, the gang encounters Stan at the bar, and he takes Robin out on a date, much to the dismay of Barney and Marshall.
Continuity
- Future Ted (Bob SagetBob SagetRobert Lane "Bob" Saget is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and television host. Although he is best known for his roles as Danny Tanner in Full House, host of America's Funniest Home Videos and Future Ted Mosby on How I Met Your Mother, Saget is also known outside of television for his blue...
) finishes the episode by referencing his wife (the eponymous mother of the series), saying he didn't wait three days to call her. - Ted wears the red cowboy boots that he first wears in the season three episode "Everything Must GoEverything Must Go (How I Met Your Mother episode)"Everything Must Go" is the 19th episode of the third season of the CBS television show How I Met Your Mother and 63rd overall. It originally aired on May 12, 2008.- Plot :...
". - This episode marks the first instance of one of the five principal cast members failing to appear in an episode: Alyson HanniganAlyson HanniganAlyson Lee Hannigan is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Willow Rosenberg in the cult classic television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Michelle Flaherty in three American Pie films, and Lily Aldrin on the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother.-Early life:Hannigan was born in...
was absent due to her real-life pregnancy. - Stan, the security guard who helps Barney and Marshall craft a love-torn message in the guise of Holli, quotes Pablo NerudaPablo NerudaPablo Neruda was the pen name and, later, legal name of the Chilean poet, diplomat and politician Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto. He chose his pen name after Czech poet Jan Neruda....
. Neruda was mentioned in "The Naked ManThe Naked Man (How I Met Your Mother)"The Naked Man" is the ninth episode in the fourth season of the television series How I Met Your Mother and 73rd overall. It aired on November 24, 2008.-Plot:...
" by Future Ted as one of his favorite poets. - It is brought up that Ted's parents are divorced when Marshall and Barney are reading the texts back and forth. The divorce was first brought up in the third episode of the second season, "Brunch".
Cultural references
- Robin says Ted apparently does not understand what the internet slang LOLLOLLOL is an acronym or abbreviation of "laughing out loud", "lots of luck", or "lots of love". In medical slang, it is used as an acronym for "little old lady", a reference to the novel House of God.LOL or Lol may also refer to:...
means. - Ted's "naked lady noise" bears a considerable resemblance to Butt-headButt-headButt-head is a fictional character from the MTV animated series Beavis and Butt-head. He was voiced by the show's creator, Mike Judge.Mike Judge got the name Butt-head from his university days, when he knew a couple of kids who had the nicknames 'Iron Butt' and 'Butt-head'...
's laugh on Beavis and Butt-headBeavis and Butt-HeadBeavis and Butt-head is an American animated television series created by Mike Judge. The series originated from Frog Baseball, a 1992 short film by Judge. After seeing the short, MTV signed Judge to develop the concept. Beavis and Butt-head originally aired from March 8, 1993 to November 28, 1997...
.