World's Greatest Couple
Encyclopedia
"World's Greatest Couple" is the 5th episode in the second season of the television series How I Met Your Mother
. It originally aired on October 16, 2006.
and Robin
go to Lily
's new apartment to bring her a housewarming gift, but find that her new place is absolutely horrendous. Her bed, which folds out from the wall, makes contact with the door and wall, while her kitchen and her bathroom (as well as her stove
, sink
, oven
, and refrigerator
) are combined. Furthermore, she has a raccoon as a roommate, who eats the housewarming gift Ted and Robin brought over. Neither Ted nor Robin can invite Lily to their place, since Marshall
and Ted live together (at this point Marshall and Lily aren't a couple) and Robin has a lot of dogs, which Lily is allergic to. Ted and Robin want Barney
to let Lily stay over at his place, which he immediately rejects. However, when the wall falls down in Lily's apartment when she pulls the bed down, Ted gives her the spare key, and when Barney arrives after work, he finds Lily sitting on his couch. After some initial reluctance, he agrees to let Lily stay for two days, as long as she doesn't try to change anything. Barney gets annoyed with Lily when she buys groceries, saying that he would be in a relationship if he wanted a refrigerator full of groceries and fresh coffee in the morning. He then gives Lily a tour of his apartment, full of things that try to scare off relationships, such as a king-size bed with a full-size blanket and one pillow, a toilet seat which will not remain down, and professionally lit bookshelves of porn
. When one particular woman is not deterred by any of these things, Barney finds Lily helpful, as she can pretend to be his wife and scare off the woman. Barney then insists that Lily stay, which she will do only if he allows her to give his apartment a slight makeover so that it looks more like a woman lives there. Lily and Barney sleep in the same bed and merely cuddle together, Barney realizes that he and Lily are in a relationship, and he wants out. Lily gets to keep anything she picked out for Barney's apartment and takes it to her own apartment, and lives there instead of living with Barney.
Meanwhile, Marshall finds that it is hard being single after being in a committed relationship for so long. He had originally bought tickets to an Alanis Morissette
concert when he and Lily were still together, but was disappointed that he had trouble finding someone to go with him. He decides to hang out with Brad, a friend of his from law school who is also recently single. They go to the concert, brunch
, and a Broadway play
, insisting to a curious and skeptical Ted and Robin that he and Brad are merely hanging out. They go to dinner and Marshall begins to feel like he and Brad are in a romantic relationship: Brad pays for dinner, helps Marshall with his coat, and invites Marshall to go to a wedding in Vermont
with him. Marshall arrives at Brad's apartment to go to the wedding, and sees Brad holding flowers. Marshall tries to break up with Brad, but it turns out that Brad has gotten back together with his girlfriend. Marshall is relieved that he wouldn't have worry about Brad making advances on him, but feels somewhat hurt that Brad used him as a "rebound bro". Later on, there is an awkward situation when Marshall and Ted run into Brad on the street.
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...
. It originally aired on October 16, 2006.
Plot
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...
and 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 :...
go to 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...
's new apartment to bring her a housewarming gift, but find that her new place is absolutely horrendous. Her bed, which folds out from the wall, makes contact with the door and wall, while her kitchen and her bathroom (as well as her stove
Stove
A stove is an enclosed heated space. The term is commonly taken to mean an enclosed space in which fuel is burned to provide heating, either to heat the space in which the stove is situated or to heat the stove itself, and items placed on it...
, sink
Sink
A sink is a bowl-shaped plumbing fixture used for washing hands, for dishwashing or other purposes. Sinks generally have taps that supply hot and cold water and may include a spray feature to be used for faster rinsing...
, oven
Oven
An oven is a thermally insulated chamber used for the heating, baking or drying of a substance. It is most commonly used for cooking. Kilns, and furnaces are special-purpose ovens...
, and refrigerator
Refrigerator
A refrigerator is a common household appliance that consists of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump that transfers heat from the inside of the fridge to its external environment so that the inside of the fridge is cooled to a temperature below the ambient temperature of the room...
) are combined. Furthermore, she has a raccoon as a roommate, who eats the housewarming gift Ted and Robin brought over. Neither Ted nor Robin can invite Lily to their place, since 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 live together (at this point Marshall and Lily aren't a couple) and Robin has a lot of dogs, which Lily is allergic to. Ted and Robin want 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...
to let Lily stay over at his place, which he immediately rejects. However, when the wall falls down in Lily's apartment when she pulls the bed down, Ted gives her the spare key, and when Barney arrives after work, he finds Lily sitting on his couch. After some initial reluctance, he agrees to let Lily stay for two days, as long as she doesn't try to change anything. Barney gets annoyed with Lily when she buys groceries, saying that he would be in a relationship if he wanted a refrigerator full of groceries and fresh coffee in the morning. He then gives Lily a tour of his apartment, full of things that try to scare off relationships, such as a king-size bed with a full-size blanket and one pillow, a toilet seat which will not remain down, and professionally lit bookshelves of porn
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
. When one particular woman is not deterred by any of these things, Barney finds Lily helpful, as she can pretend to be his wife and scare off the woman. Barney then insists that Lily stay, which she will do only if he allows her to give his apartment a slight makeover so that it looks more like a woman lives there. Lily and Barney sleep in the same bed and merely cuddle together, Barney realizes that he and Lily are in a relationship, and he wants out. Lily gets to keep anything she picked out for Barney's apartment and takes it to her own apartment, and lives there instead of living with Barney.
Meanwhile, Marshall finds that it is hard being single after being in a committed relationship for so long. He had originally bought tickets to an Alanis Morissette
Alanis Morissette
Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination...
concert when he and Lily were still together, but was disappointed that he had trouble finding someone to go with him. He decides to hang out with Brad, a friend of his from law school who is also recently single. They go to the concert, brunch
Brunch
Brunch 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...
, and a Broadway play
Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia! is a stage musical written by British playwright Catherine Johnson, based on the songs of ABBA, composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, former members of the band. Although the title of the musical is taken from the group's 1975 chart-topper "Mamma Mia", the plot is fictional, not...
, insisting to a curious and skeptical Ted and Robin that he and Brad are merely hanging out. They go to dinner and Marshall begins to feel like he and Brad are in a romantic relationship: Brad pays for dinner, helps Marshall with his coat, and invites Marshall to go to a wedding in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
with him. Marshall arrives at Brad's apartment to go to the wedding, and sees Brad holding flowers. Marshall tries to break up with Brad, but it turns out that Brad has gotten back together with his girlfriend. Marshall is relieved that he wouldn't have worry about Brad making advances on him, but feels somewhat hurt that Brad used him as a "rebound bro". Later on, there is an awkward situation when Marshall and Ted run into Brad on the street.
Music
- IslandsIslands (band)Islands is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 2005 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and currently based in Brooklyn, New York.-Return to the Sea:In mid-2005 Islands recorded a debut album titled Return to the Sea, which was released in April 2006...
- "Don’t Call Me Whitney, Bobby" - ABBAABBAABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
- "FernandoFernando (song)"Fernando" is a song by the Swedish pop group ABBA. It was the group's first non-album single and was released in November 1975 through Polar Music. Lead vocals were sung by Anni-Frid Lyngstad...
"
Continuity
- Lily mentions that Barney has a room only for suits. In "Girls Versus SuitsGirls Versus Suits"Girls Versus Suits" is the twelfth episode of the fifth season of the CBS situation comedy How I Met Your Mother and 100th episode overall. It originally aired on January 11, 2010....
" this room is shown. - Lily is also wearing the same butterfly necklace that Robin wore in "I Heart NJI Heart NJ"I Heart NJ" is the third episode in the fourth season of the television series How I Met Your Mother and 67th overall. It originally aired on October 6, 2008.- Plot :...
" and "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:...
" and Abby (Britney SpearsBritney SpearsBritney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
) wore in "Everything Must Go". - Brad's girlfriend also appeared in the previous episode.
Cultural references
- In his apartment Barney has a life size Clone TrooperClone trooperThe clone troopers of the Army of the Republic are soldiers in the fictional Star Wars universe, cloned from Jango Fett, a Mandalorian bounty hunter. They first appeared in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, and returned in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith where they were played...
from Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
. Lily incorrectly refers to this as a Stormtrooper. In later episodes, the Clone Trooper has actually been replaced with a Stormtrooper. - Barney has nicknamed his apartment "The Fortress of Barnitude," a play of his name on "The Fortress of Solitude" from SupermanSupermanSuperman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
. - Lily hands Barney a copy of Relationships for Dummies...for DummiesFor Dummies is an extensive series of instructional / reference books which are intended to present non-intimidating guides for readers new to the various topics covered. Despite the title, their publisher has taken great pains to emphasize that the For Dummies books are not literally for dummies....
. - Ted says that Marshall and Brad going to the wedding together could be like the film Wedding CrashersWedding CrashersWedding Crashers is a 2005 American comedy film directed by David Dobkin. It stars Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, with Christopher Walken, Rachel McAdams, Isla Fisher, Bradley Cooper, Diora Baird, Jane Seymour, and an uncredited Will Ferrell....
. - Marshall's comment, "We're here. We're hungry. Get used to it, brunch!" is a reference to Queer NationQueer NationQueer Nation was an organization founded in March 1990 in New York City, USA by AIDS activists from ACT UP. The four founders were outraged at the escalation of anti-gay and lesbian violence on the streets and prejudice in the arts and media...
's slogan, "We're here. We're queer. Get used to it." - Lily's LithuaniaLithuaniaLithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n neighbor is shouting "durna mergina, aš tave numarinsiu kaip dvėsiantį žirgą", which actually means "stupid girl, I will mortify you like a dying horse". The phrase is correct in grammar and spelling, but very unusual in word choice..