118 replies to this topic

[TWoP Barnes]

(TiVo says:) "Mosbius Designs" When Ted loses his job, he decides to start his own architectural firm.

Cast: Josh Radnor (Actor), Jason Segel (Actor), Neil Patrick Harris (Actor), Alyson Hannigan (Actor), Cobie Smulders (Actor), Edward Flores (Guest Star), Joel Spence (Guest Star), Stephen Holland (Guest Star), Bo Barrett (Guest Star), Ryan Sypek (Guest Star), Adrian Rice (Guest Star), Darren O'Hare (Guest Star)

Crew: Bob Saget (narrator), Carter Bays (Executive Producer), Craig Thomas (Executive Producer), Kourtney Kang (Writer), Pamela Fryman (Director)

(Yahoo says:) Originally Aired: April 13, 2009
When Ted loses his job and decides to form his own architectural firm out of his apartment, he hires an intern to help get his company off the ground, but the intern gets too close for comfort with some of Ted's friends.

Actor
Josh Radnor: Ted
Jason Segel: Marshall
Alyson Hannigan: Lily
Neil Patrick Harris: Barney
Cobie Smulders: Robin
Edward Flores: Food Guy
Joel Spence: Toy Guy
Ryan Sypek: PJ
Adrian Rice: Fantasy Guy
Stephen Holland: Creepy Back Rub Guy
Darren O'Hare: Guy #1
Bo Barrett: Guy #2
Bob Saget

Pamela Fryman: Director
Kourtney Kang: Writer
Producer:
Carter L. Bays, Executive Producer; Craig Thomas, Executive Producer

Edited by TWoP Barnes, Apr 5, 2009 @ 5:14 PM.

[MrCoffeeNerves]

The punchline:
"I can't peanut butter my dick in your ass"

[markedel]

I have a certain affection for squee!Barney

[nowisthetime]

Yay, another good one! I thought that this episode had tons of great moments-- Robin and Ted bonding at the end, Ted's douchey side balanced with his idealistic side, Barney and Marshall bonding...it was great. And Marshall and Lily ship BroTP too-- "We think you guys are kind of perfect for each other". I think I squeed out loud at that. And they sit on the same side, awww!! And I love that we sort of got Barney/Lily bonding even though she wasn't there. I like the respect that Barney has for her.

They did a really poor job of hiding Cobie's pregnancy, though-- maybe they just don't care anymore. Ooh-- and the tag was great, too. I like the continuity that GNB is a pretty scary place to work, and that Barney knows this better than Marshall.

[WendyCR72]

Aww, now everyone in the gang - minus Robin - knows that Barney loves her. Love Barney's warped admiration of Lily's "pure evil" and telling Marshall to hang on to her.

And the little booth anecdote shared by Marshall was cute. Since Barney and Robin do seem like two sides of the same coin, I agree they are perfect for each other! </end shipper squee>

While the Ted stuff was...meh...I give it bonus points for using PJ effectively with the Barney angle.

Let's hope Marshall really finds his ___________ Guy niche someday!

[Tortfezr]

Thank you MrCoffeeNerves! I was trying to figure that out!

[Shattered]

The guys in MacLarens at the top of the episode was great, just them hanging out, laughing at a joke that is "boy funny." I do call into question whether it was truly in character of either Ted or Marshall to enjoy a dirty joke that much. I do like when we get to see friendship just between the guys without Lily or Robin there, cause it's nice and quite rare to see.

I love that Lily and Marshall totally' ship Barney/Robin and that they brought up the always sitting together thing, because I've been noticing that for a while. Between Ted ending the FWB arrangements in Benefits, Lily setting up the nondate in Do I Know You? and Lily and Marshall sneakily manipulating the seating arrangements- everyone in the gang is doing more to push Barney/Robin forward than either Barney or Robin are doing for themselves. Loved Barney's reaction to finding out what Lily and Marshall were up to- reminded me strongly of his reaction to the news that James and Tom were adopting.

Lily just "disappeared" for four weeks? Future Ted's narration almost led me to believe that no one- even Marshall- saw her for four weeks, but then Marshall's dialogue implied that he was obviously in contact with her. I assume it was done for reasons relating to her pregnancy at the time- but if felt very odd to see her for just a moment at the beginning, and then nothing, not even any phone calls. And over a dirty joke that Barney probably shouldn't have told her? This from the woman who recognized the plot from a porn film? That seemed a little OOC for me. I assume the writers knew that it was flimsy, but they also assumed most of the audience would know that it was to cover real life goings-on.

Speaking of preggers actresses- how obvious was Cobie? Not even a half-ass effort to cover her up. It's not nearly as fun as getting to watch the humourous ways they cover.

The Ninja at the end was great- it seems to take quite a bit to worry Barney and that clearly did- and his comment that it had happened before was great.

[bookgirl71]

Loved Marshall storming off with Barney! And PJ giving Ted flowers. Hee.

Edited by bookgirl71, Apr 13, 2009 @ 8:46 PM.

[thalia ann]

Why are the weather gods so angry with me!? This is the second time in a week that a show I love has been pre-empted for a weather report at a crucial time! Right after Marshall told Barney that he and Lily thought Barney and Robin were kind of perfect for each other and Barney started to say .... I got nothing here, folks.

And to top it all off, I can't find the key to my bathroom.

Edited by thalia ann, Apr 13, 2009 @ 8:53 PM.

[isiscloud]

Speaking of preggers actresses- how obvious was Cobie? Not even a half-ass effort to cover her up. It's not nearly as fun as getting to watch the humourous ways they cover.

I like that they're not making it too obvious by covering her or Alyson. Not too many briefcases, hiding behind chairs. We all know they're preggers so at least they don't have to hide it. Plus, they used Aly's big stomach in the eating contest episode.

This was a good episode and I can't imagine Lily getting upset about that joke. and it's not that funny.

PJ/Robin/Barney was good. It's to see that plot hasn't been forgotten.

[SnowDan07]

Finally we get to see the Barney and Robin story return! Glad to see that it hasn't been forgotten. I'm really going to enjoy these next few episodes. I mean stand alone episodes are great as well but I'm looking forward to seeing this Barney and Robin plot move forward! And the mother too I guess.

I just love the guys just hanging out like regular people laughing at the funny joke. BTW thank you MrCoffeeNerves. I would've been thinking about it all night! Whether Lily would get that upset or not I'm not sure but I guess they just couldn't hide her big belly anymore. Cobie was showing a lot in this episode but I don't really care though. It's not taking away from the episode or anything. And I love how Lily and Marshall ship BroTP! I'd been noticing Barney and Robin sitting together a lot lately too but I guess you notice that kind of stuff a lot when you're a shipper. Barney's first reaction when he heard about Robin and PJ was so cute and sad. But to be fair to Robin he really needs to make a move soon.

All of the Ted and PJ stuff made me crack up. I don't know why so many people dislike Ted as he's always been a favorite of mine. I don't know what it is but Ted has always made me laugh. The mix of his douche side and his relationship with PJ made for a great episode. And I loved him bonding with Robin in the end.

And all the guys at GNB were hilarious! I've always loved scenes at Barney's job as they're just so mysterious. I sure hope they were able to escape from that ninja.

Edited by SnowDan07, Apr 14, 2009 @ 8:04 PM.

[TiffanyNichelle]

Ha! Thanks MrCoffeeNerves. The punchline of the guy joke is hilarious! I'm glad they didn't say it on the show though. Lily storming out for four weeks is a good way to get rid of AH for a while.

I kinda liked Marshall admitting that he knew about Barney and Robin and that he and Lily set them up to sit on the same side. But seriously Barney. Time to piss or get off the freaking pot already. Do something bro!

I finally noticed how pregnant CS is. They did not hide that at all.

PJ was hot.

Edited by TiffanyNichelle, Apr 13, 2009 @ 9:30 PM.

[Impassive]

That IS a hilarious punch line.

I loved Barney's little argument with himself when Marshall asked if Barney intended to tell Robin of the lurrrve.

Robin's so awesome. I may identify with her a smidge too much. Off to the corner with me. Also, I bet Robin laughed hard at that joke.

Oh! I also giggled at "YouTube Clip Guy," and the dude barfing in the trash can while high-fiving. OTT but funny.

[HelloooKitty]

I loved the end tag of the ninja. I don't know why, but it made me laugh out loud!

[Shattered]

Also, I bet Robin laughed hard at that joke.

That was so my first thought when the guys were talking about how it was a joke only guys would laugh at! She would have loved it. Robin probably enjoyed the joke more than either Marshall or Ted.

[SwtSassyMolassy]

I liked this episode, especially the scenes between Marshall & Barney. I loved the exchange between them in the booth about how Marshall & Lily ship Barney & Robin. Made my little shipper heart go pitter-pat... though Barney really IS gonna have to do something soon... btw, was the "brown suede vest" that he wants to be wearing while running towards her in slow motion a reference from a movie or something? Or just meant to be silly? I felt like a joke was going over my head there maybe...

The end part with the ninja killed me. TOO funny. I honestly thought it was going to be an employee attempting to be a new "guy" and Barney was going to make fun of him and say "fired"... but the fact that it was really a ninja and Barney got him & Marshall the hell out of there quick just made me LOL

Oh and my favourite line - "We are the knights that say... you're fired!" BWAH!!! Being a Monty Python fan too, I really liked that and NPH's delivery was hilarious with the high-pitched British accent, since that is exactly how the Knights Who Say Ni really talk...

I also think it's unrealistic that Lily would be so offended by that joke that she wouldn't hang out with the group for 4 weeks, but I have to admit, it is a creative way to get Hannigan off the show for a while to have her baby... I read that they filmed out of order to get her done to start her maternity leave, so she may miss a few more episodes, but she will be back for at least the season finale if not for more episodes. (I hope that is not considered a spoiler - if so, whoops).

They were barely even trying to cover Cobie's pregnancy... there is only so much bathrobes and baggy tops will cover... oh well - I guess it's not that big a deal... we all know she's pregnant in real life even if the character isn't.

Edited by SwtSassyMolassy, Apr 13, 2009 @ 10:04 PM.

[jch323]

I also think it's unrealistic that Lily would be so offended by that joke that she wouldn't hang out with the group for 4 weeks, but I have to admit, it is a creative way to get Hannigan off the show for a while to have her baby... I read that they filmed out of order to get her done to start her maternity leave, so she may miss a few more episodes, but she will be back for at least the season finale if not for more episodes. (I hope that is not considered a spoiler - if so, whoops).

Remember, this is our somewhat unreliable narrator Future Ted telling the story. In real life, Lily probably was disgusted and went upstairs, then was back with the group within a few hours. However, when Ted's telling the story 25 years later, it's grown in his mind that she was so angry that she disappeared for weeks.

[Enigma13]

Did anyone else notice that PJ had a framed picture of Robin on his desk?

MrCoffeeNerves, thanks for the punchline. It's funny, but that is nowhere near the dirtiest joke I've ever heard. I can't believe that Lily would be offended by it. Although I did love that she was so upset she didn't come to the bar for a month- flimsy, sure, but also a great way to write her out of two or three episodes.

They did a much better job hiding Alyson's pregnancy- it was SO obvious with Cobie this week.

ETA- and while it was funny, I have a hard time believing that Robin is bad at breaking up with people, since all evidence shows that she's usually the one who tires of the relationship first. Surely at this point she has some kind of speech memorised.

Edited by Enigma13, Apr 13, 2009 @ 10:32 PM.

[Lovecat]

I apparently have the short-term memory of a goldfish, and can't remember the set up to the joke...can someone help a (pea-brained) sister out?

[SwtSassyMolassy]

What's the difference between peanut butter and jam?

(Now I have to go re-play the silent delivery of the punchline and attempt to lip-read NPH and see if he really said the actual punchline or not... I wonder if CBS would allow that)

Edited by SwtSassyMolassy, Apr 13, 2009 @ 10:33 PM.

[Lovecat]

Ah, yes, now I get it! Thanks, SwtSassyMolassy.

Yeah, I think that's boy-funny. It sounds like #1 on the list of all-time worst pickup lines in history, actually :)

[HickoryColt]

That is a good joke. I spent a half hour trying to figure out the punch line. I also wonder now if the story about the architect and the books is a real or if its an urban legend. May have to check out snopes to see if they have an opinion on it. Sounds too much like an urban legend.

I thought this was a so so episode. Troubles with the assistant seems to be a standard sitcom staple nowadays and I didn't see where this one was too original (The short lived Joey seems to have done a very similar episode), but it was still OK. Robin listening to the table and saying it called Ted a douche was my favorite line. And the "work guys" were all hilarious. Seems like food guy would be spending lots of money to keep his job, though.

No doubting the pregnaencies now.

[Zif]

Seems like food guy would be spending lots of money to keep his job, though.

Ha, I thought that, too!

I thought I heard a cat screeching in the "Youtube Guy" cutaway, but I assume the reference was to the disgusting "two girls one cup" video, which was all the rage at my fratboytastic law school in 2008.

Did Robin attempt to use pig Latin when breaking up with PJ? If so, awesome.

I laughed out loud at several points in this episode, especially at Marshall's silly run after he panics at the thought that the baby is on to him. I also loved the Wolverine claws fight and the many, many instances of Ted being a pretentious douche.

Edited by Zif, Apr 13, 2009 @ 10:52 PM.

[big chicken]

I have a hard time believing that Robin is bad at breaking up with people, since all evidence shows that she's usually the one who tires of the relationship first. Surely at this point she has some kind of speech memorised.

Robin may tire first and then give off really obvious signals she's not interested anymore so the guy will take the initiative and break up. Unfortunately, since PJ works in her living room, it's hard for her to avoid him. Or maybe Robin's preferred method of breaking up is to pull out one of her guns and she can't do that this time since Ted probably has a rule about guns in the workplace. And before anyone says that there's no reason for Robin to follow Ted's workplace rules, I'd like to point out she didn't ask for her own key to the bathroom rather than put up with having to ask for a key.

[DavidK93]

Zif, Robin did say "ixnay" when trying to break up with PJ, and ixnay is derived from "nix" via Pig Latin. However, for whatever reason, ixnay has entered the lexicon in its own right and in many contexts is probably more recognizable than the original word.

[etagloh]

Snopes calls urban legend on the sinking library. Still, it's the kind of thing that pretentious-Ted would hear at college and treat as fact.

Liked this one a lot. And if you recorded it, watch NPH when he learns about Robin and PJ. He's such a pro.

[HickoryColt]

Snopes calls urban legend on the sinking library. Still, it's the kind of thing that pretentious-Ted would hear at college and treat as fact.

Thanks....saves me the trouble of looking it up.

[AvrilShowers]

Is it wrong that I wanted PJ to stick around, just to look at him? Together with NPH... *drool*

[jkalderash]

This episode was meh. The Barney/Marshall interaction was great, from all the different "guys" to the squee-able conversation about Robin.

Barney: "I'm--wait for it--in--wait for it--love--wait for it--with--wait for it--a--wait for it--certain--wait for it--"
Marshall: "I KNOW THAT YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH ROBIN!"

Kinda weird that Lily wasn't in the episode at all; I didn't know she'd be taking time off. I hope she's back soon. Robin's pregnancy was distracting. Why couldn't they have had something in front of her belly in the apartment scenes? Maybe Ted needed a model of the Space Needle to "inspire" him...

Mosbius Designs... the funniest thing about it was the name, really. PJ was pretty boring and I didn't get why Robin would be attracted to him. I guess they're continuing the theme from "The Naked Man" that she's dissatisfied with her love life? And Ted acting like a douche is funny, but I miss sweet, funny Ted. Both he and Robin have had it rough lately, so I understand where the disappointing behavior is coming from. Man, three of the five characters have lost their jobs this season. Kinda true to life.

[Shariq]

This episode holds a special place in my heart because at my last job I was Food Guy. ¦|

Edited by Shariq, Apr 13, 2009 @ 11:46 PM.