The Playbook
- Episode aired Nov 16, 2009
- TV-PG
- 30m
When Barney hooks up with a woman Lily had been saving for Ted, she gets revenge by stealing his "playbook," which contains all the moves he uses to pick up women. But will Barney have the l... Read allWhen Barney hooks up with a woman Lily had been saving for Ted, she gets revenge by stealing his "playbook," which contains all the moves he uses to pick up women. But will Barney have the last laugh?When Barney hooks up with a woman Lily had been saving for Ted, she gets revenge by stealing his "playbook," which contains all the moves he uses to pick up women. But will Barney have the last laugh?
- Don
- (as Ben Koldyke)
- Chris
- (as Jannel Diaz)
- Girl
- (as Nicole Foster Tomlinson)
- Ted Mosby Victim
- (uncredited)
- She's Not Coming - Woman
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaMarshall mentions that an accountant in his office is named Matthew Blitz. Matthew Blitz is the name of one of the production staff for this show.
- GoofsWhen Ted and Marshall are playing Xbox, Ted is using a wireless controller with no battery pack.
- Quotes
Marshall Eriksen: So Robin, do you have a playbook?
Robin Scherbatsky: [motions at breasts] Two volumes, right here.
Ted Mosby: I've read them, it's a good read.
Lily Aldrin: Yeah, I'm reading them right now.
- ConnectionsFeatured in WatchMojo: Top 10 How I Met Your Mother Episodes (2016)
The twisted idea behind the story was creative but the execution was almost a failure. I think the writers mistake was to not focus on the best and most important joke. In fact the end reminded me of "Ted Mosby : Architect", season 2 5th episode, but it wasn't as surprising and hilarious. So when you could watch that one over and over to appreciate all its awesomeness I don't think you'll want to go back to this one. Beside the relatively linear and riskless writing I also blame the poor use of the supporting characters because their role was quite anecdotic. I think it's a mistake because the story would have been far much more entertaining if it involved more Ted or Robin for example. Why didn't they viciously switch profiles in a crazy fashion ? What about revealing the story was just a dream at the end ? It's already the 96th episode but it doesn't mean you can just sit back and relax instead of challenging yourself. Of course it's easier to review other people's work than to get things done but I can't help thinking that some talent is desperately wasted.
To sum things up it was a decent installment but not a match for the great episodes I mentioned. It's almost scary because The Playbook is actually the highest rated episode on TV.com. I think its creators should just make the wise decision of finally answering The Question no one really cares about anymore. Maybe the wake up call they need will come from viewers disappointed by a show that didn't meet their expectations. It will be so sad if they decide to cancel How I Met Your Mother once it jumps the shark. Let's hope it won't happen because the people who worked on it deserve better. Cobie Smulders is beautiful and her acting talent can only improve. Neil Patrick Harris is legendary as Barney. Last but not least Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, the sitcom creators, successfully served us with a few excellent episodes.
- igoatabase
- Nov 18, 2009
Details
- Runtime30 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.78 : 1
- 16:9 HD