A Change of Heart
Encyclopedia
"A Change of Heart" is the eighteenth episode of the sixth season of the CBS
sitcom How I Met Your Mother
and the 130th episode overall. It originally aired on February 28, 2011.
's father's fatal heart attack, the gang all go to get their hearts checked, except Barney
, who is too scared to go alone. Lily
agrees to accompany him so long as Barney promises her to never lie to his new girlfriend, Nora. When Barney visits the cardiologist
, she requests that he wears a heart monitor for 24 hours, citing a possible arrhythmia. The next day, Barney and Lily return to the doctor, who notices some oddities in the readout. She asks Barney what happened at these certain times, and Barney tells the story of the last 24 hours.
When Barney was at dinner with Nora, she began talking about marriage and settling down, causing Barney's heart to race in fear. Barney eventually says that he wants the same things. The couple go to MacLaren's, and while Nora is in the restroom, Barney recounts the dinner to his friends and Lily punches him in the chest, leading to a 14-second cardiac arrest. Barney blackmail
s the group into lying to Nora in order to play himself up. Nora returns and tells the gang that her parents are in town and invites Barney to meet them at brunch the next day. However, Barney later says to Nora that he was lying about wanting to get married and criticized her for telling the other person in a relationship exactly what to expect to happen. In response, Nora slapped him. (Lily and the cardiologist both slap Barney during the telling of the events.)
Meanwhile, Robin
says she is going to get a dog, but Ted
forbids it because he thinks that he will end up caring for it. Instead, Robin dates a guy nicknamed Scooby
, whose behavior mirrors a dog so closely that Ted, Marshall, and Lily make a number of jokes at Robin and Scooby's unwitting expense. After Robin is called into work, Scooby reveals that he had purchased a big bag of "sandwiches" (the show's euphemism for marijuana). Ted, Marshall, and Lily make "sandwich" brownies, and while eating them, the three realize that Scooby has disappeared without any identification. They search for him, but become distracted and stumble across Barney, who points out Scooby urinating on a fire hydrant across the street. When Scooby turns to run to them and runs straight into traffic, the group watches in horror, which explains another one of Barney's heart oddities.
Barney apologizes for lying to Nora about wanting to settle down, but Lily says that his lie was about lying, and that in truth, Barney actually does want all those things. When Barney denies this, Lily has the cardiologist check what happened when Barney first saw Nora on their date, and they see that Barney's heart literally skipped a beat. Lily tells Barney that this is a sign he really wants to settle down. Barney goes to the brunch to tell Nora about his feelings, but stops at the door, seeing Nora and her family. He enters the restaurant, making a heartfelt apology. Nora forgives him, and introduces him to her parents, for whom Barney performs a magic trick. However, the scene turns out to be a figment of Barney's imagination, and he leaves before Nora sees him.
The episode ends with a flashback of an incident involving Marshall in 2006. Marshall drops a calzone
while walking on the street, but picks it up after ensuring that nobody is looking at him. As he takes his first bite, however, he sees Barney nearby and slowly walks away in embarrassment.
gave the episode a rating of A-.
Angel Cohn of Television Without Pity graded the episode at B-.
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
sitcom How I Met Your Mother
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 the 130th episode overall. It originally aired on February 28, 2011.
Plot
Chastened by MarshallMarshall 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...
's father's fatal heart attack, the gang all go to get their hearts checked, except 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...
, who is too scared to go alone. 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...
agrees to accompany him so long as Barney promises her to never lie to his new girlfriend, Nora. When Barney visits the cardiologist
Cardiology
Cardiology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the heart . The field includes diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease and electrophysiology...
, she requests that he wears a heart monitor for 24 hours, citing a possible arrhythmia. The next day, Barney and Lily return to the doctor, who notices some oddities in the readout. She asks Barney what happened at these certain times, and Barney tells the story of the last 24 hours.
When Barney was at dinner with Nora, she began talking about marriage and settling down, causing Barney's heart to race in fear. Barney eventually says that he wants the same things. The couple go to MacLaren's, and while Nora is in the restroom, Barney recounts the dinner to his friends and Lily punches him in the chest, leading to a 14-second cardiac arrest. Barney blackmail
Blackmail
In common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
s the group into lying to Nora in order to play himself up. Nora returns and tells the gang that her parents are in town and invites Barney to meet them at brunch the next day. However, Barney later says to Nora that he was lying about wanting to get married and criticized her for telling the other person in a relationship exactly what to expect to happen. In response, Nora slapped him. (Lily and the cardiologist both slap Barney during the telling of the events.)
Meanwhile, 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 :...
says she is going to get a dog, but 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...
forbids it because he thinks that he will end up caring for it. Instead, Robin dates a guy nicknamed Scooby
Scooby-Doo (character)
Scoobert "Scooby" Doo is the eponymous character and the protagonist in the Scooby-Doo animated television series created by the popular American animation company Hanna-Barbera...
, whose behavior mirrors a dog so closely that Ted, Marshall, and Lily make a number of jokes at Robin and Scooby's unwitting expense. After Robin is called into work, Scooby reveals that he had purchased a big bag of "sandwiches" (the show's euphemism for marijuana). Ted, Marshall, and Lily make "sandwich" brownies, and while eating them, the three realize that Scooby has disappeared without any identification. They search for him, but become distracted and stumble across Barney, who points out Scooby urinating on a fire hydrant across the street. When Scooby turns to run to them and runs straight into traffic, the group watches in horror, which explains another one of Barney's heart oddities.
Barney apologizes for lying to Nora about wanting to settle down, but Lily says that his lie was about lying, and that in truth, Barney actually does want all those things. When Barney denies this, Lily has the cardiologist check what happened when Barney first saw Nora on their date, and they see that Barney's heart literally skipped a beat. Lily tells Barney that this is a sign he really wants to settle down. Barney goes to the brunch to tell Nora about his feelings, but stops at the door, seeing Nora and her family. He enters the restaurant, making a heartfelt apology. Nora forgives him, and introduces him to her parents, for whom Barney performs a magic trick. However, the scene turns out to be a figment of Barney's imagination, and he leaves before Nora sees him.
The episode ends with a flashback of an incident involving Marshall in 2006. Marshall drops a calzone
Calzone
A calzone Italian: , "stocking" or "trouser") is a turnover that originates from Italy. It is shaped like a semicircle, made of dough folded over and filled with ingredients common to pizza....
while walking on the street, but picks it up after ensuring that nobody is looking at him. As he takes his first bite, however, he sees Barney nearby and slowly walks away in embarrassment.
Continuity
- Lily says "You son of a bitch!!" in the same way as in "The PlaybookThe Playbook (How I Met Your Mother)"The Playbook" is the eighth episode of the fifth season of the CBS situation comedy How I Met Your Mother and 96th episode overall . It originally aired November 16, 2009...
". - Barney sings "Bang, bang, bangity bang" as he, Ted, Robin and Marshall do in the season 5 episode "Of CourseOf Course (How I Met Your Mother)"Of Course" is the seventeenth episode of the fifth season of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother and 105th episode overall. It originally aired on March 8, 2010.- Plot :...
". - Lily is Barney's confidante in certain matters. In "Do I Know You?Do I Know You?"Do I Know You?" is the first episode in the fourth season of the television series How I Met Your Mother and sixty-fifth overall. It originally aired on September 22, 2008.- Plot :...
", Barney admits to Lily that he has feelings for Robin. - The group "eats sandwiches" which is Future Ted's euphemism for smoking marijuana since "How I Met Everyone ElseHow I Met Everyone Else"How I Met Everyone Else" is the fifth episode in the third season of the television series How I Met Your Mother and 49th overall. It originally aired on October 22, 2007.- Plot :...
". - "Turkey in the StrawTurkey in the Straw"Turkey in the Straw" is a well-known American folk song dating from the early 19th century.The song's tune was first popularized in the late 1820s and early 1830s by blackface performers, notably George Washington Dixon, Bob Farrell and George Nichols. Another song, "Zip Coon", was sung to the...
" was also playing in the background in the restaurant in "Rabbit or DuckRabbit or Duck"Rabbit or Duck" is the fifteenth episode of the fifth season of the CBS situation comedy How I Met Your Mother and 103rd episode overall. It originally aired on February 8, 2010.- Plot :...
". - Marshall calls himself "Big Fudge", first shown in "JenkinsJenkins (How I Met Your Mother)"Jenkins" is the thirteenth episode of the fifth season of the CBS situation comedy How I Met Your Mother and 101st episode overall. It originally aired on January 18, 2010...
". - Barney claims to have dirt on the rest of the gang, part of which he got to know in the season 1 episode "Game NightGame Night"Game Night" is the 15th episode in the first season of the television series How I Met Your Mother. It originally aired on February 27, 2006.- Plot :...
". - When Barney is falling asleep, he calls Nora "Mommy" just like he called Don "Papa" when drunk and falling asleep in "Twin BedsTwin Beds (How I Met Your Mother)"Twin Beds" is the 21st episode of the fifth season of the CBS situation comedy How I Met Your Mother and 109th episode overall. It aired May 3, 2010.- Plot :...
". - Barney's "only one rule" principle was first introduced in the season 2 episode "World's Greatest CoupleWorld's Greatest Couple"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.- Plot :...
". - Robin considers getting a dog again. She used to have 5 pet dogs until she sent them to live with her aunt in "Stuff".
Barney's blog
Barney lists many different rules that he has presumably designated his "one rule" at different times.Cultural references
- Robin dreams about Mr. TMr. TMr. T is an American actor known for his roles as B. A. Baracus in the 1980s television series The A-Team, as boxer Clubber Lang in the 1982 film Rocky III, and for his appearances as a professional wrestler. Mr. T is known for his trademark African Mandinka warrior hairstyle, his gold jewelry,...
. - Ted recalls being in the front row at an N*Sync concert in 1998 and catching JC Chasez' shirt.
- Scooby claims to hail from Labrador. The gang laughs because of its double meaningLabrador RetrieverThe Labrador Retriever is one of several kinds of retriever, a type of gun dog. A breed characteristic is webbed paws for swimming, useful for the breed's original purpose of retrieving fishing nets. The Labrador is the most popular breed of dog by registered ownership in Canada, the United...
. - While making jokes about Scooby, Lily uses the book (and later on, a film) entitled The Incredible Journey, which narrates the story of two dogs and a cat who traverse the CanadianCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
wilderness. - Robbie AmellRobbie AmellRobert Patrick "Robbie" Amell is a Canadian actor, who is best known for his role on the Nickelodeon series True Jackson, VP, Picture This, and Fred Jones in the television films Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins and Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster...
plays a character nicknamed "Scooby". Amell portrayed Fred JonesFred JonesFrederick Terrell Jones is an American professional basketball player who plays at the shooting guard position.-Early career:...
in Scooby-Doo! The Mystery BeginsScooby-Doo! The Mystery BeginsScooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins is the prequel of Scooby-Doo that was first aired on September 13, 2009, the fortieth anniversary of Scooby-Doo...
.
Reception
The A.V. ClubThe A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
gave the episode a rating of A-.
Angel Cohn of Television Without Pity graded the episode at B-.