Home Wreckers
Encyclopedia
"Home Wreckers" is the 20th episode of the fifth season of the CBS
situation comedy
How I Met Your Mother
and 108th episode overall. It aired on April 19, 2010.
is stunned when his mother and long-time boyfriend Clint announce they are going to be married. At the reception, Ted is unable to grasp the fact that his mother is getting married a second time before he has even once, and when Clint begins singing a song, Ted leaves without giving his toast. The gang then doesn’t see him for nearly three days (72 hours), after which Ted reveals that he had bid for and bought a house. The gang questions his decision, as the house is old and dilapidated, but Ted is convinced as an architect he’ll fix up the house once he starts a family. The group berates Ted for making this decision too early, seeing as he isn’t even married yet. Marshall
tries to take the pressure off his friend by having the group play a game where they try and guess whether Marshall had been a kid or drunk during wild and stupid instances in his life (such as putting fireworks in the microwave). When an inspector arrives and begins rambling off the number of problems with the house, Ted finally agrees with the group, especially after the inspector is injured when he falls through the 2nd floor. Dejected, Ted wonders if he will ever have the life he dreams of; Lily
cheers him up by telling him to bash at the house with a sledgehammer, and the whole group has fun smashing a wall with it.
Meanwhile, Barney
catches Robin
crying during Clint’s song at the wedding, and takes every opportunity to mock her for it. Robin finally snaps and reveals it was in fact Barney who was crying, and that he offered to pay Robin to keep quiet and say she had been the one shedding tears. Barney explains he was jealous of Clint, revealing he had "shared a moment" with Ted's mother while dropping her off at the airport. He attempts to save face by claiming both that he had agreed to say that he paid Robin to keep quiet and that he had kissed Ted's mother, but both tales are revealed to be falsehoods.
Ted goes to see his mother and Clint, and gives them the toast he had meant to give earlier. Later, Ted returns to the house, and finds Marshall cooking sausages on a grill in the back. Marshall knows Ted isn’t going to give up on the house, and Ted thanks him for sticking up for him and tells him his plans for it. Future Ted tells his kids that time can turn what seem to be stupid decisions into something else and that he did achieve his dreams for the house... for it is the same house in which Ted is telling his kids the story of how he met their mother.
Cindy McClellan of Television Without Pity also gave the episode a B+ score, citing the implausibility of having a real-estate inspector study the house when Ted's architecture skills can determine the flaws as well.
IGN
gave the episode 8.3 out of 10.
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...
situation comedy
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
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 108th episode overall. It aired on April 19, 2010.
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...
is stunned when his mother and long-time boyfriend Clint announce they are going to be married. At the reception, Ted is unable to grasp the fact that his mother is getting married a second time before he has even once, and when Clint begins singing a song, Ted leaves without giving his toast. The gang then doesn’t see him for nearly three days (72 hours), after which Ted reveals that he had bid for and bought a house. The gang questions his decision, as the house is old and dilapidated, but Ted is convinced as an architect he’ll fix up the house once he starts a family. The group berates Ted for making this decision too early, seeing as he isn’t even married yet. 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...
tries to take the pressure off his friend by having the group play a game where they try and guess whether Marshall had been a kid or drunk during wild and stupid instances in his life (such as putting fireworks in the microwave). When an inspector arrives and begins rambling off the number of problems with the house, Ted finally agrees with the group, especially after the inspector is injured when he falls through the 2nd floor. Dejected, Ted wonders if he will ever have the life he dreams of; 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...
cheers him up by telling him to bash at the house with a sledgehammer, and the whole group has fun smashing a wall with it.
Meanwhile, 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...
catches 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 :...
crying during Clint’s song at the wedding, and takes every opportunity to mock her for it. Robin finally snaps and reveals it was in fact Barney who was crying, and that he offered to pay Robin to keep quiet and say she had been the one shedding tears. Barney explains he was jealous of Clint, revealing he had "shared a moment" with Ted's mother while dropping her off at the airport. He attempts to save face by claiming both that he had agreed to say that he paid Robin to keep quiet and that he had kissed Ted's mother, but both tales are revealed to be falsehoods.
Ted goes to see his mother and Clint, and gives them the toast he had meant to give earlier. Later, Ted returns to the house, and finds Marshall cooking sausages on a grill in the back. Marshall knows Ted isn’t going to give up on the house, and Ted thanks him for sticking up for him and tells him his plans for it. Future Ted tells his kids that time can turn what seem to be stupid decisions into something else and that he did achieve his dreams for the house... for it is the same house in which Ted is telling his kids the story of how he met their mother.
Music
- "Night MovesNight Moves (song)"Night Moves" is a song written and performed by Bob Seger, from his 1976 album Night Moves. Released as a single in December 1976, it eventually reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart...
" by Bob SegerBob SegerRobert Clark "Bob" Seger is an American rock and roll singer-songwriter, guitarist and pianist.As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s...
. - "Our HouseOur House (CSNY song)"Our House" is a song written by British singer-songwriter Graham Nash, most famously recorded by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young on their 1970 album Déjà Vu. It reached #30 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The song refers to Nash's brief affair with Joni Mitchell at the time Crosby, Stills Nash and...
" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
Continuity
- Barney's interaction with Ted's mother in the airport parking zone is mentioned in the Season 4 episode "Little MinnesotaLittle Minnesota"Little Minnesota" is the 11th episode in the fourth season of the television series How I Met Your Mother and 75th overall. It originally aired on December 15, 2008.- Plot :...
". - The brooch that Barney and Virginia speak of in Barney's car refers to the time Barney playfully asked about it while speaking with Virginia in the Season 2 episode "Brunch".
- During the wedding reception, Barney chases after "Ted's hot sister, Heather." Ted desperately tried to keep Heather and Barney from hooking up in "Little MinnesotaLittle Minnesota"Little Minnesota" is the 11th episode in the fourth season of the television series How I Met Your Mother and 75th overall. It originally aired on December 15, 2008.- Plot :...
." - Barney drives Ted's mother to the airport in the fall of 2006; while he was afraid of driving in December 20052005 New York City transit strikeThe 2005 New York City transit strike was a strike in New York City called by the Transport Workers Union Local 100 . Negotiations for a new contract with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority broke down over retirement, pension, and wage increases. The strike began at 3:00 a.m. EST on...
, mentioned in "Arrivederci, FieroArrivederci, Fiero"Arrivederci, Fiero" is the 17th episode in the second season of the television series How I Met Your Mother. It originally aired on February 26, 2007.- Plot :...
". - It is shown how Marshall loves games (in this case "drunk or kid?"). First time we saw in "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 :...
" - Marshall’s FieroArrivederci, Fiero"Arrivederci, Fiero" is the 17th episode in the second season of the television series How I Met Your Mother. It originally aired on February 26, 2007.- Plot :...
makes a cameo appearance in one of the flashbacks to his childhood. - The gang revisit the house in "LegendaddyLegendaddy"Legendaddy" is the nineteenth episode of the sixth season of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother and the 131st episode overall. It aired on March 21, 2011.-Plot:...
" for an intervention of Barney (the house is looking much better than previously, showing that it is being worked on).
Barney's blog
Barney provides the complete lyrics to the song Clint performed at the wedding.Cultural references
- Barney mentions the Blair Witch as the seller of the house, referencing the house in the final scene of said movie.
- Barney calls Ted's mother a cougar. When Robin reminds him that he said that a cougar cannot be over 50, Barney calls her a Mellencamp, in reference to singer John "Cougar" MellencampJohn MellencampJohn Mellencamp, previously known by the stage names Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American rock singer-songwriter, musician, painter and occasional actor known for his catchy, populist brand of heartland rock that eschews synthesizers and other artificial sounds...
.
Critical response
Donna Bowman of the AV Club gave the episode a B+. She said the episode exposed a different angle on Ted's love story by showing where his future family would live. She noted the execution of Marshall's Drunk or Kid game and Barney's exaggerated recollections were a bit off.Cindy McClellan of Television Without Pity also gave the episode a B+ score, citing the implausibility of having a real-estate inspector study the house when Ted's architecture skills can determine the flaws as well.
IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the episode 8.3 out of 10.