Sandcastles In The Sand
Encyclopedia
"Sandcastles in the Sand" is the 16th episode in the third season of the television series How I Met Your Mother
and 60th overall. It originally aired on April 21, 2008.
, as Future Ted explains how much she has changed since her days as a Canadian teen pop star (as portrayed in "Slap Bet
"). At the bar, Robin announces that her former boyfriend, Simon (James Van Der Beek
), plans to meet up with her later on at the bar. Robin tells the gang the story of how Simon broke up with her: He waited until she had loaded all of his band's equipment into their van to tell her that he was leaving her for Louise Marsh, whose parents had a pool.
The group agrees that every time old friends come together, there is a clear winner and a clear loser. They begin to tally the points for Robin and Simon's reunion. Robin receives two from Barney
for her breasts, one from Ted
for Simon still living with his mother, one from Lily
because Simon never became a rock star, and a final one from Marshall
because Simon now works at a water park that doesn't even have a wave pool. Robin says there is no way he could come back from this 5:0 deficit, unless he got more attractive. Simon walks in and it is immediately clear that Robin should be the winner: he is balding, overweight, and wearing clothes that weren't even in style back in the 80's when he got them. While the whole group looks excited as to how much better Robin has done in the time since she and Simon were together, the camera pans to Robin, who is giggling uncontrollably and obviously still smitten.
After watching Robin's reunion with Simon, the group retires to Marshall and Ted's apartment and begin criticizing the way Robin handled the meeting. Several flashbacks follow, including Simon's refusal to pay $4 for a beer, and instead pulling one out of his cargo pants; his bragging about his job at a water park; his claim that his band, The Foreskins, are about to take off; and ending with the story of how Simon and Robin met — he starred in her second music video, "Sandcastles in the Sand." Upon hearing this, Barney instantly leaves, claiming that he will not sleep until he has found this video.
When Robin attempts to defend herself, the group discusses how being around someone from your past can cause you to revert back to the person you were when you knew them, a phenomenon Marshall dubs "revertigo." Marshall and Ted tell Robin that Lily suffers from this more than anyone else; to prove it, they have Lily invite her high school friend, Michelle, to hang out with them. Michelle, who is almost done with her dissertation to get her Ph.D. in behavioural psychology, later states that the psychological term for revertigo is associative regression
.
The group is hanging out McLaren's the next day, when Robin tells them how Simon came to her apartment the night before claiming that breaking up with her was the biggest mistake of his life, and he asks her out on a date, which she accepts. The next night, Simon demands that Robin play a demo of his band on the news the following day at work. Immediately after this, Michelle arrives, and Lily immediately begins speaking in the most unrealistic but highly amusing urban style imaginable. The group continues to discuss other members' "revertigo", which includes Ted's high school buddy Punchy.
In another scene almost identical to the story Robin tells at the beginning, Simon once again breaks up with Robin in the back of his van — once again for Louise Marsh, whose parents have put in a jacuzzi. Robin tells the rest of the group and they all do their best to console her, but are ultimately unsuccessful and they all have to leave. Robin remains in the bar to drink alone until Barney arrives to complain about not being able to find the music video. Upon realizing what Robin is upset about, Barney consoles her until she asks him back to her place so that she can show him the music video. They watch the video over and over, making fun of the teenage Robin until, at the end of the scene, Robin and Barney begin making out on the couch.
IGN gave the episode a 9 out of 10 rating.
Television Without Pity graded the episode A-.
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 60th overall. It originally aired on April 21, 2008.
Plot
The episode begins with a montage of RobinRobin 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 :...
, as Future Ted explains how much she has changed since her days as a Canadian teen pop star (as portrayed in "Slap Bet
Slap Bet
"Slap Bet" is the 9th episode in season 2 of the television series How I Met Your Mother. It originally aired on November 20, 2006. This episode was originally titled "Robin Sparkles."- Plot :...
"). At the bar, Robin announces that her former boyfriend, Simon (James Van Der Beek
James Van Der Beek
James William Van Der Beek, Jr. is an American television, film, and stage actor, known for his portrayal of Dawson Leery in The WB series Dawson's Creek...
), plans to meet up with her later on at the bar. Robin tells the gang the story of how Simon broke up with her: He waited until she had loaded all of his band's equipment into their van to tell her that he was leaving her for Louise Marsh, whose parents had a pool.
The group agrees that every time old friends come together, there is a clear winner and a clear loser. They begin to tally the points for Robin and Simon's reunion. Robin receives two from 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...
for her breasts, one from 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...
for Simon still living with his mother, one from 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...
because Simon never became a rock star, and a final one from 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...
because Simon now works at a water park that doesn't even have a wave pool. Robin says there is no way he could come back from this 5:0 deficit, unless he got more attractive. Simon walks in and it is immediately clear that Robin should be the winner: he is balding, overweight, and wearing clothes that weren't even in style back in the 80's when he got them. While the whole group looks excited as to how much better Robin has done in the time since she and Simon were together, the camera pans to Robin, who is giggling uncontrollably and obviously still smitten.
After watching Robin's reunion with Simon, the group retires to Marshall and Ted's apartment and begin criticizing the way Robin handled the meeting. Several flashbacks follow, including Simon's refusal to pay $4 for a beer, and instead pulling one out of his cargo pants; his bragging about his job at a water park; his claim that his band, The Foreskins, are about to take off; and ending with the story of how Simon and Robin met — he starred in her second music video, "Sandcastles in the Sand." Upon hearing this, Barney instantly leaves, claiming that he will not sleep until he has found this video.
When Robin attempts to defend herself, the group discusses how being around someone from your past can cause you to revert back to the person you were when you knew them, a phenomenon Marshall dubs "revertigo." Marshall and Ted tell Robin that Lily suffers from this more than anyone else; to prove it, they have Lily invite her high school friend, Michelle, to hang out with them. Michelle, who is almost done with her dissertation to get her Ph.D. in behavioural psychology, later states that the psychological term for revertigo is associative regression
Regression (psychology)
Regression, according to psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, is a defense mechanism leading to the temporary or long-term reversion of the ego to an earlier stage of development rather than handling unacceptable impulses in a more adult way...
.
The group is hanging out McLaren's the next day, when Robin tells them how Simon came to her apartment the night before claiming that breaking up with her was the biggest mistake of his life, and he asks her out on a date, which she accepts. The next night, Simon demands that Robin play a demo of his band on the news the following day at work. Immediately after this, Michelle arrives, and Lily immediately begins speaking in the most unrealistic but highly amusing urban style imaginable. The group continues to discuss other members' "revertigo", which includes Ted's high school buddy Punchy.
In another scene almost identical to the story Robin tells at the beginning, Simon once again breaks up with Robin in the back of his van — once again for Louise Marsh, whose parents have put in a jacuzzi. Robin tells the rest of the group and they all do their best to console her, but are ultimately unsuccessful and they all have to leave. Robin remains in the bar to drink alone until Barney arrives to complain about not being able to find the music video. Upon realizing what Robin is upset about, Barney consoles her until she asks him back to her place so that she can show him the music video. They watch the video over and over, making fun of the teenage Robin until, at the end of the scene, Robin and Barney begin making out on the couch.
Music
- "Sandcastles In The Sand" by Robin SparklesRobin ScherbatskyRobin 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 :...
- "Murder Train" by The Foreskins
Continuity
- Ted sports another Cleveland IndiansCleveland IndiansThe Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
t-shirt, further proclaiming his love of the baseball team. - The song "Murder Train" is also featured in "The FightThe Fight (How I Met Your Mother)"The Fight" is the tenth episode in the fourth season of the television series How I Met Your Mother and 74th overall. It originally aired on December 8, 2008.- Plot :...
," during a flashback to Marshall fighting with his brothers. It is again featured in the episode "The LeapThe Leap (How I Met Your Mother)"The Leap" is the 24th and final episode of season 4 of the How I Met Your Mother TV series and 88th overall. It originally aired on May 18, 2009.- Plot :...
," in the scene where Ted is fighting with the goat, and in "The Rough PatchThe Rough Patch"The Rough Patch" is the seventh episode of the fifth season of the CBS situation comedy How I Met Your Mother and 95th episode overall. It originally aired on November 9, 2009.- Plot :...
," while Lily plans a fight between Barney and Robin. - Several future episodes have Barney refer to recording their interlude despite the fact it took place in Robin’s apartment.
Cultural references
- Barney makes two video game references, once when he says 'Finish Him!', and shortly after, when he makes the sound of Pac-ManPac-Manis an arcade game developed by Namco and licensed for distribution in the United States by Midway, first released in Japan on May 22, 1980. Immensely popular from its original release to the present day, Pac-Man is considered one of the classics of the medium, virtually synonymous with video games,...
's death animation. - Barney also references the musical/movie GreaseGrease (film)Grease is a 1978 American musical film directed by Randal Kleiser and based on Warren Casey's and Jim Jacobs's 1971 musical of the same name about two lovers in a 1950s high school. The film stars John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, and Jeff Conaway...
, by saying, "Tell me more, tell me more, like, did he have a car?" - Simon expects that his band will be as big as Crash Test DummiesCrash Test DummiesThe Crash Test Dummies is a Canadian folk rock/alternative rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, widely known for their 1993 single "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm".The band is most identifiable through Brad Roberts and his distinctive bass-baritone voice...
. - Barney references Canadian television series Degrassi.
- Barney euphemistically asks Robin if Simon "rode her ZamboniIce resurfacerAn ice resurfacer is a truck-like vehicle or smaller device used to clean and smooth the surface of an ice rink. The first ice resurfacer was developed by Frank J. Zamboni in 1949 in the city of Paramount, California...
", an ice resurfacing vehicle, poking fun at her Canadian roots. - The "Sandcastles in the Sand" video included cameo appearances by '80s stars TiffanyTiffany (singer)Tiffany Renee Darwish , known popularly as Tiffany, is an American singer and former teen icon. She is most notable for her 1987 cover version of "I Think We're Alone Now", originally recorded by Tommy James and the Shondells in 1967. Released as the second single from her eponymous album, Tiffany,...
and Alan ThickeAlan ThickeAlan Thicke is a Canadian actor, songwriter, and game and talk show host. He is best known for his role as Jason Seaver, the patriarch on the ABC television series Growing Pains.- Early life :...
.
Critical response
The AV Club gave the episode an A rating.IGN gave the episode a 9 out of 10 rating.
Television Without Pity graded the episode A-.
Trivia
- The trailer for the OldenburgOldenburgOldenburg is an independent city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the western part of the state between the cities of Bremen and Groningen, Netherlands, at the Hunte river. It has a population of 160,279 which makes it the fourth biggest city in Lower Saxony after Hanover, Braunschweig...
Filmfestival 2011 was entitled Revertigo (it shows a woman walking through Oldenburg after some years of absence, along with her telling her memories).