TV Recap: HIMYM - Old King Clancy

Seriously. How is it possible that How I Met Your Mother is awardless? What other shows can you name where the entire episode can take place in a booth and it’s still hilarious? Exactly. Plus, the cast will do anything for a laugh. Look up Robin and Snowshoe and see what you get and then maybe you’ll understand what I mean.

Remember how Ted was working on the new GNB headquarters? His boss there, Bilson, never liked any of his work but suddenly, Bilson was taken off the project and the new task force, which included Barney and Marshall, loved everything Ted was designing. Then one day in an elevator, Ted makes a fake phone call to impress a girl standing next to him. Only one problem: she knows it’s a fake call and she also knows that GNB scrapped the headquarter project.

Barney and Marshall confirm her story, after some chatter, and confess that Bilson told them to fire Ted. It didn’t have anything to do with his designs, but with the economy all screwed up, they’re saving everywhere they can. Ted was so happy, though, and kept saying that if he didn’t have this project, he would probably be laid off just like everyone else at his firm. What are best friends to do? Of course. They keep up the charade for another two months. See, Ted was getting paid for that long regardless of if he was working or not so his two best friends just wanted to give him a little more happiness.

He, naturally, is a little bit pissed but then he finds out there’s another project at GNB. Granted, it’s much, much smaller but at least it’s a job he can take to his boss. GNB has this room where they fire people. Bilson wants the exact room two floors up. It’s a sad, dark room with one table and two chairs. I expect it’s so dank because, through the tapes of the firings, people get very angry and try to hurt who ever is letting them go. It seems to be Barney a lot of the time but he’s quite spry so don’t worry about him. There are even some tapes of him enjoying some female companionship and then firing them. Seriously, don’t worry about that one.

Ted’s excited to be working but he has to put his own stamp on the project. Instead of just creating an exact replica a few floors up, he makes this elaborate three room design that has a calming, homey effect. Bilson loves it so much, he wants Ted to make the existing room more like his new design. They walk down to the room and Ted starts explaining what he would do when Bilson cuts him off with a, “You’re fired.” Really, did you not see that coming, Ted? And here comes the best part…when Bilson’s back is turned, Ted grabs the only thing he can, a chair, and breaks it over Bilson’s back. Who knew Ted had that in him? Awesome.

Except that he is now unemployed. Turns out that isn’t such a bad thing. Ted had forgotten why he loved architecture since he started working for big corporations and he wasn’t truly able to make his own designs. So really, Marshall and Barney lying to him renewed his passion for architecture and gave him a nice little severance package which he’s going to use to start his own firm. I know, it’s nice, right. Well, the chair thing might not be so nice but whatever.

At least the gang can appreciate a good chair throwing, especially after they find out the celebrity that Robin almost hooked up with once. She tells Lily, Marshall, and Barney that she’ll tell them who it is only if they guess everything correctly. This means they have to guess the celebrity (Canadian-born) and what he collects and the kinky sex act he wanted her to do (another Canadian thing). After tons of guessing that involved Bryan Adams, Rick Moranis and the reverse Rick Moranis, superhero lunchboxes and some human zambonis, they all give up and she agrees to tell them. Duh, it was Snowshoe (he’s a wrestler in Canada), he collects Harvey’s trays (that’s a restaurant in Canada) and Old King Clancy. I don’t really know this last one but it involves Maple Syrup and when Robin asked Shoe, that’s what his friends call him, to do it, he asked her to leave. Kinky little Robin. That’s why you’re perfect for Barney.

Until next week when our little underappreciated friends return…