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Score: 9.1 Superb 241 votes

How Lily Stole Christmas

Episode Number: 33    Season Num: 2    First Aired: Monday December 11, 2006    Prod Code: 2ALH11
Ted almost ruins Christmas for everyone when, still carrying around anger toward Lily, he calls her a horribly disgusting name. Robin tends to Barney while he has a cold.

Cast and Crew

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Writer: Brenda Hsueh
Director: Pamela Fryman
Star: Jason Segel (Marshall Eriksen),  Bob Saget (Voice of Ted, 2030),  Alyson Hannigan (Lily Aldrin),  Neil Patrick Harris (Barney Stinson),  Josh Radnor (Ted Mosby),  Cobie Smulders (Robin Scherbatsky)
Guest Star: Moon Unit Zappa (Stacy),  Michael Gross (Mr Mosby),  Harry Groener (Clint),  Marcus Folmar (WPD Driver),  Carlease Burke (WPD Worker)

Notes

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There is much speculation from fans as to what Ted actually called Lily, as the traditional guess would be b****. However, shortly after this episode Barney's Blog added a 'Motherspeak' section pointing it out as a four-letter-word, thus narrowing down the possible expletives, most likely making the word c**t. (edit)
Christmas Songs:
Clarence Carter - "Backdoor Santa"
"Silent Night" (edit)
Joss Whedon Connection:
Clint, Ted's Mother's new boyfriend, was played by Harry Groener. He played Mayor Willkins on Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Groener is the fifth actor from a Joss Whedon-helmed series to guest star on the show. (edit)

Quotes

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Barney: Too weak, to hold bowl.
Robin: Find I'll feed you.
(Robin feeds Barney some soup)
Barney: Ouchie in my mouth.
Robin blows on soup to feed barney again
Barney: I don't want it, I want ice cream.
Robin: No you're not having ice cream for dinner just cause your sick.
Barney: But my throat hurts.
Robin: No!
Barney: I hate you!
Robin: Oh.
(Robin prepares to leave)
Barney: Don't leave me. (edit)
Ted: I promise I will never call you a... you know, ever again.
Lily: It's okay. I was kind of a Grinch!
Boy: What's a Grinch?
Lily: Umm... it's a word you shouldn't say!
Boy: Mom, what's a Grinch?
[Stacy spits out her drink in horror]
Kids: (Chanting) Grinch! Grinch! Grinch!
Ted: Uhh, Merry Christmas!
(Running out with his friends)
Ted: Let's get out of here! (edit)
Ted: She took the decorations? That Grinch!
Older Ted: That time I really did say Grinch. (edit)
Barney: [Sick in bed] This is a low point for the Barnacle. I should be out playing laser tag, being awesome. Don't look at me, I'm hideous!
Robin: Oh, come on. You look like a regular guy.
Barney: Exactly. I'm a Ted. Look at me, I'm wearing elastic waistband fleece pants.
Robin: But they're comfy, right?
Barney: [Weakly and ashamed] Yes... (edit)
Marshall: (over the phone) Oh, wait! Ted, Ted, Ted, Ted, one more thing: how 'bout the cookies? Are they delicious?
(pause, as Ted recalls:)
Robin: (screaming, as smoke bellows out of the oven and she unloads a fire extinguisher at the inferno) AAAHHHHHHHH! HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!
(back to the present)
Ted: You know, honestly, they taste a little store-bought. (edit)

Trivia

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Both actors who portray Ted Mosby are Jewish; Radnor and Bob Saget are both of entirely Jewish ancestry (however, Ted Mosby's character is not, in the December 11, 2006 episode; he talks about his ultra-religious Catholic cousins who live in Staten Island). In addition, Hannigan and Segel are Jewish (Hannigan only on her mother's side, though she was raised Jewish). Despite the Jewish-sounding last name, Robin Sherbatsky's character is not Jewish, nor is Cobie Smulders in real life.
(edit)

Allusions

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When Barney is sick in bed and Robin is taking care of him he turns away and says, "Look away, I'm hideous." Much like Kramer says to Jerry when he has been smoking for three straight days because he decides to turn his apartment into a smoking lounge in episode The Abstinence. (edit)
Episode Title: "How Lily Stole Christmas"

Refers to the classic cartoon and newer movie (starring Jim Carrey), "How The Grinch Stole Christmas". Both are based on the Dr. Seuss book. (edit)
Barney: God, it's like Marshall's marrying the Taliban.

The Taliban is a Sunni Islamist fundamentalist movement which effectively ruled most of Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001.

The word Taliban is the Pashtu plural form of the Arabic طالب Tālib, "seeker". The phrase "طالبِ علم" or "Thaalib-e-Ilm", literally "seeker of knowledge", is the Persian and Urdu phrase for "student". The group gets its name from the fact that its membership is drawn from the students of religious seminaries, or madrasahs, in Pakistan and Afghanistan. (edit)
"Oh Fudge"
Only I didn't say Fudge.

This is a take off of A Christmas Story, where Little Ralph says "Oh fudge" when he loses the nuts from the tire.
In the movie, Ralph also says he "didn't say Fudge" (edit)
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Community Reviews (13)

 
10.0
Perfect
How Lily Stole Christmas
"Well written"
Christmas is almost ruined when a message from long ago has Ted ans Lly fighting.
Continue » Posted Nov 26, 2007 7:39 pm PST
9.4
Superb
How Lily Stole Christmas
"Above average"
how could you say such an awful word??
Continue » Posted Jul 11, 2007 6:07 pm PST

familyguy12
Report Abuse 1 user agrees
with this review
9.3
Superb
How Lily Stole Christmas
"A very special episode"
It's Christmas in Manhattan and Ted has said the wrong word to Lily.
Continue » Posted Dec 31, 2006 7:37 pm PST

sh811a
Report Abuse 1 user agrees
with this review
9.0
Superb
How Lily Stole Christmas
"Fine example"
The dreaded word.
Continue » Posted Dec 18, 2006 9:30 pm PST
7.4
Good
How Lily Stole Christmas
"A very special episode"
Grinch
Continue » Posted Dec 18, 2006 9:30 pm PST
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Episode Vital Stats

 
Episode: How Lily Stole Christmas
Season Number: 2
Episode Reviews: 13
Episode
Score:
9.1 Superb 241 votes
Rating Statistics:
superb: 133 (55.2%)
perfect: 49 (20.3%)
great: 35 (14.5%)
good: 16 (6.6%)
Other: 8 (3.3%)
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