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Score: 9.2 Superb 213 votes

The Bracket

Episode Number: 58    Season Num: 3    First Aired: Monday March 31, 2008    Prod Code: 3ALH14
Barney's efforts to hook up with women are being thwarted by a mysterious woman from his past. Barney and the gang must sift though his many past flings in an attempt to find out who she is.

Cast and Crew

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Writer: Joe Kelly
Director: Pamela Fryman
Star: Bob Saget (Voice of Ted, 2030),  Alyson Hannigan (Lily Aldrin),  Josh Radnor (Ted Mosby),  Jason Segel (Marshall Eriksen),  Cobie Smulders (Robin Scherbatsky),  Neil Patrick Harris (Barney Stinson)
Guest Star: Dawn Olivieri (Anna),  April Bowlby (Meg),  Chris Tallman (Mark),  Tess Alexandra Parker (Mysterious Woman),  Hallie Lambert (Kate),  Kathy Uyen (Julia),  Katy Savoy (Karen),  Maite Schwartz (Holly),  Yvonne DeLarosa (Charra),  Brendan Patrick Connor (Janitor),  Ken Barnett (Colton Dunn)

Notes

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International Air Dates:
Australia: June 5, 2008 on Network 7 (edit)
The website www.tedmosbyisajerk.com actually exists and contains the letter Barney left for Anna in "Ted Mosby: Architect", posters from the fake Ted Mosby's porn movies from "I'm Not That Guy" and caricatures of different fates that would be too good for Ted Mosby. (edit)

Quotes

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(Lily forces Barney to apologize to Meg)
Barney: Lily, this girl hates me. I hooked up with her in an apartment I was pretending was my own, told her I loved her and then ditched her there. She got arrested for trespassing, bit a cop and spent eight days in jail. (edit)
Barney: Ahh, there she is.
Lily: Oh, and she's holding hot coffee, maybe she'll throw it in your face.
Barney: You're really enjoying this, aren't you?
Lily: I'm making a scrapbook. (edit)
(Barney's apology)
Barney: Hey, I don't remember you. I've spent the last two days trying to remember every girl I've slept with and all of the horrible things I've done to them, and I've done some horrible things. I mean at one point I'm pretty sure I sold a woman. I didn't speak the language but I shook a guy's hand he gave the keys to a Mercedes and I left her there. I'm the guy who keeps a scrap book of all the women but I never thought I was the guy who would sleep with a girl and not even remember her. So from the bottom of my heart, for what ever I did to you, I apologize. (edit)
(After Barney got slapped in the hardware store)
Barney: The same thing happened in the pet store yesterday.
Marshall: Pet store?
Ted: Single girl, mid twenties, looking of canine replacement for the boyfriend who just dumped her, instead finds Barney!
Barney : (Very satisfied) God bless you Ted, you are reading my blog.
Ted : (With a guilty face) I'm really bored at work.
(edit)
(Barney's explanation who is going to hardware stores)
Robin: Wait, you go to the hardware store to pick up girls?
Barney: There are four kinds of women that go to the hardware store by themselves.
Robin: Of course, there are.
Barney: Single, recently single, recently divorces, lesbians who let me to watch.
Lily: You can not be more evil.
Barney: Sorry, five; recently widowed. (edit)

Trivia

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When Barney approaches Robin at the bar, his drink is clearly in his right hand. However it magically switches to his left, because just seconds later his right hand is the one on Robin's thigh. (edit)
Ted and Marshall's bracket listed the four regions out of order, the official bracket listed clockwise from the top left East, South, West, Midwest, but Ted and Marshall's reads West, East, South, Midwest listed clockwise from the top. (edit)
The bracket on the blackboard in Ted's apartment is not an accurate 2008 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament bracket. (edit)
Perhaps the "real" reason why Barney is experiencing something weird is because he keeps wearing the same suit! At the hardware store and a week ago at the museum and while he's recounting the events, he's wearing the exact same suit and tie combo - weird for a guy who's into suits. (edit)
Goof: When Ted and Marshall are stealing the "big board" and running down the street with it, there are two extras on the stairs that are obviously waiting for a cue because they don't start moving down the stairs until Ted and Marshall are a quarter way across.

Possible explanation: the sight of two crazy dudes barrelling down the street with a blackboard caused these people to hesitate on the stairs and slow down to ensure they didn't get in Ted and Marshall's way. (edit)

Allusions

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(In an attempt to guess Barney's museum tactic)
Marshall: You're a millionaire art thief casing the joint for a thrill money can no longer give you.

This is a description of the 1968 film, and it's 1999 remake, The Thomas Crown Affair starring Steve Mcequeen, and later Pierce Brosnan as the titular character. (edit)
Doogie Howser
The scene at the end of the episode with Barney typing a diary on his computer is an allusion to the show Doogie Howser, M.D.. Each episode would end with the title character, played by Neil Patrick Harris (Barney) typing his diary on his computer. The music heard during the scene is also from Doogie Howser, M.D.. (edit)
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Community Reviews (14)

 
9.7
Superb
The Bracket
"Fine example"
www.tedmosbyisajerk.com
Continue » Posted Jun 6, 2008 12:52 am PST
10.0
Perfect
The Bracket
"Well written"
lagen.....dary coming back
Continue » Posted May 1, 2008 5:29 pm PST

Daddytrucker
Report Abuse 12 users disagree
with this review
1.5
Abysmal
The Bracket
"Painful to watch"
Why?
Continue » Posted Apr 8, 2008 6:34 am PST

evans46f
Report Abuse 1 user agrees
with this review
8.6
Great
The Bracket
"Cleverly plotted"
Barney gets stalked by a woman who warns other women not to date him. Mystery woman never revealed!
Continue » Posted Apr 3, 2008 1:24 pm PST
8.2
Great
The Bracket
"Not my favorite storyline"
Another great performance by Barney. Team tries to find out the mysterious woman who warns Barney's the newest preys.
Continue » Posted Apr 3, 2008 11:58 am PST
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Episode Vital Stats

 
Episode: The Bracket
Season Number: 3
Episode Reviews: 14
Episode
Score:
9.2 Superb 213 votes
Rating Statistics:
superb: 112 (52.6%)
perfect: 59 (27.7%)
great: 25 (11.7%)
good: 10 (4.7%)
Other: 7 (3.3%)
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