How I Met Your Mother

Season 1 Episode 9

Belly Full of Turkey

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13
8.8
out of 10
User Rating
504 votes
12

EPISODE REVIEWS
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Episode Summary

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Ted and Robin are surprised to run into Barney when they volunteer at a homeless shelter on Thanksgiving. Lily is on the brink of freaking out when she goes to Thanksgiving dinner at her future in-laws' house.
SUBMIT REVIEW
  • This is the true story of Thanksgiving

    8.5
    Another wonderful episode. I like that Marshall not only is from Minnesota (I have family there) but he is close to his family. I liked how Lilly was made so smaller then Marshall's family. The actors who played Marshall's mom and dad were great choices. I also think that what happened in this episode sets up what happens later in the season. Ted, Robin and Barney's storyline was also good. My only compliant was Ted working on Black Friday. Who does that? I think it's funny that Barney is very generous with his charity. It's even funnier when you find out why. Ted's reaction in the Lusty Leopard (something you will see more often) was great. Watch the ending it could have a connection to the mother or maybe not.moreless
  • Marshall's family pressures Lily over the Thanksgiving holidays.

    9.0
    In the show's first Thanksgiving episode, the engaged Marshall and Lily spend it in Minnesota with the Eriksen family. Ted and Robin spend it "helping out" in a shelter, where they are surprised to find Barney, who has been working there for a long time apparently, as he recently won an award for Volunteer of the Year. We later find out it was due to community service for urinating in public. (I didn't know that many hours were required after something as minor as that!) While this subplot wasn't as entertaining, the major plot with Marshall and Lily was. Lily doesn't feel like she belongs in the Eriksen family, where 6'4" Marshall is the shortest of three kids! Lily doesn't want to be carrying around a giant when she and Marshall finally decide to have kids! After an entire day of being pressured by Eriksens, she purchases a pregnancy test just to make sure and then eventually gets arrested for the same offense as Barney trying to use it. Together in the jail cell, Marshall and Lily find out she isn't pregnant in a holiday episode filled with lots of laughs.moreless
  • Ted and Robin volunteer at a soup kitchen. Lily and Marshall visit Marshall's family.

    10
    "Belly Full of Turkey" is mega-awesome How I Met Your Mother episode. In this episode, Robin and Ted volunteer at a soup kitchen only to find Barney volunteering there already. I love how Barney seems to be the best volunteer worker, but then you find out that he's has to get community service hours for public urination. I love Lily and Marshall visiting Marshall's family. His family is so tall!! I love how Lily thinks she's pregnant and she doesn't want to have a big baby. I love how she gets arrested for public urination. Anyways, I give this episode a 10/10.moreless
  • Thanksgiving.

    9.0
    When Ted and Robin decide to help feed the homeless on Thanksgiving Day, they are in a state of disbelief when they run into Barney and discover that he is a regular volunteer at the homeless shelter. Thanksgiving doesn't end there for the trio, for they end up somewhere that only the "real" Barney would bring anyone to for a holiday meal. Meanwhile, things do not go very smoothly when Marshall and Lily pay a holiday visit to Marshall's family in Minnesota. I haven't watched this show in ages, I started reviewing it and then just stopped bot because I wasn't enjoying it, it's just I have got any free time to watch this show on the interent. However, I'm glad to be getting back into it, this episode was -----. I love the starting scene with the pictures of New York. I love the way everyone is acting in this episode. I love the scene between with Ted and Robin with them skitting each others countries. I love the way Marshalls family being all tall and Lily just being really small. I love the scene with Barney, Ted and Robin, Barney is hilarious. I love the way Lily freaks out - hilarious. I love the way Barney has community work because of his bad behaviour - hilarous the way he screams 'volunteer of the year' - I'm in love with him. I love the ending.moreless
  • Funny, silly episode

    7.5
    On Thanksgiving, Ted and Robin try to volunteer at a homeless shelter, only to find that the Volunteer of the Year is Barney. Once we get past the amusement of seeing Barney there, it is fairly amusing, but not hysterically funny. Meanwhile, Marshall and Lily go home to his house for Thanksgiving where Lily is called upon to make the seven-layer salad that includes 16 cups of mayo. Now that is funny!moreless
Jennifer Ann Wilson

Jennifer Ann Wilson

Ashley Eriksen

Guest Star

Eben Ham

Eben Ham

Policeman

Guest Star

John Bobek

John Bobek

Clerk

Guest Star

Bob Saget

Bob Saget

Voice of Ted, 2030

Recurring Role

David Henrie

David Henrie

Son

Recurring Role

Lyndsy Fonseca

Lyndsy Fonseca

Daughter

Recurring Role

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

FILTER BY TYPE

  • TRIVIA (0)

  • QUOTES (9)

    • Marshall: I don't want our kids to play bask-ice-ball. It's too dangerous!
      Lily: What are the rules to that game, anyway?
      Marshall: There are no rules. We just wail on each other!

    • Robin: Have you met Ted?
      Ted: I am the aforementioned Ted.
      Amanda: Cool, so what do you do around here?
      Ted: Well... I... uh... I do nothing, absolutely nothing.
      Amanda: Well, I think I can find something for you and your girlfriend to do.
      Ted: Oh, she's not my girlfriend.
      Robin: I'm his ex-girlfriend. I just wasn't enough woman for him. Emotionally... or sexually. [goes up behind Amanda] Oh... my... God.

    • Barney: Okay, Ted. I found a way for you to help someone, to do some good. This is Walter. Walter is homeless. And Walter would like a lap dance.
      Ted: Are you joking?
      Barney: I never joke about the sublime art of burlesque entertainment.

    • [about having to do community service after being caught urinating in public] Barney: I was unfairly punished because the wall belonged to the judge's church. Ted: You peed on a church? Barney: I peed in an alley which happened to have a church which I did not see, because I was drunk! Ted: [happily] You *are* evil! Robin: All is right with the world again.

    • Barney: I've done so much good today, I've got, like, a 'soul boner.'

    • Robin: I am Canadian. Remember? We celebrate Thanksgiving in October.
      Ted: Oh, right, I forgot. You guys are weird, and you pronounce the word out, 'oot'.
      Robin: You guys are the world's leader in hand gun violence, your health care system is bankrupt, and your country is deeply divided on almost every important issue.
      Ted: (pause) Your cops are called mounties.

    • Barney: Helping people less fortunate than me is the greatest pleasure in the world.
      Robin: Yesterday you said the greatest pleasure in the world was having your toes sucked. Then you asked for a high five . . . from your foot.

    • (At homeless shelter)
      Ted: What are you doing here?
      Barney: The Lord's work.
      Ted: But you're Satan!

    • Robin: (Playing on the line that Barney uses) Havvvveee you met Ted?

  • NOTES (3)

    • The German episode title is "Wohltaten und Untaten", meaning "Charity and Crime". The French title is "Charité bien ordonnée", meaning "Orderly Charity". The Italian title is "Il pieno di tacchino", meaning "Full of Turkey".

    • International Airdates: Germany: October 11, 2008 on ProSieben; Czech Republic: December 10, 2009 on Prima COOL

    • Music Featured in the Episode:
      The song "Mr. Roboto" by Styx, of which the line "Domo arigato" (Japanese for "Thank you") turned into a catch phrase, is played in the strip club.

      The song "Nobody Move, Nobody Gets Hurt" by We Are Scientists was played during the scene where Ted throws the mushrooms.

      The song "You Belong To Me" by The 88 plays during the final montage of scenes from Thanksgivings with the Ericksons and Ted, Barney and Robin in strip club.

  • ALLUSIONS (0)

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