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How I Met Your Mother Season 5 Episode 17

Of Course

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AIRED: Mar 08, 2010

7.9

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Episode Summary

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Robin consults a self-help guru to help resolve her anger towards Barney and his behavior during their break-up.

Fan Episode Reviews (9)

So many character incongruities!

5.0

By nananabatman, May 12, 2013

In this episode Barney meets Jennifer Lopez but she doesn't want to have sex with him before their 17th date. Luckily, we don't have to see all 17 dates because the episode proves to be not so much about that, yet rather about how mournful Robin actually was after her break-up with Barney. With that, the others suddenly find out how they treated her wrong in her "mourning period" and try to make it up to her by bringing her together with her colleague Don, who is suddenly the totally great guy.

While this episode was one of the funnier episodes of this season and the jokes are written very well, there are still so many flaws with it, most of them being that the characters are totally out of place. Ted joyfully agreeing to go to a strip-club with barney? Robin being sadder about the break-up with Barney than she was about the break-up with Ted some years ago? Robin enjoying the idea of this totally sappy super date? Robin's formerly pervy co-anchor being the best guy in the world now? No one of the group realizing that Robin had a tough time? What the hell is up with that?

I have to say that I did enjoy what they were trying to show with that episode and the thing with Barney jumping into the Hudson River was awesome, but you can't simply overlook all of those mistakes.moreless
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the super date

8.0

By Lostindharma, Apr 15, 2013

Barney and Robin have always had a complicated relationship. They hook up in season 3, where it's revealed that Barney has feelings for Robin. Later on Robin gets the same feelings and after the some back and forth, they decide to date. Things start out good but end badly. Things between them seem fine until now.

After they break up, Barney gets back on the horse and in this case a women. He seems to be even more successful then usual with women at least based on Marshall's chart. Robin doesn't seem affected by this or at least until this episode. It's revealed that some of Barney's transgressions have a deep impact on her. Nice references to past moments that affected Robin. Robin decides to get some revenge on him by getting Anita to mess with him. It's an interesting choice. First the women who played her (Jennifer Lopez) was a great choice, but secondly, the women takes revenge on her ex-boyfriend by doing something herself that would hurt him directly. Instead of giving up, Barney decides to seduce her to prove he can. Even though Barney and Robin end things on good terms, I feel like they never really talked things out. I also like that this wasn't done right away. Thanks to Ted who can thank Marshall who can thank Lilly, Barney doesn't realize he is hurting Robin. I think the reason why Barney was with as many women as he can was not because he likes doing it, but he is trying to find someone to fill up any hurt he may have. At least since the show started Robin was the first women to only satisfy him but challenge him as well. Barney needs this but doesn't want to admit it.

It was really sweet of Barney to what he did for Robin. It does show that he cares about her. The song, Super Date was lame but thankfully it wasn't too long and over the top. Other small references I liked were the but um from Robin and the bang song. After some lackluster episodes it was nice to see one that was better then average.moreless
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Barney tries to seduce a woman by coming up with the "super date".

8.5

By Jon_MW_14, Aug 30, 2011

"Of Course" is a great How I Met Your Mother episode. I love the beginning of this episode and Barney is being pulled out of a river and he explains to the police how he ended up there. I love how Barney is upset that his date ditched him and he tells the gang about it and Ted mentions that she probably read some big with a really long name. I love how Barney reads the book for loopholes and tries to seduce the author of the book. I love how Robin is using the author of the book to get revenge on Barney. I love how Ted plans a "super date" to get this author to notice him. But it was so sweet how he gave Robin and Don the "super date". I give this episode a 8.5/10moreless
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Out of character or...

6.5

By avi01, Jun 25, 2011

This episode is kinda weird cause I really felt Robin was totally out of character. But then again, at start she was always the all reserved chick keeping everything to herself. The thing is that during the last 2 seasons, the writers (probably unintentionally) turned Robin into an arrogant, annoying, unfunny and uninteresting character. So even tho it kinda felt out of character(super date is so totally not her) and over-dramatic, it might be a good thing in the long run as may bring some depth to the character. Robin used to be a very interesting character. Here is (little)hope for someone other than Barney while Marshall and Lily remain just meh.

Other than than, it was typical HIMYM from the last 2 seasons with Barney running the show and the rest just annoying apart from some funny moments. To be fair, I no longer expect the show to be as good as it once was anymore.Looks like the Playbook episode was just a one time thingy. Still tho, entertaining enough for me to keep watching.moreless
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Glimpses of reality... just non-existent.

7.0

By crimedawg27, Jun 17, 2011

How I Met Your Mother used to be a show that hinged around a strong collective of friends, but more importantly it was a show with which we could relate. Tonight, which by no means was the start of this downward spiral, was just another stake to the die hard fans heart. Personally, I think this one was more brutal because of the glimpse of hope last week brought, but I'll try to ease my personal diatribe and focus on this episode. The episode started off fairly flat, mostly due to the lack humor, and Jennifer Lopez being given a poorly constructed character. (No personal attack on her acting but this character was just a spring board for the forced Barney/Robin relationship.) This, almost cliche-esque chemistry, continued until the first commercial break when we learn Robin as set Barney up with his antithesis. I actually thought this wasn't a bad outline for an episode, but it's just the filler and maddening loss of reality that made this episode so unbearable. First off- Ted's personal ballad to a "super" date was quite intrepid, if not also ridiculously unbelievable. What are the writers thinking these days? Not only was it laugh retardant it also successfully handed season 5 a bigger shovel to beat, bludgeon, and bury the overall story arc. The last time I hit the info button on the DVR, the show's title hadn't changed to, "How We Killed the Last Remaining Protagonist." (NPH,obv.) I understand that CBS has mutilated your vision with needlessly extending this once great premise, but they didn't take your heart. Sorry, it appears I've continued with the diatribe, but back to the point. Fast forwarding through a few humor beguiling scenes we get to the second mind-boggling scenario, Marshall unbeknowingly tormenting Robin about Barney's recent conquests with his own little ditty... The four letter, bang, bang, bang, bang, (silly pistol motion), bang, bang, bang. Is this what Jason Segel willingly reduced himself to after FSM? He hasn't been the same since season 4 began but this is just an all time low.

Now, there are a few other spots where you can look at the scenes, and then take them out of context and see how outlandish they are, but I want to focus on the positive now. The writers did show something tonight, even if it was lost under the caretakers falling pallet of dirt. They showed us they haven't forgotten how to write an episode that parallels that of season one and two. While listening to the wonderful rendition of bang, and prospecting for lent in my belly button, I was quickly whipped back into the episodes closing act. Bravo, Barney, Bravo. Your character is filled with conquests that have kept many followers laughing for the past couple seasons, but tonight was certainly a welcomed brevity of change. The selfless act of giving up the super date, with JLO, for Robin and the duck, couldn't help but shed light to a few seasons back when he helped Marshall and Lily's marriage. Yes, it was nice to see a little character development, but please just leave it at a little. These stories are meant for Ted, not Barney. All in all, I think the reason I'm giving this a seven is solely due to the writers surprising me with sentimentality and realism at the end. Here's to hoping season 5 finds a reason to pull itself out of the gutter and the writers to unearth their forlorn hearts.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Josh Radnor	Ted Mosby
Neil Patrick Harris	Barney Stinson
Alyson Hannigan	Lily Aldrin
Jason Segel	Marshall Eriksen
Cobie Smulders	Robin Scherbatsky

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Joni Bovill	Officer McKie	Guest Star
Jennifer Lopez	Anita	Special Guest Star
Bob Saget	Voice of Ted, 2030	Recurring Role
Benjamin Koldyke	Don Frank	Recurring Role
Ron Nicolosi	Mike	Recurring Role

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Episode Photos

Anita (Jennifer Lopez), a self-help auth...

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Anita (Jennifer Lopez), a self-help auth...

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (0)
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QUOTES (4)
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- Barney: If you plan it, it'll be all gooey and romantic.
  Ted: Gooey and romantic? Gooey and romantic? Barney, (Singing) you don't have to take her to Paris or Peru
  Barney: Ted, what are you doing?
  Ted: (Singing) You just have to make her understand...
  Barney: Ted, people are looking at us.
  Ted: (Singing) What she means to you..
  Barney: Oh God, really? You're really gonna do this right now?
  Ted: (Singing) On your super date, troubles of the world will simply have to wait. For wonder and amazement served up on a silver plate. Hurry up now, don't be late. Cause hand in hand you'll find a land where paradise awaits. (Spoken) And boom! Fireworks over the Manhattan skyline. You kiss her. (Singing) And that's your superdate.
  Barney: That sounds...gooey and romantic.
  Ted: (Dreamily) Yeah. Strip club?
  Barney: Strip club!
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- Ted: If you're going to get this girl to sleep with you after one date, it's got to be one doozy of a date. I'm not talking dinner and a movie. I'm not talking mini-golf. No, I'm talking... a superdate.
  Barney: A superdate? That sounds lame. What if we call it a megadate?
  Ted: You want my help, it's a superdate!
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- Barney: I can't believe Robin's been so upset.
  Marshall: I can't believe you threw up in your stormtrooper helmet.
  Barney: I did something worse in it after the Phantom Menace premiere.
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- Barney: (after Marshall punches his stormtrooper helmet) Dude! Why did you do that?
  Marshall: Because I'm angry at you! I'm angry at me, I'm angry at Ted, and frankly I'm still angry at the Empire.
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NOTES (2)
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- The Italian episode title is "La superserata", meaning "Super Evening".
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- International Airdates: Australia: July 15, 2010 on Channel 7; United Kingdom: September 16, 2010 on E4; India: October 26, 2010 on Star World; Czech Republic: December 30, 2010 on Prima COOL; Germany: February 9, 2011 on ProSieben; Slovakia: November 28, 2011 on JOJ Plus
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