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How I Met Your Mother Season 4 Episode 5

Shelter Island

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8.8

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 10/20/08

Deciding to wed in three days, Ted and Stella suddenly see their plans shattered by exes.

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Fan Episode Reviews (29)

Ted gets married

9.0

By Lostindharma, Nov 28, 2012

When Ted first met Stella they couldn't date because Ted was her patient. Ted used those 10 sessions with her to get to know her better where she eventually agreed to go out with him. They have a fight after Ted thinks they broke up only to get back together after they realized they love each other. I say this only because all of this sets up what happens at the end of this episode. More on that later.

At this point Ted and Stella have not set up a wedding date. Stella's sister tries to upstage her by having the same wedding as her. Stella's sister is memorable. That is a good thing. I enjoyed how Stella was handing this. I also liked how Ted egged Stella's sister by ordering steak. This episode was good for many reasons. I loved the callback from earlier episodes to the telepathic conservation that Ted and Stella had even though there was a mixed signal. Ted and Stella decide to move up their wedding the same date and time as Stella's sister. All of the drama and emotion of a wedding is packed into a short time. This makes it pretty entertaining. It was funny how Lilly was freaking out back at her wedding. That was my only complaint about this episode. Lilly showed no signs of this when her wedding actually happened. More complications happened in the wedding when Ted wants Robin to come, Lucy won't come to the wedding because of Stella's ex, and Ted inviting Tony. Tony like Stella's sister is memorable. Robin does come to the wedding where she leaves her new job. Her new job in Japan is interesting. Meanwhile Barney is back on Robin or tries to. I loved it how Barney and Lilly know about this. I also really liked how Barney tried to use science to attempt to hook up with Robin. If you look closely a the board, you will see past references to his past theories. Barney is determined to make this happen to only run into Stella's sister who is let's say eager. It was really funny how hard (literally and figuratively) Barney tries to resist. After Ted says to Robin she can't come to the wedding she goes to Barney only to see he has hooked up with a women but not Stella's sister although he eventually does. It was after this one of the saddest moments when Ted finds out that Stella is leaving him.

The producers and writers do a great job of very subtly of hints that Stella had doubts with her comments of Tony. I think that with along they got together plus Robin's comments is why this realtionship wouldn't work out. I liked Stella and may be in the minority here but even though what Stella did was wrong, I didn't hate her for this. In some ways I liked Stella better then Robin. I also really liked the alternate shot of Ted with the other kids and future Stella saying Ted should stop talking already. I wonder if this how the series actually ends.

This was a wonderful episode and one of the best of the season at least the top of this season.moreless
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It's Ted and Stella's wedding day.

9.0

By Jon_MW_14, Aug 22, 2011

"Shelter Island" is a sad How I Met Your Mother episode. In this episode, Ted and Stella are supposed to get married. But then they make a big deal about inviting exes. Ted invites Robin, but Stella doesn't want Robin to be invited. It was cute how Ted invited Tony to the wedding to prove a point to Stella. But then it was heartbreaking when Stella left Ted for Tony. I give this episode a 9/10.moreless
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"Your the most romantic guy I know, you stole me a blue french horn, you tried to meake it rain. I did make it rain. It was a coincidence."

6.5

By CIMor11, Aug 05, 2010

This episode was bitter sweet to me because it was nice how after all the big decisions they all made in the end their lives almost went back to normal. But on the other hand I really wanted Ted to marry Stella. I couldnt believe in the end Stella left Ted right before the wedding to go back with her x. But I would like to see Ted and Robbin's relationship grow and even get back what they once had eventhough Barney want her to. Also im happy to see that Ted doesn't go to New Jersey and hopefully moves back into their old apartment. In the end this episode wasn't my favorite but it was very important to the plot of the series.moreless
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Complex, bittersweet story with painfully unoriginal jokes.

8.5

By sandybadlands, Jul 15, 2010

This show really hasn't been the same since season two: the characters seem more and more mainstream, and the jokes feel like they could have been written by any sitcom writer from the past 20 years. But at least the stories remain true to the series voice. This episode is a prime example of the thought-provoking sitcom plots I'm used to seeing on this series, and a fitting end to a long plot arc that kind of needed one.

Once again, the jokes in this episode were nothing new, mostly centering around either crazed brides (so unoriginal there's even a humorous term for it in the dictionary) or vegans (again, too easy). It would be nice to see the dialogue play against typical gender roles sometimes, whether we're talking about weddings or meat-eating. However, the story weaved behind this episode's story, capped by the poignant ending, reminded me what I used to love about this series. I hope it keeps going this way.moreless
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Dare I say a great episode of How I Met Your Mother?

8.0

By thefanof, Jun 20, 2010

I can't believe I'm writing this but How I Met Your Mother really delivered last night with the best episode since pre-strike Season 3. The emotional moments felt really, even if the only time Ted is funny is when he's not supposed to be being funny. I never saw the ending coming, and that's the sign of a well-written episode.

Barney was great here as usual, Lily was kept to a minimum and Daneel Harris as Stella's sister Nora was pretty funny as well. It was clear that How I Met Your Mother is not producing the same quality episodes it once was so the solution, go back to the format it once had. Whether Robin and Ted get back together or not, it will be better than Ted and Stella together.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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Derek Shizuto	Host	Guest Star
Annie Abrams	Desk Clerk	Guest Star
Aaron Hendry	Juice Bar Guy	Guest Star
Bob Saget	Voice of Ted, 2030	Recurring Role
Sarah Chalke	Stella Zinman	Recurring Role
Darcy Rose Byrnes	Lucy	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (2)
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- The episode won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Art Direction for a Multi-Camera Series.
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- When Barney is hatching his plan to get back Robin, one of the posters on his office wall changes. When he is seated at his desk, the poster to the right of the "TEAMWORK" poster shows multiple fighter jets and is entitled "PERFECTION". But when Barney is at the drawing board, the same poster changes to a single fighter jet and is now entitled "AWESOMENESS".
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QUOTES (7)
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- Ted: Robin and I already had our backslide. It was last Thanksgiving, not even that long ago.
  Stella: Did you make a large bet against yourself in this argument?
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- Lily: There's no meat.
  Barney: There's no alcohol!
  Marshall: It gets worse. I'm 90% sure that guy you were talking to used to be lead singer of Spin Doctors.
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- Nora: I can't believe this. We're together for three years, and he runs off with a vitamin consultant from Whole Foods? I gave up makeup for him. I gave up showering for him. I gave up shaving my armpits for him.
  Ted: Wow, hard to see where it all went wrong.
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- Barney: Berry Blaster Brain revitalizer—My God, some of these drinks can actually make a girl smarter. What sort of hell has Ted brought us to?
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- Lily: (to Barney on Ted's wedding) The first drunk bridesmaid you see, you'll have your head under her dress like an old-time photographer.
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- Ted: The lamb here is supposed to be great.
  Nora: I am a vegan. I wish I could tune out that moral voice inside me that says eating animals is murder. But, I guess I'm just not as strong as you are.
  Ted: That's 'cause you need protein.
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- Robin: (to Stella in daydream wedding) Your husband used to nail me three times a day!
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NOTES (4)
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- The episode won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Art Direction for a Multi-Camera Series.
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- The German episode title is "Unerwünschte Gäste", meaning "Unwelcome Guests". The French and Italian title is "Shelter Island".
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- International Airdates: Australia: February 16, 2009 on Network 7; Germany: December 12, 2009 on ProSieben; United Kingdom: January 14, 2010 on E4; Czech Republic: October 28, 2010 on Prima COOL
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- Music: "Waiting For An Invitation" by Benji Hughes.
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ALLUSIONS (1)
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- Barney's meticuluous code-cracking montage is very similar to Robert Langdon's code-breaking scenes from Ron Howard's 2006 movie version of Dan Brown's 2003 novel, The Da Vinci Code.
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