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How I Met Your Mother Season 6 Episode 20

The Exploding Meatball Sub

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7.4

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 4/11/11

Marshall resigns from GNB to volunteer for the environment, much to Lily and Barney's dismay. Ted and Zoey have conflicting views on the Arcadian's future.

Fan Episode Reviews (5)

....this has got to end

2.0

By zeddyp, Dec 12, 2012

This show has been on a downward spiral since the a-ss end of season 4...I can literally count the number of good episodes in the past 2 seasons on 1 hand and to be honest Im not ever sure if I would need every finger...the jokes are stale...the chemistry of the actors seems to be fading rather then building...I really really hope this ends very soon...rather then go the route of the simpsons with the attitude of "as long as people are watching"...its one thing to keep a story going cause you dont want to cut a chapter out...its another to keep adding chapters just for the hell of itmoreless
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Marshall leaves GNB.

8.0

By Jon_MW_14, Sep 06, 2011

"The Exploding Meatball Sub" was surprisingly a funny episode. I'm actually glad that Marshall quit his job at GNB to volunteer at the Environmental Organization because it's what he wanted. I love how Lily got tired of supporting Marshall and she almost left for Spain. I love how they ended up supporting each other in the end. The Barney plot was so silly, yet so entertaining. I love how he was angry at Marshall for leaving GNB because Marshall pointed out a stain on his shirt. I love how Barney tried to get revenge on Marshall. I give this episode a 8/10.moreless
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The Exploding Meatball Sub...

4.0

By AjMc91, Jun 09, 2011

When it comes to sitcoms, plot progression is a big issue for me. Six seasons into a show absolutely no one remains a consistently funny writer and gags that brought you to the floor in tears four years ago are now tedious at best. It's because of plot progression that the back half of the sixth season of How I Met Your Mother remains at all watchable, but episodes like this week's "The Exploding Meatball Sub" remind me why I really wasn't a fan of the first half.

"The Exploding Meatball Sub" centers around Marshall quitting his job at GNB and taking a volunteer position at the NRDC. That is it. Whilst the foundations of characters relationships are brought into light throughout the twenty of so minutes of air time, nothing that hasn't already been said a thousand times or that constituted anything funny ever made it to screen.

We mostly get to see Lilly and Ted arguing over whether it is better to be supported by your partner or challenged by them, as they live at either extreme respectively. Now whilst I appreciate any attempt by the writers to get Zoey more involved in the story, it didn't pay off at all in terms of humor and ultimately seems to have just added Zoey to the never ending list of women that aren't the mother. As for the Marshall and Lilly getting on far too well thread of the episode, it really all has been done before.

The titular plot revolves around Barney not coping well with Marshall quitting his job and delivers just another in a series of moments in which the writers avoided any kind of realistic plot for what I'm sure was supposed to be a funny revenge tale. After Marshall humiliated Barney in a Meatball Sub incident some months ago, Barney has been waiting for the moment that he can have a Meatball Sub explode in Marshall's face and equally humiliate him. Really all that need be said is that it just wasn't funny and served nothing in the way of story.

I appreciate that this really is more than a rant that a review, but when you take the talent that made the early seasons of How I Met Your Mother the best sitcom on TV and waste it on this, I can't help but be mad. I think at this juncture I should remind everyone that the entire purpose of the show is supposed to be Ted telling his children how he met their mother. I understand the need for a flat out comic relief episode in the show's run and there were plenty of well done ones throughout earlier seasons, but this show barely creates a single laugh anymore, let alone ten.

Almost all of the episodes these days have so little to do with moving the plot forward and make absolutely no sense in the context of the show that it has become almost entirely pointless. There is at least another season of this coming and I'm sure that it will continue to draw in massive ratings for the least effort humanly possible by a writing staff, but How I Met Your Mother needs to change if it wants to have anything like the legacy that it is capable of.moreless
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Very funyn episode!

10

By amazing_race, Jun 04, 2011

This was a very good episode in terms of the humor aspect. i thought the whole storyline wasnt very interesting at all, but there were a few interesting developments regarding the relationships of both Ted and Zoey as well as Marshall and Lily.

I really enjoyed the exploding meatball sub idea, and the last scene of the episode wsa very funny! The last scenes, in fact, made up for any other faults that the episode had, in my opinion, and I really enjoyed the comedy aspect!

Storyline wise, I wouldn't recommend this one, however, if it is comedy that you are seeking, I highly recommend it,a d I can't wait for the next one, because they hit the hammer on the head in terms of humor!moreless
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7.5

By Canogaparkcindy, May 19, 2011

The writers said that the final episodes of this season starting with this one are when things come to a boil after a whole season of simmering, you can really get that feel when you watch this episode.

The Ted & Zoey thing is almost coming too a close. Marshall finally quit his job and we got subtle development with Barney and his father. The Barney and Robin scenes were fantastic and hilarious.

Lilly going on that airplane gave me season 1 finale flashbacks and I'm glad she didn't go through with it. Overall, solid comeback episode of HIMYM, looking forward too next week.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Daniel R. Escobar	Professor Rodriguez	Guest Star
Tamara Camille	Woman	Guest Star
Bruce Gray	Senior Partner	Guest Star
Bob Saget	Voice of Ted, 2030	Recurring Role
Jennifer Morrison	Zoey Pierson	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (0)
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QUOTES (2)
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- Ted: Lily, the downside to having giant Japanese anime eyes is that they're easy to read, and right now yours are screaming "What about my trip to Spain, deadbeat?"
  Lily: Ted, the downside to having such womanly lips is they can do a perfect feminine pout, which is whining, "Aww, Zoey, can't I be on top for once?"
  Ted: We take turns… sometimes.
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- Lily: Your relationship sounds exhausting.
  Ted: Well, maybe yours is a little lazy.
  Lily: Marshall and I have been together for 15 years, and the only argument we've ever had about Tommy Boy is whether it's awesome or super awesome. That's love, bitch!
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NOTES (2)
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- Music: "I Will Remember You" by Sarah McLachlan
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- International Airdates: Australia: May 19, 2011 on Channel 7; United Kingdom: July 14, 2011 on E4; Germany: November 16, 2011 on ProSieben; Czech Republic: February 15, 2012 on Prima COOL
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