The Rough Patch
| "The Rough Patch" | |
|---|---|
| How I Met Your Mother episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 5 Episode 7 |
| Directed by | Pamela Fryman |
| Written by | Chris Harris |
| Production code | 5ALH07 |
| Original air date | November 9, 2009 |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
|
April Bowlby (Meg) |
|
April Bowlby (Meg)
Whit Hertford (Lost in Space Robot)
Matt L. Jones (Pizza Guy)
Alan Thicke (Himself)
Vincent Piazza (Bus Boy)
"The Rough Patch" is the seventh episode of the fifth season of the CBS situation comedy How I Met Your Mother and 95th episode overall. It originally aired on November 9, 2009.
Future Ted explains the gang's apprehension as Barney and Robin entered the later months of their relationship. Barney gives Ted all of his porn. Marshall can tell Barney is serious about Robin since he has developed "relationship gut" - weight put on when in a stable relationship from eating so much food. Marshall and Lily steal videos from the collection when Ted is not looking and head home. Ted puts in a movie called "Archisexture" (though he lies and tells his kids that he was going to throw away the porn, but after slipping and hitting the box on one of his chairs, the video flew out of the box, bounced around his apartment, with the tape going into the player, and the box hitting the button to turn on the TV), but the movie is suddenly overlapped by a message from Barney. The message assumes Barney is either dead or in a committed relationship, which he tells Ted to save him from. After showing the tape to Lily and Marshall, Ted starts to agree with the past Barney. Barney and Robin now have a declining attitude towards each other and their relationship, with Barney becoming morbidly obese and lethargic, and while Robin becomes haggard and snaps at him unreasonably (although Future Ted admits he is exaggerating and that they only let themselves go a little). Lily and Marshall just think the couple is going through a rough patch, and convince Ted not to interfere.
At MacLaren's, Marshall watches Barney eat an entire plate of ribs and asks him directly if he is happy. Not giving a proper answer, Barney describes his relationship in a depressing manner, convincing Marshall that he is unhappy. He and Ted ask Lily to help break up Barney and Robin, given her experience in plotting breakups. Since Lily has reformed her ways, Ted plans a repeat of what broke up his relationship with Robin, involving champagne and a wedding ring. Much to their surprise, the plan results in the couple mutually surrendering to the idea of matrimony, and after they announce it in the bar, Lily agrees to break them up properly.
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