Trilogy Time

"Trilogy Time"

"Trilogy Time" is the twentieth episode of the seventh season of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, and the 156th episode overall. It aired on April 9, 2012.

Plot

An unknown man obsesses over "the blond man in the suit" who comes outside at 8:00pm every night and smiles. The man is revealed to be Barney, who is trying to pass gas without Quinn around because they now live together. However, they have been fighting; although Quinn has thrown out most of her things in order to appease Barney's irrational fear of change, Barney won't even let her keep her coffee mugs. Barney finds all his friends are unsympathetic, though Ted and Marshall suggest it would be a good time to sit down for another "trilogy time", in which they watch the original Star Wars trilogy and predict what their lives will be like in another three years. The tradition started in 2000 when Ted and Marshall chose to watch the entire trilogy instead of studying for their economics final after Marshall stated that if one didn't watch the trilogy through every three years, "the dark side wins".

Ted and Marshal begin to predict their futures three years at a time. Ted consistantly imagines himself as a successful architect who has designed multiple skyscrapers and married to a woman who resembles Robin. Marshall imagines himself with a mustache, married to Lily, and as a successful lawyer with a family of five children. Barney hopes to live his life the same way as he currently is, introducing the gang to a new girl he is sleeping with only to kick her out so that they will never see her again.

In 2012, Ted realizes after reflecting on the trilogy times of 2000, 2003, 2006, and 2009 that his friends are all moving on without him, and that there must be something wrong with him. He predicts a bleak future of himself living alone while Marshall and Lily are happy with a large family and Robin has married someone else, with the only constant being Barney will always be looking for a new girl. However, Barney refutes Ted, stating that for the first time he wants to be with someone he knows three years later. He returns to his apartment, apologizes to Quinn, and expresses his feelings for her by breaking some of his coffee mugs. He says that although they haven't yet talked of their future, he wants her to know that he is hers "for as long as you'll have me." When both of them wind up passing gas in front of each other, Quinn happily says that they are at last a real couple.

Meanwhile, Marshall comforts Ted, saying that "2015 will be different". In a flash forward to 2015, Marshall and Barney set up for another trilogy time. Though Barney complains that Ted is breaking their tradition by bringing a girl, he and Marshall make an exception because Ted really loves the girl, who is revealed to be his infant daughter.

Continuity

• The flashbacks of 2006 and 2009 both reference what was going on in the show at that time.
• Ted's dream girl always plays bass guitar. In "Girls Versus Suits", Future Ted revealed that his wife does indeed play bass.
• Marshall expresses a desire to grow facial hair. In previous episodes, such as "Tick Tick Tick", Marshall has shown an admiration of people who are able to grow facial hair.
• When Ted and Marshall imagine what life will be like in 2003 (while still in college) a sandwich can be seen on the table. The phrase "eating a sandwich" is used several times throughout the show as a euphemism for smoking marijuana.
• In the "real" flashback of 2003, we learn that Marshall managed a Structure clothing store before attending Columbia Law School. However, this flashback is slightly anachronistic, as the Structure brand had been reintegrated into Express as Express Men in 2001.
• In 2015, we see Ted's daughter. This is the first appearance of Ted's daughter outside of the 2030 framing sequence. Also, for a brief moment while Ted is holding his daughter, a wedding band is visible on his left hand.
• In 2015, Barney's left hand is continually obscured to prevent the viewer from seeing any wedding band; despite this, it is briefly shown that he is not wearing one, despite the season premiere indicating Barney gets married.

Barney's Blog

Barney writes a letter to the United States Patent and Trademark Office applying for a patent for his 'invention' of "Back Boobs".

Cultural references

• The newspapers in the trilogy time predictions have Al Gore, Howard Dean, and Dennis Kucinich as US presidents, in 2003, 2006, and 2009, respectively while in the 2015 prediction, George W Bush would serve a third term.
• In 2000, Marshall accepts Ted's proposal of a trilogy time by saying "Agreedo." In the 2015 gathering, Barney whispers to Ted's daughter that Han shot first, referencing the controversial revision made to a scene in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.
• In the real 2003 flashback, Marshall asks Ted if he was practicing the chords for "Satisfaction". Ted replies that he is trying to play "Hot Cross Buns".
• In the real 2003 flashback, Barney makes a play on words on the Kentucky Fried Chicken ad campaign about his future: “I’m KFC baby. You don’t mess with the Colonel’s recipe”.
• During the 2003-2006 flashbacks, Barney uses the "Whassup?" catchphrase.
• In 2009, Robin hides from Ted and Marshall in Barney's Imperial stormtrooper costume.

Reception

The AV Club's Donna Bowman graded the episode at B+, stating that it had the show's "classic trope of flash-forwards and backs," mixed with fantasy predictions.

Chris O'Hara of TV Fanatic gave the episode a perfect score (5.0).

Michelle Profis of Entertainment Weekly said the episode's final scene opened potential for further material late in the series.

External links

• "Trilogy Time" at IMDb
• Barney's Blog: Patent Pending - Monday, April 9, 2012