Brunch (How I Met Your Mother)

"Brunch" is the 3rd episode in the second season of the television series How I Met Your Mother. It originally aired on October 2, 2006.

Plot

When Ted's parents come to New York, their visit culminates in a brunch during which everyone is mad at someone else. Lily and Marshall are fighting, Ted is talking to Barney about killing someone, while Robin is telling Virginia to tell something. Virginia carelessly flings her hand causing a waitress to drop the plates. Ted proceeds to explain events prior to brunch.

The Marshall and Lily Part

Ted tells that his parents never talked about unpleasant things. Ted's mother invites Lily to dinner that evening, and Lily asks Marshall if he would be uncomfortable if she came. Marshall foolishly says that now he and Lily are like brother and sister. Angered by the sister comment, Lily wears a tight, sexy dress to dinner and calls Marshall's attention to her breasts. Marshall gets back at Lily at brunch by flaunting his calves. They then have sex in the bathroom, which causes them to begin arguing about who tried to seduce whom.

The Barney Part

Barney is excited to meet Ted's parents for the first time, but is a little put-off when Ted tells that he has told nothing about Barney to his parents. Also, when Robin tells that no parent would like a person like Barney as their child's friend, Barney starts acting super nice in front of Ted's parents. Alfred and Virginia are both impressed by Barney, and Alfred even becomes Barney's wingman for the night. But, when Alfred makes out with Wendy the waitress, Barney is angered and shows the photo of Alfred and Wendy kissing. Ted decides to expose his father that night.

The Me (Ted) and Robin Part

Robin is about to meet Ted's parents for first time and Ted gives her all necessary pointers. But when Virginia approves their decision of taking things slowly, Robin thinks that Virginia does not like her. When Virginia tells her the real reason (that she got married too soon and divorced Ted's father), Robin asks her to reveal the secret to all. The focus then goes to the waitress with the broken dishes.

When Ted's father calls the waitress 'sweetheart', Ted finally confronts his father about kissing Wendy the night before. Ted is surprised at his mother's lukewarm response to the revelation, finally causing both the parents to reveal that they were divorced 10 months ago after a 2-year separation. Also, Ted's father has set up his mother with her new boyfriend, Ted's old orthodontist.

Ted is astonished, but Robin is happy to learn that Ted's parents like her. Ted forgives his parents too. Meanwhile, Marshall and Lily apologize to each other for acting so foolishly. After brunch, Ted asks his parents why his grandmother is not answering his calls, at which both his parents sideline the topic, leaving Ted shocked again.

Continuity

• Ted states that Barney always uses 83% when he makes up a statistic. This statement is supported in future episodes such as "No Tomorrow", where Barney says that there was a "Great Dude Shortage" in New York City in 1883, in "Intervention", when he claims to be 83, in "Ten Sessions" where Barney claims that it takes a woman 8.3 seconds to find out if she's going to sleep with a man or not, among others. However, in Mary the Paralegal, Barney used 75% when making up a statistic.
• The "Single Stamina and Couples' Coma" theories mentioned in "Single Stamina" is mentioned here. Ted and Robin are too tired to go to the bar, while Ted's dad (who was divorced at the time) agreed to go with Barney to McLaren's.
• Barney tells Ted's parents that he works in a homeless shelter where he serves the food. This is in fact true, as seen in "Belly Full of Turkey"
• Ted mentions his cousin Stacey and her six kids. We get to know them in the episode "How Lily Stole Christmas".
• In the picture of the group, Barney makes the pose that is further examined in Say Cheese.

Music

At dinner Barney plays Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 23, the Appassionata.

Trivia

• When Ted, Robin, and Ted's parents are standing outside the restaurant talking, there are many coincidences between Ted and Robin's relationship and Alfred and Virginia Mosby's relationship. Ted was wearing a red shirt with a white jacket, while his dad was wearing a white shirt and a red sweater. Virginia and Robin were both wearing blue. Ted and Robin met at an Irish bar (MacLaren's) and Ted's parents also met at an Irish bar.

Cultural References

• When Ted is talking to his father in the hallway, he asks if he thinks "Cerrano" has a chance for the RBI title. This is a reference to the movie Major League, a movie about the Cleveland Indians, which is Ted's favorite team. In the movie, Pedro Cerrano is a slugger played by Dennis Haysbert.
• In arguing their post-breakup division of belongings, Marshall claims that a U2 box set he gave Lily is actually full of Dave Matthews CDs.
• The usage of Black Title cards for each segment is reminiscent of the movie Go, which is told in a similar fashion.

External links

• Brunch at TV.com
• Brunch at the Internet Movie Database