Air Date: September 19, 2011
When Marshall gets the job of his dreams, he worries that, once the company discovers videos he made in the past, they may rescind the offer. Meanwhile, Ted can't decide whom to take to the Architects' Ball.
The episode provides examples of:
- The Alcoholic: Pete Durkenson, Lily, Marshall, and Ted's former acquaintance from college, seems to be one, as he's seen getting blackout drunk two nights in a row.
- Armor-Piercing Response: When Nora asks Barney why he thinks he still has a shot with her after revealing all the lies he used to get laid, Barney says it's because she stayed, when she could've left at any time during his confessions but didn't.
- Blackface: Appaerently a key aspect of "The Soul Man," as Barney says he used this play to seduce a woman that would only date black men.
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Turns out Pete Durkenson is a surgeon.
- The Bus Came Back: Victoria returned from Germany and is the one catering desserts for the Architects' Ball. At the end of the next episode, she leaves (appropriately enough) on a bus.
- The Determinator: Barney vows to stay in the 24-hour diner until Nora agrees to give him a second chance. This is also why Ted decides to stop goofing around and get in love for real.
- Fangirl: Robin wants to go with Ted's Architects' Ball because Lenny Kravitz (not that one) was going. Robin mentions she used to have a poster of Lenny Kravitz and occasionally would date that poster.
- Flashforward: After the second time Marshall vows to never get drunk ever again, there's a Gilligan Cut to him breaking that vow, which occurs later in the season when he and Barney go to Atlantic City right before Lily goes into labor in "Good Crazy".
- Frequently-Broken Unbreakable Vow: Marshall vows twice to not get drunk again. He is shown to do it twice.
- Gag Penis: Marshall is implied to have one in one of his "Beercules" videos.School Reporter: Wesleyan has a new cafeteria, thanks to the generous endowment of-Marshall: Whoa-a, did somebody say "generous endowment?" *gestures downward*
- Honesty Is the Best Policy: Invoked by Nora as a test to see how serious Barney really was about her. Unsurprisingly, however, she has a hard time listening to his run-down of the plays he's used; see Shower of Angst.
- Implausible Deniability: Despite that in both "Beercules" videos, Marshall introduces himself by name, Lily still responds with "well that could be anyone."
- Instant Humiliation Just Add Youtube: Before Honeywell & Cootes makes a background check on Marshall, he discovers he still has a YouTube video as "Beercules", uploaded by a former college friend, Pete Durkenson.
- Musical Spoiler: Or rather, Musical Foreshadowing. Unless you actually know the song (or have captions on), you probably don't know that the song that plays at points in the episode is The Kinks' "Victoria". Probably for the best, since the title alone spoils the ending...
- Naked People Are Funny: Marshall's main worry is his old video of "Beercules" streaking naked in Wesleyan. He ends up doing it again with a new "Beercules" video addressed to Cootes. Cootes finds it funny and still hires him.
- Noodle Implements: "Edward Fortyhands" is this for the audience, as Ted refuses to tell details of a hardcore drinking game to his kids. The only thing we know about the game is that it involves big bottles bound to both hands with duct tape.
- Pet the Dog: Ted's friends actually cheer when he's about to use charts and graphs to decide on who to date, and they chant "Color chart!" when he uses the aforementioned method for his second analysis. Although, given the way Future Ted insists they cheered and chanted, it might be a bit of Unreliable Narrator at work.
- Shower of Angst: Referenced by Nora when she's heard enough about Barney's exploits.Nora: I have to be at work at 8 tomorrow, which means I have just about enough time to sit in the shower for 11 hours, hugging myself.
- Side Bet: Even though they knew Marshall was bound to break his Sweeping Declaration, Lily still had a bet with Robin about it. Robin won.
- Significant Name Overlap: Robin wants to go with Ted to the Architects' Ball because Lenny Kravitz was going to be there. It's not that Lenny Kravitz.
- Take a Third Option: As Ted tries to decide which of two ladies to accompany to the Architects' Ball, Robin becomes interested in going with him (and Ted does pick her). But that was because he said Lenny Kravitz would be there, yet Robin (and the audience) assumed it was Lenny Kravitz.
- Teeny Weenie: Played with. Lily tries to use this as blackmail to Pete Durkenson so he would take down Marshall's video. It's then revealed Lily really has no idea, as she is just bluffing.Lily: Pete, this is Lily Aldrin. Gonna make this real simple. You’re gonna take that video of Marshall. You know why? Because I’m friends with three girls you dated in college, and girls tell each other everything, every tiny detail. So tick tock, Pete. Tick tock on the little wee-wee clock.Ted: He’s got a little wee-wee?Lily: No idea. What’s everyone getting?
- Wham Shot: Hi, Victoria.
