Line #43 Recap/HowIMetYourMotherS4E21TheThreeDaysRule


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/himym_4x21.jpg]]
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3	Ted gets a girl's number, but Barney and Marshall replace it with their own in order to teach him a lesson about "the three day rule". When he starts texting them, however, they turn it into a cruel prank.
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5	----
6	!!This episode provides examples of:
7	* ActuallyPrettyFunny: Marshall objects at first when Barney says girls whose names end in "ly" are all dirty, because "Lily", but then he has to admit that, yeah, MyGirlIsASlut.
8	* AliensMadeThemDoIt: While trying to make Ted divulge which one of them he claimed to "Holli" to have gay dreams about, Marshall and Barney dream up a hypothetical scenario where robots have conquered the world and force Ted to have sex with either Barney or Marshall for their entertainment.
9	* AllWomenAreLustful: According to Barney, women that have names ending in ''ly'' are this.
10	* ArcNumber: Three has been used several times.
11	* ArcWords: "Or..."
12	* BeatThemAtTheirOwnGame: Ted ultimately whacked Marshall and Barney for maliciously texting him by maliciously texting them.
13	* BrickJoke: At the beginning of the episode, Barney says girls whose names end in "ly" are all dirty and that girls whose names should end in "y" but end in "i" are even better. At the end, after Ted reveals that "Holly" is actually "Holli", Barney looks intrigued.
14	* ContinuityNod:
15	** Ted brings up his parents' divorce, which he found out about in "[[Recap/HowIMetYourMotherS2E03Brunch Brunch]]", when texting with "Holli".
16	** Barney and Marshall brought up Ted saying "I Love You" to Robin [[Recap/HowIMetYourMotherS1E01Pilot in the pilot]].
17	* DistaffCounterpart: Holli is revealed to be an exaggerated female version of Ted.
18	* DudeNotFunny: In-universe, Marshall seems to feel this way about Barney including Jesus in one of his stories.
19	-->'''Marshall:''' Barney, don't do this. Not with Jesus.
20	* EurekaMoment: Marshall and Barney when they realized they're about to have sex with Ted.''Twice''.
21	* EvenTheGuysWantHim: Stan made Marshall and Barney go StupidSexyFlanders. The latter two also find themselves unintentionally trying to have sex with Ted.
22	* EventTitle: The episode title is about a rule regarding a guy should call a girl three days after getting her number.
23	* ExactWords: Ted didn't call Holli within three days, he texted her.
24	* ForTheLulz: Barney and Marshall's (mostly Barney) motivation for posing as "Holli".
25	* FunWithAcronyms: Marshall counter Barney in a discussion with this;
26	-->'''Barney:''' If he's having gay dreams, it would obviously be about me.
27	-->'''Marshall:''' And by "me" it means '''M''' '''E'''; '''M'''arshall '''E'''ricksen, star of Ted's gay dreams!
28	* GayOption: Discussed. Marshall and Barney asked Ted if who among them he'll pick to "get with" if the situation calls for it. Ted [[TakeAThirdOption answers Holli]].
29	* GenderFlip: To continue posing as "Holli", Barney sends an apology text to Ted saying that it was "her" dumb friend Marsha who accidentally sent a text to her husband Billy. No need to explain who's who.
30	-->'''Robin:''' Marsha and Billy. No one sprained any muscles there.
31	* GentleGiant: Stan, a well-read, smooth, and romantic man who works night security. His ideas for what to text Ted have both Barney and Marshall drooling over him, and soon enough he's on a date with Robin.
32	* {{GIRL}}: Ted's textmate "Holli" is actually Barney and Marshall.
33	* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Barney and Marshall at the end.
34	* PlotThreads: In an extremely rare [[AvertedTrope aversion]] for a sitcom episode, this episode only features '''one''' plot line.
35	* RefugeInAudacity: Robin keeps insisting about the "Ted has three days to live" joke.
36	* RuleOfThree: It's the title.
37	* SexyDiscretionShot: To prove Ted that he has an AnnoyingLaugh when he sees naked women, Robin flashed him. It was shot from behind since aside from the censorship, Creator/CobieSmulders is also hiding her pregnancy.
38	* SherlockScan: Robin busted out Barney and Marshall posing as "Holli" when she sees Marshall's takeout order being the same as the one "Holli" accidentally texted Ted.
39	* ShoutOut:
40	** Marshall sends Ted a text intended for Lily saying he bought take-out from Genero's which Ted believes to be from Holli. The maiden name of John [=McClane=]'s wife in ''Film/DieHard'' is Holly Gennaro.
41	** Ted's "Naked Lady Noise" laugh is similar to ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButthead'''s laugh.
42	** During the GayOption (see above) discussion, they inspire their topics with elements ("machines forcing them to do it") from ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'' and ''Franchise/TheMatrix''.
43	* StupidSexyFlanders: Marshall and Barney towards Stan. They also find themselves unintentionally trying to have sex with Ted in their Holli persona.
44	-->'''Marshall:''' Why do we keep trying to have sex with Ted?
45	-->'''Barney:''' I don't know, it's weird.
46	* TakingAThirdOption: How Ted reveals to Barney and Marshall that he already knew that they're "Holli".
47	* TheTease: Subverted. "Holli" keeps playing to Ted's {{fetish}}, but "she" is actually Barney and Marshall.
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Context Recap / HowIMetYourMotherS4E21TheThreeDaysRule