Follow TV Tropes

Following

Recap / How I Met Your Mother S 3 E 17 The Goat

Go To

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/himym_3x17.jpg

Barney tries to find a loophole in the Bro Code when he feels guilty about sleeping with Robin, Ted's ex, and Lily decides to rescue a goat, all while Ted's surprise birthday party is being planned.


This episode provides examples of:

  • Antagonist Title: Subverted. Missy the goat actually "terrorizes" Ted in his 31st birthday. Overlaps with Secondary Character Title as Missy is presented as the Token Evil Team Pet.
  • Be Careful What You Wish For: Barney, feeling guilty for sleeping with Robin, allows Ted to hit him anywhere but Not in the Face!. Ted gives him a Groin Attack.
  • Birthday Episode: Ted's 30th, to be exact.
  • Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Almost. Future!Ted keeps describing Missy as a monster complete with an ominous Leitmotif.
  • The Bro Code: Trope Namer. This episode marks its debut, and it is integral to the plot.
  • Brutal Honesty: The farmer who owns Missy blatantly tells Lily's class what the butcher will do to Missy.
  • Call-Back:
    • Ted first mentioned the goat late in season 1.
    • Ted and Barney's falling out is because of what happened in the previous episode.
    • Ted mentions a box where he will put his old stuff that he has no longer use for early in the episode. He will refer to it in a metaphorical way after his and Barney's falling out.
  • Cassandra Truth: Future!Ted says that he was right about believing that keeping a goat in the apartment is a bad idea.
  • Continuity Nod:
  • Continuity Snarl: Future!Ted put the goat story in his 30th birthday, but it actually happened in his 31st. Which he winds up remembering in the ending stinger.
  • Early-Bird Cameo: Missy the goat is introduced a year earlier than she was supposed to be.
  • Foreshadowing: Future!Ted says that Robin will live with him by the time of his 31st birthday, which she eventually does starting next season until midway through Season 7.
  • Historical Domain Character: Benjamin Franklin and George Washington appear in "the origins of The Bro Code" story.
  • Identical Grandson: Barney is this if Barnabas Stinson from the origins of The Bro Code really did exist.
  • Loop Hole Abuse: Barney hires Marshall to find any loopholes that could redeem his actions. Unfortunately, he wrote it so iron clad that Marshall couldn't find any. And any chances of finding if Ted breaking the Bro Code is rendered mute because Ted has followed it no matter what the situation (He once pretended to be a Russian Transvestite just to help Barney).
  • My God, What Have I Done?: Barney's main dilemma.
  • Noodle Incident:
    • Marshall reads over some documents, and is concerned that they could be at war with Portugal if signed incorrectly. Barney say's that's a Tuesday for him.
    • Also, AltruCell did something to the water in Lisbon that caused Marshall to refuse to listen at first
    • Later on, we see Barney shredding documents while talking to the phone in Chinese. He then proceeds to shred the phone afterwards.
  • Out of Focus: Missy the goat, which is lampshaded by Future!Ted in The Stinger.
  • "Shaggy Dog" Story: After having hyped how Missy the Goat ruined his thirtieth birthday for the entire episode, Older Ted remembers at the very last minute that it actually happened on his thirty-first birthday.
  • Tranquil Fury: Subverted. By the time Barney picks him up from work, Ted already knows what happened between him and Robin. Once it's out though, Ted eventually snaps.
  • Trivial Title: Not only is Missy wrongfully placed in the story, but her being Out of Focus is lampshaded in The Stinger.
  • Wham Episode: Robin tells Ted about what happened between her and Barney, which results in Ted and Barney's falling out.
  • Wham Line: Done in succession.
    • Barney keeps insisting that Ted come with him so he'll gradually break the news, but...
      Barney: There's something that I have to tell you, and I wanted you to be in the best possible frame of mind before you heard it.
      Ted: You slept with Robin.
    • An In-Universe example in relation to the above...
      Robin: I slept with Barney.
    • And just when it gets any calmer...
      Barney: So, you're not mad?
      Ted: No, I'm not mad. Well, Robin and I broke up a year ago, we both dated lots of people since then, I'm with Stella now. Seriously, I'm fine with this.
      Barney: I'm so relieved to hear you say that.
      Ted: Yeah, yeah. Oh, I just remembered, my mom is coming into town next month. Maybe you'd like to NAIL HER TOO!!!
    • Barney and Ted's fallout is not pretty...
      Ted: You know Barney, earlier this week I started putting things in a box, and that box is labeled "stuff I have no use for anymore".
      Barney: And what does that mean?
      Ted: It means, maybe you belong in that box.
      Barney: Are you saying you don't wanna be bros anymore?
      Ted: I'm saying I don't wanna be friends anymore.

Top