How I Met Your Mother S04E17 – The Front Porch

Karen breaks up with Ted. He discovers that Lily was responsible and has been meddling with his relationships for years. The gang stays up late to watch Robin's morning show and Barney is seduced by Marshall's nightgown.



The episode begins with Robin asking her friends if they would watch her talk show, which airs at 4 A.M. The group reluctantly agrees to stay up and watch. Ted then turns up and informs them that Karen has broken up with him, after finding Robin's earring in Ted's bed, thinking that he and Robin had sex. As everyone prepares to watch Robin's show, Ted discovers another earring of Robin's on Marshall's dresser and mutes the television to confront Marshall, believing him to have sabotaged his relationship with Karen.

As extreme events occur on Robin's show (she starts crying while showing a picture of the gang, she saves the host of the cooking segment when he catches fire, she resuscitates the weatherman after he's had a heart attack and finally she delivers a baby live on camera), still muted, Lily confesses that she has been breaking Ted up with girls who she didn't see passing the "Front Porch Test" - an indication of how they would all live together once they were old. A scene is shown of Marshall, Lily, and Ted in the far future playing bridge (though clearly, none of them know how to play). Lily says she never did this with any woman who could possibly have become the mother of Ted's children, such as Stella and Victoria, but hesitates when Ted adds Robin to this list.  Lily admits she foresaw a horrible front porch with Robin, Ted unhappy about the two children he never had and Robin angry about the career she lost.  Lily says she never intended to break them up, but accidentally gave them the words they used in their eventual breakup.  Robin returns from the show to learn the truth behind her break-up with Ted, which Lily insists she did not want to happen. Ted is furious and storms out. The next day, Ted heads into the bar to find Karen waiting, having had the situation explained to her by Lily. Karen hands Ted a letter from Lily, which contains an apology, and lets Ted know that Lily has prepared a fine dinner in The Apartment for him and Karen. Ted breaks up with Karen anyway after she says Ted cannot ever see Lily again and he imagines what the future would be like without her and Marshall. Returning to the apartment, Ted asks Robin to be his "plus one" and they enjoy the meal Lily prepared. They wonder whether or not they would still be together if not for Lily's intervention. Ted then makes a mock proposal to Robin, asking her to be his "backup wife" and marry him if they're both single when they turn 40. She accepts.


Meanwhile, Marshall wears a nightshirt to the pajama party, while Barney wears a silk suit. Barney insists his clothing choice is superior, citing the possibility of attractive women coming to his home at night and seeing how good he looks, but then admits how unlikely that is and uncomfortable the "suitjamas" are. Marshall then convinces Barney to try one. Barney and Marshall delight in their nightshirts, having a dream about flying together in them. Barney starts wearing nightshirts to sleep. A week later, an attractive woman shows up at his apartment at night — but, upon seeing his nightshirt, she decides to leave, much to Barney's chagrin.

Post a Comment

 
Top