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Architect of Destruction

*"Architect of Destruction"*
←	HIMYM episode 6x05 (117)	→

First aired: October 18, 2010
Director: Pamela Fryman
Writer: Carter Bays Craig Thomas
Barney's Blog

Ted reconsiders being head architect of the new GNB building when he meets a girl who wants to save the old building being torn down to make room for it. Marshall is uncomfortable while hearing the way Robin and Lily share intimate details about their men.

1 Recap
2 Continuity
3 Gallery
4 Memorable Quotes
5 Notes and Trivia
6 Guests
7 Podcast
8 Reception
9 References
10 External Links
11 Comments

RecapEdit

Ted enjoys working on the new GNB headquarters with Barney until he learns that the site of the new building is the location of an old hotel called The Arcadian. He tells Barney he can't work on the project.

The Arcadian was a grand hotel in its heyday, but now it is falling apart and in a neighborhood populated with many transvestite prostitutes. Ted claims that the Arcadian is an architectural landmark, but Barney insists that "new is always better" and assures Ted that it is a good idea to tear down the old hotel.

Barney wonders why Ted has turned down the new GNB project and realizes that it must be because of a girl. Ted admits that he met a hot girl named Zoey while checking out the building. Zoey, an architecture nerd, bonds with Ted, then asks him to sign a petition to save the Arcadian. Rather than tell Zoey that he is behind the project, Ted lies to Zoey and tells her that he is a veterinarian.

Barney points out that Ted doesn't really care about the Arcadian. This is typical of Ted, he says, who has been known to change his personality for women in the past. Ted insists this isn't the case and that he really cares about the Arcadian.

Barney takes matters into his own hands. When Ted goes to tell Zoey that he plans on helping with the Arcadian, a large sign is lowered onto the building with Ted's face announcing his involvement with the project. Ted confronts Barney (and his new bunny Cottontail,) and Barney reminds Ted that having control over this project was Ted's dream. Considering this, Ted hits the drafting table and returns to Zoey's protest with new plans to show Zoey: Ted has redesigned the facade to incorporate the iconic elements of the Arcadian into the new building.

While studying the plans, Zoey takes off her glove, revealing that she is wearing a wedding ring. Upon discovering that Zoey is married, Ted realizes that Barney was right: it wasn't about the building. It was about the girl. Ted throws out the new plans and heads home. Sitting by the window, he wonders if he will ever see her again, until Zoey and a gang of protesters begin pelting his window with eggs.

Meanwhile, Lily and Marshall are working to conceive a baby. Chatting, Lily mentions that Robin hooked up with Max. She says that the two bonded over hockey, Max has a small penis, and the two couples will be going on a double date soon. Marshall is horrified how Lily is able to casually mention Max's penis. He can't believe how explicitly women discuss such matters.

On the double date, Marshall can't stop fretting about Max's small penis. When Max leaves the table, Lily warns Marshall to behave. Marshall blames his awkward behavior on Lily and Robin's "salty sailor talk" and Robin points out that men are just as bad with their locker room talk. Marshall says that men actually keep to themselves in locker rooms. Things are even worse, however, when Marshall realizes that Lily also tells Robin details about him.

In bed that night, the idea of Robin and Lily judging him makes Marshall so nervous he storms out. Later, on the phone, Lily tells Robin that Marshall came back in with renewed vigor and performed outstandingly. Robin, of course, realizes that Lily is being fed lines for the story from Marshall.

The next day, in the locker room, Max tells Barney, Ted and Marshall that is breaking up with Robin. He explains that Robin likes to do something in bed that he isn't comfortable with. While Barney and Ted, who dated Robin, know exactly what he is talking about, Marshall asks for details. Max, however, reminds Marshall that they are in a locker room and won't go into detail. When Barney, Ted and Max leave Marshall asks the old man if he has any idea about what Max was talking about the old man just shrugs. At this point the man's scrotum can be glimpsed under his leg.

ContinuityEdit

Barney previously used a swivel chair in The apartment for the same purpose in Little Minnesota when meeting Ted's sister, Heather.
In one of the flashbacks showing Ted changing his personality to fit a girl's, Barney is performing a card trick. Barney's enthusiasm for magic tricks has been well established throughout the series, such as in The Scorpion and the Toad and Intervention.
Barney says that GNB has put snakes inside the Arcadian to drive out the residents. GNB has been shown to be notorious for committing various acts of "sabotage". According to Bilson, GNB had bribed a guerrilla group which led to the overthrowing of a royal family in Rangoon in Woooo! and Marshall mentions having read a file that detailed the poisoning of Portugal's water supply in The Goat.
Lily exclaims, "Damn baby, be cool!" during their double date. Lily and Robin had a similar exchange in Robin 101.
Max mentions that there's a "weird thing" Robin likes to do in the bedroom that makes him uncomfortable. In Old King Clancy, it's shown that Robin once went home with a famous wrestler, but was asked to leave when she suggested they do another "weird thing". In Definitions, it's revealed that Robin and Barney have a safe word. Ted and Barney both reply that they know what Max is talking about, given that both Ted and Barney previously dated Robin.
Lily reveals that she's thought about Robin a couple of times before when sleeping with Marshall. Lily's bisexual tendencies were previously hinted at in Best Prom Ever, Robin 101, The Playbook and Girls Versus Suits.
Ted expresses a desire to be old, previously discussed in Murtaugh.
Ted pointed out the Arcadian in the previous episode, Subway Wars.

GalleryEdit

For a listing of all images on the wiki tagged as being from this episode, see Category:Architect of Destruction images.

Memorable QuotesEdit

Barney:	Because new is always better.
Ted:	And this theory applies to everything?
Barney:	Everything.
Ted:	So, those new Star Wars movies... Those are better than the old ones?
Barney:	Yeah. The first three barely mention the intricacies of intergalactic trade law.
Ted:	And when you're at a Guns N' Roses concert, you're like, "yeah, yeah, Paradise City, whatever. When are they gonna rock me some Chinese democracy"?
Barney:	Axl's really matured as a songwriter, Ted.

Ted:	I can't do this if it means tearing down the Arcadian. It's an architectural landmark. Plus, people live there. How does GNB plan to get hundreds of residents to just up and leave?
Barney:	Snakes.
Ted:	Did you just say snakes?
Barney:	I don't recall saying snakes.

Ted:	Did GNB really put snakes in the Arcadian?
Barney:	No. Technically they were eggs
Ted:	Did you just say eggs?
Barney:	I don't recall saying eggs.

Barney:	Don't you get it, Ted? We're tearing down the Arcadian either way. It's a stupid old piece of crap, run down, snake infested dump!
Ted:	Ok, are there or aren't there snakes?
Barney:	Who mentioned snakes! And stop shouting, you're scaring Cottontail.

Ted:	This wouldn't work. Zoey, the Arcadian was really great building once, but it's falling apart and full of snakes.
Zoey:	Snakes?
Ted:	I don't recall snakes, thanks.

Ted:	I loved your idea about a giant rooftop ring of fire you can jump through with a motorcycle. But I tweaked it slightly and—this is still super badass—it's now a patio garden where you can bring a nice bag lunch.
Barney:	Sick!

Lily:	Barney, every time I mention a woman you don't know, the first thing you say is "Boobs?" Not the complete sentence, "Does she have big boobs?"—which also would not be great—just "boobs?"
Barney:	I do not!
Lily:	My friend Laurie, from work—
Barney:	Boobs? Dammit! But, seriously: Boobs?

Notes and TriviaEdit

Goofs and ErrorsEdit

At the very end (of at least the broadcast version) the old naked guy's (Murray) penis is visible, briefly.
During Ted and Barney's "newer is better" debate, Barney tells Ted that he prefers that latest three Star Wars movies over the first three. However, in Of Course, after throwing up in his storm trooper's helmet, he said he "did something worse in it after the Phantom Menace premiere." The Phantom Menace was the first of the last three Star Wars movies.

Allusions and Outside ReferencesEdit

When Ted walks into his apartment, Barney turns around in the swivel chair, stroking a rabbit. This is a reference to the James Bond villain Blofeld who iconically stroked a white cat in a lush swivel chair.
The Guns N' Roses album Appetite for Destruction is mentioned. Ted and Zoey also mention the band's 2008 album Chinese Democracy. Zoey was arrested after one of the band's concerts in 2009.
Barney mentions that the newer trilogy of Star Wars is better as they had explained the "intricacies of intergalactic trade law", referencing the trilogy's use of the Trade Federation as a plot vehicle.
Ted uses the line "I'm Batman!".
In a flashback, Ted is seen dressed as a Union soldier. He also mentions that they are going to Gettysburg.
Ted mentions that Lily and Marshall are fans of the Indigo Girls.
Robin says that the penis of Barney or Ted looks like Winston Churchill.
In Marshall's mind, Robin mentions his style of love-making is like the character Lennie from Of Mice and Men.
Also in Marshall's mind, Robin and Lily discuss the love-making as they are drinking cosmopolitans, mimicking the television series Sex and the City.

One of the signs in the rally reads, "Gotham's Newest Bully", a reference to the fact that one nickname for New York City is "Gotham".
Another sign reads "Goliath! David's coming to get you!" which is a reference on the Biblical tale of David and Goliath.

MusicEdit

Other NotesEdit

Guests Edit

Charlene Amoia - Wendy the Waitress
Jennifer Morrison - Zoey
Miss Coco Peru - Drag Queen Streetwalker
Geoff Stults - Max
Jessica Blair Herman - Trish

Podcast Edit

Featuring an interview with Stephen Lloyd and Robia Rashid.

ReceptionEdit

This episode premiered to 8.049 million viewers.^[1]
Donna Bowman at the A.V. Club gave the episode a C+.^[2]
DeAnn Welker at Television Without Pity gave the episode an A-.^[3]
Robert Canning at IGN gave the episode an 8 out of 10.^[4]