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No Pressure
HIMYM episode 7x17 (153)
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First aired:
February 20, 2012
Director:
Pamela Fryman
Writer:
George Sloan
Barney's Blog

Images (30)

When Robin breaks up with Kevin, Ted confesses his feelings to her. Meanwhile, Barney is on a mission to find something private of Marshall and Lily.


Recap[]

The episode starts with Future Ted telling his kids about the first time he told their mother that he loved her. He says that it was a big deal for him since he hadn't said it to a girl since Robin. The episode then flashes back to where the previous one ended.

Ted reveals to Robin that he really loves her. He says that they broke up in the first place because they had different views of where they saw themselves in five years. It's five years later and they are standing on the roof where they kissed each other for the first time. He then leaves, giving Robin some time to think about it.

Back in his room, Ted thinks of a way to fix what he said to Robin. As he is about to leave to talk to her, he finds her outside his room, and she kisses him. She then breaks the kiss and tells him that they need to talk about this. She says that she's been through a day of emotional mayhem, with Kevin and now Ted. Just then Robin's co-worker Patrice shows up at the apartment, and reminds her about their trip to Russia, to which Robin got the time wrong. She packs hurriedly with Ted and leaves. She then comes back and kisses Ted, stating that they will continue this when she gets back.

Ted then calls Marshall at seven in the morning and tells him to meet him at MacLaren's. Lily tells him not to go and that Ted should know his limits, when she finds Barney in their bed. He tells them that he rode the Drunk Train last night, and he got stuck here. Marshall then leaves, and Barney then grosses Lily out talking about them hooking up. Lily then leaves and tells Barney not to go through their stuff, looking for a sex tape, which doesn't exist. However, Barney believes that such a tape exists and destroys the bedroom looking for it. He had shortly before called some cleaning women to come and clean up after his search.

Back at the bar, Ted tells Marshall everything, and Marshall says that he is not shocked about hearing this. When Lily shows up at the bar, she shows her disappointment about Ted going for Robin again. She tells Ted that he might be ready for this, but maybe Robin isn't. He asks Lily why she is rooting against him, but she denies this.

Back at Marshall and Lily's house, Barney discovers a box containing details about some long term bets which Lily and Marshall had been making, and finds that Lily bet Marshall that Ted and Robin won't end up together, and was in fact rooting against Ted and Robin. Lily then tells Ted to make grand romantic gestures for Robin (which would freak Robin out, resulting in Lily winning the bet). Barney then shows up at the bar with the box full of Lily and Marshall's bets. He then finds out that they in fact have a sex tape, and Marshall bet Lily that Barney would never see it. When Barney goes looking for the tape, Ted reads the bet about him and Robin. Lily then tells Ted that the only reason she made that bet was because she didn't think Robin is the girl that Ted is destined to marry. She tells him that in five years, he hasn't settled with Robin and there must be a reason for that. Ted realizes that Barney is that reason.

When Barney shows up at Ted's apartment with Marshall and Lily's sex tape, Ted confronts Barney saying that Robin is in love with him, and something happened between them, which resulted in Barney and Nora's breakup, that night when he saw him in Robin's room with candles and rose petals. Barney then tells Ted everything that happened, and that Robin picked Kevin because she loves him. When Ted tells Barney that Kevin and Robin broke up last night, he shows indifference to this. Barney resorts to the Bro Code, specifically the rule of "Bros before Hoes." Robin is his bro, he wants her to be happy, and he knows she won't be happy with him. So he doesn't care that Robin is single, and wouldn't even care if she started dating someone else, even if that person was Ted. Ted then tells Barney that he has really grown up.

Just when Barney is about to watch the sex tape, Marshall and Lily show up. Although Lily wants him to see it to win the bet, Marshall grosses him out and Barney ends up destroying the tape.

When Robin comes back, Ted picks her up at the airport, takes her to the restaurant with the Blue French Horn, and by the end of the night he realizes that it's not going to happen between him and Robin. Robin tells him that she does not want to mess up their friendship. She then asks if they still have their "forty-deal", but Ted says that he can't do that as he doesn't want to leave any hope of them ending up together. He asks her if she loves him and she says no. Ted then asks her to forget everything that happened.

Ted then calls Marshall at the bar, and tells him that he is happy about what happened. Marshall then goes to Robin, and tells her that Ted is lying about being okay, and that Robin has to move out, which she does.

Future Ted then tells his kids that he was happy in his own crazy way about what happened and for the first time in years there was no part of him clinging to the dream of him and Robin being together, which meant that the world was wide open for him. Dozens of women with yellow umbrellas are then shown walking on the side walk in front of Ted. The episode ends with Lily and Marshall in bed, with Lily saying Marshall should pay up because of their bet that Ted and Robin won't end up together. Marshall refuses to pay by simply saying, "Not yet."

Continuity[]

  • The movie that Ted and the mother couldn't see, because it was sold out, is Wedding Bride III, the sequel to The Wedding Bride, first introduced in The Wedding Bride.
  • Marshall talks about the Christmas lights that Ted sets up for Robin in Symphony of Illumination.
  • Barney and Ted talk about the events of Disaster Averted and Tick Tick Tick.
  • Barney mentions the Drunk Train from The Drunk Train.
  • Ted asked if Barney would be okay if he started dating Robin again. Barney was previously annoyed with Ted and Robin being friends with benefits in Benefits.
  • Marshall and Lily talk about the time that Ted is left at the altar in Shelter Island. Lily uses the events there to try to settle their bet. 
  • Various elements of Ted and Robin's on-and-off relationship throughout Seasons 1 and 2 are flashed back to. Including the restaurant that Robin and Ted stole the Blue French Horn (this time secured with a chain and lock), shown in the Pilot, Come On​​​​​, and Something Blue​​​​​. And the fight first alluded to in Showdown​​​​​.  
  • When Barney goes to the apartment after finding the Sex Tape, the bottom of the screen says "46 Minutes Later..." alluding to the fact that it takes 46 minutes to get to Marshall and Lily's House in the suburbs, first said in 46 Minutes​​​​​.
  • Ted and Robin agree to get married at 40 if they are both single in The Front Porch​​​​​. Ted ends their agreement in this episode.
  • Consistent with the fact that Marshall always wins games and bets, as first established in Game Night, all the bets Marshall makes with Lily are either unconfirmed or won by Marshall.

Future References (Contains Spoilers)[]

  • Marshall and Lily have a VCR of their own by P.S. I Love You.
  • After moving out, Robin lives in an apartment on the Upper West Side before moving into Barney's apartment after they are engaged in The Final Page - Part Two​​.
  • Footage of Robin saying 'no' to Ted after he asked if she loved him would be replayed in Karma​ and Band or DJ?
  • Ted would again remind Robin she didn't love him in The End of the Aisle after she invited Ted to run away with her. 
  • A what-if scene in Platonish would show Lily paying Marshall for the bet after Robin gets back together with Ted for that particular scene. In Last Forever - Part Two, Marshall would pay Lily shortly before Ted and The Mother's wedding. A deleted scene (included in the season 9 DVD) would show Lily paying Marshall in 'singles' after Ted and Robin would get back together in 2030. 

Gallery[]

For a listing of all images on the wiki tagged as being from this episode, see Category:No Pressure images.

Memorable Quotes[]

Patrice: But, Robin, the schedule says 9:00 am, and my tickets says 9:00 am, and the email reminders said 9:00 am, and our boss in the car downstairs said...
Robin: Okay Patrice, I get it!

Barney: Do you think...?
Lily: Okay, I already know I don't wanna hear this.
Barney: Do you think that if we did "it"...
Lily: Yeah, I was right, I don't wanna hear this.
Barney: ... and I did a really good job...
Lily: Please, leave.
Barney: ...that I could turn that (points at Lily's belly) into my baby?
Lily: I think I am gonna throw up.
Barney: Morning sickness?
Lily: Nope.
Barney tries to hook up with Lily when Marshall leaves

Future Ted: Kids, I'll never forget the first time I told your mother I loved her. It was a rainy day in New York. We just had a horrible lunch. The movie we wanted to see was sold out, and I just looked at her and said, "I love you. " It was a big deal for me. I hadn't said that to a girl since...
Ted: I love you, Robin. I'm serious. Do you remember why we broke up in the first place? We asked each other, "Where do you want to be in five years?" And our answers were just too different. Well, it's five years later, and where are we? Standing on the roof where I kissed you for the first time. I know this is a lot to process, so no pressure here. Just what do you think? You know what? You're exhausted, it's late. Let's just go to sleep. Well, good night.
Ted declaring his love to Robin and remembering their first kiss.

Future Ted: And then I realized why Robin and I hadn't gotten back together in the last five years.
Ted: Oh, my God. Robin's in love with you. I can't believe I didn't see it before. Robin is in love with you.
Barney: No, she's not. Trust me.
Ted: Yes, she is. Something happened between you guys. That's why you broke up with Nora. That night, I saw you in her room, there were rose petals, candles
Barney: You saw that? Well, then, maybe you also saw those rose petals and candles going into a garbage bag.
Future Ted: And then Barney told me everything. How he and Robin hooked up. How he broke up with Nora to be with her. How he thought she would do the same for him. How she broke his heart.
Barney: She chose Kevin. It hurt, but I guess they're in love.
Ted: They broke up last night.
Barney: Bummer. Anyway, let's make our own bets about this sex tape. I've got Marshall with a surprise piercing at five-to-one odds, Lily with a landing strip, ten-to-one, Marshall with a landing strip, even money.
Ted: I don't believe this. You were in love with Robin, you find out she's single, and your reaction is "Bummer"?
Barney: What do you want me to say, Ted? Whatever I thought was there, she thought differently. So no, I don't care that Robin is single again.
Ted: So if Robin started dating someone else, you wouldn't mind?
Barney: Nope.
Ted: Even if that somebody else was me?
Barney: Even if that somebody else was you.
Ted: Really?
Barney: Really. Hey, bros before hoes, right? No matter how mad she made me, Robin's still my bro.

Future Ted: A week later, I picked Robin up at the airport. And took her out to dinner at her favorite restaurant. And by the end of the night, one thing had become clear:
Ted: It's not going to happen, is it? (sighs)
Robin: I'm sorry.
Ted: It's because of Barney.
Robin: What? No. Barney and I No. No. It's just You know, things have just been so crazy lately. Everything in my life is unstable. I mean, you're one of the few things that I can count on. And I really don't want to mess that up. We-we we still have our deal, right? If we're both still single when we're 40?
Ted: Yeah. Yeah. No. Look I'm sorry.

I-I can't do that anymore. As long as the door is even a little bit open, I have this feeling that I'll just be waiting around to see if I win the lottery when you turn 40. I think you know how you feel about me now, and I don't think time's going to change that.

Just tell me. Do you love me?
Robin: No. (sobbing)
Ted: I'm sorry. We're great as friends. Let's just (clears throat) Let's just forget I ever said anything.

Barney: I found it! Sweet glory hallelujah, I found it, Ted. You're the only idiot I know who still owns a VCR, so you are the lucky winner of the "Who gets to sit next to me and watch our best friends go bananas all over each other.
Barney goes to watch Marshall and Lily's sex tape because Ted is the only one with a VCR, but Ted looks incredule at Barney after he realizes Robin is in love with him.

Future Ted: Here's the funny thing: In my own crazy way, I was kind of happy. For the first time in years, there was no little part of me clinging to the dream of being with Robin. Which meant, for the first time in years, the world was wide open. Because, kids when a door closes, well you know the rest.

Notes and Trivia[]

Goofs and Errors[]

  • Robin is supposedly the last girl that Ted said "I love you" to before The Mother, but in season 8 he gets back together with Victoria. Given that Ted and Victoria had already said "I love you" to each other when they were together the first time, more likely than not they would have said it again during the several months in which they were back together (especially given that Ted proposes and Victoria says yes in The Autumn of Break-Ups.
    • Victoria states that the relationship doesn't get reset, it continues on from when they broke up, so it's possible Ted didn't count it as a new "I love you", or didn't say I love you to Victoria the second time they were together.
  • When Ted, Marshall and Lily are at the bar, and Lily gives Ted bad advice on how to win Robin back, Barney finds the Long Term Bets box. Just after a few moments of conversation at the bar, Barney arrives at MacLaren's, despite it being 46 minutes away from Marshall and Lily's house.
    • Future Ted has been shown to accelerate events for the sake of telling a story.
    • It's also not clear how long the conversation was going for before Barney showed up.
  • When Marshall and Lily enter the apartment so they can each persuade Barney in order to win the bet regarding the sex tape, Lily is not wearing her coat. However, in one shot during Marshall and Lily's argument, Lily is wearing her coat again.
  • When Barney rushes out of the bar to go look for the sex tape, he clearly doesn't take the long-term bets box with him. In the shot where Barney finds the tape at Marshall and Lily's place, the box can be seen in the foreground. 
  • The blue french horn is shown chained to the wall in the restaurant. It was implied that it was returned during season 2, yet it showed up in Robin's room in Ted's apartment after she moved out to live with Don in season 6. As it was in the possession of the gang as of season 6, there has been no event that would cause the horn to be returned to the restaurant between these seasons.
    • Ted was drunk when he stole the horn again in Twin Beds. Therefore, he most likely returned it after seeing it alone in Robin's room.
  • In a flashback in 2004 when Marshall and Lily are about to make a sex tape, it shows a finished painting done by Lily, but she finished that painting in 2005.

Allusions and Outside References[]

  • Lily attempts to make Ted go to 'Russia with love'. This is a reference to the James Bond movie From Russia With Love.
  • When driving back from Ted and Stella's wedding, Barney is doing the dance from Beyonce's Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).
  • Robin goes to Russia to cover the Maslenitsa festival, which is a pre-Lenten festival celebrated by members of the Eastern Orthodox faith.
  • The name of the theater that Ted first told The Mother "I love you" at is called the Pamela Theater, most likely a reference to How I Met Your Mother director and producer Pamela Fryman.

Music[]

Other Notes[]

  • Ted is eating from a box of Russian cereal as he talks with Robin. This belongs to a joke that was eliminated in the final cut of the episode, but is available as a deleted scene on the DVD.
  • Notice that almost everyone in this episode is wearing purple, which some other fans say is the theme color for Ted and Robin's relationship whilst yellow is for Ted and Tracy's. This episode revolves around Ted and Robin's relationship, which started in Purple Giraffe​​.

Cameo appearance by Conan O'Brien[]

  • Talk show host Conan O'Brien makes a very brief cameo appearance in the episode (at the 11 minute mark) as a non-speaking patron at MacLaren's and can be clearly be seen when Barney rushes past him on the way out of the bar. O'Brien won the role via a 2011 charity auction. According to show co-creator Carter Bays, they started to brainstorm ideas about what O'Brien could play before he replied that he just wanted to be an extra who would blend in. "We realized this was really the funniest version [of a cameo]", said Bays. "In New York, every now and then you'll see somebody famous at a bar, but nobody really makes a big deal out of it."[1]

Guests[]

Podcast[]

Featuring an interview with Carter Bays and George Sloan.

Reception[]

  • The episode received 9.81 million viewers.[2]
  • Donna Bowman of the AV Club gave the episode a A-.[3]
  • Robert Canning of IGN gave the episode a 9 out of 10 stating that the episode was expertly crafted, with Ted walking out to see a 'sea' of potential mothers, Marshall's bro moment and Conan O'Brian's cameo. However he did not like the ending, with the last "not yet" left the door unnecessarily. [4]
  • After being particularly critical of the previous episode, Television Without Pity's Ethan Alter gave "No Pressure" a B, stating that the Ted and Robin storyline was "mercifully brief" but criticized Lily and Marshall for breaking character.[5]
  • The St. Petersburg Comic Review gave this episode 9.5 out of 10 stars. "...Barney in search of something important..."

References[]

External Links[]


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