For the actual Chain of Screaming as explained by Barney in this episode, see The Chain of Screaming (theory).

“The Chain of Screaming”
←	HIMYM episode 3x15 (59)	→
First aired: April 14, 2008
Director: Pamela Fryman
Writer: Carter Bays Craig Thomas
Barney's Blog
Images (18)

Marshall doesn't know what to do when his new boss yells at him at work. The whole gang has advice to offer. Ted buys a new car.

Contents 1 Recap 2 Continuity 3 Gallery 4 Memorable Quotes 5 Notes and Trivia 5.1 Goofs and Errors 5.2 Allusions and Outside References 5.3 Music 5.4 Other Notes 6 Guests 7 Reception 8 References 9 External Links 10 Comments

RecapEdit

After Marshall witnesses a work buddy get yelled at after handing in a report, he becomes paranoid that his boss, who is nicknamed "Artillery Arthur," will do the same to him after failing to complete a report on time (which is nicknamed the "Ninja Report" for easier understanding for the gang). Marshall explains that he doesn't know how to face Mr. Hobbs the next day. Robin suggests that he threatens him with a gun, but Ted comes up with another solution of talking like Abraham Lincoln. Marshall tells Ted that it isn't possible and tells him what he would say to Arthur, but he just calls security. Marshall doesn't think that any of these ideas would work, but Barney gives him an example of Gary Blauman and what happened to him during a meeting. A guy yells at him in front of other people, but he interrupts him and tells him to "Kiss my ass!" since his cousin just had a website start up and was making money. He then stands on top of the conference table and tries to pee, but he gets performance anxiety and then eventually gives up. Barney tells him that the cousin's website eventually ended, Gary started working as a janitor, and eventually died. Barney tells Marshall that the moral of the story is to not yell at your boss because there is something called the "chain of screaming" and that it starts at the top. He gives an example of Artillery Arthur and tells everyone that Arthur's boss's boss screams at Arthur's boss, then on down the chain it goes until it gets to Lily who screams at a student who then screams at her father who turns out to be Arthur's boss' boss. Barney explains that Marshall shouldn't deal with it - the way that the chain (or circle) of screaming works is that one person screams at someone "below" him, then that person screams at another person, and so on. The next night, Lily and Ted are in the apartment looking at carpet samples for the new apartment and Marshall calls Ted and tells him to come downstairs without letting Lily know that it is him. Ted walks outside and finds Marshall stuffing his face. He explains that he and Barney went to a diner and was urged by Barney to scream at the waiter, but couldn't do it - the waiter screamed at Marshall instead. The next day, Marshall finally lets out his feelings towards Arthur and, in the end, quits his job at Nicholson, Hewitt & West.

Meanwhile, Ted has bought himself a new car. All of his friends think a nice car is totally unnecessary in New York City and proceed to eat ice cream and smoke cigars inside the car, despite Ted's protests. Eventually, Ted sells the car and gives the proceeds to Marshall to help pay for the apartment since he no longer has his high-paying job.

ContinuityEdit

• Blauman, who Barney describes as trying to urinate on a conference room table during a board meeting, had previously been seen in the episode Life Among the Gorillas. He is then seen again in Sorry, Bro and Jenkins, implying that Barney was exaggerating Blauman's misfortunes when he said that he became a janitor then died.
• Marshall and Lily having sex on the kitchen floor at the end is a reference to a near-identical scene in the Pilot after their first proposal. The same scene was used in Atlantic City, after their second proposal.
• Marshall tells Barney in the alleyway that he thinks that Barney's belief that his and James' (seen in Single Stamina and The Yips) father is Bob Barker (introduced in Showdown) is stupid.

GalleryEdit

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

Memorable QuotesEdit

Barney:	You know what, if you're not gonna yell at the waiter, yell at me.
Marshall:	What?
Barney:	Yell at me.
Marshall:	I'm not gonna yell at you, Barney.
Barney:	Why? You think you're gonna upset me? Please, give me your best shot.
Marshall:	Ok, fine. Do you want me to yell at you?
Barney:	Yeah.
Marshall:	This is me, yelling at you, Barney!
Barney:	I'm sorry I couldn't hear you over the sound of a butterfly landing on a leaf about three blocks away.
Marshall:	This is me, yelling at you, Barney!
Barney:	Okay, you got some volume now give me some content, make it hurt!
Marshall:	You don't look as good in suits as you think you do!
Barney:	No, something that it's true, come on. The man made you cry, make me cry!

---

Barney:	Dude, I can't believe you cried in front of your boss.
Marshall:	I don't know what happened. There is just something about been yelled like that, like I was being spurred by my dad, suddenly...suddenly I was a little boy.
Robin:	Is boy the right word?

---

Marshall:	You sure about this?
Ted:	Yeah. Who needs a car in New York city anyway?
Marshall:	Ted, I don't think I can accept—
Ted:	Marshall, don't make me scream at you.
Marshall:	Thanks, buddy.
Ted:	You guys did it in the car, didn't you?
Marshall:	Oh, yeah.

---

Ted:	Come on. When's the last time you got screamed-at at work?
Barney:	I got screamed-at three times today. Once in Korean. This is corporate America, Marshall. Screaming is motivational tool. Like Christmas bonuses or sexual harassments. It's just good business.

---

Notes and TriviaEdit

Goofs and ErrorsEdit

Allusions and Outside ReferencesEdit

• Ted is wearing a sweater with the flag of the Swiss city of Geneva on it.
• Barney's collegue says 'North Korean friends', a flashforward-reference joke to Sarah Palin who 3 years after the production of the episode would call North Korea the allies of the United States of America

MusicEdit

Other NotesEdit

• Blauman is portrayed by Taran Killam, husband of series regular Cobie Smulders.

GuestsEdit

• Jordan Black - Ferguson
• Bob Odenkirk - Arthur Hobbs
• Taran Killam - Gary Blauman
• Bryan Callen - Bilson

ReceptionEdit

Donna Bowman of The A.V. Club rated the episode with a grade A. ^[1]
Omar G at Television Without Pity gave the episode an A^-. ^[2]
Michelle Zoromski of IGN gave the episode 7.4 out of 10. ^[3]

ReferencesEdit

External LinksEdit

• The Chain of Screaming at the English Wikipedia
• The Chain of Screaming at the Internet Movie Database
• The Chain of Screaming at TV.com

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