How I Met Your Mother Fodder

How I Met Your Mother: The Chain of Screaming

Future Ted tells the kids about how the spring of 2008 was awesome, partially because of his new relationship and partially because he got himself a new car. Barney says it was a stupid purchase and nobody will support it but he wants shotgun for eternity. Marshall walks by and starts muttering beer often.

Inside, Marshall talks about how when things start at a law firm, it's like war because you're so excited but then the shells start to fall. The shells started to fall for Marshall with one of the senior partners, Arthur. Marshall was witness to quite an attack from Arthur - on "Take Your Daughter to Work" day, no less.

Marshall says that all this led up to today, when Marshall has been working on what he comes to refer to as the Ninja report. Marshall knew that a screaming was coming because of how it happened. Barney says that screaming is a motivational tool and is just good business. Lily says that it's not fair because he has been working so hard and they have barely made love in weeks.

Robin says the man probably respects him more for taking the screaming and Marshall disagrees. While the screaming was going on, he suddenly felt it all - the fact that he is working a job he doesn't want to in order to pay for a mortgage on a crooked apartment. He snapped and believe it or not, he cried.

Barney says he can't believe he cried and Marshall says it felt like being scolded by his father - he felt powerless, flacid - aw heck, castrated. He wonders how he will face him.

Robin says she will show how she would do it and we see a scene where Robin in a suit takes a gun in and socks it to him.

Ted says that he should bring in an eloquent speech and we see Ted in a suit doing exactly that. Arthur applauses and then security will rough him up on the way out.

Marshall says that he needs the money and so can't just tell off the boss. Barney tells the story of a guy called Blauman who told off the boss and is now the thing of legends. It didn't end well for the guy because he ended up in a poor house and died. The lesson of Blauman is that you shouldn't yell back due to the Chain of Screaming - Arthur's Boss' Boss screams at Arthur's Boss who in turn screams at Arthur, who screams at Marshall, who screams at Lily, who screams at one of her students who then screams at her father who happens to be Arthur's Boss' Boss. Nice?

Lily says it would be best to speak constructively as she does and we see Lily go in and speak constructively followed by a nasty sex talk. Mama needs it bad, she says. It seemed like that was the end of it, Future Ted says.

The following evening, Lily is apparently still feeling randy and Marshall calls and asks Ted to come downstairs without Lily. He goes outside and Marshall is standing there with a box of his stuff and a hot dog or two. Oh yes, and a hamburger.

Marshall asks Ted to please drive and he asks him to explain. Marshall was in the diner writing and Barney tells him that he has to scream at someone - perhaps the diner owner, who didn't take his order wrong. The owner ends up yelling at him because he has been having a horrible day. Robin and Barney soon come to hear the story and Ted gets progressively more mad that everyone is nearly spilling stuff on his car.

Barney tells Marshall he needs to yell at him and he starts to yell at him about different things but particularly how he doesn't want to turn into Barney. This turns into Marshall yelling at his boss and quits. Marshall wonders how he will tell Lily that he has thrown away their future. Lily knocks on the window and everyone drops their stuff.

Marshall tells Lily that he will beg for his job again and she says he doesn't have to do it and they will figure it out somehow. Future Ted says that they were ultimately able to make ends meet and we see Ted giving him a check - he says he didn't need a car in the city anyhow.

-- Gordon Davidescu