This week, we finally get back to the plot. Robin finally gets a job, and it seems like one that she might actually enjoy for once.
Episode Summary
Robin has been unsuccessful thus far in her attempts to find employment. We see that she’s not particularly confident, either — she bombs an audition for Channel 10 News anchor. Apparently, she’s psyched out by the two other prospective anchors who stress the need for a killer catchphrase. She tries to affix about a full minute of clichéd drivel to the end of her otherwise promising report. Needless to say, she doesn’t get the job.
We’ve seen in previous episodes that Robin might not be taking her employment search all that seriously. However, it suddenly becomes very real for her: Robin finds a letter sent two months ago from the U.S. Department of Immigration that says she must get a job (in her field) within seven days face deportation back to Canada.
The group brainstorms about résumés, leading to reflections about absurd things each of them have listed amongst their various qualifications. Ted’s credentials include a stint at Wesleyan as the “mysterious” radio host, Dr. X. For his part, Marshall lists his 1995 slam dunk contest win. Finally, Lily included her Hot-Dog-Eating Contest champion title among her other qualifications.
While talking about Marshall and his basketball career, it is revealed that Marshall has a condition known as “Dancer’s Hip,” purportedly the result of a rough foul. However, after insisting to the others that he got it playing basketball, Marshall later reveals that the injury actually was dance-related.
We see Barney’s video résumé, which he presents as being on the creatively-named Barney Stinson’s Video Résumés, which turns out to be a real site with the tail end of the résumé available for download. The video is absurd and doesn’t actually show him doing anything; Barney just speaks in meaningless, grandiose-sounding sentences. It ends in a montage of ostensibly “awesome” things (street luge, explosions) accompanied by an 80’s stadium-rock-style musical tribute to Barney. He reports that it got him eleven jobs so Robin asks him to make one. The pair try but Robin soon gives up on it. She auditions for the lowest position she can think of — the girl who reads bingo numbers — and fails there, too. It turns out, though, that Barney completed the video anyway, submitting it to every station in the city. It worked; Robin is now the host of a new Channel 12 morning talk show, so she can keep living in the US.
At the end of the show, Ted and Marshall take their irrelevant accomplishments of their résumés (and Lily updates her record to 33 hot dogs). Barney and Robin hug, reminding us of Barney’s secret.
Quotes:
Marshall: “It’s good to know that Vanilla Thunder can take the rock to the hole. They called me Ghost the Post. The Human Turnstile.”
Robin: “The amazon warrior princess armor gave me a rash!”
Barney: “Card’s on the table you weren’t the first lady to wear that in here.”
Robin: “I can’t break 15 bricks with my forehead! ”
Barney: “Robin. It’s not 1950 anymore. Yes, you can!”