How I Met Your Mother/Best Prom Ever

Best Prom Ever
Season 1, Episode 20
Airdate	May 1, 2006
Production Number	1ALH19
Written by	Ira Ungerleider
Directed by	Pamela Fryman
Stream
← 1x19 Mary the Paralegal	1x21 → Milk
How I Met Your Mother — Season One

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Best Prom Ever is the twentieth episode of the first season of How I Met Your Mother.

Starring: Josh Radnor (Ted Mosby), Jason Segel (Marshall Eriksen), Cobie Smulders (Robin Scherbatsky)

with Neil Patrick Harris (Barney Stinson)

and Alyson Hannigan (Lily Aldrin)

Guest Starring: David Burtka (Scooter)

Co-Starring: Ira Ungerleider (Mr. Corke), Alek Freidman (Todd Epstein), Keith Slettedahl (Keith), John Reha (Shlub #1), Brent Tarnol (Shlub #2), Brett Jones (Security Guard #1), Michael Owen (Security Guard #2)

Uncredited: Bob Saget (Ted of 2030 (voice))

Plot Overview

With her wedding day fast approaching, Lily along with Barney and Robin, crashes a high school prom to scope out a potential band for the reception.

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• The Wedding: Because the place that they dreamed of having their wedding opened up, Lily and Marshall's wedding has been bumped to being only two months away.

Characters

• Lily: Lily has been having second thoughts about getting married so soon because she isn't happy with not having accomplished any of the things she set out to do. Lily also mentions that one of those things was a "lesbian experience." Incidentally Alyson Hannigan played a lesbian on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

• Robin and Ted: Robin hasn't quite forgiven Ted for lying to her about his girlfriend situation, but the two are on speaking grounds again.

Trivia

Behind the Scenes

• Ratings: This episode scored a rating of 5.2 with a share of 8 in Neilson ratings. It was the 4th most watched show overall.

Allusions and References

• The Wiggles: The Wiggles are an Australian band who primarily plays music targeted towards children in preschool. The band is extremely popular among children, so the reference was likely made because Lily teaches kindergarten.

Marshall: The Wiggles of wedding bands.

• Thelma & Louise: Thelma & Louise is a road-movie starring Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis as the title characters. The movie starts out with the two going out for a two-day adventure, but they slowly get into more and more trouble. Eventually they're at the point of committing armed robbery and fleeing from the police. The reference to driving off a cliff is from the last scene of the movie, where the two, in order to escape the police, drive off a cliff.

Barney: Hey, Thelma, Louise, Y'all don't drive off no cliffs now.

• Kurt Cobain: Kurt Cobain was the lead singer and guitar player for Nirvana, an early 90s grunge band who had massive success with their 1992 album Nevermind, particularly due to "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Scooter looks a bit like Cobain because of his scraggly long blonde hair, but the resembalance isn't very uncanny.

Lily: Plus, I was just dating you because you look a little like Kurt Cobain.

Quotes

• Barney: Ok, time to activate plan B. Scherbatsky, how good are you with a crossbow?

• Barney: (in a turtle costume) How'd you get in here?

Marshall: ...What's it to you, giant turtle?