How I Met Your Mother/Matchmaker

Matchmaker
Season 1, Episode 7
Airdate	November 7, 2005
Production Number	1ALH07
Written by	Chris Marcil & Sam Johnson
Directed by	Pamela Fryman
Stream
← 1x06 Slutty Pumpkin	1x08 → The Duel
How I Met Your Mother — Season One

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Matchmaker is the seventh 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)

Special Guest Star: Camryn Manheim (Ellen Pierce)

Guest Starring: Beth Lacke (Dr. Sarah O'Brien), Lyndsy Fonseca (Daughter), David Henrie (Son)

Co-Starring: Joe Nieves (Carl), Nick Jaine (Sudeep)

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

Plot Overview

When Ted signs up with a matchmaking service, he learns that love is not a science. Meanwhile, Marshall and Lily confront a frightening creature living in the apartment.

Trivia

Allusions and References

• Roadrunner: The Roadrunner is a Looney Tunes character created by Chuck Jones. In the shorts he co-stared in with Wile E. Coyote, the coyote would set elaborate traps to attempt to catch the roadrunner, failing everytime disasterously. In fact, one of the guidelines for writing a Roadrunner cartoon was that the Coyote could never catch the Roadrunner and would always be more humiliated than harmed by his attempts.

Robin: Wow, that's a pretty sophisticated trap. You think the roadrunner's gonna fall for it?

• Say Anything: Say Anything is a movie directed by Cameron Crowe starring John Cusack in 1989. The movie is a romance about man who falls in love with a woman, but their relationship is obscured by obstacles along the way, particularly the father of the woman who disapproves of Cusack. This movie is often referenced in pop culture, particularly the scene where Cusack stands outside of his then ex-girlfriend's window playing a "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel to attempt to win her back.

Ellen: Although, this transvestite hooker said he/she would do you for half price because you kinda look like John Cusack and his/her favorite movie is Say Anything.

Quotes

• Barney: (chuckling) Marshall ran away from a cockroach.

Marshall: (upset) It was a mouse!

Barney: Sorry, my bad. You're a man!

• Barney: Ted, these chicks are desperate and hot, that's a perfect cocktail, shake well, then sleep with.

Ted: I'm not going to a matchmaker, that's like giving up. It's the man version of getting a cat.

• Ellen: Not you! You, stay. You're cute. [looking at Ted's application] You're an architect, good career. And, you didn't use an obvious alias on your application like your friend "Jack Package."

Barney: (through the door) It's pronounced Pah-ka-ge.

Ellen: Get out of here!

• Barney: So, did you get a good look at it?

Lily: Yeah, it has six legs, a hard exo-skeleton like a roach...

Marshall: But, it has mouse-like characteristics: grey-brown tufts of fur, a tail...

Robin: So, which is it, a cockroach or a mouse?

Lily: It's a cockamouse!

Robin: What?

Lily: It was some mutant combination of the two. It's as if a cockroach and a mouse... You know!

Barney: Did the horizontal, ten-legged, interspecies cha-cha?

• Lily: Oh, just play it cool. Don't Ted Out about it.

Ted: ...Did you just use my name as a verb?

Barney: Oh, yeah. We do that behind your back. "Ted Out"; to over think. Also see: Ted Up. "Ted Up"; to over think something with disasterous results. Sample sentance: Billy Tedded up when he tried to--

Ted: Ok, I get it.

• Robin: So, what, now it's a cockapotatomouse?

Marshall: Don't make it sound ridiculous. It's a cockamouse.

• Marshall: Oh, come on, you've got to give me aliens! Stonehenge, Area 51, there's alien crap all over the place!

Robin: You can't be serious.

Marshall: My friend, you just poked the bear.