Recap / How I Met Your Mother S 2 E 07 Swarley

Air Date: November 6, 2006

Marshall goes on his first date since the break up with Lily much to her dismay. Barney gets a new nickname much to his dismay.

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The episode provides examples of:

• Accidental Misnaming: Chloe mistakenly writes on Barney's coffee "Swarley", which spawns the Running Gag of the day. She does it again with Robin, calling her "Roland".
• Call-Back:
  • Early in the episode Marshall mentions Chloe likes Billy Joel. When they walk into the apartment during their date, she finishes demonstrating she memorized all the lyrics to "We Didn't Start the Fire".
  • Ted notes that he found Marshall and Lily making up in the same spot he found a heartbroken Marshall six months earlier.
• The Cameo: This episode features former Joss Whedon alumni Morena Baccarin and Tom Lenk.
• Clingy Jealous Girl: Lily gets it big time.
• Coy, Girlish Flirt Pose: Used in two examples:
  • Chloe leaves several hints that she is into Marshall because she laughs everytime Marshall repeats the "Shrunk Pumpkin in his pumpkin latte" "joke".
    Ted: Ok, there's two reasons she would laugh. One, it's the first joke she has ever heard, or two, she likes you.
  • Chloe draws a heart on Marshall's cup (which she didn't do for the other cups), and then gives him a free Pumpkin Latte with her phone number.
  • A Male version: Ted suggests Marshall doing "The Look" with the big head down, Puppy-Dog Eyes, hands in the pockets, shoulders up, head slightly tilted up to give a sense of vulnerability. Lampshaded by a conversation between Ted and Robin:
    Robin: I love that look. I think I slept with you because of that look. And it's fake?
    Ted: Oh, and you biting your lip shyly looking away and thrusting your chest out is natural?
    Robin: Yeah, I hear ya.
• Cute and Psycho: This is the whole center of the "Crazy Eyes" theory.
• Embarrassing Nickname: "Swarley" becomes this for Barney, as the others take opportunity to exploit this new gag.
• Know When to Fold 'Em: After the Cheers gag, Barney pauses... and when leaves the bar, head hung low.
• Properly Paranoid: Marshall thinks Ted and Barney are ridiculous for thinking Chloe is crazy. Turns out she kinda is. When Marshall forgets about her in the apartment while he makes up with Lily and goes out for beers with the gang, she trashes the apartment and waits all evening for him to return. She then proclaims she couldn't find her keys with a sweet smile on her face, introduces herself to Robin, and leaves.
• Punctuated! For! Emphasis!: Ted's story of a girl with crazy eyes involves the pair of them almost getting hit by a car. He politely waves the driver off, but his girlfriend grabs a sledgehammer and bashes the car, yelling "WATCH! WHERE! YOU'RE! GOING!"
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: The "Crazy Eyes" are depicted this way.
• Running Gag: The gang make a long-term plan on how to mock "Swarley".
• Secondary Character Title: Barney is the titular "Swarley".
• Shout-Out:
  • The episode opens with Ted, Marshall and Barney hanging out at a coffee shop.
    (The three all silent looking bored)
    Ted: So I guess this decides it...
    Marshall: Yeap.
    Barney: Hanging out at a coffee place is not nearly as much fun as hanging out at a bar.
  • The final scene is a reference to Cheers, when everybody yells "Swarley!" when Barney enters the bar. The theme song to Cheers is then played on a boombox, and the camera angle changes to show the same bar set-up and framing for the main interior bar-shots featured in Cheers. Additionally, the closing credits are done in the same font and color, and the closing theme is done in a similar style to the Cheers theme.
• Slasher Smile: Girls with "Crazy Eyes" are depicted doing this.
• Take That!:
  • Fun fact, the above Friends Shout-Out? Unintentional dig.
  • "She likes Italian, I also like Italian, she likes Billy Joel, I also like... music..."
• Tempting Fate:
  Barney: Oh please don't start calling me Swarley!
• Yandere: Lily becomes jealous, to the point of chasing Chloe and trying to prevent Marshall and her from hooking up.
• You Are Fat: Lily is thinking about Marshall's date "she's not fat but doesn't mean anything". This is the second fat shaming episode in a row.