Assignment 1

How I Met Your Mother

Season 6 Episodes 22-24
Kristina Harding
Figured World: a large group of people who all share the same ideals, interests, and ways of
communication.
Background Information: The figure world I am observing is the TV show How I Met Your Mother.
The purpose for this show is entertainment. This show follows a college professor in New York City who
is telling the story of how he came to meet the mother of his children. Through the series you we see how
their friendships are tested, their romantic relations, and how it is for a group of friends to live in New
York City. A large amount of the show takes place in an apartment shared by a number of them and a
booth in a bar, McLarens, located under the apartment.
Rules and Conventions: A rule that is often brought up in this show is the Bro Code which is a set of
social rules that is to be followed between male friends. The Bro Code is a literal set of rules in a book
owned by one of the actors, Barney Stinson. It often refers to how Bros should act in a number of
situations pertaining to women, partying, etc. A behavior that is brought up multiple times in this figure
world is the topic of whether or not it is okay to have a romantic relationship with a friend or your friends
ex. This is a common topic of discussion between Barney, Ted, and Robin since Robin has had romantic
relationships with both actors and infact has a pact with Ted where if neither of them are married by the
age of 30 they are to marry each other. Another behavior that is common in this program is that the In the
actors or the other customers typically can be loud or rowdy in the bar McLarens. The characters in How I
Met Your Mother often communicate face to face, calling, or texting. A community of practice that I
expect to see is Goliath National Bank because that is where three of the actors, Marshall, Barney Stinson,
and Ted Mosby, work. Another community of practice that is prominent in this tv series is Ted Mosbys
architecture class that he is the professor of.
Actors: Characters who play specific roles in their figured world. It is possible for actors to undertake in
two different roles in different situations or settings. Below are the main Actors that will be referred to in
the observation.
Robin: Plays the role of the tomboy in the group. She is a very independent woman who likes to
take charge and doesn't rely on men or relationships for self-purpose. Robin will often say her
opinions whether they are asked for or not. She can be very blunt and is often made fun of for her
weird quirks that can be traced back to her masculine Canadian upbringing. She is also a News
Anchor on Channel 3 news.
Ted: The narrator and the main character in this program. The nerd of the friend group. He often
brings up irrelevant dorky topics/facts that no one else in the group has any knowledge or interest
of. He is also the hired Architect for the new GNB building and the co project manager for the
whole GNB project. Ted is also the hopeless romantic of the group. He is constantly searching for
his soul mate and future mother to his children. He can be very emotional and dependent on his
significant other and relationships. He is also in a romantic relationship with Zoe.

Morgan Bittle 10/2/15 0:01

Comment [1]: Ted is basically the main
character for the show, so maybe make it
more obvious that he is the narrator. You
mention that he is searching for his soul
mate but maybe mention that he is the one
telling these stories to his children.
Overall, good start you got the essence of
Ted's personality!

Lily: Serves as the reliable friend. Lily is the person that all the other actors go to when they need
help and/or advice. She is the mom of the group that will most of the time try to keep things
under control and shoot down all of the crazy ideas that will come up in the group. But when she
does agree with or come up with a crazy idea it is usually a big one. Lily is also married to
Marshall and is a very loving and caring wife.
Marshall: Plays the role of the goof ball of the group. He is the one that comes up the bazar ideas
or can take the jokes too far and makes the situation awkward. Though Marshall tries to come
across as tough and intimidating he is actually just a big teddy bear that can get very emotional.
He is very passionate about the environment and Lily. He has a career as a lawyer and his dream
job is to be an environmental lawyer.
Zoe: Teds current girlfriend. (Though Ted is currently dating her she is not a large actor in the
program as a whole just through out my chosen area of observation of this figured world) She is a
landmark activist. Zoe is the lead protester for the group that is trying to preserve the Arcadian
and have it named as a landmark. She has a very spunky and hippy personality. She doesn't like
to put others wishes or wants before hers and has a hard time seeing others points of views.
Barney: Serves the role as the reckless and crazy friend. He has had sexual relations with
countless women and will do anything and assume any role to get women to bed. Barney holds a
high up position at GNB but no one in the group, or the audience, know what Barney actually
does for the company, and when asked about it he will typically respond with Pleaseee! He has
commitment and trust issues, which are represented, by his womanizer personality and how he
treats women, though Barney has had a serious long-term relationship with Robin in the past.
Artifacts: these are objects that hold or symbolize an emotional or memorable importance to the actors,
community of practice, or figured world.
Booth: The booth is a common gathering place for the group of friends. A large amount of the
program takes place in the bar. This is where the group of friends comes to socialize, relax,
gossip, or just catch up on each others days.
Orchids: Orchids are special to Ted and Zoe. It isnt a typical flower to bring on a date but it is
what Ted chooses to bring on their first date. It symbolizes their beginning and there growing
affection for each other.
Lionhead Stone Work: The lionhead stone work on the side of the Archadian is the whole reason
the building is such a monument. It creates a big inner struggle in Ted since it is a historic piece
of architecture history, but also his dream is to change the skyline of New York City which in
order to do that the old must come down to make room for the new.
Communities of Practice: a group of people who share the same interest, profession, or studies and
bands together to learn more about the topic. But for a community to become a community of practice
they must have a domain that they must participate in activities to further their understanding and
knowledge of that domain. They also share their experiences and ideas of the topics to help each other
grow in that specific domain.
Goliath National Bank (GNB): This is the company that Barney, Ted, and Marshall have all been
employed at. They refer to themselves as the world leader in credit and banking. They are a
ruthless company that do not bide by the rules and have been known to step on the little guy.

Mackenzie Goodwin 10/2/15 0:39

Comment [2]: Now I have watched some
episodes from "How I Met Your Mother"
and I do remember how Ted being the
hopeless romantic had flings with Robin
and other women he met. I don't really
remember this character though. So, I
would suggest maybe saying if she was in
the beginning of the season, middle or
end!

Protesters: The protesters are fighting to prevent the demolition of the Archadian. They believe
that the archadian should be named a landmark. They fight against Goliath National Bank and
want to prevent them from building their new headquarters in Arcadian's place.

Domain: the area of expertise or interest that a community of practice studies. A domain does not
necessarily have to be an area that most people would think you could be an expert in.
Landmarks: Throughout the observations a main conflict is whether or not a certain building
should be a landmark or not. Both sides widened their knowledge about landmarks and the
Arcadian to try and prove their point and defend their stance.
Relationships: The main topic of this program as a whole is how they are going to find love and
their soulmates. Many of the characters enter into serious long term relationships with whom they
think they will spend the rest of their lives with.

Morgan Bittle 10/2/15 0:10

Comment [3]: Landmarks is a good
domain for the episodes that you
observed. However, maybe also insert a
domain from the show as a whole. This
way it gives the reader an idea for the
shows entirety instead of just the select
episodes you observed. Just like the way
you had both for "practices of the
community."

Practices of the Community: any activity that the communities of practice part take in to widen their
understanding of their domain. This can entail them sharing experiences, stories, solutions to the
problems they faced, etc. through formal or informal conversations.
Searching for a soulmate: The plot of the entire show is the story of how Ted meets the the
mother of his children. So we follow him though his journey of how he found love. But its not
just Ted we follow the storyline of how all the actors find their ways in and out of love.
Destruction/Preservation of Archadian: A main subject that comes up in this program is whether
or not the Archadian should be preserved or if GNB should be allowed to tear it down.
Literacy Practices: common ways of both verbal and nonverbal communication in a figured world or
community of practice.
Texting/Calling: A common literacy practice in the program is communication through text and
phone calls. The group of friends often communicate to each other and people outside of their
group through these forms because of the convenience.
Socializing: Face to face verbal communications is a common occurrence in this friend group.
They often gather in common areas such as the booth at McLarens or their appartment and
exchange gossip, details about their days, or there current problems.
Observation 1:
0:00-3:30
Marshal quit his job at GNB and thought he was leaving with a good relationship with his boss but when
he gets to his interview at an environmental firm he finds out that his old boss gave him a bad
recommendation. Marshal gets mad after the disaster of an interview and on his way back to GNB to have
it out with his old boss he runs into Zoe who gives him an idea on how to really get back at them. Zoe is
protesting the tear down of Archadian and Ted was hired as the architect to rebuild the new GNB building
that is going in its place (Switches to the booth at Maclaren's) Barney announces that he has been put in
charge of deciding how they are going to tear down the old Archadian hotel. Lily asks Ted how he and
Zoe handle to topic of the Archadian and he response by explaining that they simply avoid the topic
completely. Zoe then walks into the bar and announces that Marshal was just hired as the lawyer to save
Archadian.

Morgan Bittle 10/2/15 0:14

Comment [4]: I appreciate the
commentary on the change of scene. This
is helpful to the reader who may other
wise be confused by the new situation. I
like that you noted where it was switched
to as well!

3:31-7:14
Barney and Marshal start to argue about Marshals new position against the company that he used to work
at and that Barney still works at. Barney is particularly angry due to the fact that he was the one who got
him the job at GNB. Robin and Lily realize that a random girl is trying to steal their booth from every
time someone leaves their seat. As his tactic to get at Barney Marshal gets in the way whenever Barney
tries to have romantic relations with a women. Barney starts messing with everyday things that Marshal
uses like in megaphone, water bottle, and jacket. Marshall and Barney get in a fight at the Maclarens and
gets the whole group banned from the bar. As they are being escorted out the random girl steals their
booth from Robin and Lily.
7:15-12:10
Robin and Lily decide that they need to help Marshal and Barney reconcile their differences by getting
them to drink but can't decide on what drink would have to right effect and doesn't make them act weird.
Ted realizes that Zoe is trying to ruin his dream and his life by turning his friends against each other,
which essentially got them kicked out of Maclarens. Ted decides to bring it up on their car ride to their
first romantic getaway though they agreed they wouldn't talk about it. Ted starts off arguing that she is
ruining his life long dream and turned his best friends against him. Zoe answers by saying that Marshal
made own choice and then points out that he is not made him. Teds reasoning for that is that Marshal is
going through a tough time with his job change and that Zoe took advantage of that.
12:11-18:30
Lily and Robin take Barney and Marshall to a strip club. They decide that the first drink needs to be a
drink that will get them fighting, which ends up being Gin. The gin gets both Barney and Marshall angry
and they begin to fight. (switches to car with Ted and Zoe). To prove that Ted is right he turns the car
around and takes Zoe to spend the night in The Archadian that he says is beautiful and magnificent and
promises if Zoe can last till morning he will join her side in saving Archadian. (switches back to the strip
club) Robin and Lily decide that Barney and Marshall now need a drink that will make them emotionally
vulnerable and they settle on whisky. Marshall and Barney then have a deep talk about Barneys
abandonment issues and Marshall not fulfilling his lifetime dream. Robin and Lily decides that they need
to get them having a fun time and the decide on daiquiris. (switches back to Archadian) Ted continues to
emphasises how gross and old Archadian is. (switches back to the strip club) Robin and Lily finally
decided that is time to get them to forgive and the perfect drink for that is brandy. But then they realize
that Barney and Marshall took shots of tequila and disappeared to Maclarens. (switches to Archadian)
Zoe explains to Ted that the reason she wants to save the building is that she used to live in arch and she
loved growing up there, then she further explains that it's a part of her and she wants him to like it too.
Ted and Zoe have a tender moment and they say I love you. (switches bar to Maclarens) Robin and
Lily find Barney and Marshall who finally forgave each other after the bartender gave them beer. The
bartender also banned them from Maclarens.
18:31-22:00
Ted finds the cock-a-mouse, which has now had babies, in Archadian which pushes Zoe over the edge
and she gives up and runs out of the room and head back to Teds apartment.
Barney and Marshall wake up still mad at each other. Robin and Lily remember then that they ordered
champagne to celebrate them forgiving each other and that made them black out and forget the whole

Mackenzie Goodwin 10/4/15 7:26

Comment [5]: This sentence has lots of
detail and is easy to understand. My only
issue is that since there is so much
information being provided I feel like it's
being shoved into one sentence. I feel like
the information will flow better if it was split
up into two sentences. Maybe start a new
sentence at the part where Ted is deciding
whether to bring up the topic to Zoe? Up to
you!
Mackenzie Goodwin 10/4/15 7:31
Comment [6]: This is a run-on sentence.
The new sentence should start before the
'decide'. I suggest you should start if off
like "They decide that they need..."and so
on. Just make sure throughout your
observations you check and make sure
you don't have run-on sentence!

night. Ted announces that he is on Zoe's side to save Archadian. Robin and Lily give up on trying to fix
the fight with drinks and return back to bar to try and reclaim their booth. They get the girls to leave the
booth with some of Barneys sabatash that he had planned on using on Marshall.
Observation 2:
0:00-9:00
They are at the Conference of New York Landmarks Preservation Commission's. Marshall is lecturing on
why we should save Arcadian saying that it has been watching over New York for years. Then Ted
comes up for GNB and is asked should Arcadian be a landmark. It flashed back to a couple of days earlier
as he says that the answer would have been clearly a yes, which would be huge because he is the lead
architect. Barney has isolated himself from the group cause both Ted and Marshal is now against him.
Barney tries bribing the group with hot wings, but Barney then comes over and apologizes for what he
said about Zoe and that he is not mad at Ted but Barney thinks that it is Zoe who is persuading him. He
continues to say that it is about the girl and Ted agrees because he thinks that she might be the mother of
her children. Barney says that he will make ted sorry. Author Hobs is going through a divorce and is upset
because his wife got custody of his dog. Barney goes ahead and asks Arthur if Ted were to say that the
Arcadian is a landmark if he would fire Ted and Author answers that he would fire both Ted and Barney
because barney put his name on the line when he gave Ted the job.
9:01-11:26
Barney tells Ted what Arthur told him and Ted says that he will still side with Zoe because he thinks that
Zoe could be the future mother of his children. Robin goes over the outcomes the three different outcomes
that she could see happening. The first being Ted says no the Arcadian is not a landmark and Zoe dumps
him on the spot. The second being Ted say yes which will make him happy for a couple of seconds but
then he will resent her and the building because it ruined his dream along with his and Barneys careers
and he will dump her. The third option Robin thinks is that Ted will get shot in the neck with a poisonous
dart by a ninja Zoes ex husband hired before he has time to say his answer. Robin finishes her argument
by saying that Ted and Zoe will inevitably break up but that Ted can still save his and Barneys
relationship and their careers. Ted responds by saying that he doesnt care that the odds are stacked
against them and that he would rather try then spend his life alone. Lilly also agrees with Ted but then
says that no matter what happens there will always be resentment by one of the other and then changes
her mind and sides with Robin.
11:27-15:00
That night Ted has a dream where the architect of Arcadian, who looks like Barney, visits him and tells
Ted not to try and save the Arcadian because it was unimportant and poorly built. Ted argues back and
says that it is not bothering anyone. The Barney version of the architect says that New York is never
finished and he is an architect so it is his job to put his print on the city. Ted realizes the Arcadian must go
cause it is his dream and duty as an architect to change to skyline of his city, even if it will ruin his
personal life. After Ted wakes up in the middle of the night he calls Zoe and asks her to meet him at
Arcadian. They dont stay for long and she says that it was nice to get one last look at what they are trying
to save before the big day, Ted agrees but isnt talking about the building but is referring to their
relationship.
15:01-16:00

Morgan Bittle 10/2/15 0:16

Comment [7]: It might be a good idea to
underline or bold the new observation.
This would be helpful and more noticeable
to the reader. It would also help with the
overall appearance to the page to help
give some depth.

Flashes back to present time with the chairman of the New York Landmark Preservations Committee
asking Ted if Arcadian should be a landmark. He freezes and then responds that Arcadian should not be a
landmark and that there are lots of important buildings in New York but not this one. Zoe storms up to the
stage and plays a recording of Ted saying that the Arcadian should be a landmark because of the lion head
stone work and that he hates working for GNB. The chairman asks if that is Ted on the recording and he
fesses up and says that it is.
16:01-22:00
(MacLarens) Ted cant believe Zoe kept that tap from him. And they all realize that Arcadian will most
likely be named a landmark after what happened. They dont know what to do and suggest buying a bar
and call it Courtroom but Lily stops the impulsive idea. Lily says they should work on finding a solution
but Robin says that everything is over. Marshal says if anyone will come with a plan it would be Lily.
Then Lily has an idea and shares it with everyone and they all agreed it was amazing (the plan isnt
shared with the audience). They all go to find Author who is walking his new replacement dog. Barney
explains to him that Marshall's wife has an idea on how to save not saving the Arcadian. Author starts
ranting angrily about what his wife did to him and how she took his dog, but then apologizes and listens
to Lily. Before explaining her idea she says her list of demands Her demands. Her first demand being that
Ted and Barney get to keep their jobs. The second is that either Ted or Barney get to push the button that
demolishes Arcadian. Lily starts to say her idea but Ted says for legal reasons he has to jump ahead to the
next night to when New Yorks Landmarks Preservation Committee was giving their verdict. The
chairman says that they declare Arcadian a landmark only because the lion head stone work. Everyone
from the one side that wanted to save Arcadian began to cheer, including Zoe. But then the chairman goes
on to say that the lion head stone work mysteriously disappeared last night so they have no reason to
declare it a landmark and officially say it is okay for GNB to tear it down. Ted tries to talk to Zoe after
and says that things have to fall apart to make room for better things and Zoe storms off. Ted calls Barney
and says that now that he and Zoe are most likely over Barney can say what he really thinks about her and
Barney says that she wasnt lying when she said the lions head from Arcadian made things looking more
regal, which they then show it hanging above Barneys bed.
Observation 3:
0:00-3:45
Opens at spring 2011 after Ted and Zoe broke up and GNB announced the design Ted made for their new
building. Then Ted expresses how he keeps butting heads with his assistant project manager, Barney, and
they cant decide on who gets to push the button that destroys the Arcadian. Robin tries to explain to them
that it is just a button. Ted changes the subject and tells the group that he ran into Zoe yesterday and how
she is still unemployed and had to find roommates. Zoe then said that she wanted to get coffee and said
that she wanted to get back together. Ted says yes because he feels bad for her because of how poorly her
life is going after Arcadian got deemed not a landmark. Marshal is still having a hard time finding a new
job so Lily surprised him with his favorite soup from his favorite soup place that has a get sick get a free
gallon of soup policy. As Lily introduces the new class pet to her students, cause Mr. Buttons 1 died, she
gets sick from the soup and tries to call Marshal before he eats the soup. Lily storms out of her class to
run home and warn Marshal and gets there just as he is about to eat his third bowl. Marshal is surprised
and asks why he shouldnt eat the soup just as Lily gets sick again.
3:46-5:00

It is a big day for Barney and Ted cause one of them will get to push the button to destroy Arcadian
today. Barney says it will be legendary adjacent for Ted since he will be standing next to Barney as he
pushes the button. Ted is talking to Furman, the lead construction worker who calls Ted hotshot, and
expresses how he doesnt like being called hotshot but goes on discussing how Ted is in charge of picking
out 50,000 light bulbs, which then stresses Ted out. Barney says Ted shouldnt stress cause anything new
is always better which is Barneys oldest rule which makes it the best rule. Ted says that doesnt make
any sense and that Barney is always coming up with new rules.
5:01-8:00
Marshal says Lily got food poisoning from the soup, that he ate three hours later, to the whole group,
which means he can see into his future and it doesnt look good. Marshal tried helping Lily but she makes
a weird noise when she gets sick that sounds like a pterodactyl and Marshal realizes that he can do
anything his last 3 hours. So that is what he is doing. Marshal has his last meal, which are McLarens
famous jalapeno peppers. Marshal then gets emotional and goes back up to their apartment. Lily asks if
Marshal told the group that she got food poisoning, because you are supposed to say under the weather
cause stomach stuff is gross. Marshal lies and said that he told them that Lily has the sniffles. (Changes to
McLarens) Barney is talking to the group about what is most likely coming out of Lily right now. Barney
says that since he got Ted the job Barney should be able to push the button that will destroy Arcadian, and
Ted gives in and says he has to leave. Marshal gets a call from a law firm who wants to give him an
interview and he agrees to do it right before the time that he is supposed to get sick.
8:01-14:00
Ted left his phone at the bar and Robin sees a text from Zoe that says See you in an hour. Robin and
Barney then realize that they are going to get back together. Barney doesnt understand why Ted would
get back together with Zoe because Ted is doing great, but Robin says that the light bulbs are stressing
him out so he is running back to her. Robin then goes on to explain that Ted has run back to girls for less
like an empty whipped cream can, help with sunburn, news segment on two pandas that are expecting a
baby. Marshal say he has a two hour window for the interview but gets prepared if he gets sick early by
practicing running to the toilet, lining the inside of his suitcase, and asks his elderly neighbor for an adult
diaper. Robin and Barney agree they have to stop Ted, they read the next text from Zoe, which says to
meet at the intersection from their first date. Barney and Robin go to Lily for help who finds out which
intersection based on Ted's voicemail. Barney calls his driver to try and get ahead of Ted. Marshal is at
his interview for his new job at an environmentally friendly law firm and the interviewer comes in
smelling like sewage because of his current case, which makes Marshal feel sicker. Barney and Robin are
in the car saying how they both thought that Ted and Zoe were a train wreck and how they were almost as
bad as Robin and Barney, then they say how bad both of them got by the end of their relationship. Robin
goes on to say that she gets why Ted would want to run back to Zoe and asks Barney if he thinks Ted
really did love Zoe and Barney asks if she thinks that Zoe really loved Ted (not talking about Ted and
Zoe, actually talking about their previous relationship) Back to Marshall's interview, the interviewer
shows Marshal the anti-environmental things that they helped stop that makes Marshal feel sicker. Barney
and Robin get to the intersection and neither Ted nor Zoe is there. Then they meet a stranger who has a
smoothie from The Intersection, a caf.
14:01-17:15
Barney and Robin find Zoe sitting alone and Ted who is still picking out the perfect orchid. Marshal is
still being shown pictures of environmental atrocities at the interview then he panics and says he has to
leave because he has food poisoning and storms out. Robin and Barney tackle Ted as he is coming out of

the flower shop. Barney and Robin ask him why he is doing this and Ted starts to rant about how he only
got the job cause Barney gave it to him and how he is stressed over the light bulb decision. Robin says
that he cant run to his past cause it is familiar and Barney says it will be a mistake no matter how
tempting it is (Robin and Barney are again talking about themselves) Ted knows they are right so he gives
the orchids to an old lady and asks her to give them to Zoe and tell her that he is sorry. The old lady
accidently gives the flowers to the wrong girl in the caf.
17:16-22:00
Marshal comes home from the interview and rants about how this whole year has sucked first with his
dad dying and then being unemployment fro 5 months and now he ruined his shot of getting his dream job
and is about to get sick. Marshal turns down Lilys comforting and decided to try and take a nap before he
gets sick. And he slept to the next day and in the morning and Lily tells him that he didnt get sick and
she did cause she is pregnant. Ted, Barney, and Robin are at the destruction of the Arcadian and the
construction worker asks Barney and hot shot who is going to do the honors. Barney gives it to Ted
because he has earned it by not running back to his past. Ted blows up Arcadian and watches it go down.
Robin and Barney are walking and she says how she is proud that Barney gave Ted the button and they
then run into Nora and he asks her to a cup of coffee. Barney says he was such a jerk to her that she can
spend the whole time calling him every dirty name in the book. She says she speaks 4 languages and is
going to need more than 20 min. Barney says he will call her and that she looks beautiful. As Robin looks
on she realizes that she is in love with barney. Flashes forward to a wedding where Lily come out and
says that the best man is needed, and Ted gets up to go see why. Ted then walks in and asks how he can
help the groom. The audience then sees that Barney is the groom and he asks Ted what he thinks about
his tie.
Interview Questions:
Interviewee: Morgan Bittle
1. Tell me what you like about watching How I Met Your Mother.
How its real life but comical, following their lives and the stories Ted tells and waiting to figure out who
the mother is.
2. What do you think about the show having emotional moments and hardships though it is meant to
be an upbeat comedy?
I think there is a good balance to keep it light hearted but still represents reality, which isnt always
happy.
3. What do you think about the relativity of the actors in the show?
The actors are very relatable, genuine group if friends, fun stories makes you want to be them when you
are older.
4. Tell me what stands out to you about the different relationships presented in this program.
Representative of each person, Marshall and lily married, barney player, ted looking for someone, shows
a wide range of people which makes the show more relatable because everyone knows someone like that.
5. Tell me what concerns you about the morals and values that are displayed through the characters
actions.

Mackenzie Goodwin 10/4/15 7:58

Comment [8]: I think you should add the
name of the person you interviewed, so
that it looks like more of a professional
interview!

Nothing necessary concerns me, that's how people are, makes characters relatable because of their
different morals.
6. Reflect on why you think this group of friends is as close as they are.
They do everything together, with each other constantly talking about what happened to them and their
past, have such an open relationship.