Kids, the secret to dating is very simple:
be confident, be comfortable in your skin,
be assured of who you are.
Barney was really good at that last one,
even though a lot of the time who he was was someone else.
Hi. Do you see that guy over there in the scuba suit?
You thinking of going and talking to him?
Good. He's seriously the biggest jerk on the face of the earth.
- How do you know him? - He's one of my best friends.
- So what's with the scuba suit? - Well, it's a long story.
He just went through a breakup...
There's two basic philosophies of how to handle yourself after a breakup.
Some people throw themselves into...
My career. That's my number one focus right now.
From now on, no more dating.
Just work.
While others{\throw themselves into}...
Every woman in New York City.
That's right, Barney Stinson is back on the market.
Mothers, lock up your daughters.
Daughters, lock up your milswancas.
- Milswancas? - Wait, I can get this.
Mothers I'd like to sleep with and never call again.
Correct! Circle gets the square.
Don't you think you're kinda rushing back into this?
Lily, since I started dating Robin, there's a certain
thing haven't used as much as I would like to.
It's... Kinda big,
surprisingly heavy,
kind of leathery, and it's black.
This, my friends...
Is the Playbook.
Synchro: ShalimarFox, -Titou-
.:: La Fabrique ::.
The Playbook contains every scam, con, hustle,
hoodwink, gambit, flimflam,
stratagem and bamboozle I've ever used...
or ever hope to use... To pick up chicks
and give them the business.
You wrote another book?
We got a... Stephen King over here.
It's all in here.
Everything from basic moves like "the don't drink that."
Don't drink that. I saw some guy slip something in there.
What? Who?
That guy.
Thank you.
To more advanced maneuvers like "the Mrs. Stinsfire."
Now kappas, after our disciplinary hearing
for lewd behavior last semester,
we have been assigned a new housemom.
I'd like you to meet mrs. Stinsfire.
Hello, girls!
I can't picture a way that wouldn't work.
What's "the Lorenzo Von Matterhorn"?
I'm glad you asked.
"the Lorenzo Von Matterhorn" will be
my grand return to the stage.
Or you know, the bed.
Actually, my bed is kind of on a stage.
I put a platform and got some lights.
It's a real production. Barney exits!
How about you? You getting back out there?
- Where is your Playbook? - My Playbook?
Bro, two-volume set, right here.
- It's a great read actually. - Yeah, I'm reading it right now.
I told you, I'm taking a break from all that.
- Marshall, it's totally gonna happen. - So gonna happen.
- What? - You're gonna fall in love.
So soon.
Not likely. I'm focusing on my career.
- I'm done with dating. - Okay, we playing the pyramid?
"Things people say right before they meet the love of their life."
Kelly Harris, girl I went to law school with said...
Law school's so hard, I just want to focus on my studies.
Six months later?
Married!
That's all w...
Travis Frenchroy, backup bartender tells me...
I'm so over the whole dating game.
I just want to focus on my Star Trek fan fiction.
Six months later...
Married!
May I respond?
That's all well and good for...
Matthew Blitz, accountant at my office says...
I'm gonna die single and alone.
I might as well just focus on this year's taxes.
Six months later?
City union and planning to get married pending the passage of legislation
currently on the floor of the NY sate senate.
Protest all you want, but it's gonna happen.
- It's a law of nature. - Lawyered. Of nature.
I'd love to have no interest in a relationship.
There's no way I'd be single right now if I wanted to be single.
- Okay, now you're ready. - Ready for what?
Three years ago, this girl Shelly started teaching at my school.
The moment I saw her, I was like,
"this is the girl for Ted."
Why am I just hearing about her now?
You know, I usually hate being set up
but this Ted just sounds so great.
He is. He's so sweet and thoughtful and intelligent.
Come on! One more chicken finger and the crown is yours!
I don't see him anywhere. He must be out doing charity work.
So, different bar?
That girl with Lily's pretty cute!
Yeah, she was cute.
Yeah, still is. And now you're ready.
Bro, now you can fit like, three times as many chicken fingers in your mouth.
- You know it. - OK, I will set it up,
but promise me you won't do anything stupid.
I promise I won't do anything stupid.
And I kept that promise.
But only because...
She never showed up.
- I know. I'm sorry, I feel terrible. - You should feel terrible!
- I do feel terrible! I do! - You should!
- I do, I do! - You should! You should!
I don't.
Look, I was really looking forward to meeting Ted,
but I got to the bar an hour early
and I met this amazing guy.
Like, seriously amazing.
And you met him at Maclaren's?
- Yeah, right at the bar. - What's his name?
I shouldn't say.
What the heck. It's Lorenzo Von Matterhorn!
You son of a bitch.
So, he hooked up with Shelly? You must've been pissed.
Damn straight.
Barney, I've had Shelly set aside for Ted for three years.
Dude, Ted was not missing out.
She's brainy and annoying,
kind of boring in the sack.
I guess she would've been perfect for Ted.
Had I known that she was there to meet Ted,
of course I wouldn't have done it, but...
Given the circumstances, I think Ted'll be proud of me.
I pulled off "the Lorenzo Von Matterhorn."
Okay, what's the Lorenzo Von Matterhorn?
My question exactly.
- What's the Lorenzo Von Matterhorn? - Glad you asked.
To perform the Lorenzo Von Matterhorn,
here's what you'll need: basic knowledge of web site design
and a very unique fake name.
So, think of your fake name right now.
Have you got it? Good.
Now, select your target.
Preferably a girl with a real nice...
Phone.
Yeah, it's me.
Do I know you?
I'm Lorenzo Von Matterhorn.
Are you, like, famous or something?
You really don't know who I am, do you?
What a refreshing change of pace.
Nice to meet you...
Once again, I'm Lorenzo Von Matterhorn.
Spelled like it sounds, two "t"s.
Ciao.
Then, as soon as you're gone, she gets out her phone
and does an internet search for Lorenzo Von Matterhorn.
And that's when she discovers...
A series of fake web sites,
all devoted to the incredible life
of Lorenzo Von Matterhorn.
There's the fake business article about him, the reclusive billionaire.
The fake explorers club newsletter describing
his balloon trek to the north pole as a feat of pure daring and imagination.
The fake medical journal featuring the heartbreaking story of doctors
telling him penis reduction surgery isn't an option.
And by the time you get back...
Hi, Shelly, I hate to be forward,
but can I buy you a cup of coffee?
Please.
What does coffee go for these days, $50?
And it is on.
That's awful.
You realize you broke her heart, right?
She's inconsolable.
Why would she be inconsolable?
Lorenzo's balloon won't disappear over the arctic for another week.
She would be upset only if someone told her it was a bunch of lies.
- It was all just a bunch of lies? - It was all just a bunch of lies.
- The balloon expedition? - Lies!
The man-made island shaped like his face off the coast of Dubai?
- Lies! - Finishing 3 in laser tag competion?
Li... actually, that one's true. I went to that.
- You went to the Vatican? - Lies!
Oh, my god!
Well, I hope you're happy with yourself.
- What? - You broke that girl's heart.
- Me? - You!
She'll probably never trust a guy again.
You ruined her for Ted.
Not to mention Julio Von Matterhorn,
Lorenzo's twin brother.
Can you believe that? He blames me!
And by the way, Ted, I bet she'd still go out with you.
Let me think. Do I want to go out with a girl Barney hooked up with?
Guys, help me out with the harmonies.
- Hell no... - Hell no...
You must be a little bothered by this.
It's his life.
If these girls are dumb enough to fall for this crap,
- they have it coming. - Agreed.
Have you seen the one in there labeled "the SNASA"?
You're an astronaut?
I'm actually in a top secret government space program
called secret NASA
or SNASA.
SNASA.
Do you go to the moon?
Well, not the moon you're familiar with, though I have been to the...
smoon.
The smoon.
If you fall for that one, my heart breaks for you,
but I'm sorry, you're a smoron.
So, what happens next?
Well...
Come on, Barney, you just...
You just got out of an honest to God relationship.
You're a real boy now.
You can't go back to these cheap tricks.
Cheap tricks?!
Not one of these is a cheap trick.
Except for "the Cheap Trick".
I'm the bass player for Cheap Trick.
And even that one involves expensive hair extensions.
Now, if you don't mind,
I'm off to prepare for tonight's main event.
I will be performing "the he's not coming".
Glad you asked.
To perform "the he's not coming", here's what you'll need,
the observation deck of the Empire State Building.
Are you up there?
Good.
For generations, this has been the spot New Yorkers have chosen
for their romantic reunions with long-estranged lovers,
so all you have to do is walk up to every girl you see and say...
He's not coming.
- What are you talking about? - Never mind.
He's not coming.
She's not coming?
Sorry.
Until sooner or later...
He's not coming.
He's not?
But we agreed.
We always said we'd meet here.
On this night.
I'm such a fool.
I'm going to go get the paper.
- More like, go get a husband. - Totally.
You guys need to stop that, seriously.
The last thing I am looking for right now is a relationship.
When you pick up newspaper, be sure to check the wedding announcements.
For yours.
Robin, it's like this.
Do you have any idea how many times I've gone to the freezer
looking for frozen waffles and not found them?
- Thousands? - Millions.
But when I go to the freezer looking for a popsicle...
Or the remote control because we are having a fight
and she's hidden it there... You know what I find?
Frozen waffles. That's how it works.
You go out there looking for a paper, you're coming back with frozen waffles.
And, in this case, frozen waffles is a guy.
Also,
could you pick up some frozen waffles?
In that case, frozen waffles...
are frozen waffles.
Guys, code red! Emergency.
Lockdown. Nobody's leaving.
- What happened? - I tried the "he's not coming",
and it worked. Gangbusters.
You should have seen this girl.
I'm leaving.
We get up to my place, and I go into my room to set up the camera...
To light the candles...
And when I come out,
she's gone, and so is the playbook!
I think we all know who is responsible for this.
We do.
Al-Qaeda.
You idiot.
It was me.
You son of a bitch.
You stole the playbook?
So, the girl on the Empire State Building?
A friend of mine, an actress.
An actress.
Of course.
That explains her impeccable diction and her sluttiness.
Barney, I've got half a mind to take that playbook
and put it up on the internet for the whole world to see.
- You wouldn't. - I won't,
as long as you agree to no more scams,
no more cons, no more hustles, no more hoodwinks,
no more gambits, no more stratagems and no more bamboozles.
- I notice you left out flimflams. - No flimflams!
Damn it.
My God.
I'm sorry to interrupt, but look at this.
I got left at the altar.
My god, that's horrible.
I wonder if that would work.
That's not even the worst one in here.
Have you guys seen "my penis grants wishes"?
Really?
- A genie comes out of it? - Only if you rub it hard enough.
- So, then, what happened? - It says here he breaks into song,
and then the furniture comes to life and dances with him.
It's not very well thought out. It's no "Mrs. Stinsfire".
What happened in real life?
Well, a few hours later...
I heard it was gonna rain.
If anyone's interested, I will be at MacLaren's pub
performing a play out of the Playbook entitled "The Scuba Diver".
That is all.
That's it.
I'm putting the Playbook up on the internet.
Can you put the Playbook up on the internet?
Of course, baby, but here's the weird thing.
I have literally been through this book cover to cover.
There is no play called "The Scuba Diver".
So, now you guys want to know what "The Scuba Diver" is.
Well,
it was on the last page of the Playbook,
but I ripped it out just in case.
Don't worry. You're about to see it in action.
See this blond?
Tizzarget acquizzired.
- Barney, don't do this. - Give it a rest, pest.
If anyone should be mad, should be Robin.
- She loves the Playbook. - I don't love the Playbook.
What are you talk...
The Playbook, it's gold. You gotta admit it's spectacular.
Look, Barney, we just broke up.
I mean, the costumes are cute but...
We just broke up.
I didn't know you felt that way.
I guess I've been so wrapped up in my own stuff that I...
Crap, she's looking over here. Quick, everyone, scatter.
That's it.
You see that guy over there in the scuba suit?
And that brings us to right now.
But... Wait.
So, why is he wearing scuba gear?
We don't know.
And it's killing us, Claire. It's killing us!
Let's go ask him.
So, what's "The Scuba Diver"?
And this is Claire, by the way.
I'm Lieutenant Frank Lyman.
I train bomb sniffing dolphins for the balt...
You know what?
I can't do this.
I am so sorry.
This breakup's been tougher on me than I thought.
This Playbook was just a way to take my mind off of things.
It's okay. It's been tough on me, too.
I mean, look at me. I've sworn off relationships.
- She getting married. - Gotta work on my toast.
Gotta make sure my tux fits.
I will bang your heads together like coconuts.
I'm so glad you're stopping this.
And, frankly,
the real Barney is way cooler
than any of the fake Barneys in this Playbook.
Is that right?
Claire, you've probably heard a lot about the real Barney tonight.
- Want to grab a cup of coffee? - Claire, before you turn him down,
I think you should know
that under this neoprene suit
with what appears to be a tube sock stuffed in the crotch...
- Can of Pringles, but go on. - ... is an amazing guy.
He's fun and one of my best friends.
And he landed this hottie.
He's a good guy.
- Come on, go out with him. - It's just a cup of coffee, right?
All right. Let's get some coffee.
And by the end of the night...
I'm proud of him.
To be that vulnerable takes a lot of Pringles.
I got a text from Barney.
"Look under the table."
It's a page from the Playbook.
What does it say?
It's "The Scuba Diver".
One: tell a meddlesome female friend about the Playbook.
Two: run a play on one of her coworkers, making her so angry she steals it.
Three:
put on the scuba suit and tell her you gonna do "The Scuba Diver"
on the hot girl standing by the bar. Your friend, let's call her Lily...
talks to the girl and tells her everything about the book.
Here's where it gets tricky. When they ask what "The Scuba Diver" is,
take off your mask, give them spiel about your deep-seated insecurities
which don't exist, because you're awesome.
Then, Lily talks you up to the girl who agrees to go get coffee with you.
And it...
is...
on.
You son of a bitch.
I'll give you a call.
All right. Bye-bye.
For those of you keeping score, "The Ted Mosby" works.
Here we go. You say you don't want a relationship.
The love of your life is about to walk through the door
and it's...
that guy.
- I'm not falling in love with that guy. - Right, because it's going to be...
That guy.
I don't know. The blue blazer's just not doing it for me...
You're right, It's that guy!
You should give her a chance.
Make out with her a little, see if there's something there.
- I'm going to work. - Yeah, you are.
I'm actually gonna work.
- Go, work it. - And the ironic part was...
Robin?
- Don, your new cohost. - That was the day she met Don.
Damn it, Marshall.