 |
| "I Heart NJ" | |
|---|---|
| How I Met Your Mother episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 4 Episode 3 |
| Directed by | Pamela Fryman |
| Written by | Greg Malins |
| Production code | 4ALH04 |
| Original air date | October 6, 2008 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"I Heart NJ" is the third episode in the fourth season of the television series How I Met Your Mother and 67th overall. It originally broadcast, in the US, on October 6, 2008.
Ted complains about having to travel to New Jersey to see Stella at her home. She is often asleep by the time he gets there, and he is missing important moments with his friends. Stella suggests the group come to New Jersey for a night out, and Ted talks his friends into it despite their reservations. He looks forward to Stella moving in with him in Manhattan after they are married.
Robin is sick of her job, which consists of reporting pointless stories and making bad puns about them. After being offered a major anchor job, she immediately accepts and makes her farewell broadcast, reciting a terrible speech written by Ted.
On Saturday, Ted, Marshall, Lily and Barney head to New Jersey. Stella's babysitter cancels at the last minute, so to their dismay they have to stay in Stella's basement. Barney makes a bad joke and solicits a fist bump, but everyone refuses. He stubbornly declares that he will not lower his arm until someone fist bumps him, even despite a growing cramp later on.
Robin arrives and explains that she only got an audition, not the actual anchor job. After being intimidated by the more experienced candidates at the audition, she says she has to go back to her old job. Lily and Barney try to dissuade her by reminding her how humiliating it was there, and Robin relents. Ted is shocked to find Stella expects him to move to New Jersey rather than moving to Manhattan with him, as she feels the city is not a safe place to raise her daughter Lucy. She asks Ted to go get some beer at the local store, where he and Marshall debate the merits of living in New Jersey. Marshall seems open to it, but Ted dislikes the idea.
When Ted and Marshall return, Ted confronts Stella about moving to New Jersey. They get into an argument comparing New York to New Jersey. Lily suggests that Stella will grow to love New York just like Marshall did. Marshall reveals that he actually hates New York, which feels cramped for someone of his large stature, much to Lily's shock. Ted refuses to relent, and Stella storms out. Ted goes to find her and finds Lucy, who was woken up by the argument. Ted reads Lucy a bedtime story and, realizing that Stella has to put her first, agrees to move to New Jersey.
Robin calls her old studio and asks for her job back. Her producer agrees, but only if she can make it to the studio in time for the broadcast in half an hour. She steals Lucy's bicycle and sets off, performing a number of increasingly improbable stunts in order to make it to the studio in time. After her first story contains a terrible pun, she decides she was right to quit and leaves. Barney and Lily watch the broadcast happily and Lily fist bumps Barney for helping her help Robin. Barney quickly makes another bad joke and asks for a high five, which he does not receive, keeping his hand raised until he receives one, and continues to ask when the group gets to the bar. Robin reveals she did not get the job she auditioned for but was offered another, and is going to move to Japan. Barney, shocked, lowers his hand.
 | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2015) |
Donna Bowman of The A.V. Club rated the episode B+. [1] IGN gave the episode 7.8 out of 10. [2] Cindy McLennan of Television Without Pity rated the episode with a grade C+. [3] Alan Sepinwall of The Star-Ledger was rather critical of the episode stating: "What bothered me about "I Heart NJ" was that it took Ted's simplistic view of Jersey and seemed to apply such broad, black and white thinking to everything." [4] Joel Keller, who hails from New Jersey, also expressed disgust at the episode. [5]
How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays for CBS. The series, which aired from September 19, 2005, to March 31, 2014, follows main character Ted Mosby and his group of friends in New York City's Manhattan. As a frame story, Ted recounts to his daughter Penny and son Luke the events from September 2005 to May 2013 that led to him meeting their mother.
"We're Not from Here" is the second episode in the third season of the television series How I Met Your Mother and 46th overall. It originally aired on CBS on October 1, 2007 and was directed by Pamela Fryman.
"Miracles" is the 20th and final episode of the third season of the CBS television series How I Met Your Mother and 64th overall. It was written by series creators Craig Thomas and Carter Bays, and directed by Pamela Fryman. It originally aired on May 19, 2008.
"Shelter Island" is the fifth episode in the fourth season of the television series How I Met Your Mother and 69th overall. It originally aired on October 20, 2008.
"The Fight" is the tenth episode in the fourth season of the television series How I Met Your Mother, and the 74th episode overall. It originally aired on December 8, 2008.
"Three Days of Snow" is the 13th episode in the fourth season of the television series How I Met Your Mother and 77th overall. It originally aired on January 19, 2009.
"The Front Porch" is the 17th episode in the fourth season of the television series How I Met Your Mother and 81st overall. It originally aired on March 16, 2009.
"Rabbit or Duck" is the 15th episode of the fifth season of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother and 103rd episode overall. It originally aired on February 8, 2010. In a nod to CBS hosting that year's Super Bowl, the episode features NFL commentators Jim Nantz and Phil Simms in guest appearances as themselves.
"Say Cheese" is the 18th episode of the fifth season of the CBS situation comedy How I Met Your Mother and 106th episode overall. It originally aired on March 22, 2010.
"Twin Beds" is the 21st episode of the fifth season of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother and 109th episode overall. It aired May 3, 2010.
"The Over-Correction" is the tenth episode of the eighth season of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, and the 170th episode overall.
"P.S. I Love You" is the 15th episode of the eighth season of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, and the 175th episode overall.
"The Ashtray" is the 17th episode of the eighth season of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, and the 177th episode overall. It originally aired on CBS in the United States on February 18, 2013. In the episode, Ted, Robin and Lily recount their previous encounter with George "The Captain" Van Smoot at an art gallery, with the former two recalling events inaccurately due to their then inebriated frame of mind. Written by series creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas and directed by Pamela Fryman, the episode featured guest appearances by Kyle MacLachlan as The Captain, Laura Bell Bundy as Becky and Becky Baeling as Shelly.
"Romeward Bound" is the 21st episode of the eighth season of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, and the 181st episode overall.
"Something New" is the 24th and final episode of the eighth season of the American sitcom How I Met Your Mother, and the 184th episode overall. The episode aired on CBS on May 13, 2013. This was the episode that finally introduced the titular character of The Mother, played by Cristin Milioti.
"The Locket" is the first episode of the ninth season of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, and the 185th episode overall.
"The Broken Code" is the fourth episode of the ninth season of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, and the 188th episode overall.
"Knight Vision" is the sixth episode of the ninth season of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, and the 190th episode overall.
"Platonish" is the ninth episode of the ninth season of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, and the 193rd episode overall.