The Chain of Screaming

Episode aired Apr 14, 2008
TV-PGTV-PG
22m

8.0/10

S3.E15

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Neil Patrick Harris and Jason Segel in How I Met Your Mother (2005)

Comedy Romance

Marshall cries in front of his boss after he chews him out, and everybody gives Marshall their own unique advice on how to confront his boss about the situation.Marshall cries in front of his boss after he chews him out, and everybody gives Marshall their own unique advice on how to confront his boss about the situation.Marshall cries in front of his boss after he chews him out, and everybody gives Marshall their own unique advice on how to confront his boss about the situation.

8.0/10

Director
- Pamela Fryman
Writers
- Carter Bays
- Craig Thomas
- Joe Kelly(executive story editor)
Stars

Top credits

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Neil Patrick Harris, Alyson Hannigan, and Jason Segel in How I Met Your Mother (2005)

Avner Garbi and Jason Segel in How I Met Your Mother (2005)

Bob Odenkirk and Jason Segel in How I Met Your Mother (2005)

Jordan Black and Jason Segel in How I Met Your Mother (2005)

Marshall's immediate superior, nicknamed Artillery Arthur, is so named because he often, out of nowhere, will launch into a screaming tirade on an unsuspecting person. He's only one of the reasons that Marshall hates his job. Having never been screamed at like Arthur has just done to him (in this case for not finishing a report by the deadline), Marshall reacts surprisingly. He asks for advice from his friends on how to handle his feelings associated with being screamed at. Barney thinks the only way for the universe to work is for Marshall to complete the chain of screaming: scream at someone else, they who in turn will scream at another person, and so on until someone eventually screams at the original screamer. Marshall instead decides to take Lily's advice and reason with Arthur. Marshall's reasoning doesn't come out quite the way he planned. Meanwhile, Ted buys a new car that he doesn't want anyone to get dirty or to move from its prime parking spot. —Huggo

neil patrick harris character canadian abroad character calls shotgun

Genres
- Comedy
- Romance
Certificate
- TV-PG
Parents guide
- Add content advisory

Trivia
Many "How I Met Your Mother" cast members real life partners also appear on the show. Alyson Hannigan's (Lily) husband Alexis Denisof as Sandy Rivers (Robin's Metro News One Co-Host), Neil Patrick Harris' (Barney) future husband David Burtka as Scooter (Lily's High School boyfriend) and Cobie Smulders' (Robin) future husband Taran Killam as Blauman (Barney's Co-worker).

Goofs
At the beginning of the episode we hear Barney's voice saying, "Ted, this is New York City..." but we actually see Lily's mouth moving (Barney is not initially in the shot and the J-Cut replaces Lily's dialogue so that Lily's mouth moves but she says nothing).

Quotes
Barney Stinson: That's why there's a little thing in corporate America I like to call the chain of screaming
Marshall Eriksen: The chain of screaming?
Barney Stinson: Yes. The chain of screaming starts at the top. Arthur's boss's boss screams at Arthur's boss. Arthur's boss screams at Arthur. Arthur screams at you. You go home and scream at Lily. Lily screams at one of the kids in her kindergarten class. Then that kid screams at her dad: Arthur's boss's boss. And the whole thing starts all over again; thus completing the circle of screaming
Ted Mosby: I thought you said it was a chain of screaming?
Barney Stinson: It's a circle, Ted. I called it a circle.
Marshall Eriksen: I don't scream at Lily
Lily Aldrin: And I don't scream at my kids. None of whom have parents that work at Marshall's firm.
Robin Scherbatsky: So it's not a circle
Barney Stinson: [Angry] Fine! You want it to be a chain of screaming? A chain of screaming. I come up with the circle idea halfway through because I thought it was a more elegant metaphor, but fine, RUIN it. You guys always undermine me when I'm trying to make a point and I'm sick of it. Argh! I'm surrounded by idiots. IDIOTS.
[Normal]
Barney Stinson: See, doesn't everyone feel better now?

Connections
References Die Hard (1988)

Soundtracks
Hey Beautiful
(uncredited)
Written by The Solids
Performed by The Solids

Top review

6/10

A Drop In Quality

After so many great episodes, it was inevitable that there would be a drop in quality somewhere and this was it.

Plot In A Paragraph: Marshall cries after being shouted at by his boss, so the other four all tell him how he should deal with it. Robin suggests he go in with a gun, Ted Suggests he gives a speech about how he will not tolerate being abused, Lily suggests using the same approach she takes with her kids at school and Barney suggests he just send the abuse further down the chain of screaming (or the circle of screaming, or the pyramid of screaming) and simply scream at someone beneath him.

Whilst this episodes has it's moments, there was not many laugh out loud moments to enjoy for me.

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