412:", and described Robin's singing as "maddening and hilarious". He said the song was "one of the best TV-created pop songs of all time" and claimed the episode had "a wonderful impact on the show at large", explaining that "both major elements at play in "Slap Bet" have gone on to have effects seen in multiple episodes throughout the program".
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tells him that she was testing him to see how long it would take him to tell the rest of the gang. She refuses to tell Ted the true reason she avoids malls. Marshall tells Lily that Robin is not married and Lily, as the slap bet commissioner, must allow Barney to slap
Marshall three times (one for the lie, two for being premature).
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Lily points out that Barney slapped
Marshall without having won the bet and without the permission of the slap bet commissioner. Lily gives Barney a choice: He can be slapped ten times immediately, or five times at any moment Marshall chooses. Barney picks the five slaps. Robin tells Ted that she is
271:
Marshall searches a legal database and he reveals that there is no record of a marriage license for Robin in Canada. After asking her various questions about her wedding, Ted confronts Robin and she admits she is not married but finds out that Ted told
Marshall her supposed secret. She is angry and
275:
Barney reveals that he has uncovered a video of Robin and asks her if the name "Robin
Sparkles" sounds familiar, which worries Robin. Ted tries to stop Barney from playing the video but Robin lets Barney play it. The beginning of the video shows Robin, dressed as a schoolgirl, seductively pleading
352:
gave the episode 8.9 out of 10, describing it as "hilarious" and "a good break from the progressive storyline the show usually boasts". Krause said the "scene-stealing moment" was when the characters realized the video of Robin was a music video and described the video as "a very tongue-in-cheek
252:. They agree to a slap bet, where the winner of the bet slaps the loser as hard as he can, and appoint Lily as the slap bet commissioner. Barney then starts working his way through hours of Canadian porn, which he finds both depressing and tedious.
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with a teacher not to give her detention. Barney, supposedly for the sake of Robin's dignity, pauses the video and slaps
Marshall. Robin is surprised to learn that the others think that it is porn, and plays the rest of the video: A 1980s-style
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Ted begins to worry that Robin is married. Ted pesters Robin to reveal if she really got married in Canada. After trying to avoid the issue, Robin tells Ted that she got married in a mall, after which her husband moved to
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The menu that Robin makes up when Ted questions her about her wedding was the actual menu at the wedding of writer
Kourtney Kang, which took place two weeks prior to the writing of this episode.
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in a mall in Canada, because whenever asked about Canada, Robin only talks about her friend who got married way too young. Barney, however, believes that the secret is related to
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recurring bits: the titular Slap Bet" and noting that "it gave rise to Robin's teen pop star alter ego". The music video was described as the "ultimate gift" to television.
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201:; the title was changed in order to keep the episode's ending a secret. The episode received highly positive reviews and features in several lists of the best
434:". In 2018, TheRinger.com listed this episode at #52 in its list of the best 100 television episodes to have aired since 2000, and was the only episode of
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The episode was originally titled "Robin
Sparkles," but the title was changed to "Slap Bet" in order to avoid giving away the ending. In reruns,
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This is the first appearance of Robin's young bubblegum pop persona, Robin
Sparkles. Sparkles appears onscreen again in the season 3 episode "
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episodes, "Slap Bet" was selected as the best episode, citing the episode's introduction of "one of the show's most notable and
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called the episode "possibly the show's finest half-hour" and said, "nothing will ever be or beat 'Slap Bet'".
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episodes. The episode led to two recurring jokes and storylines in the show: "Robin
Sparkles", Robin's teenage
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gave the episode an A+. In 2009, TV Guide ranked "Slap Bet" #62 on its list of the 100 Greatest
Episodes.
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used the originally intended "Robin Sparkles" title. In syndication, this episode is titled "Slap Bet".
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glad Ted knows her secret now. They kiss and Marshall suddenly slaps Barney, proclaiming "That's one".
264:. Ted promises to keep it a secret but tells the gang after Lily begs him, so Marshall slaps Barney.
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700:"'Slap Bet,' 'Ten Sessions' & more: The 10 best 'How I Met Your Mother' episodes ever"
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197:. The episode, originally titled "Robin Sparkles", first aired on November 20, 2006 on
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said "Slap Bet" was the best episode of the show in a list of the top 10 episodes.
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never goes to malls and refuses to explain why. Marshall posits that Robin was
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The episode ends with the group, excluding Robin, dancing to her music video.
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536:"How I Met Your Mother: "Slap Bet" Review. Robin 'sparkles' in this episode"
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music video where a teenage Robin (referred to as "Robin Sparkles") sings "
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homage to 80s pop in America". Later, in IGN's list of the 10 best
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760:"How I Met Your Mother: Did Robin Sparkles Continue to Shine?"
590:"How I Met Your Mother: Did Robin Sparkles Continue to Shine?"
457:"Carter Bays of How I Met Your Mother: The TV Squad Interview"
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noted that the episode received the second-best rating of any
728:"How I Met Your Mother: The 10 best episodes from CBS comedy"
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list of the top 10 episodes of the series. Josh Lasser of
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persona, Robin Daggers, appears in the season 8 episode "
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9th episode of the 2nd season of How I Met Your Mother
617:"How I Met Your Mother: Slap Bet Season 2, Episode 9"
786:"The 9 Best-Rated 'How I Met Your Mother' Episodes"
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341:"Slap Bet" is often included in lists of the best
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668:"How I Met Your Mother: The ten best episodes"
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397:rated the episode fourth in its top 10 list.
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568:"The Top 10 How I Met Your Mother Episodes"
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217:at various points throughout the series.
813:"The 100 Best TV Episode of the Century"
404:chose "Slap Bet" as the best episode of
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209:career, and the Slap Bet, in which
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852:http://theslapbetcountdown.com/
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784:Acuna, Kirsten (1 April 2014).
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726:Eames, Tom (24 March 2014).
321:) and the season 6 episode "
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629:. p. 7. Archived from
534:Staci Krause (2007-04-24).
400:In 2012, Eric Eisenberg of
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622:Television Without Pity
438:to have made the list.
373:Television Without Pity
315:Sandcastles in the Sand
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1008:First Time in New York
481:Slugggo (9 May 2014).
432:How Your Mother Met Me
364:In 2010, Joyce Eng of
161:How I Met Your Mother
1022:Monday Night Football
889:How I Met Your Mother
596:. CBS Interactive Inc
436:How I Met Your Mother
420:How I Met Your Mother
406:How I Met Your Mother
355:How I Met Your Mother
343:How I Met Your Mother
267:To try and help Ted,
203:How I Met Your Mother
194:How I Met Your Mother
33:How I Met Your Mother
973:Ted Mosby, Architect
282:Let's Go to the Mall
738:Hearst Magazines UK
325:". Robin's later
260:without getting a
120:Episode chronology
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647:. Rev/Views
600:17 February
519:23 February
493:17 February
483:"Slap Bet!"
422:episode on
395:Digital Spy
381:Radio Times
319:music video
269:law student
250:pornography
54:Directed by
1065:Categories
843:"Slap Bet"
818:The Ringer
467:2009-11-11
442:References
428:9th season
345:episodes.
299:Production
288:of malls.
113:as Girl #2
107:as Girl #1
87:2006-11-20
64:Written by
510:"Wedding"
430:episode "
258:Hong Kong
49:Episode 9
1050:Category
987:Slap Bet
957:Season 2
904:Seasons:
893:episodes
824:8 August
769:19 March
594:TV Guide
551:12 April
489:. Reddit
366:TV Guide
230:Marshall
211:Marshall
207:pop star
187:American
179:Slap Bet
163:season 2
131:Previous
41:Episode
24:Slap Bet
1015:Columns
980:Swarley
797:10 June
743:10 June
711:10 June
683:10 June
651:July 4,
573:10 June
514:Twitter
323:Glitter
262:divorce
246:married
185:of the
144: →
129:←
85: (
36:episode
705:HitFix
487:Reddit
390:HitFix
359:iconic
327:grunge
286:phobia
238:Barney
236:, and
215:Barney
213:slaps
190:sitcom
75:2ALH09
385:'
242:Robin
847:IMDb
826:2018
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771:2012
745:2015
713:2015
685:2015
653:2016
602:2016
575:2015
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521:2016
495:2016
424:IMDb
234:Lily
221:Plot
142:Next
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350:IGN
333:".
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226:Ted
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