How I Met Your Mother

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Omar G: A- | 841 USERS: B-
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The Chain of Screaming

Marshall says in voiceover that when you start, it's like getting out of boot camp. You're all full of piss and vinegar. Which I guess is handy if you're trying to put out a fire while simultaneously cleaning glass. Marshall and his equally fresh-faced and much tinier friend, meet up in the hallway and the friend, named Ferguson, says, "Dude, we're lawyers now!" "Totally!" Marshall agrees. They show off their new briefcases. Marshall's is empty. His buddy's briefcase is full of candy bars. They high-five briefcases. Cut to Marshall's small office, where a picture of Lily sits atop a large filing cabinet. Bar Marshall says that you work in the trenches with your buddy and develop camaraderie. We see Marshall busily writing while he talks on the phone. "Before too long," Bar Marshall says, "the shells start to fall. One of Marshall's bosses, Arthur, walks into the room. The episode is called "The Circle of Screaming" and I just now figured out why: it features Bob Odenkirk of Mr. Show, perhaps the finest comedic screamer of his generation. Seriously, the man can scream, "What the FUCK!?" like nobody else on this Earth. If there was an Emmy for screaming, dude would have to add an annex to his house to store his shiny shiny. Arthur and Marshall exchange hellos and we side-whoosh to the bar, where Marshall explains that the man is a senior partner and seems like a nice guy. But he's got a nickname: "Artillery Arthur." Very sweetly, Arthur asks how Marshall is doing and then asks if Ferguson is in yet. Marshall tells him Ferguson is right next door and Arthur tells him, "Have a good one, buddy," before exiting Marshall's office. "You tooooo!" Marshall calls back. Oh yes. This is gonna be awesome. Marshall suddenly hears screaming from the next room. Within the confines of network TV, it's not as florid as it could be, but Odenkirk still nails it. He yells to Ferguson that his report is crap. No, not crap: what would happen if crap could eat and then crap out crap. "Your report is the crap that crap craps!" Arthur yells. He says he'd be shocked if Ferguson lasted two more days. "SHOCKED!" he concludes. He slams a door and the picture of Lily in Marshall's office falls and breaks. "It was brutal," Marshall says at the bar. We side-whoosh back to the office. Ferguson appears in the doorway, shell-shocked. He can't believe what happened. He also can't believe that Arthur yelled at him on Take Your Daughter to Work Day. Ferguson's terrified daughter appears from behind him. Ha! Marshall waves.

How I Met Your Mother

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