Sandcastles In The Sand

Infobox Television episode
Title = Sandcastles In The Sand
Series = How I Met Your Mother
Season = 3
Episode = 16
Guests = James Van Der Beek (Simon), Tiffany (Friend in music video), Alan Thicke (Dad in music video), Ryan Michelle Bathe (Michelle), Michael Kagan (Joel Adams), Chris Romano (Punchy)
Writer = Kourtney Kang
Director = Pamela Fryman
Airdate = April 21, 2008
Production = 3ALH16
Episode list =List of How I Met Your Mother episodes
Prev = The Chain of Screaming
Next = The Goat

"Sandcastles in the Sand" is the 16^th episode in the third season of the television series "How I Met Your Mother". It originally aired on April 21, 2008.

Plot

The episode begins with a montage of Robin shots, narrated by future Ted about how much Robin has changed since her days as a Canadian teen pop star. At the bar, Robin announces that her former boyfriend, Simon (James Van der Beek), plans to meet up with Robin later on at the bar. Robin tells the gang the story of how Simon broke up with her. After Simon's band, the Foreskins, finished a show, Robin loads all of the heavy equipment into the van. Right as she is finished and about to walk away, Simon calls her back and takes her hand. Robin looks up expectantly, and then Simon tells her it is over because the parents of Louise Marsh (Simon's ex) have just put in a pool. The group then discusses that every time old friends come together, there is a clear winner and a clear loser. They begin to tally the points for Robin and Simon's reunion. Robin receives two from Barney for her breasts, one from ted for Simon still living with his mother, one from lily because Simon never became a rock star, and a final one from Marshall because Simon now works at a small water park. Robin says there is no way he could come back, unless he got hotter. Simon walks in and you immediately see that Robin should be the winner. Simon is now balding, overweight, and wearing clothes that weren't even in style back in the 80's when he got them. While the whole group looks excited as to how much better Robin has done in the time since she and Simon were together, the camera pans to Robin who is giggling uncontrollably and obviously very smitten.The scene shifts to Marshall and Ted's apartment where the group has retired after watching Robin's reunion with Simon, and each of them criticizing the way Robin handled the meeting. Several flashbacks follow--including Simon's refusal to pay 4$ for a beer, and instead pulling one out of his cargo pants, his bragging about his job at a water park, his claim that his band, The Foreskins, are about to take off, and ending with the story of how Simon and Robin met--he starred in her second music video "Sandcastles in the Sand." Barney leaves claiming that he will not sleep until he has found this video.The group begins to discuss how when you are around someone from your past, you revert back to the person you were when you knew them--a phenomenon Marshall dubs "revertigo." Marshall and Ted tell Robin that Lily suffers from this more than anyone else and they have Lily invite her high school friend, Michelle, to hang out with them.The group is hanging out at the bar the next day, when Robin tells them how Simon came to her apartment the night before claiming that breaking up with her was the biggest mistake of his life, and he asks her out on a date, which she accepts. The next night Simon demands that Robin play a demo of his band on the news the following day at work.Immediately after this, Michelle arrives, and Lily immediately begins speaking in the most unrealistic but highly amusing urban style imaginable. The group continues to discuss other members' revertigo which includes Ted's high school buddy Punchy.Next, another scene almost identical to the story Robin tells at the beginning, shows Simon once again breaking up with Robin in the back of his van--once again for Louise Marsh. Robin tells the rest of the group and they all do their best to console her, but are ultimately unsuccessful and they all have to leave. Robin remains in the bar to drink alone until Barney arrives to complain about not being able to find the music video. Upon realizing what Robin is upset about, Barney consoles her until she asks him back to her place so that she can show him the music video. They watch the video over and over making fun of the teenage Robin until the last scene in which Robin and Barney are making out on the couch.

Notes

* Barney makes two video game references, once when he says 'Finish Him!', and shortly after, when he makes the sound of Pac-man's death animation.
* Barney also references the movie "Grease", by saying, "Tell me more, tell me more, like, did he have a car?"
* Simon says his band name is based on the fact there are four members, and they play without shirts, but when their song is played, it is spelt 'Foreskins'.

Music

* "Sandcastles In The Sand" by Robin Sparkles
* "Murder Train" by The Foreskins

Continuity

* This episode marks the return of Robin's Canadian teen pop sensation alter ego, Robin Sparkles, first introduced in Slap Bet with her video for "Let's Go to the Mall."

External links

* " [http://www.tv.com/how-i-met-your-mother/sandcastles-in-the-sand/episode/1194096/summary.html Sandcastles In The Sand] " at TV.com
* " [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1206867/ Sandcastles In The Sand] " at the Internet Movie Database