Everything Must Go (How I Met Your Mother)


"Everything Must Go" is the 19th episode of the third season of the CBS television show How I Met Your Mother and 63rd overall. It originally aired on May 12, 2008.

Plot

and Lily learn that it will cost $1,500 more than they have to fix the slanted floor in their new apartment. Marshall suggests that they sell some of Lily's designer clothes and Lily suggests selling some of her paintings. They sell one painting on the street to a G-CWOK. A thrilled Lily calls the G-CWOK that night about hosting an art party to sell her paintings, but is devastated to learn that the couple only bought her painting because of its vintage and valuable frame; when Lily asks if she could have her painting back, she learns that the couple had thrown it away.
Marshall and Ted confront the "G-CWOK", which leads them to a nearby veterinarian's office. The veterinarian tells them that he took the painting out of the dumpster and hung it up in one of his examination rooms, excited over finding a free painting. He found that Lily's painting had a soothing, almost hypnotic effect on the dogs being examined, although it sends birds into a suicidal fit. The veterinarian offers to buy more of Lily's paintings to pay for fixing the slanted floor.
Barney is plagued by the mysterious woman who has been informing his conquests of his true intentions, leading to a slap from whomever he is attempting to seduce. He is onto the saboteur and follows her from the bar and to a taxi. He discovers that it is Abby, Stella's secretary, who is in love with Ted and who had a one-night stand with Barney.
The two reconcile after learning of their mutual hatred of Ted, who has "dumped" Barney as a friend and ignored Abby in favor of Stella. They plan to destroy Ted by showing how terrible he is to others when he is in a relationship, but Abby thinks her fake relationship with Barney is more than just a ruse, especially when he proposes to her in McLaren's in front of Ted. He is able to get out of it by lying to her, saying that Ted begged him to call it off as he was madly in love with her. Abby buys it and Barney cinches it by giving her Ted's home address.

Reception

disagrees with his character's favorable opinion of the red cowboy boots: "That was a part of the show where I was like, 'What the hell is this?' Like, I went to them and said, 'This is ridiculous. Like, Ted has pretty good style. There's no way he thinks these look good.'"