Zoo or False

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Zoo or False

Zoo or False is the 19th episode of season 5 of How I Met Your Mother, which aired on April 12, 2010.

Plot summary (easy version)
- Marshall can’t pay for the pizza bill, so he tells a story that he was mugged by a man in Central Park to cover up the expense. Lily worries about safety, and Robin’s interest in gun ownership is sparked.
- The “mugging” story starts to fall apart when Marshall reveals he was actually at the Central Park Zoo and a monkey stole his wallet.
- Robin wants to interview Marshall to boost her show, but Marshall privately tells Barney and Ted that the monkey story isn’t true and that he was mugged. He doesn’t want to lie on TV because it could hurt Robin’s credibility.
- Barney uses the monkey mugging story to pick up women. He even embellishes it, but the truth gets tangled as he tells bigger lies.
- Ted brings a scale model of the Empire State Building to the studio to use as a talking point, hoping Robin will interview him. Robin declines, but the scene moves forward anyway.
- The zoo monkey, named Bobo, is brought in and gets involved in the on-air chaos. The situation spirals, and Marshall struggles with what to say.
- In the end, Marshall admits he made up the monkey story to calm Lily, and Lily still wants a gun (though she doesn’t buy one). The group never fully resolves what really happened. Robin’s credibility remains intact, Bobo and his mate Milly stay safe at the zoo, and Ted ends with a “true story” moment about the ending itself.

Reception
- The episode drew 6.88 million viewers and a 2.8/9 rating, a season low.
- Critics were mixed:
- The A.V. Club gave it a B−, praising some ideas but saying the episode didn’t quite flow.
- IGN gave it 9/10, calling it strong.
- Television Without Pity gave it a C+.
- The Atlantic noted it prompted big, existential questions in a sitcom.
- Time magazine liked the climactic moment and compared the reveal to a literary twist.