Season 7, Episode 11: The Rebound Girl

By Jordan

Hey Barney.  Guess you can’t celebrate, “Not a Father’s Day” anymore, can ya?

Let’s dive in:

What was Good

  • Ted and Barney bro-adopting: first of all, how hard did NPH lobby for this storyline?  The subtext was hysterical.  As we know, NPH and Scooter are, in real life, proud parents of two adopted children.  And good for them.  I happen to be a “no on 8, no on hate” kind of straight guy, and I love what NPH stands for.  He’s a positive example to follow.  I’ve always loved Barney, and always hated it when douche-bags pointed out, “dude, you know he’s played by a gay guy, right???”.  I just would shrug my head and move on.  So when I say that NPH must have pushed for this storyline, good.  I’m glad.  GLAAD!
  • And if you think about it, even though the episode eventually turned against this idea, for reasons I completely agree with (see below), it makes logical sense, doesn’t it?  All the divorces in the world, why not raise a child with a bro?  Or a friend?  JD?  Looking at you, buddy!
  • Ted and Barney’s resolution: It reflected the fact that B&T wrote this episode.  It brought the show together thematically.  Sometimes in life, we can want something so badly, we might rush into it.  With the wrong person.  Indeed, the best things in life are worth waiting for.  To do with the right person.  We know that already due to the fact that Ted is telling his children how he met the love of his life.  Not the bro/parent.  The Mother.  The one is always worth waiting for.
  • The reveal of James in the end, properly.  As many of you know, I did not like the way he was used several episodes ago, with no real point.  I like Wayne as an actor, and I like him even more as James.  He is a character best used for dramatic impact.  And I loved not only how they used him here, but we also got to meet his husband!
  • Again, James.  He is the gay version of Barney.  At least, he used to be.  Now, he represents what Barney can ultimately become.  James was just like Barney back in the day.  Until he met the one.  And now, he’s happy, and monogamous, and a family man.  We know, especially with the ending, that Barney’s journey to this is going to be very difficult.  He sure got a jolt in the end tonight.  It’s a lot harder for him than it was for James.  A lot harder.  But I have it in my heart that Barney is going to be okay in the end.  The journey will be difficult but the prize will be worth the wait.  Again, I love how James is there to remind Barney of what he could truly be, and what we know Barney wants to be.
  • Marshall and Lily’s Storyline, Burbs vs. The City:  I, Jordan, The SNG, live out here in Los Angeles, where the show is shot.  My man JD, creator of this blog, lives in NYC, where the show takes place.  He and I have discussed the differences many times.  Certainly, with all due respect to my NYC brothers and sisters, man, I like wide open spaces.  And this episode was a good exploration of that.  And an even better use of the future narrator being able to exaggerate and show it in a visual way.  You could never do this in a usual conventional story-telling kind of show.
  • We are gradually heading back to Ted.  Some of you have complained that he is not a very interesting character.  That was not always the case.  It’s just that the other characters have been doing most of the heavy lifting, being written better, and thus have come to the forefront.  But this reminds me of the fact that Ted has evolved as a character.  Ted in seasons 1-3 is not the Ted we have now.  He’s different.  He’s grown up.  Cynical.  I like this guy now.  I mean, I have always liked Ted since day one, I can relate to him, but I’m very satisfied with how he has grown up to this point.

What Was Bad

  • I liked the episode very much overall, but one moment really rang false; Barney got f–ked over by Robin.  I’m talking prison style.  And yet, he’s just willing to jump into the bathroom and say hello?  NOPE.  ”Can we still be friends?”  Nope nope. NOPE.  No human being can be around someone who completely stomped on their heart and act like nothing happened.
  • I feel like we skipped a scene.  Maybe we didn’t have time for it, but when we last left Barney and Ted, T-Dog has just witnessed Barney removing Roses from Robin’s bed.  There isn’t gonna be a, “WTF, dude?” moment?  Does Barney know that Ted knows?  I didn’t find this clear enough.
  • I don’t believe that Robin being pregnant was not something that had planned from day one (my opinion, that’s all).  I don’t see her keeping this baby, by choice or otherwise.  This is a woman who I would expect to have ovaries of stone.  Sorry, ladies.  I cannot believe that Robin isn’t on anything less than two forms of birth control.  Even if Barney’s little Michael Phelps’s are swimming for the gold.  Because of them, actually.  Pill, condoms, IOU, whatever :)

Favorite Moments

  • “Can we at least do it on the fake bed?”  I love how LAME is not lame; they are in love.  They still do it.  Constantly.  This is love people; you do it a lot.  A LOT.
  • “Year-Round Haunted House.  Chimp sanctuary.  Sledgehammers”.  We have our writers who get the characters.  LOVE IT.  I love Marshall’s creative brain.  I can relate.
  • “Then Robin chose Kevin over Barney,” Uh, you mean Robin f–ked Barney over hardcore, right?  Maybe in the future, this has been resolved (actually it has to have been, Robin is in Ted’s life, and thus, Barney’s as well).  But man I’m pissed at her.  At least she admitted she was screwed up.  Again, I don’t hate Robin.  I still care for her, and want her to be happy.  Another strong suit of a show like this.
  • “I think I’m done with girls, not sure I like them anymore,” OH SWEET IRONY!
  • “Being gay would kick ass!” Oh, NPH…
  • Barney describing being in a gay relationship; is this how things are with Scooter, bud?  Cool!
  • Swinging by the inner city and pick up some kids…bad timing writers….bad timing….
  • A bro walking in on you banging a flight attendant…again, I know that the episode was going to come around to a different conclusion, but still, I’m really liking this idea! (Sorry, Jules, just kidding :) )
  • “That’s the line.”  Yup.  Two bros, one chick.  Bad.  Two chicks, one bro.  GOOD.  Sorry, but it’s true.  Now build a bridge and get over it.  The End!
  • Ghostbusters.  Ernie Hudson.  Who you gonna call?  If they had gotten Bill Murray, I would have fainted.
  • Two Nanny’s, one for banging, one for child-care.  If only the Kennedy’s had taken this advice (I’m on FIRE tonight, right?).  So much logic in this show!  LOVE IT!
  • Ladies, never let us name the baby.  We WILL name the kid “Conan the C–k-swinging Destroyer” if you don’t stop us.
  • Pet-Cobra.  Lines like these are why I love this show so much.

Closing Thoughts

We gotta wait two weeks for the next episode.  Thank you, fake American Thanksviving!

I loved this episode.  That’s three in a row, right?  Either way, we’re back.  And no coincidence, it was written by B&T.

Billy Gardell once said, “You do not know fear until a woman looks you in the eye and says, “I’m PREGNANT…PREGnant…pregnant…(echo…echo)”.  And what better way to go on a two-week break than to leave us on a cliffhanger?  Who is the father?  Who knows?  I will say one thing; I do not hate Robin.  But I’m mad at her.  I do not criticize the writing here, I am criticizing the character.  This is one screwed up chick.  She is a wrecking ball and multiple dudes who don’t deserve it are going to get burned.  She is reckless (that’s right, I don’t care what Daddy issues she has, and although Daddy is the cause of this, she must own it as an adult.  You too, Barney).  Kevin is an innocent bystander who should have known better, but still.  Man.  Train wreck-a-coming.

We know Ted’s house is in Westchester (thank you, readers).  It’s very possible that LAME are moving to the burbs as well.  This show is certainly in Act Three.  Love it.  The show has made more than one reference to East Meadow (Three Days of Snow, Barney’s blog, ect.).  This is what life does.  It’s bittersweet.  But we gotta keep moving to the next chapter of the book of our lives.

I see now that Ted is not just telling the story of how he met their mother.  He’s telling the story of how he became their father.  As Lawrence Fishborne once said, “Any fool with a d–k can make a baby, but only a real man can be a father.”

And this is Ted’s story of how he became a real man.

After a rough patch in this season, I’m very happy to see the show back on track.

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In Season 7, Show Analysis | Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 02:27 am GMT -4 | By Jordan
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97 Comments to “Season 7, Episode 11: The Rebound Girl”

  1. Fabio |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 05:15 am GMT -4

    Jordan,

    Your ‘what was bad’ section is perfect. I wonder what they’re going to do with all that. I don’t think they’re just gonna forget it ever happened. Let’s see.

  2. sbiriguda |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 06:31 am GMT -4

    Spot on review!
    I can image all the lobbying NPH must have gone through to have such a plot device and I cannot say I like that. Even though the final message was somehow different, it seems like the show was “exploited” to convey a personal message. C’mon, they’re more clever than that and it was done in a not too subtle way which was a bit too much for me.
    If it wasn’t for the ending, for the first time an episode penned by B&T would have left me feeling “meh”. The twist in the end made it all the more enjoyable.
    I also agree with the “What was bad” section. There should have been some sort of confrontation between Ted and Barney and also between Barney and Robin. The “No hard feelings” stuff is unrealistic.
    I have no clue as to how this pregnancy will end. Miscarriage for whatever reason could be an option but I don’t see it feasible for prime time comedy. That said, HIMYM already showed us it can deal with difficult stuff quite appropriately so who really knows??
    And BTW, can we be super sure that it was Barney who got Robin pregnant? Or was it Kevin?? Did she know she was pregnant when she chose Kevin over Barney??
    And where the hell was Kevin anyway?? he’s such in love that he’s not with his girlfriend for thanksgiving??? That does not even makes sense!

  3. yellowbrickroad |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 07:10 am GMT -4

    I disagree with this whole “NPH lobbying for the plot.” We don’t know that he did, you’re just assuming that he did because of his sexuality and his baby. He is an actor, not a writer. Maybe the writers thought of him when they wrote it but ultimately it doesn’t matter in the end. NPH is not playing himself on screen. He’s famous enough that if he had a message for the public he could just tell them.

    The pregnancy thing caught me completely off guard. It almost made me laugh (after I was done gasping) because I was taken back a few seasons when the two actresses were both pregnant at the same time.

    Anyway, another good episode. I’m so glad for it!

  4. Fabio |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 07:22 am GMT -4

    I’d be shocked if it turned out to be Kevin’s baby. s-h-o-c-k-e-d!

  5. Jamie |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 07:33 am GMT -4

    i think the way barney acted at the end towards actually makes a lot of sense. Robin means so much to him., to the point where he can, and will, put all the anger and pain he feels into a little box, hide the box in the corner, and try his best to move on. Especially when the girl is also the girl you trust the most, and your best friend. Or, best friend who is a girl.. So, to me, Barney sees that there isn’t really much of a point in sitting down and getting all angry and flustered about it, when the best thing he can do in this situation is move on. And sometimes, moving on means having a kid with another bro. Moving on also means reverting back to the way things were. Which guy can say that if the girl they love is sitting all alone, locked in a bathroom, they would not climb in the window and comfort her?

    But i think there will come a time, in the near future, where the box of anger and pain takes up too much room, and he will have to confront Robin about it. Just a matter of where, when, and why?

    On another point, does anyone feel like they’ve completely deconstructed the Robin we’ve saw in the first few seasons? The writers gave us hints that season 1-3 Robin would evolve in some ways, but I never thought they’d make her a shell of the confident, independent Robin… Maybe they’re aiming at reconstructing her, kinda like Rachel in Friends?

  6. Jamie |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 07:34 am GMT -4

    WAIT! FORGOT TO SAY- Spot On Review, other than the “what was bad” part!

  7. Pennie |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 07:57 am GMT -4

    Re Robin on contraception – No method of contraception is 100%, so that’s a rather poor point to bring up. No matter what Robin does, short of having a hysterectomy, if she’s having sex, there’s a possibility she could get pregnant. Not to mention, even if foolproof contraception were available, the same argument could be made of Barney.

  8. Salmon King |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 09:49 am GMT -4

    Robin – pregos…if we can assume that this is reasonably close to the previous episode, there is no way she’d know she was pregnant with Barney’s baby…it was like a day or two ago (week at most) that they slept together…isn’t that a bit soon. this baby i would think has to Kevin’s or some other random guy (ya never know).

    NPH didnt necc force this storyline, quite possible CB&CT came to him for approval. i’m sure he thoroughly enjoyed playing it up, but there is nothing to suggest he’d force it upon the writers…he hasn’t interferred in 6.5 seasons, why start now.

    that baby hasn’t missed a meal yet (wife’s comment, not mine).

    overall really good episode, the apartment shrinking in nyc was phenominal…loved their use of space. someone else pointed this out, but almost no other sitcom format could pull this off…himym perfection! nice comedic rule of 3 with the lamps (like marshall with the bear a few weeks ago). fundamentally sound comedy antics. nice.

  9. realityspeller |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 10:06 am GMT -4

    i disagree with the idea that NPH lobbied for this story-line. my best friend and i made this exact same plan with each other over 10 years ago. when you’re so close to a friend and haven’t found ‘the one’ this plan makes a whole lot of sense. (though my friend and i are girls so no pet cobra or 2 nannies for us). we ended up holding out for the one and are now stupidly in love with our husbands. wait for it ted! (pun intended)

    i don’t want to be disrespectful but i think it is very short-sighted/close-minded to equate gay marriage and gay families with the co-bro parenting we were laughing about tonight. the comparison is about as valid as ted’s statement that if all 3 of them were gay (NPH, ted, & marshall) they would all be doing each other. that is a joke, not how actual gay relationships work. and the co-bro parenting is NOT what gay relationships look like.

    not trying to get all political but like jordan said no on 8 and on hate- i don’t like seeing (what i perceive) as hate.

  10. Rosie |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 10:28 am GMT -4

    A comment regarding Robin being possibly pregnant with Barney’s baby, the timing could be about right… They had sex right after Hurricane Irene, which was at the end of August 2011. She tells Barney on Thanksgiving 2011… which would put her about 11/12 weeks pregnant. Ro-barn plus baby is POSSIBLE!

  11. FrankQB |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 10:30 am GMT -4

    Solid episode. CB &CT don’t do bad episodes. I wish they would go all Aaron Sorkin and write every episode, but I think the quality would suffer, ultimately.

    Loved loved loved loved the Ghostbusters references. Holy cow that was great. Made me think of “If someone asks you if you’re a God, you say ‘Yes!’”. Was that Victoria?

    Shocking ending, but kind of saw it coming when Robin said she might need LAME more than they know.

    I thought the Barney/Ted co-bro parenting storyline was hilariously funny. A fun wink to NPH at most. The whole argument over whether or not NPH had anything to do with such a plot is ridiculous and actually kind of offensive. 99.9% chance he didn’t. If he did, so what? It’s a sitcom. Let it go, folks.

    Final thought: Ted said he’d do something crazy by the end of this story. I don’t know if going along with Barney counts as doing something crazy.

  12. Sandy |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 10:30 am GMT -4

    I agree with Jamie, I don’t think Barney’s “we’re friends?” line is necessarily unrealistic. A) I get the impression that a little bit of time has passed, B) He isn’t 20 anymore; sometimes people realize that all is fair in love and war, and get SAD, rather than angry, and C) Barney did go crazy, he just took it in another direction with the baby-with-Ted thing. I bet we see more of his frustration at a later date, but I think ultimately he sees Robin as the girl he loved that he screwed things up with, and he’s sad. When you really love someone, sometimes you still want to be friends even if they hurt you. It’s what you can get. It might not be smart, but it’s just the way it is. Besides, if we saw Barney saying, “I’m mad at you for not coming through, I could have still been with Nora”, that would be totally unappealing on his part.

    My concern is that this sets Robin and Barney up to be getting married in the finale, but we usually expect twists… and I really want them together, so I hope there isn’t a twist that reveals it isn’t going to be Robin, or they don’t go through with it.

    I think Robin really does want kids, despite what she used to want. I don’t think she’ll give up the baby, and I think it would be fun to see her and Lily pregnant at the same time. She can still have a confident/scotch drinking/bold streak (what she’s been missing) and yet also have come to want marriage and kids, and I feel like she’s so screwed up right now because she has to realize that. Of course, they could also take it in the opposite direction, as we know she does travel a lot, and leave Barney with the kid, et cet. (If it isn’t Barney’s kid, it’s really lame to just tell him, “I’m pregnant”, without leading with “it’s not yours, but”).

    Ultimately I have confidence in the writing and am excited to see how it plays out! Ted is really going to feel left behind here in the worst way…

  13. xTashx |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 10:39 am GMT -4

    Re on the contraception part:

    Think she only uses condoms…remember the ‘risk it?’ back in season 2 with Ted?

  14. swarkles82 |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 10:55 am GMT -4

    Awesome review! Can I just say one thing I thought was also great but did not get mentioned? Marshall and Robin in the bathroom. He was such a good friend to her at that moment. And I really love how the show has been written to show not only the way the group dynamic to their friendships, but that they all have individual unique friendships as well.
    Ps, did anyone else chuckle about Marshall offering Robin the cheese plate? And does anyone ever get the urge to snap “you’re a cheese bearing cracker” to whomever happens to be next to them when they see gouda?

  15. Derrick Westside |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 11:23 am GMT -4

    My gf and I believe it is Barney’s baby. Kevin and Robin just started dating and we believe wore protection. I do not think Barney and robin used it however because they have a history together and it was the heat of the moment( insert song)!

  16. Salmon King |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 11:32 am GMT -4

    @Rosie…Marshall and Lily had sex during the Hurricane…Barney and Robin only ‘almost’ kissed back in August in the flashback. they cheated on Kevin and Nora only last episode…it was not a part of the flashback. then the next day they went on the boat ride, that night Barney dumped Nora and Robin stayed with Kevin. and at best they avoided each other during the work week, but prob only a day or two. so it has been between 2-7 days since they slept toegther…no way it can be Barney’s…at least she wouldn’t know she was pregnant with a baby.

  17. sbiriguda |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 11:46 am GMT -4

    I agree with Swarkles82. Marshall was very sweet to Robin. It was a heartwarming moment.

  18. pinchy |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 11:49 am GMT -4

    What about Becki Newton joining the cast as a love interest for Barney?

    Maybe Robin is having a hysterical pregnancy. I think it would be in line to where her character is NOW for her to jump to a conclusion that this must be what’s happening.

  19. pinchy |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 11:53 am GMT -4

    Although, I still believe that Robin and Barney will definitely get married. Wasn’t there an episode where Ted promised to be Robin’s best man? And in the wedding scenes, it’s only stated that Ted is needed as best man, not as Barney’s best man.

  20. little |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 12:01 pm GMT -4

    @pinchy–
    it was stated that Ted was needed as best man and then we see him discussing the “right tie” with Barney.
    after he speaks to Barney he is told the bride needs to see him.
    could go either way here on the best man idea, but i don’t see Robin getting married without Lily as her MOH.

  21. white_choc |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 12:21 pm GMT -4

    I’ve read that pregnancy is identifiable after 2 weeks. In the USA Thanksgiving is on 24th, isn’t it? Barney and Robin had sex after they’ve kissed in episode 9, two weeks ago. The episode took place in beginning of November, Barney could possible be the father… Generally I would’t overrate the matching of the himym-timeline and “ours” … think thats a reason why we didn’t see a “WTF dude?” – speech by ted -cause it’s two weeks ago, they’ve probably talked about it somedays ago.

    I really have no idea how they will handle a second pragnancy… i can’t imagine having Robin this baby

  22. sandyrivers |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 12:24 pm GMT -4

    nah Salmon King, you’ve got it wrong. They hooked up the day of (after) Hurricane Irene. which now explains why Nora’s been missing in alot of previous episodes.

  23. AwesomeBob |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 12:35 pm GMT -4

    I kind of saw the twist coming. Robin was acting a little too erratic (quick anger and hyper needy) but you could chalk that up to what happened in last weeks episode. I told my girlfriend halfway through the episode “She’s preggers” and she scoffed at me. I wonder what they’ll do next.

    Future Ted stated that Robin was good with kids, especially Teds which was followed by a picture drawn by Teds kids with Aunt Robin.
    Assuming that Teds kids are about 16 in 2030, the picture would of been drawn when they were roughly 3-6 years old or 2017-20. If Robin had a kid in 2011-12, then wouldn’t he/she be 5-8 and at the zoo aswell?

  24. Salmon King |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 12:46 pm GMT -4

    @sandyrivers. i am not wrong. The August episode where LAME got it on in Barney’s tub and became pregnant and she is showing serious belly. in that ‘flashback’ RoBarn experienced “Disaster Averted.” months later when Barney got to take off the Ducky Tie they shared the cab together, they talked about avoiding the disaster of hooking up when Barney and Robin were both still single. then they said shortly after they ended up meeting Kevin/Nora. they laughed and chuckled in the cab (just 2 weeks ago) and then got it on. this happened in November…not August when the hurrican came. i thought this was a pretty easy timeline to follow. we had this discussion about Lily not knowing, but Robin and Lily clearly are not on the same pregnancy cycle.

    in regards to Robin actually being pregnant, i can see the next words out of her mouth in the next episode being, “well, i think i might be pregnant…i’m not 100% sure”. i can also see a possible miscarriage, himym tackles major issues from time to time.

  25. Honka Honka |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 12:47 pm GMT -4

    Next time you watch the episodes, watch the wet pads and bone that Barney brings back for the baby when he can’t find diapers. They start to lean and then all of a sudden shrink down halfway in the next cut. It’s fun to find little mistakes like this in the show :) Just noticed it…

  26. HK |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 12:50 pm GMT -4

    I’m also curious on how much time had passed. Lily does look considerably more pregnant in this episode so it seems plausible that it’s Barney’s baby.

    Also, on Barney’s wanting to be friends with Robin…Barney has done some horrible, HORRIBLE things to women. He really cares about Robin, and him reaching out to want to be friends does not seem that implausible.

    HIMYM has been really stellar lately. This episode caught me off guard. I’m getting a little sad at the prospect that they’re growing up, having kids and moving to the suburbs and that the show is getting near the end, but I’ve loved the ride. I’m really wondering how the whole pregnant Robin is going to work out.

    These two weeks are gonna be long…

  27. Nettie |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 01:23 pm GMT -4

    I think Ted is going to flip when he finds out that Barney will be a father before him and this is when I think he will amp up his search for the mother. There’s something big we’re missing and it’s driving me crazy trying to figure it out. Robin hasn’t been in the recent flashbacks and I think she is going to leave for a while to do all her traveling before the baby comes. Especially when she sees that LAME are moving to the burbs and she’s feeling left alone because she believes that Barney really doesn’t want to have a baby. (based on what he said at the end – even though it weren’t true that it was crazy for Ted to try and adopt a baby) I think Robin will then show up in the season finale – visibly pregnant as Barney is getting ready to marry Nora.

  28. RandomName |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 01:36 pm GMT -4

    Yeah, at the beginning of the episode, they say something about how it had been a long couple of weeks for Barney, implying that the events from 7.10 (breaking up with Nora and getting rejected by Robin) happened several weeks earlier. 7.09 and 7.10 happened over a two day period on the show, so those probably took place in early November. So, it’s possible the baby is Barney’s, though I’d also assume it’s possible the baby is Kevin’s. I’m guessing this will turn out to be another false positive (or maybe a miscarriage that happens almost immediately, not months after finding out) but it will give both Barney and Robin a reason to contemplate the idea of seriously having children. Barney was considering it in this episode, but there’s a difference between borrowing your niece for a day and actually being someone’s father.

    Anyways, pretty good episode. I enjoyed watching Ted and Barney contemplate their possible life together and their arguments about child rearing, and I also loved Lily and Marshall’s apartment getting smaller and smaller. I wonder if Lily and Marshall will actually end up moving out to Long Island anytime soon? Also loved Marshall and Robin’s conversation. That was sweet.

    I agree with those who say they’re not surprised that Barney was the one going to Robin to see if they’re still friends. It would’ve been nice for Robin to have been the one to apologize, but Barney loves her, and probably would prefer to have her in his life as his friend rather than not at all. I think he understands that she’s not ready, and he’s not going to hold it against her, even if it hurts.

  29. valia |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 02:02 pm GMT -4

    @Jordan ( i haven’t read the comments yet :p )
    NPH’s kids are not adopted.He and his partner gave each sperm and two women who volunteer where picked to carry their childern..
    Great episode…Barney has a guy for everything :p
    Lily and Marshall asking a sign from the universe to help them take an important decision…super funny….ted was very funny and at the end he realized that he has to go back to his journey of finding the real thing!!! :D Last but not least robin…I didn’t expect that…I was like what??!! that’s crazy talk!! :P but I was so happpy when the episode ended because this is a solid sign that barney will have the real thing which he 100% deserves :D they will totally getting married… :D

  30. valia |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 02:03 pm GMT -4

    *get married

  31. Red |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 02:27 pm GMT -4

    I wrote this in a previous thread:

    The episode “Disaster Averted” focused around the group’s interaction with Hurricane Irene. It’s also the episode where Barney and Robin hook back up. In tonight’s episode, Barney was calling the “adopted baby” in the episode “Hurricane”. Maybe a Bays and Thomas foreshadow? It would be completely ironic for Barney, since he didn’t know Robin was pregnant at the time he was calling the baby “Hurricane”.

  32. canningrandy |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 02:28 pm GMT -4

    i’ve read most of the comments on here and i must say you all have great opinions and thoughts of what might or may happen. and at first i wanted to believe the baby is barney’s and then maybe its kevin’s, but i dont think its either of them. my reason for thinking is because you have to go back to last season. the episode “hopeless” barney’s dad was trying to prove that he was a wild man and the gang ends up going to a club with him, in that episode barney tells his dad that robin and ted are a couple, so they have to pretend they are a couple in front of barney’s dad. but at the club robin sees her crush but cant have a conversation with him because ted keeps interupting so they wont blow their cover. at the end of the episode they show the guy walking solo on the phone talking about robin and then future ted says “more on that later”
    another episode i cant remeber the title of the episode, the guys are on the porch watching the parade of girls walking home in the morning from one night stands on halloween night, and they happen to see robin, she says she was out shooting a commercial for depends, but now that we find out she is pregnant, is that what she was really doing. talk about things that make you go hhmmmm!!

  33. Salmon King |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 02:45 pm GMT -4

    i’m starting to sense a little “Fools Rushin In” with Robin’s pregnancy. i kinda agree with Nettie, maybe she ‘says’ she has a miscarriage and then leaves the show, then shows up at seasons end witha full belly. interesting.

  34. AwesomeBob |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 02:50 pm GMT -4

    @canningrandy

    The commercial of Robin is real. Ted said that it was the longest running adult diapers commercial ever. And that was halloween last year. Unless Robin has a baby like Bonnie from Family Guy has a baby, then it’s highly unlikely.

    The shirt guy storyline was scrapped when the actor got picked up by another show. They could possibly bring him back much later (next season maybe) but I wouldn’t get your hopes up.

  35. Mike |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 03:05 pm GMT -4

    Based on the previews, I didn’t think I would like this episode – I was expecting stupid filler with an unbelievable story (Ted and Barney adopting a baby?). I’m very glad I was wrong. This was a great episode. I loved the Barney/Ted story, and I loved the LAME story. And Robin being pregnant surprised me, and explained why she was being so needy and demanding toward LAME.

    Based on the nonsensical time line of Lily’s pregnancy, I’m going to assume Robin’s baby could be anybody’s – even Ted’s from when they were dating in season 2! (I’m kidding)

    One thing – I actually had no problem w/ how Ted reacted (or didn’t react) to seeing Barney. It’s very believable to me that he would just let it pass and never bring it up, not wanting to embarass Barney. The way he asked Barney if he was OK in the beginning of the episode conveyed to me that that he knew what was going on, but didn’t want to say it, but still wanted to try and check in on Barney as best he could.

    I still hope RoBarn NEVER reunite, btw.

  36. Abby |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 03:28 pm GMT -4

    Great review, and great comments!

    Not related to the Robin pregnancy discussion, but I just wanted to bring this up:

    Did anyone else catch the callback to “The Three Days Rule”? When Ted said he’d choose Barney if he was gay and Barney asked him to call and tell Marshall. That has always been one of my favorite episodes, and I loved the reference!

  37. Salmon King |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 04:08 pm GMT -4

    anyone know where we can find a comprehensive, up-to-date list of clues as to who the mother might be? whether it be on this site or somewhere else…i think i’ve lost track of Ted’s mission and a friend wants to get caught up…any help?

  38. emmy |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 04:27 pm GMT -4

    Loved this episode. Seems that HIMYM is (hopefully… fingers crossed) on the upswing with these last few episodes. One thing that keeps bugging me, and I am probably horribly wrong about this…. but did Lilly’s grandparents actually give her and Marshall the house outright? I know that the story line has gone along so far with this idea and LAME are selling the house. But, in the show when they get the house from Lilly’s grandparents, it seems (at least to me) that it was just a “borrow the house while we’re away” thing. I am likely 100% wrong about this, but a part of me can also see the grandparents coming back and going “WTH?” and then LAME never moving to the burbs.

    I know a lot of logic, like LAME selling the house, is against me on this. But the way the house was given to LAME was just too casual and quick for it to feel completely right to me.

  39. white_choc |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 04:32 pm GMT -4

    @ Salmon King (and maybe others)

    That lying-about-misscarage-thing would be sooo scrubs. Even it would be a nice final scene, I hope the himym-writers will find an own unique way to handle the story…

    I dont’ know how the prewviews of barneys wedding fits to the idea of him and robin get married, because of having a child together. If they would have this child, why should he asks ted if he’s doing the right thing and marries the right girl…

  40. Salmon King |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 04:36 pm GMT -4

    maybe Nora comes back pregnant as well…plenty of references to Barney’s “Phelps” getting the job done. talk about being in a pickle…wow would that suck.

  41. Justin |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 05:11 pm GMT -4

    Has anyone realized that “Tom” James Husband isn’t the same person from the episode “Single Stamina” when James show’s barney the background on his phone. Just saying, I caught it…was wondering if anyone else did?

  42. willy wonka |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 06:08 pm GMT -4

    @Justin: Yes I did …

  43. Okay Coat Girl |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 06:35 pm GMT -4

    Enjoyed this episode muchly, especially the silliness of the bro-parenting planning (I like that the ‘Hurricane’-as-baby-name keeps coming up! Think it’s significant?), and Ernie Hudson (“Ernie Hudson is a coward!!!”). Also, more Wayne Brady please B&T!

    I thought that Robin’s reaction to LAME moving away was really true to character, preggo or not. Losing her friendship with Lily is something we’ve already seen her freak out about in the last series (the Nicole Scherzinger episode). The moment between her & Marshall was sweet.

    Actually yeah, all of the characterization was better-Ted’s tendency to get swept away by his #1 wingman’s schemes, Marshall’s superstitions & ghotbusterisms -a lot more realistic and thought through than some of the s7 eps so far.

    I agree that it’s kind of unlikely that most people in RoBarn’s situation would try to immediately snap back into Friend Mode. But then again Ted/Barney/Robin’s relationship has never been normal as Victoria (the voice of all that is rational, and who should have her own frickin drinking game by now) pointed out. Should be an interesting plot arc!

  44. Cacá |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 07:31 pm GMT -4

    The first thing I thought after this episode was “No! No no no, you cannot do this to me. No, no no no!
    Not another Ross and Rachel, c’mon!!

    I don’t know how I feel about this pregnancy thing, but would make no sense if it wasn’t Barney’s.

    Moving on to the things I loved about the episode, all the bro parenting arguments was so funny! And James!!! I love James!!!
    How legendary was Ernie Hudson’s “Who you gonna call?”
    I wish Marshall was a Ghostbuster.
    And I’m really warming up the idea of naming a kid Hurricane. “Your name is Hurricane, don’t ever forget it”
    *Just kidding.* (Or was I?)

    Awn, and how could I forget: Marshall and the cheese plate. Nice.

  45. Mary |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 09:07 pm GMT -4

    A few weeks have passed in the story since Robin screwed over Barney. I think Barney knocking on the bathroom door was their first time talking again since the burn. They’ve been close enough that a few weeks are probably all it took for things to start getting smoothed over again.

  46. Swarley |  Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 10:10 pm GMT -4

    Bet your bottom dollar Robin will NOT have this baby, either by choice or circumstance. I do believe that it will be a catalyst to getting Robin and Barney back together, though.

  47. Linka |  Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011 12:25 am GMT -4

    I’m disappointed, I was hoping that through Barney this show would be able to explore a storyline where a couple can be married and NOT have children. But nope, convention ahoy :( I don’t buy it, by the way. I know they’ve hinted at Barney liking kids throughout the show… but you can like kids and not have them.
    Hopefully they’ll take the opportunity to explore abortion through Robin’s character. And not the typical “she decided she couldn’t at the last minute” plot (infuriating), but actually showing her make the responsible decision to get rid of it and happily get on with her life (would be a bit hypocritical if they didn’t, since this entire episode was about waiting for the right person with whom to plan these things). The media does not deal with the issue reasonably enough, ever. [Does anyone know of examples where they have??]
    Maybe Robin will be the “happy couple w/o kids” example… unless she marries Barney? Which looks to be the case.

    I did NOT realize this was a B&T episode. My friend remarked towards the end “I wish you hadn’t told me they have new writers, because now I can tell…”. Then I come on here and turns out it WAS an original! Huh.

  48. Linka |  Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011 01:03 am GMT -4

    Oh also! (read through the comments now)

    @ Salmon King
    “that baby hasn’t missed a meal yet (wife’s comment, not mine).”
    hahahaha! Was thinking the same thing. Potato baby.

    Agreed about NPH’s input, or lack thereof. Either way, doesn’t matter.

    I’m sure we’ll get Ted confronting Barney about the roses soon enough… I don’t think Barney knows he saw.

    Contraception: they probably risked it in the heat of the moment/Robin miscalculated that she couldn’t get pregnant at that point, or she could have taken the morning-after pill but it didn’t work (do you have that in the US?)

    I think we’re assuming timing tells her Barney is the father, or else she doesn’t know either way.
    Seems enough time has passed (They might flash back to the last couple weeks next episode, maybe Ted confronted Barney then as someone suggested)
    While I’d like to see them tackle the abortion issue, mulling over it now, I figure they’ll go with a false positive.

    @FrankQB
    That Ghostbusters (re)quote was Robin! First date with Ted as I recall :)

    @Red
    Yeah I noticed that too, the baby name “Hurricane” must have been a hint of some sort?
    …Or just a callback/to throw us off.

    @emmy
    Agreed, it was rather casual and happened very fast, but I think we’re supposed to assume it was an outright inheritance thing. Would be a bit boring to show them doing the paperwork lol

    Do we think they could make the show work if LAME and/or Ted were living in the ‘burbs?
    I don’t think it could be sustained for too long without losing something integral.

    And I know the show is based on B&T friends’ lives, right? Is that still the case/to what extent? It would be interesting to know where the “real” Robin/Ted/Barney/Marshall Lily are at.

  49. robinsparkles14 |  Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011 01:20 am GMT -4

    Barney’s kid…no question. I can’t see Kevin being there for the whole show. And besides the end..this episode sucked a little.

  50. Honka Honka |  Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011 01:53 am GMT -4

    Pamela Fryman, the Director of HIMYM, will be the writer for the next episode which is titled Symphony of Illumination. Any ideas or thoughts about what this could be about??

  51. Ben |  Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011 04:16 am GMT -4

    I missed most of this weeks episode because of my rabbit ears being ridiculous. It seems like Ted has turned a little cynical. This was even referenced at the beginning of this season. If Barney ends up marrying Robin, It will be what it takes for Ted to believe again.

    On a side note its almost as if the writers have gotten to the point where they don’t really know what to do with ted except when he finally meets the mother, which would basically mean the show would be on its way out. That said i think I would rather they end on a high note rather than drawing it out unnecessarily

  52. longingus |  Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011 07:38 am GMT -4

    I expect a lot of drama coming out with “who is the father?” the situation is aweful – if Robin herself wouldn’t be able to point the one man responsible for this, this can lead to variety of awkward and very unpleasant situations for her. But hey, this is what you get when you are unfaithful and messed up – just think of the encounter she will need to have with Kevin “you know I’m pregnant but oops I don’t know if this is your child or Barney’s!” sucks doesn’t it?

  53. Aradar |  Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011 08:54 am GMT -4

    If anyone’s interested in spoilers ;) :

    http://www.tvline.com/2011/11/ask-ausiello-spoilers-glee-bones-gossip-girl/

  54. Solo4114 |  Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011 10:04 am GMT -4

    Fantastic episode! I loved it. I think the lists above nicely covered most of my thoughts.

    As far as Robin being pregnant goes, I think it works on a few levels and opens up some interesting directions for the show.

    - They could play the “Who’s your daddy?” bit for an episode, but, realistically, I think it’s likely Barney. I also REALLY hope that they don’t go this route except for may be one episode AT MOST. I doubt Robin and Kevin have transitioned to not using condoms. Hell, even in a long-term relationship with Ted, we saw that they still used condoms and going without was unusual. All the more reason why a moment of uncontrollable passion with Barney would lead to a baby. So, yeah, Barney’s the dad, I think.

    - This ties in nicely to the trajectory of Ted’s character and the rest of the characters growing up. If you figure that a big part of Ted’s journey is realizing that (A) he’s genuinely ready for the next phase of life, and (B) that he has to stand on his own, since everyone else is pairing off, having kids, and moving on, it’d fit that Barney and Robin will end up together.

    - I wouldn’t be surprised at a marriage proposal from Barney, followed by Robin rejecting it because she thinks he’s doing it out of obligation rather than love, following Barney finally saying the RIGHT words that turn it around. I also wouldn’t be surprised at a false positive or a miscarriage, which leads them to still go forward with the marriage.

    - At this point, I STRONGLY doubt that Barney will end up with anyone BUT Robin, simply because of what James said, and the fact that there isn’t enough time to introduce a new girl who’d sweep Barney off his feet aside from Robin. There may be surprises, bumps in the road, etc., but these two end up together. Hell, maybe they decide that they’ll forego the whole traditional marriage thing, get to the ceremony, say “I don’t” and then spend their lives together anyway.

    - I think that, again, since the show deals with genuine issues that folks in their 20s and 30s face, this all rang very true. Folks do get knocked up unexpectedly and it prompts major changes.

    Anyway, looking forward to seeing where this all goes.

  55. valia |  Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011 11:05 am GMT -4

    @Honka Honka
    ROBIN RECEIVES SHOCKING NEWS AND HIDES IT FROM THE GANG, ON “HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER,” MONDAY, DEC. 5

    CHEAT TWEET: Is #TheScherbatskyWay the right way 2 deal w/ bad news? Find out what Robin thinks! #HIMYM 12/5 @8pm ET/PT http://bit.ly/t8dPqB

    “Symphony of Illumination” — When Robin receives bad news, she decides to lie about it to the gang. Meanwhile, Marshall hangs Christmas decorations on the house in the ‘burbs with help from his neighbor, on HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, Monday, Dec. 5 (8:00-8:30 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

    Ps:great comments guys :D

  56. AwesomeBob |  Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011 11:53 am GMT -4

    Being called Symphony of Illumination, I think in the next episode, all of the gang get epiphanies or illuminated if you will. And being that Pam is writing it, I hope there’s a ton of “deep frying” involved.

  57. paipr_christian |  Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011 11:57 am GMT -4

    there were parts of this episode that i loved, and other parts that left me frustrated. first off let me say, i was completely wrong about what this episode was gonna be about. i thought it was gonna show ted and barney questioning continuing there friendship with robin (because of the thing victoria and future ted said) instead we got ted and barney debating bro-parenting. another great concept from himym, that i hope never makes it into the real world.

    first off let me say, i am frustrated that there seems to be no fallout after last weeks episode. i was totally totally expecting barney or ted or both to confront robin after what she did to barney, but nothing. i assumed part of robin’s tantrum was due to the barney incident, but we didnt get a mention of it from her either.

    im not sure how long after last weeks episode this episode is supposed to be, i was thinking just a few days max. i may be wrong about this but could a gal really have conceive a child, be late, and find out she is pregnant with in the span of a week. i mean the birds and the bees, but that just seems like to much to quick for it to be barney’s which they obviously were trying to hint at as possibility.

    now what i would love to see is to find out mister random guy that is supposed to be important in her life. cant remember if we know his name, but we have heard zero mention of him this season, so it be interesting to find out before barney she had cheated on kevin with some other guy. which brings me to my last points, i in no way believe this child is kevins. and if it is, why? also two pregnancies at once? honestly i worry the writers will have ‘something’ happen which i can only imagine wrecking robin and who ever is involved. hope not.

  58. Salmon King |  Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011 12:24 pm GMT -4

    maybe this episode did take place a few weeks after and we will go back and see what transpired during the coming episodes. himym does love flashbacks. and who knows, Barney may have already met the “new” love interest and that story will get told in flashback as well. would def complicate things. well, no matter what the season has turned for the better the past few weeks and i am looking forward to what is next. happy thanksgiving everyone (to the Americans at least :)

  59. carter bays |  Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011 01:21 pm GMT -4

    im over 83% confident that she has an early miscarriage…

  60. Solo4114 |  Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011 01:54 pm GMT -4

    I could see that, actually, or a false positive (although that’s been done on the show already…), but I could also see her and Barney finding that crushing disappointment in the wake of a miscarriage just proves to them that they really do want to be together and are more ready for it than they thought.

    It’s not an exact analogy, but I know people who were on the fence re: kids, had an unexpected pregnancy, miscarried, and then found themselves absolutely on board with the idea afterwards. It changes you.

    Either way, though, whether Robin is pregnant at the wedding, or whether she ends up not having the baby, it’ll change her, no question. Same with Barney, although I think he’s far more ready to change than she is.

    Actually, I could see the pregnancy being a vehicle for FORCING Robin to confront/deal with stuff she wasn’t otherwise ready to approach just yet.

    Robin runs away from most of her deeper problems, but she probably won’t be able to run away from this one (unless she terminates the pregnancy, which would be a little too heavy even for a show that deals with realistic situations much of the time).

    In the small scale, her avoidance of any conflict or confrontation with Kevin — and therefore accepting the consequences of her actions — is pretty telling. Why deal with the fallout from cheating on him when she can just sidestep the whole thing?

    On the larger scale, there’s the issue of her relationship with her father. I could see where her telling her father she’s having the baby — the ultimate act of femininity, by the way — would cause some MAJOR fallout. Plenty of times, the big “breakthrough” moments in life come out of left field where you start talking about one thing, and end up addressing something else that’s been hanging around for a long time. Hopefully that’ll lead to some good for her.

    Side note 1:

    For those who lament the demise of Season 1′s confident Robin (frequently the same folks who lament Season 1′s stars-in-his-eyes Ted), I think the show has done an excellent job of showing that to have been largely a front. Lots of times people seem to be absolutely rock solid and put together on a superficial level, but as you get to know them better, you see their scars, their damage, their baggage. I think that Robin APPEARED confident — and likely still can be plenty confident much of the time — but as we and the show’s characters have gotten to know her over the last 7 years, we’ve learned that that’s only a part of her character, and that she has baggage just like everyone else.

    Even if it wasn’t a front, life throws you curveballs at times and the things you thought you wanted in your mid-20s end up changing as you get older. Robin, I’m sure, originally was perfectly confident about working as a field reporter for a two-bit local station, viewing it as a stepping stone towards greater things….which never came. When life doesn’t go according to your plan, it can really REALLY shake you up and cause all kinds of other issues you’ve been ignoring (because you were — confidently — pursuing your plan) to come back to the surface. I think that could also explain what happened with Robin and how she got to where she is currently (to wit, being a mess).

    Side note 2:

    Anyone laying odds that “Steph” on the shirt refers to Barney’s daughter-to-be? :D

  61. Honka Honka |  Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011 02:44 pm GMT -4

    @Solo

    GREAT CATCH!!! Steph can definitely be refering to the daughter-to-be, then he gets the call that either A, Robin is in labor; or B she has had a miscarriage THUS explaining the face during his phone call in that flashback!!!

  62. Solo4114 |  Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011 02:49 pm GMT -4

    @Honka Honka,

    I don’t remember Robin’s face in the flashback. I thought that was more about Marshall not being present for Lily giving birth? Also, it won’t be Robin in labor if Lily is also in labor at that time. The timing doesn’t match up at all that way, and the writers can’t just “Hurricane” their way out of that kind of thing.

    But I could see it being something like Ted buys lame shirts (again) to celebrate the impending daughter, Barney refuses to wear it (because it doesn’t go with a suit, duh), and Marshall thinks it’s lame, but if XYZ bet is lost, Barney will don the Ducky Tie for the weekend, and Marshall will wear the shirt for the weekend. Or something. That one will be a fun one to find out, but (hopefully) not a hugely heavy one.

  63. Honka Honka |  Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011 06:35 pm GMT -4

    Ya, I realized the births would be off. Lily is how many months in, 3?? Robin is max 4 weeks in, but Barney could still be getting the call that she is having a miscarriage in that flashback. It could be for next season too…they might not visit that flashback this season, just a thought.

    I’m excited about where they are going with it and am enjoying the ride very much. I’m rewatching Season 7 during this 2 week hiatus. Can’t wait for December 5th!

  64. billie |  Thursday, November 24th, 2011 12:57 am GMT -4

    like most i want robin and barney together. I think it would be a lot of hype about it but they decide they ultimately want the baby. It will turn out to be a false positive (or along those lines) then they will decide that they really wanted it and try again but ‘ do it properly’ and get married first.
    Kevin was just the rebound guy when barney hooked up with nora, i think she wants to like kevin because he is the mature decision…. i think.

  65. Dandolion |  Thursday, November 24th, 2011 02:26 am GMT -4

    @honka honka
    When next you watch the episode watch the ghostbusters scene as the ambulance passes there is someone going into the stoop behind it (the one to the left of Lily and Marshall’s) originally there were 3 guys dressed as exterminators (ghostbusters) running past Marshall before the ambulance past him. They were probably cut for time. The show often is too long as shot and a lot of stuff gets cut. (that is me closing the door behind me BTW)

  66. Dandolion |  Thursday, November 24th, 2011 02:27 am GMT -4

    Everyone
    Fasten your seatbelts it is going to be a bumpy ride

  67. Sammy Wells |  Thursday, November 24th, 2011 05:23 am GMT -4

    I raged a bit when he said we have to wait 2 weeks, might need a new desk :/

  68. xTashx |  Thursday, November 24th, 2011 02:13 pm GMT -4

    JD, I have to hear your 2 cents if you get a chance! Even if it is just a sentence or 2 :)

  69. Niaz |  Friday, November 25th, 2011 07:36 am GMT -4

    it’s not a false positive unfortunately , Ausiello said :
    There’s an episode coming up that features a wedding, a death, a delivery and, if that’s not enough, the identity of the titular mama will be revealed — and it all ties into Becki Newton’s arrival as Barney’s new love interest
    and also said :
    Robin’s really pregnant. But whether she remains that way is an open question .
    i guess the death that he mentioned was Robins baby !

  70. SophiaVanMatterhorn |  Friday, November 25th, 2011 09:03 am GMT -4

    WOW *clap* way to post the spoilers that were earlier posted as a link which doesnt give anything away

  71. Niaz |  Friday, November 25th, 2011 09:08 am GMT -4

    @ SophiaVanMatterhorn : mmm , were you talking to me ?!

  72. Nora |  Friday, November 25th, 2011 09:46 am GMT -4

    My theory of the mother is she works at GNB with Barney, and that’s why she’s at the wedding.

  73. xTashx |  Friday, November 25th, 2011 10:15 am GMT -4

    @ Niaz,

    Ya just maybe at least put a *SPOILER WARNING* before you post stuff like that because some people don’t like to read spoilers…that way they just know to scroll past your post :)

  74. Niaz |  Friday, November 25th, 2011 11:09 am GMT -4

    @ xTashx :

    Oops! I’m sorry if i spoiled you !! next time i will :)

  75. Dandolion |  Friday, November 25th, 2011 01:03 pm GMT -4

    @Niaz
    The good news is Ausiello has his facts muddled so the spoiler is wrong/misleading. But it would be nice to avoid or at least warn people about spoilers.

  76. nora |  Saturday, November 26th, 2011 07:28 am GMT -4

    who else has bets that the series will end with ted and the mum walking together under the yellow umbrella as future ted says “and that kids, is how i met your mother”. lol.

  77. mumart |  Saturday, November 26th, 2011 09:28 am GMT -4

    that TED watching barney remove roses scene should DEFINITELY have been continued in this episode

  78. marggis |  Saturday, November 26th, 2011 09:06 pm GMT -4

    Let’s not forget Robin’s secret crush. He’s gonna come around at some point, too.

  79. Ryan |  Saturday, November 26th, 2011 09:33 pm GMT -4

    Watching the episode again, two things made me think.

    Firstly, in the re-cap, older Ted says that Barney had a rough week, and states he cheated on his girlfriend and broke up with his girlfriend. He never mentions Nora by name, which would suggest his kids don’t really know who Nora is. Doesn’t mean Barney wouldn’t marry her and then it ends, or nearly marry her, it could just be nothing.

    Secondly, Robin has been going on about ‘pregnancy brain’ for a while now, and then we find out she herself in pregnant (as far as I know, we don’t know how far gone). Maybe her pregnancy brain kicked in early and all this talk from her and Marshall about not being in the right frame of mind to make big decisions, is exactly the advice Robin should have been following.

  80. PaKo89 |  Sunday, November 27th, 2011 02:04 pm GMT -4

    Wanted to add, I hope you will keep on reviewing episodes till the end of the series Jordan. You do such a good job.

    I read at himym-source.com that Bays believes the next episode and I quote is “one of the best episodes we’ve ever done”.

    @Honka Honka Wikipedia lists Joe Kelly as the writer for the next episode.

    @AwesomeBob Care to explain what “Deep frying” means??

  81. AwesomeBob |  Sunday, November 27th, 2011 02:55 pm GMT -4

    @PaKo89 “Deep frying” is a term B&T use for when there are call backs to previously placed information; named after Pamela Fryman, the director of almost all the episodes. Anytime something is mentioned or seen only to be used later in the episode or later in the series for big reveals, Pam’s always got her hands in it.

  82. Solo4114 |  Sunday, November 27th, 2011 03:10 pm GMT -4

    @marggis,

    I don’t think we’ll see Michael Trucco again. I think his appearance was a one-off. It’s possible, I suppose, but even if he did show up, I think he’d just prove to be a momentary distraction.

  83. Sword Master |  Sunday, November 27th, 2011 10:30 pm GMT -4

    Should Barney marry Robin just because the baby is his? She broke his heart and clearly chose Kevin. Is Kevin gone from the show? Didn’t Kal Penn sign for 6 episodes only?

  84. and that kids... |  Monday, November 28th, 2011 03:21 am GMT -4

    i still hope robin and barney don’t end up together, and i always wished that robin would have ended up sticking to her guns and not having kids, i mean, not every woman in the world wants to have a baby. i know the writer’s made it an accident but…

  85. Solo4114 |  Monday, November 28th, 2011 09:23 am GMT -4

    It’s certainly true that not every woman wants to have kids (just as it’s true that not every man does). But I also think there’s an equally common phenomenon (which the show is exploring) of people who initially think they don’t want to, and then decide later that they do. I think it’s also important to note that the show isn’t making any judgment about people who decide they don’t want to have kids or even people who initially say they don’t and then change their mind.

    It’s not like the show has ever made Robin out to be naive, silly, wrong-headed, or whathaveyou for not wanting to have kids. They made it clear she wasn’t the right girl for Ted, sure, but that’s not the same as saying “Poor Robin. She was such an idiot,” or something. Actually, the show made a point about how Robin (at the time) didn’t want kids, and still ended up being really close to Ted’s kids, so if anything, I see the show as more suggesting that either choice is a valid one and it’s really a question of what’s right for each individual.

  86. Jenn- GCWOK Approved |  Tuesday, November 29th, 2011 04:52 am GMT -4

    I appreciate people labelling their comments with spoilers. This time I saw the warnings and skipped over those and remain blissfully unaware! Thanks!

  87. Matthew |  Tuesday, November 29th, 2011 06:16 am GMT -4

    Just having read somethings about future episodes, Im feeling down..

  88. HK |  Tuesday, November 29th, 2011 07:56 pm GMT -4

    FYI – HIMYM was just added to Netflix Instant! I’m looking forward to rewatching some of last season. I own all the others on DVD…

  89. robinsparkles14 |  Tuesday, November 29th, 2011 11:50 pm GMT -4

    Sorry to comment again but this Becki Newton thing is killing me? It seems like she’s going to tie everything together, but whether or not she ends up with Barney is an open question. Because if you had asked me in ANY previous season (yup, 1&2 included), I would have told you Robin and Barney will end up together. From “Zip, Zip, Zip” (my first ever HIMYM episode) I knew it.
    But now I’m starting to doubt myself.
    They’ve had 5/7 seasons filled with BR paraphernalia. To me it would be insane for them not to be together in the end.
    However, it was also insane to believe Barney could ever get married and look what happened.
    It was insane to believe Robin could ever get knocked up and look what happened.
    This show is insane central! The problem is that crazy BR fans like me won’t be able to take it if Barney marries someone else.
    And *THIS IS A SPOILER* they said they’d be doing some “reshuffling of the group.” And as a loyal follower all 7 years, I don’t think I’ll be able to take that either.
    But I definitely trust these writers. They haven’t let me down before, and I know they’ll do a good job with their plan.
    But I don’t know if I believe they’re rearranging the group because in every flash forward, they’re all together…so who knows?
    And, yes, I think Robin loses the baby. It’s a easy out for the writers and obviously Robin and Barney still have people waiting in their midsts. And we’ll see how it all ties into them (hopefully) ending up together.
    Oh, and BTW, Becki Newton’s characters name is Quinn. Which reminds me, I watched Glee tonight…it’s the Canada of TV…you just can’t take it seriously.

  90. and that kids... |  Wednesday, November 30th, 2011 10:17 pm GMT -4

    if barney and robin end up as endgame i think it will ruin the show for me..

  91. xTashx |  Thursday, December 1st, 2011 07:34 pm GMT -4

    Anyone know if there’s a promo up for next week yet?

  92. xTashx |  Thursday, December 1st, 2011 07:36 pm GMT -4

    Nevermind found one!!! Here it is for anyone who wants to check it out:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EyO8mMGC8A

  93. meck |  Friday, December 2nd, 2011 02:22 am GMT -4

    I haven’t seen anyone else mention this, but the Victoria/Ducky Tie episode from earlier this season alluded to the fact that it wouldn’t work out for Barney, Robin, and Ted to remain friends (at least for awhile, since we obviously know they are friends again in the future). so here’s what i think:

    1) if robin doesn’t lose the pregnancy, and decides to keep it (99.99999 % sure HIMYM would NOT do an abortion storyline but i’d be pleasantly surprised if they did) then I think Ted will be pissed because a lot of their breakup revolved around disagreement about the future/children. plus, let’s face it, there’s be some latent SOMETHING between them this whole time.

    2) and if Robin keeps said baby (and stay with Kevin?), then it’s equally plausible that Barney would want his distance as well.

    Not sure how this gets us eventually to Barney’s wedding but if isn’t Robin who eventually marries him then I swear off sitcoms forever.

    I’m assuming that the show will run through 8 seasons based on what’s been said in the past (so 1 more year). It’s possible that, from a storytelling perspective, Barney’s wedding will be the final event of the whole show and they could pull some flashback or retelling from a different perspective narrative voodoo to get us there, back to Barney’s wedding, where Ted meets the mom.

    I know there are some RoBarn haters out there, and yes, their relationship didn’t work out before, but it also coincided with the worst season and worst writing on the show. I almost stopped watching altogether because the way they were portrayed as a couple was so over the top ridiculous. How can we accept as an audience that Robin was a horrible girlfriend and completely let herself go when she dated Ted for a year? Similarly, how can we accept that Barney doesn’t know how to be a boyfriend either after Game Night. The writing was just bad and I refuse to throw out 6 seasons of chemistry because of 4 shitty episodes. Like it or not, they’ve been laying the foundation for Robin and Barney since the first season (Robin’s custom Sherbatsky doormat) and if it doesn’t end with them together, I will die a little inside. I challenge anyone to rewatch Sandcastles in the Sand, probably one of the all-time best HIMYM episodes, and if you aren’t a believer then, then you’ve got a heart shaped hole inside your chestical cavity.

    PS I would love to make a list of the top 10 best HIMYM episodes to far!

    Final thought: Barney and Ted haven’t talked about the rose petals because Ted was totally full on some sandwiches when he witnessed that, and based on my experience, sandwiches mess with your memory.

  94. Honka Honka |  Friday, December 2nd, 2011 08:41 am GMT -4

    My vote for one of the Top 10 episodes: Best Burger in New York. That episode is hilarious!!!

  95. carter bays |  Monday, December 5th, 2011 05:57 pm GMT -4

    @ meck i agree strongly with almost everything you said in that long paragraph

  96. mike |  Monday, January 30th, 2012 03:21 am GMT -4

    Hi there!

    Great Blog! Check out mine it’s a quite similar one.

    greetings mike

  97. Kayla |  Wednesday, February 29th, 2012 10:44 am GMT -4

    Just wanna point out that NPH & DB did not adopt in real life. Their twins are biologically theirs. One each, they used a surrogate.

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