The How I Met Your Mother Blog

Welcome back everyone! Is HIMYM “on fire” (three-in a row, for you Double-Dribble fans)”?

By a nose, yup. That’s three in a row that worked, don’t want to speak too soon, but perhaps we’re back on track. Holding my breath, but this is a good sign of things to come. Let’s dive in:

What was Good

• A structurally solid episode, really well put together, and successfully juggled three different story lines that all came together thematically.
• Ted failing miserably at furniture making. Remember, people, he’s an architect, not a carpenter. They make little models to look good, not be functional (What is this…A CENTER FOR ANTS???) The dude ain’t Jesus. Yet we know he designs stuff for a living, so it’s a humorous and ironic point.
• The Ghost of Robin. Indeed, when someone leaves, they leave behind something, that memory. It’s the spirit of what you had. When you feel something for someone, it doesn’t just shut off; this episode is a logical extension from last week. Even though Ted has closed the door, and taken the first step in a new direction, change, no matter what, is loss. For the first time, Ted is truly alone, albeit not for long. And yup, to get over a chick, we’ll do anything to distract ourselves, including smoking our meat. OHHHH!
• Karma (figuratively: Last season had Barney begun a journey towards inner peace and happiness. That journey will have several road bumps of Karma (life, not the cute blonde) presenting a bill for its services. In life, you can be a bastard, and change for the better, but you might have to get smacked around a bit. Such is life, Barnacle.
• Karma (literally): Yes, she’s a fellow Quaker. Yes, she’s f–king hot (how did I miss her at Penn?). So yes, I’m partial, but she’s cute as a button and a good actress. Last week, even though I enjoyed her performance, it was too one-note for my tastes (you can’t have me, Barney, you can’t have me, yeah, I get it). This time, however, they let her explore the character a bit more and add some dimensions.
• The end coffee shop scene. The best writing happens when the writers, knowing who they are dealing with, give the actors materials that allow them to ACT. Bingo, fellas. Well done. The writers are doing this more often these days and it shows.

What was Bad

• Saw the plot twist coming at the end of the prologue, as we all did, because they gave it away last week. They should have saved it for tonight. Don’t you think?
• I know that this is network TV, and they have no choice, but in every strip club I’ve ever been to, there are naked boobs. EVERYWHERE. And the Champagne room? They’d be doing stuff. Unless it was a fight weekend (undercover cops).

Favorite Moments

• That’s right, Ted, when a chick breaks your heart, next stop, Strip club!
• The Strip-Club Switcher-roo. That is actually how we do it. It’s like a Titty-Buffet; you don’t just pick one, you share!
• “Why do I have to be so sensitive?” Take it from the Sensitive Nice Guy, Ted, don’t. Instead, be a jerk. For now.
• Barney, the sex was mind blowing because she’s a pro. Anyone who says Strippers aren’t also prostitutes is kidding themselves. Go ahead and get mad. I’ll wait. You’re not arguing morals, you’re negotiating price, and everyone has one. At least strippers do. In Vegas (not that I’d know anything about that).
• “Maybe it’s Destiny” – yeah, saw that joke coming. I don’t care. Stripper jokes never get old.
• Barney, you’re in a NYC titty-bar. so that “manager” you are referring to is most likely a member of the Russian Mob. Tread carefully.
• LAME’s matching walking suits. Christ they are adorable.
• Karma/Quinn: Oh, these songs are so short! I’m surprised it was only 900 bucks and the Rolex. Barney, for the love of God, see a relationship for what it is, not for what you want it to be. You used to be so good at that.
• “Because that’s the Lusty Leopards policy and I’m so mad at you that I know that!”
• “Sorry I only had the last verse of ‘hot for teacher’ to work on that.”
• The ball of clay flying out the window.
• “Sex with me would cure their near-sightedness?” BARNEY?
• “Super-Tramp! They named their band for her!”
• “Better to face it and move on, than try to force something that’s not meant to be.”

Questions/Queries

•  So, at this point, unless I missed something, LAME owns not one but two properties in the Tri-state Area? Nice. They are gonna be loaded! (Update: They sold their apartment in the city so that a neighbor could expand his place. Thank you, HK!)
• This is why I don’t go to Strip Clubs anymore (I did in my 20′s, during my “Barney” phase, but certainly, they did not know me by name at “Crazy Horse 2″). They just want your money. And give you blue-balls in return.
• Where is Ted going? This could be interesting. My prediction? Staten Island. I wanna see a “Life as a House” thing for the rest of the season. Rebuilding a house and rebuilding his life.
• We know that Robin has already lived in Argentina and Japan, but she has yet to live in Greece, Russia and Morocco (see “Something Blue”). I have the feeling that, as shows get more and more expensive to produce as seasons keep going, they need to cut people for budgetary reasons. Maybe the writers tossed this in just in case they need to send Cobie packing. She’ll be okay, this summer, you’ll see her in “The Avengers.”
• I wanna know who the voice of the strip club DJ is. I wanna meet him and buy him a beer.
• The music playing in the LL when Barney and Ted walk in with Red Roses…we’ve heard it before. Remember?

Closing Thoughts

Dear Barney and Ted,

Robin is, like her name implies, a bird meant to be free and never meant to be caged. She’s gotta spread her wings and fly. I’m sad that the two of you and Kevin all got run over like a train to figure this out.

Barney you are doing the right thing hanging your balls out there. You have to get burned a little bit to earn a little humility. Looks like this year is it for you. You’re on your way to that wedding. I really hope you go through with it and chose the right tie. You are trying, and trying hard, to be a better person. Don’t look now, but you’re already there.

We can’t live alone, can we? We need our friends. We need love. Ted, you already knew that, Barney, you’re on your way.

Jordan

See y’all in a few weeks!

================================================================

Don’t forget to check out my podcast, “The Sensitive Nice Guy Show“!!!

Welcome back, everyone! Coming off of last week’s episode, which left us on a cliffhanger, one of you wrote, “Best episode I have ever seen” about tonight’s. So…was it? Well no, but pretty damn good! Let’s dive in…

What was Good

• Yup. Loved it. That’s 2 for 2. This episode was mythology-heavy and did a great job of knocking down what last week set up. I was sincerely worried that they would blow it, and was pleasantly surprised to see that they smacked back-to-back homers.
• We saw Mom! How sweet is that? Sure, that 20th Century Fox backlot ain’t fooling anyone, but I don’t care. This is the closest we have seen of her since her foot a few seasons back.
• Marshall, the best friend we all need. The best friend who knows your feelings and true intentions better than you do, the one who will meet you at a bar at 0700 in the AM to talk, and cares enough to make a bet about your love life. Marshall is like the Yoda of this show; he seems like a silly mid-westerner at times (sorry) as well as a needy puppy dog, but he’s actually super-duper wise and a bad-ass to boot.
• Barney ransacking LAME’s house and hiring a cleaning crew to mop up the mess. This is a good motivator for hard work and success; you will have the cash to fund your crazy schemes.
• Ted and how the kiss went down. They say there are three truths in life; yours, mine, and the real one. I think we saw the real one first.
• Very glad to see so many questions answered tonight. Yup, Ted saw something, but wasn’t sure what it was. Barney has grown up, and Ted certainly wasn’t expecting to see that.

What Was Bad

• Again, not much. I wasn’t fond of Ted in bed talking about lyme disease. Struck me as too sit-commy. You know how I feel about that. A minor quick speed bump.
• Patrice; lame. I really believe she was manufactured (have we ever seen her before?) to get Robin out of the city so that Ted could talk about her with his friends. Oh well, at least we got a few funny moments of Ted and Robin packing.
• “Not yet.” This went against the theme of the episode (closure), never mind that it’s a red herring…sort of, I mean, we know that Ted and Robin do not end up together (LET IT GO, PEOPLE). Perhaps this is alluding to something about things between Ted, Barney and Robin not working out? Not sure. They should have faded out on the yellow umbrellas (MAN I wish I bought stock in that “yellow umbrella” company).

Favorite Moments

• “I go camping in secret!” Sometimes, ladies, when we declare our love for you and you don’t say it back, uh, we wish we could take it back. Yup.
• “Oh God, where’s my cough syrup??”
• That’s right, this is a direct sequel to last week, the Drunk Train is back! In reference form only, of course, but it’s back!
• “Do you think I could turn that baby into my baby?” I’ve wondered the same thing, Barney.
• “Blah blah blah blah SEX TAPE HIDDEN SOMEWHERE blah blah blah”
• “Yeah, but he just wants to bang me, I want something real”
• “Make the no way creepy grand romantic gestures we all know Robin loves!”
• “Not like this, Lily…not like this.”
• “Excuse me…I’ve got some sonnets to write.” Damn Ted, I’ve missed you.
• The ski bet. “People fall off ski-lifts all the time.” You know, this bet on your single friends thing sounds like a good idea…
• Conan cameo! And is that the dude who plays Joe on “Family Guy” in the airport?
• Barney’s little head-twitch in the flashback of having his heart stomped on. Chills.
• “Thanks, now let’s watch our two best friends have sex on tape.”
• The tug-of-war between Marshall and Lily about the sex tape.
• Florence and the Machine. Great song, “Shake it Out”. Check out, “Cosmic Love,” and put it on in the bedroom. Trust me.

Questions/Queries

• Wedding Bride 3! I’m sad that Tony continues to be a successful hack screenwriter at Ted’s expense, but…what are you gonna do? I’d punch the guy if he wasn’t a black belt.
• A theme of forgiveness: “the movie we wanted to see was sold out.” That movie, btw, is Wedding Bride 3. I take this to mean, by the time Ted has met the mother, he has moved on from the past and is ready to love. And, just in case this isn’t obvious enough, Wedding Bride 3 with the mother..people, Ted will be married to the mother of his children. She ain’t gonna die.
• At what point does Marshall just kick Barney’s ass for constantly lusting after his wife?
• The unattainable is attractive to both sexes, Lily. That is why Ted wants Robin and Barney wants to bang you.
• Lily, you saucy minx you, you are not Ted’s best friend. Barney/Marshall is/are.
• Then again, maybe you are; your bet against Ted is actually for him in the long term.
• For a second there, I wasn’t sure Lily was intentionally giving Ted bad advice (regarding Robin’s phone being full of messages when she lands). Sometimes chicks give fantasy advice to guys in the way that they are imagining a straight Fabio doing it for them. Guys, never listen to girl’s giving you advice.
• For the love of God, people, NEVER MAKE A SEX TAPE. I know it can help, you know, in a Monday-Morning Quarterback look at the game film kind of way (You need to get your ass higher and thrust slower, dear, see?) but it’s bad idea jeans all the way.
• Ain’t buying Lily’s wig at the wedding flashback.
• Good reason to own a VCR to this day; you never know when you might find your friend’s no-no tape…so that you can then convert it over to DV, then to youtub…I mean youporn… I mean

Closing Thoughts

Dear Ted,

We get three great loves. Two that get away (Stella and Robin), and the one you are with forever (?).

You took a big step tonight towards the goal of the third, and I’m proud of you. You grew a pair and hung yourself out there with Robin. Although it didn’t work out the way you planned, in the future, you will be so glad it didn’t. 

Thing is, you know you were reckless. You didn’t think and you went with your heart. At least you got the answer you deserved and needed. Just try to look before you leap next time. 

Oh wait. Leaping is a good thing. Forget I said anything.

Your pal,

Jordan

So, Robin is the last girl Ted declares his love for until he meets the one. Indeed, we are getting close to the finish. So, unless they are really planning on not having Ted be the main character for much of the remaining episodes, next season will, and should, be the last.

See you next week!

==================================================================

And be sure to check out a new episode of, “The ‘Sensitive Nice Guy’ Show” this Thursday at 10PM PST on ITunes and Stitcher!

Welcome back everyone! I’m back, and I’m pleased to say, so is, “How I Met Your Mother.”

When the show is firing on all cylinders, it’s funny as well as touching and intelligent. It’s no secret how disappointed I have been with this season so far, but this week, just in time for sweeps, we get a real winner.

What was Good

• Almost everything! The Drunk Train! LOVE IT. One of my pet peeves with the show is that the NYC portrayed is no NYC I’ve ever been to. Not tonight. Bingo. Bulls-eye. The writers took a real thing (evidently) and had some fun with it. This could have been hacky. This could have been stupid. It wasn’t. Thank God. The joke that guidos and Jersey-Shore-wanna-be’s are a bunch of drunken morons has been beaten into a dead horse by now; but HIMYM found a new spin on it; drunken external inferiority complex (and, guidos, you are right to feel that way, because we really are better than you). Sure, it’s a little cartoonish and over-the-top, but it works nonetheless because it’s really funny.
• The Drunk Train stuff is what I have missed about the show. Barney the instigator and alpha, Ted the Kermit the Frog/Tom Hanks/Nice guy trying to hold it together, who eventually stumbles trying to be Barney.
• Keeping score. Any successful couple will tell you that you can’t. I would put forth that the most positive aspects of a relationship should be about what you do, not what you avoid. If you find that you are constantly telling people, “We DON’t do that BAD THING!”, then that bad thing is probably a festering problem you’re ignoring.
• Great foreshadowing with Quinn’s actual identity. Great plant and pay-off writing.
• I feel that the show, after so much time off the rails, is finally back on track. Ted is cynical, but hopeful. Barney, after getting run over by Robin a few eps back, is back to his old womanizing self (and you banged a HOT stripper dude, up high!) but we know he’s older and wiser, and looking for something more. Marshall and Lilly are a side-show, where they really belong at the moment. And Robin? Wow. Can’t wait to see what comes next.
• The crying chick on the train. So true. Barney, you need to work on your game with irrational crazy chicks from New Yowk. Figured you’d have enough experience by now, buddy.
• The return of the “Beautiful Mind” marker-board. Anyone see the “Get Drunk” thing before Ted circled it? I certainly didn’t.
• When Robin Tells Ted what happened; good writing and editing. We know what happened, we don’t need to see her tell him beat by beat. What we need is what we got; the emotional beat of Ted silently comforting his friend with non-diagetic music in the background.
• Very interesting choice to have something in the epilogue be important information, instead of a joke. I almost skipped it; they don’t always have one.

What was Bad

• Thing is, I liked the Barney/Quinn story. My problem with it was that it was kind of predictable and hacky. Oh sure, the woman that Barney can’t stop thinking about is the one girl he can’t (right away) have. Just seemed kind of base to me, especially considering that the Nora romance was handled so well by comparison. Then again, this is just the beginning of what will most certainly be a several-episode arc, so we’ll see. I get that they are playing with the total female empowerment fantasy of taking down the bad boy, but remember, Barney did end up banging her anyway.
• The end of Kevin. I like Kal Penn (spent some time with him in grad school, he’s a really nice and intelligent guy), but the way the writers handled it fell short of expectations. They never really fully explored their relationship, and they seemed to jump from beat to beat without any substance in between (for example, when did they start boning?). Also, how long had they been dating before a guy who should know better got down on one knee? I get that a lot of people who go into the psychology profession have issues of their own, but Kevin proposing was not something believable.
• Wait, Ted is still in love with Robin? When did this happen? I guess we’ll find out later.

Favorite Moments

• “Top 10 Things Lilly said on her wedding night”
• “It was a night like any other…I was about to get laid”
• “Are you NOT a sure thing?” “Yeah, I am” – They could not have cast that actress better.
• “I never wear underwear,” (cough) “JACKPOT”
• “Goat cheese..fascinating!”
• “The Drunk Train…ALL ABOARD!!!”
• Jesus Christ, I fell out of my chair during, “Just Screaming.” The way this show continues to mock hipsters, hippies, artsy-fartsy types and avant-garde bad art just warms my heart. Hey, that rhymed!
• “How was I supposed to know he’d eat my wallet?”
• “Little Engine with Wood.”
• “I pay for the meal, you handle my deal.”
• “YOU THINK YOU’RE BETTER THAN ME?”
• “You wear a suit all the time, you have a stupid rule about everything, but you end up most nights alone at a strip club feeling empty inside, telling yourself your life is somehow epic or classic or legendary.”
• “Barney…who ARE you?” Indeed, Barney did just randomly show up one day at the bar, and we have gotten bits and pieces about his past. However, I’m curious; I get that his break-up with Shannon led to him being the Barnicle, but, after putting on that suit, did he get an MBA? I’d love to hear more.
• “LET’S GO TO THE BOARD!!!”
• “Do you know why I’m on the Drunk Train? I have nothing better to do. I have no one I can’t stop thinking about.” Ted, buddy, I’ve really missed you. She’s coming, as fast as she can.

Questions/Queries

• Glad to see the show pushing the idea forward that you should NOT celebrate V-day on the day itself.
• A big thing happened in the past…uh, Kevin, Robin has another secret she hasn’t told you. I would like to think we’re not done with Kevin yet; I think there is one more story beat to play, I suspect they will eventually bring him back for this, and if I’m right, I’ll say so here.
• I will always find the mother-in-law/Daughter-in-Law stuff funny, but wasn’t this kind of resolved last season at the funeral? “Last one, dear.”
• What is up with Ted and horizontal striped-shirts? That ain’t working for me SOMEONE CALL THE FASHION POLICE!!! (hand up, down).
• Guys, BTW, if a girl says, “uuuuhhhhhhh….I don’t know,” That is a no.
• When Robin said to LAME, “There is something you don’t know…” how many of you were expecting her to confess about Barney?
• Someone help me out here; Robin is sad about not being able to have kids…but she doesn’t want kids at all? I know I’m missing something. I know she has said in the past she doesn’t want kids, but…hmmmm…food for thought.
• I’m still thinking about that casino game flash forward…
• So, what’s the “final stop” for Ted? From hope, to cynicism, to…a big flipping mistake, it seems. Then again, we’re clairvoyant because we can see the future he cannot.
• I think it’s pretty clear that no one knows about Barney and Robin except for the two of them. No way Ted has any idea.

Closing Thoughts

Dear Kevin,

It’s sad. Love isn’t enough.

A lot of people think they can change the other person. They cannot. Change is a glacial process that takes decades. Never overnight. Certainly, the big ones, religion, kids, favorite position in the sack, you figure that out now BEFORE you get down on one knee. Dude, you are smarter than this, what were you thinking?

You had to find out the hard way that if you want the prize, you have to work for it and earn it. Dating is supposed to be fun, so have fun dating, dude. So many people want the end without enjoying the beginning and the middle. So many people love the idea of a person instead of the actual human being. And trust me, dude, you never truly knew Robin. She’s not ready for anything serious, her protests to the contrary be damned. 

Don’t worry, she’s not the girl for you anyway; you want kids, she doesn’t. Glad you saw the light in the end. Now RUN!

Sincerely,

Jordan

Anyway…

Oh sweet irony! Last week’s clunker of an episode was written by the creators, and this week, by two staff guys. However, here is the thing; the credit we see on screen most often does not reflect the final product. TV shows are written by committee, and the name we see usually just wrote the first draft. AFTER the staff puts the story beats together, and BEFORE a bunch of jokes and rewrites are done by other people. And never mind the network “notes”.  So, who really knows?

Eh…who really cares? I really loved this episode. I laughed, I was surprised, I got some insight into the human condition, and finally finally FINALLY TED SCHMOSBY IS BACK!!!!!

Welcome back, Teddy West-Side. We missed you.

As far as Ted’s story is concerned, “The Drunk Train” is the next episode after, “Ducky Tie”. Sure, “The Slutty Pumpkin Returns” had some stuff but, who are we kidding? Ted was given a time bomb by Victoria, and it wasn’t until tonight that it started to tick. Tick…tick…tick…

See you all next week!

Hey everybody!

Sorry to be a little late this week, I have promised JD to see this through to the end of the season, and if time permits next season, I will do it again. I love writing this for you guys, but man, sometimes it’s tough, especially when it’s an episode that fell completely flat for me. This is certainly one of those times. And judging by the comments so far, I’m not alone in feeling this way.

It’s difficult to get out 1000 words on an episode like this, so from now on, if I really don’t like an episode, well, it’ll be a little shorter, and you’ll just have to deal with it. I love this show way too much to blow smoke up its keister and pretend things are all sunshine and puppies when in fact they are not. If this offends some of you (and you know who you are) too bad.

What was good

Not much.

I was about to say something about how it had several stories that all came together in the end, monkeying with time and what not, and that would have been fine…if not for the fact that it was obvious from moment one that was where they were going. Lack of suspense equals death dramatically. One of the several reasons the Star Wars prequels were complete garbage was because we knew what was going to happen. No suspense. Anakin was gonna become Darth Vader and anytime Obi-Wan was in any kind of mortal danger, well, he ain’t gonna die. Oh look, they’re in front of a volcano, I wonder what will happen!

What was bad

Everything else.

Most of this you’ve already heard before, no laughs, no romance, Chris Elliot continues to be a cartoon character that I want to punch through a wall, blah blah blah. However, beekeeping? Seriously?

And Cootes, when we first met him, he was cool. He was the boss who cared about the environment and didn’t care that Marshall had a silly past on YouTube. Now? “Mother Earth doesn’t get a day off?” Uh-huh. I mean, he’s right, but, uh, nope, not buying it. And was anyone shocked that it was not Chris Elliot that came busting through the living room on fire? Duh!

By the way, B&T wrote this one. When I saw that in the beginning, my hopes skyrocketed, only to plummet about half-way through when I realized that this episode was going nowhere.

Carter, Craig, if you’re reading this…

Look guys, I get it. It’s season 7, and with each passing year it becomes harder and harder to turn out quality material. I know of the pressure that you guys are under; it’s bad enough to have the dipshit coked up network suits giving you notes, but now you have the fans complaining? Having spent some time in a writer’s room, I get it, I really do. It’s impossible to please a thousand cooks.

There is a strong case to be made for all network tv shows to have their season orders slashed in half, 12 episodes instead of 24; think about it. You could have twice as many shows on the air with double the quality, and filler episodes like this would never hit the soundstage. Ever think that HBO, Showtime and AMC are actually on to something? Do you give a damn that Game of Thrones didn’t have a 24-episode season? How about Walking Dead? Of course not. How many good shows with 22-24 episode seasons can you think of that lasted beyond 5 seasons and still went out with a bang instead of a whimper? I’m struggling.

So, once again, I am a fan of this show and always will be, but think about the root of that term; fanatic. That ain’t me. I love the show but I will always be objective, sincere and honest. I’m happy to hear we are closer to the end than the beginning, delighted that you guys have a plan, and that next season will be the last. That’s a good thing; every good story has to end eventually, and a couple of Muppets seem to be dragging at least one your actors towards stardom. Let’s just hope you end it well. Good luck to you both.

Sincerely,

Jordan

============================================================================================

Well, that’s it for this week. In the meantime, enjoy this. Yup, Ted has a “Rate My Professor” page. Every time this show breaks the fourth wall, I smile.

Also, seriously, remember that part a while back when we said, “no spoilers”? To those of you who are posting links to future episodes, uh, please stop.

Also, I interview Tucker Max tonight on my show about his new book, “Hilarity Ensues.” Enjoy!

And here I was so excited that we’d have an hour-long episode…nope.

And after last week, we are back to mediocre HIMYM.  Sorry to report that.  A few decent moments, but overall, I was disappointed.

What was Good

• Monkeying with the opening credits, with Barney as the leader of the gang.  This has been his ultimate goal, but then again, doesn’t he already think of himself that way?  He’s the Barn-ih-cle, for crying out loud.
• Nice to have Stripper Lilly back, and I’m glad the show did not mince any words about NYC Russians and their stripper girlfriends; yes, they have brought the old world with them, and yes, they will try to rob you.  You can’t turn a hooker into a housewife, people.  But I digress.
• The final denouement.  Indeed, as time goes on, where we may be will change, but our love for one another will not.  Loved the booth metaphor.  I’m sure I’m not alone in this.
• The “Early Relationship Chicken.”  A nice true moment.  I would argue the key in life is to say yes to more things for the sake of saying yes alone.  Wouldn’t you?

What was Bad

• Chris Elliot.  The man has made a career out of playing that awkward douchebag you can’t stand (There’s Something About Mary, Groundhog Day, Everybody Loves Raymond, ect.).  My problem with him as an actor is that, well, that’s exactly what I think of him.  And now the writers have taken the dude into lame sitcom territory as “the THING THAT WOULDN’T LEAVE!!!!” (it was done much better as a short sketch with John Belushi on SNL years back). To think, just last week, they actually had a realistic and touching storyline regarding how Lilly simply can’t forgive her father for abandoning her and being an all around moron of a human being, and now this.  LAME…and not the kind of LAME I like.
• Okay seriously, one more time, the wacky roommate that just won’t leave???  HACK WRITING.  I think I just torpedoed any chance of the producers inviting me to the set (guys, I live right around the block from the Fox lot, pretty please?).
• I think it’s pretty clear at this point that Ted just isn’t the star of his own show anymore.  I’m gonna stop complaining about this now, as I have bitched about it enough.  Sad.  Sad sad sad.
• No wait, seriously, one last thing; if you were to show this season with episode 4 on to someone who had never seen it, there is no way in hell they would assume the show is about Ted.

Favorite Moments

• “But I don’t understand, you can get spray-tans here!”
• “Barney…is the NEW…leader of the gang and life just got more awesome!!!!”
• “Do not touch the fudge in my nightstand…we need ant traps for the night stand.”
• “I hate to agree with Barney’s near-paralyzing abandonment issues, but he has a point.”
• “Let’s go to a strip club!” – every night since 2005.
• “Lot of great memories here…mostly discovering my body.”
• “Barney, I don’t need a lap dance, I need to talk to my….friends.”
• “I’m realistic” – yeah too bad your show isn’t anymore, Ted.  BA-ZING!!!
• “We go to underground poker game in mostly abandoned insane asylum.”
• Ted winning at poker (though lets face it, that ain’t happening in real life) actually made me laugh pretty hard.  The only time I did this episode.
• “And the guilt just makes it dirtier and better.”

Random Thoughts/Questions

• Wait, when did Kevin and Robin start sleeping together?  And how long are they going to keep going with this idea that, oh, btw, ROBIN CHEATED ON HIM???
• Correct me if I’m wrong, but Robin does NOT like strip clubs, and made it quite clear to Barney as much when they were dating.
• Glad to know that Aldrin games actually had one hit.  I’m not THAT cruel.
• Anyone who speaks Russian and watches this episode, well, gee, that poker game double-back joke just won’t work, now will it?  Okay now I’m nitpicking.

Closing Thoughts

Not a fan of this episode, and so far, I’m not sure I’m gonna be a fan of this season.  A few gems so far, but a lot of duds.  I still love this show and I will stick with it to the bitter end.  Indeed, I love it enough to be honest about it.  I am honest enough to admit that the Star Wars prequels suck, I’m 34 years old and I can’t eat cheesesteaks anymore, and WHAM is not getting back together.  I can do it with HIMYM too.