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The Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series goes to…George Sloan for How I Met Your Mother, "No Pressure."

Jenniac here and I’m going to try hard to be unbiased about tonight’s episode. I should warn you it will be VERY hard considering I went to college with George Sloan and basically harass him about HIMYM every week (and plan to harass him on set when I’m in LA next month). Tonight was his head writer debut and I was looking forward to this episode for weeks.

How I Met Your Mother Music

To quote my friend Star, “that episode was fantastic, it felt classic and it was funny and dramatic. It pushed the story forward.” EXACTLY.

Just when I thought the episode couldn’t get better it did. It felt like early HIMYM episodes. It had had a ton of awesome throwbacks and also introduced a lot of new things in addition to giving some resolutions to lingering questions, but without tying things up neatly. And of there were many “carrots” given to us about FINALLY MEETING THE MOTHER.

I loved opening with Ted and the Mother. She’s is the next person Ted tells that he loves. However Ted on the roof with Robin reflecting on the past 5 years was pretty epic. The flashbacks to their relationship really did help remind me of the time that I was sort of rooting for them. However seeing them kiss was “emotional mayhem” to quote Robin who felt the same way.

Robin leaves in a rush-a (get it? No? I’ll leave the comedy writing to the pros), but then she comes back to kiss him goodbye. Ted calls Marshall to process what the hell just happened…at the bar…at 7am…no judgment, just sayin’. In their conversation they finally address Ted setting up Christmas lights for Robin (and the fact that Ted is a good friend). Lily of course joins them at the bar gives a negative interpretation of how Robin and Ted left things. It seems that Lily is rooting against Robin and Ted, but it’s because SHE IS!

While ransacking Marsh & Lil’s place looking for their sex tape he finds their Long-Term Bet box which include a TON of gems including Lily betting Marshall that Ted and Robin don’t end up together. We know Lily was responsible for a number of Ted’s past breakups – including Ted and Robin’s original break up. Lily continues to try and sabotage Ted by giving him advice to overwhelm Robin with grand romantic gestures.

Barney confronts Lily and Marshall about the Long-Term Bet box and we learn it all started 10 years earlier – complete with a never before seen flashbacks – with terrible Lily wigs. Ted learns about Lily’s bet against him and Robin as well as her rational. Barney interrupts Ted pondering about him and Robin to borrow his VCR (which for the record I own one too). It’s then that Ted realizes that Robin’s in love with Barney. Ted FINALLY tells Barney that he saw him with roses and candle for Robin, but Barney tells him everything. Ted tells Barney that Robin and Kevin broke up and Barney acts nonchalant, but also surprisingly mature which Ted notes.

The next thing we know it’s a week later and Ted picks up Robin at the airport (with a hat and sign a la Marshall and Lily) and they go to eat at the place with the Blue French Horn. Ted realizes him and Robin aren’t going to happen and takes their single and 40 deal off the table. Ted puts it all out there. He asks Robin is she loves him and she finally gives him closure by telling him no. The moment just hung there heavy in the air for a minute. It was tragic and beautiful…hauntingly beautiful.

Ted and Marshall reconvene at bar where Ted is shattered over Robin. Marshall does the best friend duty of telling Robin she needs to move out. My friend Star didn’t know where the Marshall and Robin conversation was going, but she said it played out perfectly and I agree.

Next we see Ted alone on the roof as Florence + the Machine’s Shake It Off (which is also hauntingly beautiful) plays and we see a glimpse into what happens next. Robin gives Ted back his key, packs up her stuff, and moves out. Ted finds himself happy in his own way realizing that the mother is still out there. We see Ted walk out in the rain with his black umbrella into a sea of yellow umbrellas.

I got chills.

This episode was not only one of my favorites from this season, but from the whole series. I’m so immensely proud of George. I hope for his sake as a writer and my sake as a fan that he gets to helm many more episodes in the future!

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Legendary Lines

  • Ted: I go camping in secret.
  • Barney: Do you think that if we did it and I did a really good job that I could turn that into my baby?
  • Lily: Robin again? Why does everyone keep going after Robin? How come no one ever takes a run at me?
  • Ted: So I just walk up to her in Red Square with a dozen roses? Or float down to her in my hot air balloon with ten dozen roses!
  • Ted: I’ve seen the Olympics I know what I’m doing. I’m going skiing bitches.
  • Marshall & Lily: You know I gotta say making money off this bet just makes you feel… more alive than you have in years…yes….new hobby!
  • Marshall: I starved myself for a week to get camera ready…yeah A bear claw.
  • Marshall: Not yet.
  • Barney: Ted you’re the only idiot I know who still owns a VCR, so you are the lucky winner of the “who gets to sit next to me and watch your best friends go bananas all over each other sweepstakes.” To the outdated viewing device!
  • Barney: Even if that somebody else was you. Bro’s before hoe’s right? No matter how mad she made me Robin’s still my bro. And if you make her happy that makes me happy.
  • Lily: Watch that tape! Sorry I just really want to win the bet.
  • Ted: No, look I’m sorry I can’t do that anymore. As long as the door is even a little bit open I have this feeling that I’ll just be waiting around to see if I win the lottery when you turn 40. I think you know how you feel about me now and I don’t think time is going to change that.
  • Future Ted: Here’s the funny thing, in my own crazy way I was kind of happy. For the first time in years there was no little part of me clinging to the dream of being with Robin. Which meant for the first time in years the world was wide open. Because kids when a door closes, well you know the rest.

Moments of Awesomeness

  • Ted’s inner monologue with himself laying in bed and the expressions on his face.
  • PATRICE!!!!
  • Barney’s reveal in the bed with Lily and Marshall.
  • A bird eye view of Barney-vision who only sees Lily’s boobs and hears that Lily and Marshall have a sex tape.
  • Marshall and Lily’s Long Term-Bet Box
  • Lily’s forced “Awww” after every suggestion to sabotage Ted and Robin.
  • Ted drinking a 40.
  • Barney dance moves in the backseat of Lily and Marshall car to and from Ted and Stella’s wedding.
  • 46 minutes later…
  • Barney’s bets about the sex tape.
  • Marshall and Lily convincing Barney and Ted to not watch/watch the sex tape.
  • Lily rubbing her belly was thrusting and moaning.
  • Ted being upset that Barney smashed his VCR.
  • Ted hiding behind him menu at the Blue French Horn restaurant.
  • Flashbacks
    • Ted and Robin’s first breakup
    • Ted and Robin’s first Kiss
    • Ted decorating the apartment for Christmas for Robin
    • Ted and Stella’s Wedding
    • Barney and Robin kissing in the Cab
    • Barney breaking up with Nora
    • Barney finding out Robin didn’t break up with Kevin and get his heart broken (which broke my heart a little to see again)
    • Barney cleaning up the rose pedals and blowing out candles

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Lingering questions

  • Did you see Conan O’Brien’s cameo in MacLarens? I only saw it via facebook upon first viewing, I was too busy paying attention to all the extras in the bar who I know through George. For the record Conan is at the door when Barney rushes out about 13 minutes in.
  • Do we think Ted could pull off bald?
  • Does anyone else kind of want to see 2 hobos fight over a sandwich in a preppy kids back yard like Barney mentioned?
  • Who did Robin move in with?
  • What do you think that Marshall meant by “not yet” with a smile on his face when Lily tells him to pay up? Is it about the sex tape? Ted and Robin? Or Ted’s hair?