My Thoughts:

This episode of How I Met Your Mother was done very well. The way the character’s were split was a new twist and I loved the Marshall/Robin story line. always new ground to explore I suppose.

Erin Cahill was a cool choice for Ted’s little sis and played the part well. She and Barney (the rest of the cast too) had some decent chemistry too. I wonder if they will bring her back more this season since she will be in New York (trying not to give too much away until later). Sadly, there was a quick look at Barney’s office posters (though I only saw focus) but no Awesomeness Poster, despite finally getting a shot of his office this season.

Legendary Lines :

Ted: Did you bring that chair yourself?
Barney: I needed one that swivels.

Ted: You’re my sister.
Barney: (whispering) Now he’s just stating a fact.

Ted: There aren’t any black people in Minnesota?
Marshall: Not if Prince is on tour.

Moments of Awesomeness:

• Barney’s Christmas/Holiday jingles, despite their vulgarity, they were quite funny, and catchy.
• Barney with the leather chair he brought to the apartment when Ted brings Heather home.
• It’s an ongoing gag but Lily’s loose lips are quite funny.
• The final scene (see The Re-Return at the bottom of the page).
• Notice the Jersey names inside the Wall-Eye Saloon? Great stuff guys.

Vocabulary:

Nothing great here…just a bunch of Canadian words…think elongated English. (though the whole: “sucking down a 20 oz. pilsner while watching some coal miner’s daughter strip down to her pelt”, has pretty impressive wording).

What really happened:

Ted’s sister, Heather, make the visit to New York and Ted’s main mission is to keep her away from Barney. It seems that through the years Heather had been brought to Barney’s attention via the Mosby Christmas card and in honor of the even Barney makes up very catchy Christmas jingles about how hot she is. Barney finds out Heather is in town because Lily can’t seem to keep a secret and is waiting in the apartment for when they arrive. Ted’s plays the protective brother, Barney is hurt that Ted does not trust him and then Ted includes Barney in their plans out of guilt.

Robin is feeling homesick for Canada so Marshall takes her to the place he goes when he feels homesick for Minnesota, the Wall-Eye Saloon. Meanwhile, Ted, Lily, Barney & Heather are at dinner together. Heather tells Ted that she found an apartment in New York and asks him to cosign the lease for her. Ted feels she is too irresponsible and Barney chimes in (often) and says he could help since he works at Goliath National Bank since she wants to work in that world. The two set up a meeting and Ted gets Lily to keep an eye on them to make sure Barney keeps things strictly business. Robin loves the Wall-Eye Saloon but then starts to mention Canada. Marshall quiets her and says they only accept people form Minnesota there. Robin plays along and all is well.

Ted skips ahead for “what happens next” and we see Marshall discovering that Robin stole his ‘99 NFC championship story to fit in more at the bar. Marshall show her how everyone there makes fun of Canadians with “afraid of the dark” jokes to which she gets briefly offended then tells one herself to fit in. Also, Lily walks in on Barney and Heather re-dressing in Barney’s office.

At McLaren’s, Barney and Heather engage in a series of double entendres about work until Ted confronts them about sleeping together. They let Ted know the whole thing was staged. They counted on Lily to spill the secret (as she does so well) so they could get back at Ted for meddling too much and for not trusting Barney, Heather get’s mad and storms out. Barney had promised not to sleep with Heather so he kept his word, though he does admit to an awkward sexually charged kiss with Ted’s mom at an airport.

When Robin beats Marshall’s high score at Fisherman’s Quest at his bar, he outs her as Canadian. As she leaves, Robin gives a humorous but heart felt speech about Canada and why she misses it so much. When Heather heads back to the apartment to get her stuff she finds a briefcase she couldn’t afford from earlier in the episode with signed lease papers inside, then brother & sis make up and Ted apologizes. Marshall finds Robin outside in the cold, sad with ice cream and short sleeves and they make up when Marshall takes her to the Hoser Hut, a Canadian bar…and as it turns out when Marshall “accidentally” hits the light switch finds out Canadians are afraid of the dark.

The Re-Return (the final scene that HIMYM comes back with after the credits):