Jenn back in the driver’s seat tonight.  Glad to see so many of you enjoyed my friend George’s episode last week!

A great replacement minister for Barney and Robin’s wedding is James’s dad Sam aka Reverend Gibbs. Barney Dad, Jerry and his wife also arrive at the Farhampton Inn. Barney thinks his mom and dad are getting back together again. Very “All I  Want for Christmas” from the 1990s (great flick). However James thinks Loretta’s going to get back together with his dad. A little brotherly competition is on. Barney schemes to get Jerry and Loretta together. Barney and James each have Pleasantville fantasies in a bro-down throwdown! We find out that Sam and Lor-et-ta have become an item. Robin is able to comfort Barney and make him feel better. Barney shows his support by encouraging Loretta and Sam to consume their love in an elevator with James in it too.

Meanwhile we are back in the Yellow gas guzzler with Marshall, Daphne, and Marvin (my goodness he’s aged quickly). Glad to see that Daphne finally came around to “I’m gonna be (500 miles),” I mean there was always 83% chance that she was going to. Somehow over the course of this cross-country drive Marshall and Daphne because the new old married couple. Thankfully we reach Daphne’s stop and bid adieu to her.

Finally we find ourselves with Detective Ted and the case of the midnight blue calligraphy ink stained Gretzky autograph headshot in a Clue-esque whodunit. The top suspects are Billy Zabka, the shifty-eyed Bellhop, and Robin’s Cousin, Claude. Ted ropes Lily into his conspiracy theories. It turns out to be Zabka who is jealous that Ted got reinstated as Best Man, in a case of ZABKA-TAGE, brilliant. Just brilliant how this whole reveal takes places and the back story of it.

Legendary Lines

• Marshall:  Again?  //  Daphne: Proclaim it
• Ted: My calligraphy ink! I mean the Gretzky photo!
• Lily: You can’t even detect sarcasm.
• Jerry: No, Barney lowered in a tv showing some pretty graphic 1970s pornography.
• Loretta: Still a lot of familiar faces in there, oh, well not just faces.
• Zabka: Right here getting a massage, I rocked a 60 minute deep tish
• James: I win
• Barney: Get your damn hands off my mom  //  James: Get your damn hands on my mom   //  Sam: One on, one off?
• Barney: is that what you two you call it? Performing the ceremony?
• Zabka: 25 years of getting crane kicked in the nuts
• Barney: Billy rules, Ted drools, Stinson out.

Moments of Awesomeness

• Ranjit driving Jerry’s wife to meet him to go “parasailing”
• Marshall over thinking the context of I’m gonna be
• Barney sending down a giant roll of condoms when Jerry mentions being stuck in the elevator with Loretta is very unsafe
• Bangity Bang slow jam
• Snobby Ted and his calligraphy pretentiousness
• Love any excuse to hear NPH sing
• Jerry in a leather jacket, trying to look like a badass.
• The suicide note Barney wrote on behalf of Jerry’s wife
• Lily’s 2^nd tackle of the weekend
• Bye Daphne,  C-YA
• Zapka’s flashback wigs (and outfits)

Callback

The Pineapple Incident

Re-Return

Ranjit still out in the middle of nowhere when suddenly Jerry appears and screaming ensues.

Bonus: Nice teaser for next week’s episode all in rhyme. Can the HIMYM writers pull it off? Should we ask the GKWOKs?

Lingering Questions

• No Mosby Boys reference? AKA Ted and his sister (See: Dowisetrepla)
• How much Nutella would it take to cover a 60 year old woman? On second through don’t answer that.
• Where can I get a Zapka headshot?
• Anyone else notice how red and splotchy Lily’s arms looked? Part of the storyline or not?