Catching You Up On How I Met Your Mother.

Good evening, or good afternoon depending where you live around the world. It's Monday night which is usually a drag but How I Met Your Mother is back so that is always a plus. I know I slacked behind with my reviews last year, but I am here and ready. HIMYM ended off the year GREAT. It's all starting to come together piece by piece with the mother and I can't wait to see how it continues to play out. As we prepare for tonight let's catch up on the past three episodes.

9x11 Bedtime Stories

• This episode was weird. Clever as hell but weird. So much rhyming in so little time. It took me a lot out of me to muster up the courage to watch to watch again. I almost planned on writing this all in rhyme but then I figure you guys did not have the time. To read what I wrote in rhyme, like a terrible English crime. Okay I'm done.
  
  
• It was so nice to see Marshall in the present day for such a long time. I sometimes he feels like he ceases to exist. I'm so glad he has made it to Farhampton at the end of 9x13, I was going crazy. The end of the episode set up Marshall vs. The Machines Part 2.
  
  
• DAWSON LEERY CAME BACK AND LOOKS FINE AS HELL. oops I mean Simon, but still hot as hell. The fact that he actually did get engaged to Louise Marsh makes life come full circle. Post breakup slob Robin looks better than I do in every day life. She's so beautiful it's hard to believe we co-exist in this life.
  
  
• Barney Stinson in the Players Club. He has twins. Just kidding, but I wonder how much Neil loved this part. He is so good at accents I thought, Barney the King Player of New York City was the best bit until he killed them all. Then it got hella weird. Robin was not having any of it, but even as the scene played out you could still see how much she cares about him.
  
  
• The random man on the bus dropping all the mad rhymes was great and also the man responsible for Neil's closing raps at the Emmy's. He's basically my hero.

9x12 Rehearsal Dinner

• I think we can all agree to that this episode was probably one of the best ones for Barney and Robin since the Final Page part 2. Maybe not full episode but at least one of the best moments for the couple FOR SURE. Barney is so sweet bless his heart.
  
  
• We start off with Barney arrested in a Laser Tag place which does not seem out of the ordinary considering he pushes kids around like a man child while playing. Robin is less than enthused with the situation but loves him anyways.
  
  
• Oh Canada jokes how I love thee. As a Canadian I just love when Americans make fun of us. Mostly because the stereotypes are hella wrong but still hilarious. I loved that in the bar scene there was a couple in the background getting engaged, having a child, the child graduating and the husband dying. Classic.
  
  
• PUPPIES. At first I was crying with Robin because Cobie is so pretty when she cries, but I thought the scene was funny. Their like children and I think they should raise the puppies, considering Ted made Robin give away her dogs in s2 and Barney was the one that went with her.
  
  
• Poor sweet Lily. Now before we get into this I am team Lily and I can't see how anyone can be on Team Marshall but I'm sure there are people out there who believes he's right... ((he's not)). She's trying to hold it in to not take the focus away from Barney and Robin but she had to let it out. Robin and Ted do the best that they can to try and comfort her.
  
  
• The whole episode Barney played us in his ways just like the Playbook and in the end it was one of the most romantic gestures. He's always going to lie to Robin if in the end it is an elaborate surprise and that's just who he is and what she loves about him. We should talk about his character development for 30 seconds because Barney has voiced his hate about Canada since the early days and when he discovered he was 1/4 Canadian he thought it was the end of the world. But it turns out he loves Canada more than anything because without Canada he would not have Robin.

Favourite Episode Quotes

• "Hey you said fiance, that's a good sign." - Barney
• "The time you ran for mayor." "I still have 12,000 buttons that say the only poll I care about is in my pants." - Marshall and Barney
• "Canada, are you registered at Tim Hortons?" - Ted
• "You also told me you didn't want a ring bear at the wedding.." "RING BEARER." "We all know how great that'll be." - Barney and Robin
• "A marriage has to be built on honesty and trust and all that Marshall and Lily crap." - Robin
• "Every now and then I am going to lie to you. I just am. If it's in the interest of an amazing surprise that is..." - Barney
• " I know how much you wanted to be in Canada this weekend, so I brought Canada to you." - Barney.

9x13 Bass Player Wanted

• Marshall vs. The Machines part 2. FANTASTIC START. It's one of my favourite things so when they brought it back, I yelled for joy. And when the van came rolling down down the road I thought could it be? And it was, and that's how Marshall met the mother. Their scenes together were SO GREAT. The mother had the opportunity to mess with Marshall and she took it and it was gold. She is adorable and will fit right into this group. 
  
  
• As I am watching the current season I also decided to rewatch the series during Christmas break because why not. And upon first watching the scene where Robin is like super weirdly turned on by the fact Barney has so many public urination citations I asked myself but why? Until I watched 4x20 and Robin said a man telling you when you can and can't pee that's the dream. And in this episode they brought back the "that's the dream." bit so, good work HIMYM.
  
  
• Ted and Barney make me really emotional like on a scale of 1 to 10, they sit on a 12. Sometimes I think I care more about Ted and Barney then Barney and Robin. Barney loves Ted so much it's upsetting. To see how hurt Barney was about Ted moving away really got to me. When Ted tried to say Marshall was his best friend which has been a running gag for a long time, Barney was didn't want to hear it. Ted stealing the Glenn McKenna killed me because it was grand larceny. The hug was everything AND Barney realizing that Ted was moving away because of him and Robin he was gutted. You can tell how much he cares about Ted and it pains him that his happiness compromises Ted's and he wish it didn't, but you can't help who you fall in love with.
  
  
• Marshall finally showed up and THE CROWD REJOICED. I love how Marshall and Lily say "pause" to enjoy a big moment together as a family. That's what I love about them. However the episode title "Unpause" is going to be a big old emotional mess.
  
  
• And it's all coming together, the mother buying Ted the first drink in their "relationship" is the beginning of the end. It's starting to come full circle meaning the show is drawing to a close and we are about to get super emotional, if you are not already.

Favourite Episode Quotes

• "And that's how Marshall met your Mother." - Future Ted
• "You need to steal this douche monkey's van and then run my husband over with it." - Lily
• "You're moving to Chicago. Is that even a real place? It's a style of pizza, Ted you can't live in a pizza." - Barney
• "Ted that's grand larceny, you really could go to jail for this." "That's the dream." - Barney and Ted 
• "And kid's that's the first drink your mother ever bought me." - Future Ted

Tonight is the big slap and according to Carter and Craig it won't be the last one, so prayer circle for Barney Stinson's face. Happy Slapsgiving y'all.