All I can say is that this episode was an equal mix of awesome and torture. I predicted the end, that Barney would be the one getting married, and Ted is the best man. I also predicted that Lily was pregnant, to which I got teary eyed. I’m so happy that’s where the storyline went! Especially after the heartfelt speech Marshal gives about how life has been so terrible this past year.

So now that it’s been revealed that Barney is getting married, I wonder what the writers will do next season. Will he marry Nora or Robin? I have to say I would probably be happier with either, but Robin makes the most sense. There are also some theories that Nora is the mother, and that Ted meets her at Barney’s wedding. I find this one  a little far fetched since I would definitely think that her taking courses at the college would have come up with Barney. But she is Robin’s friend so it would make sense that she would be at the wedding. But why wouldn’t Ted meet her prior to that?

I am so relieved that Ted didn’t end up back with Zoey. Bleck! She was just plain terrible and I’m glad that Robin and Barney stopped it. I can’t wait until next season, and it’s going to be absolute torture to wait until fall for the next season.

Last night’s HIMYM was funny, but I was frustrated. Ted gives Marshall and Lily the green light to set him up for an “arranged marriage”. He says he’ll let them pick someone for him, and if he likes her, he will MARRY her. But instead of getting excited, which they totally should have, they forget about it, and then find him a random hottie cast off by Barney at the last minute. WTH?

The Marshal and Lily I know would have jumped at the chance to set up Ted, to control who will be with them on The Porch. But instead they just shrugged it off. Weak sauce.

And what happened to the student that Ted met? I thought they were going out on dates? I’m so confused! Did I miss an episode where they explained that? I think I need to go back and re-watch a few.

I did like Robin’s story and the whole rabbit versus duck theory. Personally I’m with Robin and Ted, Duck is the best. Maybe that’s because I always tell D I like his duck butt (because it’s cute). Either way, I like the theory behind it. You may see someone at first and you look at them one way, but then eventually, they look like something else, and you realize you’re into them. And Marshal is right, she’s going to marry her coworker’s butt off.

I liked Barney’s little side story with being obsessed with his phone and the calls. I was so excited to see his little promo at the superbowl, and I loved how they tied it into the show. Freaking brilliant!

Barney is back in all his original chauvinistic pig glory! Being newly single, he’s pulling out all the stops to get girls. He even shows the gang his Playbook. Leatherbound of course. The gang leafs through it, and Ted discovers there’s a play called “The Ted Mosby” which goes, “I got left at the altar”. Ted tries it, and it works! He isn’t sure whether or not to be happy about this.

While the group is looking through the playbook, Barney comes into the bar looking like scuba guy there to clean out spa filters. It turns out it’s an elaborate play called “The Scuba Diver” in which Barney tricks his friends into helping him get the girl at the bar.

It was classic Barney, and I loved how much thought he put into his plays. At the same time, it was kind of a cheap shot how he wasn’t sad about ending things with Robin, and it seems like the writers are just calling the entire Robin/Barney relationship a big mistake. Makes you wonder if they’ll come back to it. I don’t know if I want that or not.

The playbook parts were not the best part of this episode for me. The best parts were Ted and Marshal teasing Robin about how she’s going to find someone. It’s that theory, “you find someone as soon as you stop looking” and it’s so true. Again what I love about HIMYM is how they incooperate such real world dating experiences. The second you stop looking is when you find someone. Robin keeps denying it, and the Ted and Marshal jokes keep on coming. Robin says she’s going to throw herself into work, and of course, cue hunky coworker. Although in this case I found him to be less than attractive, but maybe that’ll work for Robin. Now if only we can get Ted to stop looking so he’ll meet the mother already!

At first I was OK with Robin and Barney dating, but then they just starting getting lame. I’m glad the writers wrote this latest episode, the Rough Patch, because it points out what happens to two people not meant for each other. Barney and Robin started to let themselves go, and instead of having fun adventures together, it became talks about taking a Myrtle beach golf trip or staying in and watching Legend wait for it, softhe fall, Legends of the Fall!

It was pretty funny watching Barney in the fat suit eating food the way he used to chase women, with wild abandon. And as for Robin, I really don’t think they had to work hard to make her look bad. I just don’t think Robin is pretty. I think she’s a bit of a cow. Luckily by the end of the episode both Robin and Barney realize that it’s more than a rough patch, and they aren’t meant for each other.

Hopefully now the writers will focus a bit more on poor Ted and his quest to find his mate. And I missed Barney and his antics. Here’s hoping next week’s episode will get back to the good stuff that makes How I Met Your Mother such a good show. Even though this wasn’t the best episode, I still cracked up at Marshal, Lily and Ted in the stake out wagon. “A van would have been too expensive!” Ted, you’re as frugal as I am, and I love that about you!