End Tag: Barney finds Ted and Robin at MacLaren's. Ted asks if he's still mourning the end of the Pharma-Girl era. Barney rubs his hands together. "No. I realized that their reign had to end to make room for some new Hot-Girl profession. Maybe it'll be Intergalactic Communications Officer on a rocket ship to some distant solar system we can't possibly imagine. Maybe it'll be... meter maids, we just don't know. But one thing is sure. The future glows like a giant sun... shooting amber rays of light into our hearts and minds." Robin smirks at Ted, then asks Barney, "Wow, what changed your mind?" Barney continues to rub his hands. "The realization that hope springs eternal, Robin. That, and this little bottle of purple pills I found in my couch cushion. Don't know what they are..." I'm guess they're neither Prilosec nor Nexium. "...But they are... AMAZING!" Barney sobs, then smiles, then zones out. Ted grabs the bottle and we fade to black.

If you read the recaplet, you're well aware that Ted is not the only one feeling like a jerk, or at least jerked around. Dearest, darling writers, when you've been keeping your audience on the hook for years, perhaps it would be best not to rub the very concept in their long-suffering faces. A few times, while watching "Hooked," an invisible, icy hand pulled me right out of the show and pushed me into my head -- where I watched as Imaginary-Me gave Bays and Thomas hell for all manner of things. Imaginary-Me brought along her imaginary Dominator 8000, because she was so not kidding around. Hi. My name is Cindy, and I live a rich inner life.