Although it's still weird for Robin to admit she has a boyfriend, what's even weirder for her is Barney's approach to boyfriendhood. For example, since they've been together, he's tried to sneak out of her room three times. He was barely half awake and forgot he wasn't having yet another one night stand, which, I guess, is to his... credit. When she talks it out with Lily -- who Barney assumes will provide all of Robin's emotional support -- Robin concludes that perhaps he's been single too long. People have a shelf-life. Who knew? Actually, wait, I did know that, but I'll cover that in the full weecap.
Soon thereafter, Barney does a bit of a turn around. He sends her flowers, and is otherwise thoughtful and considerate, so of course Robin thinks he's cheating. She breaks into his briefcase to find a composition notebook filled with notes about a girl -- and that girl is her. She? She is that girl. Marshall gives the backstory to the ladies. Ted has been secreting Barney over to his Columbia classroom at night, and giving him "How To Date Robin" lessons. The guys (and somewhere between 3 and 10% of the girls) in the audience sit up straight and take notes. Ted's syllabus includes Robin's unusual erogenous zones (her left knee?); decoded facial expressions; and how best to distract her when she's angry (just bring up the 2004 Canucks, gun maintenance, and/or Emperor Penguins). Robin is angered (and probably creeped out, yeah?) by this, so she (and Lily, and Marshall) crash Ted and Barney's Robin 101 class. Robin gives Barney and Ted what for, before she throws the (note)book back at Barney and storms out.
Later, Ted and Robin have a heart-to-heart at MacLaren's. He realizes he shouldn't have violated her privacy, but his motives were pure. He loves Robin. He loves Barney, and he wants them to be happy. He was trying to put his Robin-knowledge to good use. Later, Barney and Robin also have a heart-to-heart, on the apartment stoop of reconciliation. Barney was afraid he'd screw things up and lose her, and was only trying his best. They kiss and make up, and all's right in their world. For now.
The B plot wasn't much of one, so I'll hit it, along with the end tag, in the full weecap. But this was a solid (if schmoopy) episode of HIMYM. Although the episode as a whole only gets a B+, the series gets straight As for its treatment of the Robin/Barney romance to date, and perhaps extra credit, for not having Ted meltdown over it all.
Quotes of the night:
"What you need to do, is talk through this stuff. And then, once you're off the phone with Lily, I'll be down at the bar, ready to have sex." --Barney
"The only thing -- and this is just me -- I'd like my testicles attached to my body, rather than rolling around next to some eyeliner, in Robin's purse." --Barney
"Robin Scherbatsky is many things: friend; confidant; occasional guest star in some confusing dreams that remind me a woman's sexuality is a moving target, but she is no crazy, jealous stalker-bitch." --Lily
"Butterscotch is to Canadian women what chocolate is to American women." --Ted
"When you date someone, it's like you're taking one long course in who that person is, and then when you break up, all that stuff becomes useless. It's the emotional equivalent of an English degree." --Ted
I'll catch you on the flipside with the full weecap. In the meantime, please join the discussion in the forum. But whatever you do, don't eat all the butterscotch. Eh?
Want more? The full recap starts right below!
I am sick and feeling very sorry for myself, so I'm just going to jump right into the weecap, because it will be a lot more fun than reading me moan and groan my way through what ought to be an inviting introduction. You ready? Let's go.
Saget!Ted opens the show by telling the kids that "Uncle Barney" has been called a lot of names by a lot of women, over the years. A brief montage shows Barney getting drinks thrown in his face by various women, as they refer to him with all the names you'd expect: jerk, bastard, Barack Obama, Jr. Hee. In that last bit, Barney's response is, "Mmmm hmmm, and yes we can." Saget!Ted's point is: "But there's one name we never expected to hear him called." We cut to Robin at the apartment, saying, "Boyfriend? Barney Stinson is my boyfriend. I've said it about 100 times, but it still sounds weird to say." Lily listens as Ted replies that anything sounds weird if you say it a hundred times. "Bowl." He then continues to repeat the word bowl, while Robin and Lily do their best to ignore him and continue the discussion. Robin thinks Barney has been single for too long. She's caught him trying to sneak out of her window at 4:00AM, on more than one occasion. She has to remind him they're not having a one nightstand and that it's okay to stay, before he will flop back down on the bed. And when she's upset and needs someone to hear about her bad day, he sweetly encourages her to call Lily and then find him at the bar when she's ready to have sex. Robin's not touchy-feely, either, but she would like to see a little more effort on Barney's part. Lily allows that he doesn't stack up and notes that Robin has had some pretty incredible boyfriends. The remaining Robin/Ted 'shippers give up the ghost, when the camera pans to Ted, who is still conducting his bowl bowl bowl experiment. Robin looks at him and without missing a beat says, "No, that's not it." She wonders if Barney just doesn't have it in him to be a good boyfriend. "Maybe this whole thing's a big mistake." Ted cocks his head. "Bowl?"
MacLaren's: Ted fills Barney in on Robin's concerns and tells Barney that if he wants to keep her, he's got to be more attentive to her emotions, and be "present." Barney nods, and scratches his cheek. "Yes! Totally. Only thing -- and this is just me -- I'd like my testicles attached to my body, rather than rolling around next to some eyeliner, in Robin's purse." He glares at Ted, and picks up his drink. "Stinson out." As he leaves the booth, we cut to...
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