How I Met Your Mother: Barney and... (Spoilers ahead...)

[Finn]

Prolly explains how the next one turned out to be the mother

[ryan123450]

Simple as that Ted. Get rid of the boots and all your problems are solved.

[Kirby]

I was surprised to see how much others liked this episode. I didn't care for it at all. The crazy Abby Elliott thing wore thin last episode, and the Skittles thing seems like they just shoe horned it in to give Marshall and Lilly something to do (granted, that's most episodes the past few years). The Playbook still existing killed Barney's character growth since he got together with Robin. The very beginning with Weekend at Barney's was clever but that was it. Glad the red boots are gone though.

[Gary Mitchell]

Kirby wrote:

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I was surprised to see how much others liked this episode. I didn't care for it at all. The crazy Abby Elliott thing wore thin last episode, and the Skittles thing seems like they just shoe horned it in to give Marshall and Lilly something to do (granted, that's most episodes the past few years). The Playbook still existing killed Barney's character growth since he got together with Robin. The very beginning with Weekend at Barney's was clever but that was it. Glad the red boots are gone though.

I agree. I'm really struggling to stick with the show until the mother makes her appearance.

[Professor Zoom]

Kirby wrote:

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I was surprised to see how much others liked this episode. I didn't care for it at all. The crazy Abby Elliott thing wore thin last episode, and the Skittles thing seems like they just shoe horned it in to give Marshall and Lilly something to do (granted, that's most episodes the past few years). The Playbook still existing killed Barney's character growth since he got together with Robin. The very beginning with Weekend at Barney's was clever but that was it. Glad the red boots are gone though.

The Playbook was a shitty move on the writers part. And Barney's, "I lie" speech... what sane woman would take THAT guy back? I didn't buy it.

[Pavonis]

Barney having back-up playbooks is completely in character, if you ask me. I was not at all surprised he'd have one. He's Barney - he thinks 10 steps ahead all the time. Having a back-up is only one step ahead! Besides, I thought he'd end up bequeathing the playbook to Ted, or maybe even to Marvin. It was his life's work; for it to end up as confetti was anticlimactic.

[tighr]

Pavonis wrote:

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Barney having back-up playbooks is completely in character, if you ask me. I was not at all surprised he'd have one.

I also am not surprised that Barney would have a "back-up" Playbook. What I AM surprised at, though, is how the demise of the first one was sold to us: It was the last play Barney would ever run. It felt cheap for there to still be a playbook at all.

[Pavonis]

The first "parade-version" Playbook was burned in the last play Barney ever ran. If anything it was important that Barney symbolically destroy that one. The back-up was brought out and used for Ted's benefit.

Besides, who doesn't think that Barney has the entire book memorized? At the very least he must have an electronic file out there, somewhere....

[tighr]

No one is disputing that a version of the book was burned.

What I am saying is that it was supposed to be an emotional moment in the show, a turning point for Barney, an epic final play. Instead, the fact that there still exists a playbook diminishes the impact of the previous selfless act.

[ryan123450]

I can still accept the emotional impact of Barney burning the original book. He had no intention of ever using the back up to run a play on another woman, but in the back of his mind he knew that a copy of his life's work existed in a box hidden somewhere. The fact that he ended up getting it out not to long after to help Ted wasn't foreseen by him. He's really having trouble changing his old nature, but he's committed to loving Robin forever.

[Scout101]

I just liked that he still needed an outlet for the crazy. He stopped running plays, but he couldn't stop having crazy dreams/visions of new plays. So he naturally tried to get Ted in on it.

And it's bad from an emotional standpoint, but from knowing Barney, I'd suspect there's at least one more copy, or a digital one. The 'ceremonial' copy, the backup, and where's the extra backup

[Mr Light]

Maybe Barney will find a new outlet in writing romance novels or something like that

[Professor Zoom]

I liked the idea that Robin was more important than the Playbook, the plays, all of it. She was all that he needed. But then of course how many hours of TV do they have to fill? Yeah, best to sacrifice character than to have to come up with something new.

[Finn]

Watched it last night. Some good lines.

And I had the same thought throughout the episode- Lily wasn't herself. She isn't being an artist. She actually lost creativity outlet quitting the teaching job for this, something she wanted to avoid....

[Mr Light]

Yet another solid episode. This season is really firing on all cylinders!