HIMYM 111: The Limo

Ted gets a limo for the group to have the best New Years Ever. Robin isn't with the group because she is with her hundred millionaire boyfriend Derek. The group gets separated and gets back together just in time to learn the true meaning of New Year's Eve.

Ted: Ted waffles between his desire to move on with the nice, if overly friendly, girl from his office to his crush on Robin. And since the girl is nice she recognizes the crush and moves away politely.

Marshall: Marshall got to make the triumphant return at the end to Bon Jovi saving the night and establishing that the world will always end up right for Marshall and Lilly.

Lilly: Lilly calls Marshall from the limo without a cell phone and reaches him. Mainly she was gone changing her shoes this episode.

Robin: Clearly likes Ted and has for a while, at this point in the run they did need to give her a hundred millionaire boyfriend, because the couple's separation at this point would seem quite artificial. She also sang Bon Jovi acapella.

Barney: Barney is driven to be psyched by the throbbing start of Bon Jovi's 'You Give Love a Bad Name' and then gives a wistful speech when he loses the mix cd.

Guests: Bon Jovi could be considered a guest star, Ranjeet as always bats a thousand, and a bald hipster Not Moby made irresponsible gun use as funny as Robin would make it years later.

MVP: Barney gets credit for Bon Jovi, so Barney

Season count:

Ted - 2
Marshall- 2
Ranjeet- 1
Barney - 3
Lilly - 2
Guest (Ellen the matchmaker) - 1

Continuity:

• Ted hides the fact that he met Ranjeet on the night of their successful/disastrous first date in the pilot
  

Suit Ups: 0 (6)
Wait for it: 0 (2)
Have you met....: 0 (8)
Barney: Barney ends up with Natalia at the end of NYE, I may be giving to much of the benefit of the doubt, but I am going to call this a confirmed, 2 confirmed, 1 possible


Up next: Does Ted have a 'plus one'

HIMYM 110: The Pineapple Incident

Ted is stuck dealing with his crush on Robin while she has started seeing a hundred millionaire. Ted gets drunk quickly and the whole episode is a flashback reconstructing a night where 'Drunk Ted' makes friends and meets a lady. Not just any lady a math majoring lady that brought Kevin Arnold through his formative years. Oh and there was a pineapple.

Ted: Drunk ted showed off the best of Josh Radnor. He got to be friendly and fun while being a little bit of a jerk, but one with an excuse. Right from the start when he drank all of Carlos' shots "I drank them alll, bitch" to he his second return to the bar and declaring that he has to see some penguins, Ted was all over this episode in a situation that could have made him very unlikeable.

Marshall: Marshall just got to cheer lead the fun that is 'Drunk Ted' and wonder aloud about why there was a pineapple in Ted's room. He also invoked one of the best SNL parody commercials ever when he said that Ted drunk dialing Robin would be 'Bad Idea Jeans'.

Lilly: Lilly along with Marshall got to enjoy the story as it unfolded. She also got to wonder aloud if the girl that Ted brought home was in fact alive. Lilly being the perfect guy's girl comes through yet again when for the moment that they thought the mystery girl was Robin she relented and gave Ted a high five. Awesome girl.

Robin: She had a nice run in the opening about why people always round up, but for the most part she was just the target for Ted's drunken passive aggressive advances.

Barney: A very good episode for the dichotomy of Ted's friends. Barney isn't wrong to help Ted drop his inhibitions and go after any girl including Robin, it's just reckless, but the kind of reckless Ted will never get from his essentially engaged friends of 9 years. They never had to risk themselves all that much to be with another, while Barney is a master of the trench warfare of dating.

MVP: All Ted

Season count:

Ted - 2
Marshall- 2
Ranjeet- 1
Barney - 2
Lilly - 2
Guest (Ellen the matchmaker) - 1

Continuity:

• When Ted meets Winnie again in the tricycle no one remembers to ask about the Pineapple again.
  
• Ted said he was vomit free since 93 which we would learn is not true in episode 115 when he threw up on Robin's door during the re-return. Now that is all fine, but Barney didn't bust him on it this time and Ted sure didn't flinch telling this fib while he was drunk.
  

Suit Ups: 0 (6)
Wait for it: 0 (2)
Have you met....: 1 (8)
Barney: Ted got Winnie Cooper, Barney didn't even get a number and slept in a tub, 1 confirmed, 1 possible


Up next: The gang is shot through the heart over and over on New Year's Eve

HIMYM 109: Belly Full of Turkey

Lilly goes with Marshall back home to St. Cloud to visit the Eriksens on Thanksgiving. She has a pregnancy and future life scare as she and Marshall decide they don't want to be just like either of their families. Robin and Ted try to get into the holiday spirit by volunteering at a soup kitchen, but Barney beat them to the punch with the good deed. It was a court mandated good deed and the night ends with the surprisingly good buffet at the local strip club.

Ted: Ted tries to be a good person before Thanksgiving and calls out the 'good' food stealing volunteers. He then gives the greatest gift of all, a lap dance to a homeless guy.

Marshall: I will roll Marshall into the rest of his family including his gigantic brothers and father Dauber from coach. The way the family got excited for bask-ice-ball (ice-ketball? that just sounds weird) and his breathless describing of the rules seemed very much like a family of boys to me.

Lilly: Not to jump the lead but this episode was all about Lilly and she rocked. Physically getting buried by the Eriksen clan and being visually blocked by the 15 pound baby sized turkey highlighted Allison Hanigan in all her diminutive glory. (Oh your Marshall's fiance! You are taller then described) And her freak out at the dinner table had the line of the night because people in New York grow up just fine and then they reach the appropriate size and they stop. Probably because they need to fit into those apartments.... amiright amiright. Oh wait unless that apartment was big enough to open a Chinese restaurant in.

Robin: Robin and Ted looked like friends this whole episode, a balance they have held very well over the years as their relationship progressed, regressed and settled. This is also the first round of overt Canadian jokes as Robin is already done with the 'real' Thanksgiving.

Barney: Barney being a super sweet guy who takes volunteering as seriously as he takes getting women is a good change of pace. Ultimately it can lead to him getting more women as I can not to justice to how NPH yells 'Volunteer of the YEEEAAARRR' Although I don't think he would have had to do a whole year of community service and have 40 hours left when they get booted at the end of the episode, but I have never peed on a church so I wouldn't know.

MVP: Lilly.

Season count:

Ted - 1
Marshall- 2
Ranjeet- 1
Barney - 2
Lilly - 2
Guest (Ellen the matchmaker) - 1

Continuity:

• Lilly is uncomfortable around Marshall's mother, but I don't see the animosity that would progress as the seasons would go on. (Not forever honey, Marshall is going to Heaven.)
  
• Robin's Canadieness is brought to the forefront which upon review was only mentioned in passing in the first two episodes and hadn't been mentioned since
  

Suit Ups: 0 (6)
Wait for it: 0 (2)
Have you met....: 1 (7) Robin introduced Ted to the awful girl at the soup kitchen.
Barney: Once again no girls 9 episodes out of roughly 100 in and we are still at only, 1 confirmed, 1 possible


Up next: Ted gets to drunk to remember being with Winnie Cooper. A tragedy on all accounts.

HIMYM 108: The Duel

Lilly is evicted from her apartment because it was turned into a Chinese restaurant. Ted struggles with the changing dynamic and impending change to his relationship with Marshall and Lilly as they move toward being married, culminating in a sword fight, yes a sword fight, between Marshall and Ted for the apartment. Barney creates what he believes is a necessity a 'Lemon Law' for dating where if within the first 5 minutes of a first date, with full knowledge there will be no second date, you may declare it a 'Lemon' and back out. Robin believes this is completely uncalled for, but may have to capitulate after going on a nerdgasm date with Martin Starr.

Ted: Ok, Ted is sadly passive aggressive in a situation with people he considers his best friends in the world. It makes sense that he was lead there by the selfish leanings of one Barney Stinson, but it lead to a sword fight where the chemistry between Radnor and Segal took over and won the day. Plus after Marshall laments stabbing his fiance... "Oooohhh do you really think she's still your fiance?" Fantastic.

Marshall: Marshall uses the word anhedonic during a sword fight, fakes a British accent, and makes it clear that having swords on the wall was one of his life long dreams and he isn't even in the running this episode.

Lilly: Lilly is a little clueless that just because she has officially moved in that she is still in 'Ted and Marshall's' place and the conceit that she could afford to NOT LIVE in an apartment big enough to open a Chinese restaurant in New York is absurd, but she did say "I'm sorry. Is this a discussion about the degree to which you stabbed me?"

Robin: While Robin is not a fan of relationships she always had a more basic understanding of human relations then Barney. She wasn't single because she loved to be free wheeling, she was single because being tied to someone meant a responsibility that she might not be ready for or ever want, and seeing her toe that line with Barney of being polite and serving the things that matter to her (like not going to theme restaurants) gave her a really strong story. (and indication that Ted might not be for her)

Barney: Barney for the first time introduces a dating rule on the world that the world repeats back to him. "Lemon law, it's going to be a thing" Defends the rule with callous glee and lies on the phone like a champ. "WHY? Why did he think he could build his own helicopter?"

MVP: This is a tough one. On a single line Ted and Lilly are tied, and Barney introduced a dating rule that even though it led to his ultimate rejection, the institution of that rule pleased him more. Since Ted was involved in the eponymous duel, he gets his first win.

Season count:

Ted - 1
Marshall- 2
Ranjeet- 1
Barney - 2
Lilly - 1
Guest (Ellen the matchmaker) - 1

Continuity:

• Lilly getting stabbed did not seem to have any long term implications
  
• Lemon Law never came up again even though some of our principals have gone on some bad dates.
  

Suit Ups: 0 (6)
Wait for it: 0 (2)
Have you met....: 1 (6) Barney got Robin a date.
Barney: Many dates that he 'Lemon Lawed' so no new conquests, 1 confirmed, 1 possible


Up next: Lilly is worried about a life of mayonnaise filled salads.

HIMYM 107: Matchmaker

Ted goes to a matchmaker to find his true love with science, turns out she is already engaged. Robin, Marshall, and Lilly deal with the burgeoning existence of the Cockamouse. Barney keeps losing his drinks to Lilly

Ted: Ted goes off the deep end trying to meet a woman that a computer says is his perfect match regardless of the fact that she in engaged. He is a bit of a selfish ass sometimes... but god does he hate phonies. He is not deterred in his search 'because if a cockroach and a mouse can find love in this crazy world, why not him.'

Marshall: Marshall is at his best when he is defending the fantastic. "If by 'like the loch ness monster' you mean totally real and awesome then yes." "Oh come on you have to give me aliens."

Lilly: Lilly kept stealing Barney's drinks and then has weird sympathy for the Cockamouse. "they'll do lab experiments on it. That's so mean! Shouldn't we just beat it to death with a bat?"

Robin: Robin as the skeptic starts in this episode and she gets to see the majesty of the flying cockamouse. The panic of throwing a drink on it was pretty funny.

Barney: Barney gets to sprinkle lines through everyone elses story lines and gets Ted to go to matchmaker by telling him that his boat is sinking. Simple scheme Barney is usually the most fun.

MVP: Ellen the matchmaker takes the MVP as a guest in this episode. She implores Ted to be gay, maybe a little bi, to keep her 100% success rate. Her failure leaves her so dejected that she pours bourbon over ice cream, a method that Robin will use when she becomes unemployed and she gave it one last try showing Ted's picture on the street getting a lead on a transvestite who thought Ted looked like John Cusack and his/her favorite movie was 'Say Anything'. So guest MVP before Ted or Robin, this will surprise no fans of this show.

Season count:

Marshall- 2
Ranjeet- 1
Barney - 2
Lilly - 1
Guest (Ellen the matchmaker) - 1

Continuity:

• Ellen will have been bought out by the next time we see Love Solutions
  
• Marshall has been shown to be a true believer for the first time in aliens, loch ness, ghosts and the Bermuda triangle.
  

Suit Ups: 0 (6)
Wait for it: 0 (2)
Have you met....: 0 (5)
Barney: Once again Barney trying to score and us not meeting anybody, slow start, but it will pick up, 1 confirmed, 1 possible


Up next: Ted fights the spectre of change with a sword

HIMYM 106: The Slutty Pumpkin

Ted holds out hope to reunite with the 'Slutty Pumpkin'. A girl he met years ago at a Halloween party on the roof. Marshall and Lilly go all out to win a costume contest at Maclaren's while Robin does not go all out to get along with her new boyfriend. Barney tries to get Ted to give up the Halloween ghost.

Ted: Ted's romantic notions are on full display as he tries to recreate the scenario of meeting the Slutty Pumpkin. In the process he turns down an invitation to the Victoria's Secret party blithely stating that "we can get rejected by supermodels any night". Ummm dude, NO YOU CAN NOT. No MVP for you.

Marshall: Pirate jokes, looking weirdly hot in guyliner, and saying he has plenty of sex with his parrot. Yes it is Halloween, and he gamely defends the Ewoks, who while I personally don't defend wholeheartedly, have never ever bothered me, and when I watched the movie when I was 7 were really great. Also penguins are apparently like little Ewoks.

Lilly: Lilly was a cute parrot and again is the guide for others relationships. She ate food off another guys fork to avoid the awkward and engaged in the sickeningly cute exchange with her fiance over the dish off (an argument over who got the better dish, which since they should have had everything at Maclaren's by now, should have been settled long ago) I did love using the parrots voice to repeat things. 'BRAH Sad Commentary'.

Robin: Robin is not good at being a couple and she will call a guy out IN FRONT OF HER FRIENDS WHO WERE SIDING WITH THE GUY. Yeesh

Barney: Walks in to the apartment in slow motion to Kenny Loggins in a flight suit. He called Ted 'Dangerous' to which Josh Radnor doesn't even try to not laugh. He uses 3 costumes to get one girls number and then after she calls him on the gimmick, he says he'll just call her anyway because 'He's a master of disguise'. Awesome, I am flippering you off.

MVP: Lilly was in contention but it is Barney all over.

Season count:

Marshall- 2
Ranjeet- 1
Barney - 2
Lilly - 1

Continuity:

• Robin says she can't be in a couple because she never played team sports. Only tennis, but we learned in Best Prom Ever that she never went to prom because it was the same weekend as field hockey finals. In season 4 we also know that she made out with one of her hockey teammates.
• Barney uses magic that involves a flint for the first of many times.
• Marshall needs to help Lilly go to the bathroom because it is an elaborate costume, but we later learned that Lilly has never peed in front of Marshall. I guess he could have helped her undress and then left, but still.
• Ted thought about peeing off the roof because the line to the bathroom was too long, but I thought the party was on the roof? Could he not go to his own apartment?
  

Suit Ups: 2 (6) Flight suit up and penguin suit up
Wait for it: 0 (2)
Have you met....: 0 (5)
Barney: Barney worked really hard to get a number, but once again, 1 confirmed, 1 possible


Up next: Ted tries to get a date from Ellenor Frutt and a computer

HIMYM 105: Okay Awesome

Robin gets Ted and Barney into the exclusive nightclub 'OK' with her minor celebrity while Marshall and Lilly attempt to mature in both friends and excursions.

Ted: Ted is the center of this episode and expresses the difficulty of engaging not only with women, but just with people in the high intensity meet markets of night clubs. A well executed point with the sub titles and music, except for the fact that every woman he meets has the exact same sensibility and sense of humor as him so he can flirt effortlessly (I need to live in a TV show) so Ted gets no fake sympathy from me. The Ted highlight was fighting to buy a beer and then the sticker shock of paying 34 bucks for 2 beers.

Marshall: Jason Segal's unabridged joy when dancing is so god damn contagious I am almost tempted to buy 7 or 8 beers and then maybe possibly think about going out in the middle of a dance floor and moving in a weird spastic manner, so that rocks. He also had to jump out of a third story window to escape the 'adult' party that he didn't quite fit in. 'Come on guys, it will only be awkward if we let it be awkward'. Also he had a conversation with Barney outside the beat of the music that lead to him inadvertently dropping some Ecstasy with no other notable side effects.

Lilly: Lilly tried to act older except for the fact that she had no desire to be older. She still likes downing beer and mixing it up with adults even though she works with kids. This is a contrast to the much more matronly Lilly that has been developing over the years who is trying to guide all her friends into relationships and maturity in the future. She did make the same 3 story drop that Marshall did to escape the dull.

Robin: Robin's false bravado is starting to bloom, but we still haven't seen the best of Cobie Smulders except for the fact that she did pull her shirt up briefly in this ep.

Barney: Women are like fish, they are attracted to shiny objects. "It's more like when do my strategies NOT work... either way the answer is 'about half the time'" quite possibly my favorite math/scoring joke of all time. Finally Barney grinded on his never to be seen again cousin for the entire night. "THAT PLACE HAS GREAT SALADS"

MVP: Marshall dancing versus Barney's 1 liners.... dancing wins

Season count:

Marshall- 2
Ranjeet- 1
Barney - 1
Lilly - 1

Continuity:

• Once again, Barney never mentioned his cousin ever again
  

Suit Ups: 0(4)
Wait for it: 0 (2)
Have you met....: 0 (5)
Barney: No mentions of any girls for Barney so 5 episodes in it is still, 1 confirmed, 1 possible


Up next: Ted is attracted to strategically placed holes.