WARNING, FULL SPOILERS OF THE EPISODE ABOUND!
How I Met Your Mother has always been at its best when it presents stories where the audience thinks they know where it’s going, and then throws them a curve ball that changes their perception of what is actually happening, and tonight’s episode was no exception.
Ted receives a menacing voicemail from the Captain (whose ex-wife, Zoe, he dated a few seasons back) saying he needs to get in touch with him immediately about something important.
The last time they ran into each other was a few years ago at an art gallery opening Lily hosted, when the Captain invited them up to his apartment to show off a great piece of art he had acquired that would impress all of them. Once at his apartment, he threatens Ted with a speargun, but Ted talks him down and convinces him that what happened in the past needs to stay there and they need to get on with life.
Assuming all between them is well, he calls the Captain and finds out he really wants to get a hold of Robin, so Ted, with Barney’s blessing, gives him her number.
Robin gets quite upset as she remember that night quite differently. You see, Ted had actually indulged in quite a few ‘sandwiches’ before the art gallery and was making a fool of himself scarfing down on the shrimp and other appetizers (much to Lily’s chagrin), so when Ted thought the Captain was being aggressive with him, he was actually being quite flirty and creepy towards Robin. Once back in his apartment to see the artwork he mentioned, Robin saves the crystal ashtray from Ted (who is using it as a scuba mask), and then walks in on the Captain who is waiting for her seductively on his bed.
Robin calls him and finds out that he was ACTUALLY looking for Lily, who gets just as angry upon finding out Robin gave him her number.
Lily, we learn, was the only sober one at the gallery opening since Robin had shown up completely drunk from a work party. Ted was just making a complete ass of himself in trying to one up the Captain, and Robin was drunkenly hitting on him the whole time. Upon reaching the Captain’s apartment, Lily saves the ashtray from both Ted and Robin’s shenanigans, only to be called to the Captain’s bedroom to give her opinion on a new piece of art his stuck up buyer, Shelley, had recommended for him. Lily responded that it was just ok, but the ‘Elephant Piece’ at the gallery was much better, only to be blown off by the Captain since she was just a Kindergarten teacher and knew nothing about art. Robin barges in, makes out with the Captain and then passes out, drunk, on top of him in his bed. Lily, to get revenge, steals the ashtray and leaves, so she now believes that the reason he is trying to get a hold of her is to get it back.
Lily finally returns it to him to make amends, but he never knew it had gone missing. Instead, he wanted to say he had sneaked back to the gallery, purchased the elephant painting she had recommended, and had just sold it for four million dollars, and since she had such an eye for new art, he offers Lily the job of being his new art buyer, to which she says yes.
We all know HIMYM finally has a date when it has to end (in 2014), so it’s nice that the show is finally starting to pull together some of the plot threads it has littered about these last few seasons in order to tie them up in a neat bow. Lily has long felt like she has not been following her passion, a fact never more prevalent than in this episode. When she and Marshall are arguing about why she stole the ashtray, she explains it wasn’t because she felt snubbed by the Captain for saying she was just a kindergarten teacher, but because it was true, and as supporting as Marshall is, since she is now a mom and getting older, she would never be able to do what she has always wanted by being involved in the art world. Thus, the Captain’s job offer gave her a great opportunity to follow her dreams and really helped bring a satisfying end to her story arc.
Less satisfying was Barney’s constant assertion that he was part of all the crazy happenings at the art gallery. Sure the brief entrances/interruptions he had during the flashbacks with half naked women were funny, but his final explanation that he needed to feel like he was the crazy part of all his friends’ stories and Ted and Robin’s pretending it was true just to make him feel better, seemed really forced. That said, there was one great moment at the very end where we see Barney re-enact the ‘Royal Archduke of Grand Fenwick’ play, so while the running gag was just ok, the payoff got a good laugh out of me.
Longtime fans know damn well all of this is growing long in the tooth, and as much as we love the show and characters, we have to be honest that if it wasn’t for the investment we’ve made in it so far, there really wouldn’t be that much spectacular to talk about now. However, this episode was a great return to form and reminded all of us what made it great to begin with.
With a season and change left, the writers have a lot to bring together to finish up, but if tonight’s episode was any indication, we have a lot to look forward to.