1. A Scottish–Mexican fusion restaurant… Three days after the wedding, Ted and The Mother go on their first date. Ted totally breaks the rule about waiting to call her, but he plays the dating game by his own rules. Usually, it doesn’t work out for him, but we know that this time it does! He wants to try a new Scottish-Mexican fusion restaurant, and it turns out to be as bad an idea as it sounds. They wander around, and Ted starts telling The Mother a story from the wedding weekend. She sees her ex–boyfriend (the lame one who proposed in the super nice beach house like yesterday in Farhampton time, that is). They hide behind a car, and she gives the classic “it’s just too soon” bullshit line. In the end, she and Ted make out because he’s just irresistible.
2. That guy… At every wedding, there’s that guest that everyone randomly knows. At this wedding, it’s Gary Blauman (SNL’s Taran Killam), who is making his fifth appearance on HIMYM. Ted hates him because he was a cock block and telepathically called him a Taft, when Ted is totally a Teddy Roosevelt. Lily loves him because he saved her from getting a very large and very creepy breakup tat. Barney hates him because he stole an accidental curly fry in a batch of regular-cut fries. Billy Zabka likes him because he recognized him for his poetry, rather than his role in Karate Kid. James cheated on Tom with Gary Blauman, so it’s just really fucking awkward that he’s at Barney’s wedding.
3. The story of Gary Blauman… This really isn’t a funny story. If I were The Mother, I would’ve been bored a long time ago. It’s a story about a bunch of people she barely knows and how they connect to this other rando. I love how HIMYM has these occasional moments of delusion where we all pretend that the gang has other friends. In the real world, they would be the cliquiest group of twenty–somethings ever.
4. Where are they now? At the end of the episode, Ted gives an update on some of the more random and irrelevant characters from the seasons past. Highlights include that Patrice now has her own radio show, and Ranjit owns the whole limo service. Plus, Ted remembers that Blah Blah’s name is Carol. James and Tom get back together!
5. The end is near… This episode wrapped up some loose ends that, frankly, no one was wondering about. The only thing this added was reminding us that the end is near (depressing, I know). On the bright side, we have the concrete reassurance of knowing Ted and The Mother are going to live happily ever after, even after a shitty first date. Well, unless she dies. Womp womp.
Check out some of our other HIMYM Season 9 Recaps!
"Vesuvius" Aired on 03.03.2014
"Rally" Aired on 02.24.2014
“Sunrise” Aired on 02.03.2014
“How Your Mother Met Me” Aired on 01.27.2014
“Unpause” Aired on 01.20.2014
