HIMYM: The Rehearsal Dinner and the Return of Marshall

I stand up for this show a lot, but I'm about to throw in the towel and just shut up as it runs its final legs, guys. The ongoing gags are still something at which to marvel, but the coincidences are becoming too obscure, things are wrapping up too neatly, and I'm finally starting to worry about how the remainder of the season will play out as the clock ticks down on the wedding weekend. Sure, there is plenty to go wrong in the 8-10 hours before the big event, and Ted has yet to even chat with the woman who will one day become his wife, but it is all becoming a bit tedious. I know that there weren't too many people left supporting the final season of this show and how it has been written, but I am not sure that I can do so any longer. You?

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How I Met Your Mother “The Rehearsal Dinner” (S09E12): Saturday, 8pm, 22 hours before the wedding. Barney has staged an elaborate gag to surprise robin with a Canadian rehearsal dinner. You see, Robin had initially suggested that they get married in Canada, and the gang jokes a long time about how that might go. [in fact, there’s a family in the background that go from a couple getting engaged to their child graduating and even the pair in old age as the jokes are being made!] Barney wants a LaserTag rehearsal dinner, and even freaks out Robin by calling off the wedding days before and popping out three puppies. They have to agree to “no more surprises,” but Barney still thinks that Robin is surprising him with a Laser Tag rehearsal dinner. He even heads to the local Laser Tag place, though Robin tells him not to leave the premises of the Farhampton Inn. She has no choice but to follow him out there when he winds up in the security office there, but it turns out that the location is really a skating rink to mimic the ice in Canada. [autographed picture of Wayne Gretzky. James’ teased two-faced singing was great! also, the button thing was weird.] Oh, and Lily tells Robin and Ted about Marshall’s judge job and Italy being “off.” 

How I Met Your Mother “Bass Player Wanted” (S09E13): Saturday, 10pm. 20 hours before the wedding. Marshall takes off for Farhampton, wearing Marvin. The Mother pulls up in a van and offers them a ride, pretending to be psychic when she really knows all about them from meeting Lily on the train. But, we soon learn that it isn't her van... it belongs to the lead singer, Darrin, who ruins people's lives. [this is where things just start to fall apart for me..] Marshall convinces her to stand up to Darrin, and when they repeatedly say "skunk junk," it becomes Marvin's first words, but they agree that it was "mommy." [Linus is also now giving drinks to The Mother. awesome!]  
 
Because Lily told Robin and Ted about Marshall's job, Barney also learns about it, and everyone begins taking sides. Barney takes Marshall's side, Robin takes Lily's, but Darrin turns the girls against one another, then does the same to Ted and Barney, with the latter learning about the former's move to Chicago. Ted had "picked up" ANOTHER BOTTLE of the $600 scotch, but when Darrin makes him break it, Ted punches him. The Mother is so happy that Darrin quits the band over this, she buys Ted a double-shot of the finest scotch - nicer than the one they've been trying to drink! [awwww! also, the fourth slap is on the horizon?]