This storytelling structure is what they need to keep up in every episode this season up until the last few. Spend two or three minutes in present time and the rest in flashbacks that give context to the bigger story and put the characters back in the environments that made us love the show in the first place. This is…

It's been so glaringly obvious since Mindy Kaling tried to convince Letterman she was drunk filming and didn't remember, but I'm still like five percent skeptical it's actually true.

Fair point, but it sucks if winning a bet is his motive for screwing with people's personal lives. This will probably continue until they actually get married. Ugh.

Fair point, but it sucks if winning a bet is his motive for screwing with people's personal lives. This will probably continue until they actually get married. Ugh.

Is anyone else a bit peeved about Marshall still rooting for Ted and Robin, though? It's like the writers will just never let that one go, will they?

Is anyone else a bit peeved about Marshall still rooting for Ted and Robin, though? It's like the writers will just never let that one go, will they?

Barney just declaring his love for her for real would have been so un-Barney. As frustrating as this season has been at times, I'm glad the proposal was so characteristic of him. And to have Robin be the final page in the Playbook…I mean, that was just perfect.

Barney just declaring his love for her for real would have been so un-Barney. As frustrating as this season has been at times, I'm glad the proposal was so characteristic of him. And to have Robin be the final page in the Playbook…I mean, that was just perfect.

As someone who was a big fan of the idea of Barney and Robin back before it happened, I've been mostly disappointed with how they've treated the dynamic since the whole fat suit thing in season 5 (although there were times after that when it was done right, like "Natural History" in season 6). I get the…

As someone who was a big fan of the idea of Barney and Robin back before it happened, I've been mostly disappointed with how they've treated the dynamic since the whole fat suit thing in season 5 (although there were times after that when it was done right, like "Natural History" in season 6). I get the…

This exact comment right here. I couldn't figure out why I didn't love this episode until Frasier was mentioned. That episode is gold. And while HIMYM took a good crack at it, I think they could have done better.

This exact comment right here. I couldn't figure out why I didn't love this episode until Frasier was mentioned. That episode is gold. And while HIMYM took a good crack at it, I think they could have done better.

Anyone else notice how big of a non-coincidence it was that they used lobster as the thing Robin can't have? If that's not a Ross and Rachel reference, I don't know what is.

Anyone else notice how big of a non-coincidence it was that they used lobster as the thing Robin can't have? If that's not a Ross and Rachel reference, I don't know what is.

Ugh, agreed. Marshall and Lily have been bugging me for about three seasons now. I don't even know how they continue to get more annoying year after year. And they are going too crazy with Barney's character. It's fine when he's a womanizer with ridiculous schemes, but the dog wasn't even about him getting women, it…

Ugh, agreed. Marshall and Lily have been bugging me for about three seasons now. I don't even know how they continue to get more annoying year after year. And they are going too crazy with Barney's character. It's fine when he's a womanizer with ridiculous schemes, but the dog wasn't even about him getting women, it…

I agree with all of this. I was really surprised to see a C+ on this one. I would have thought a B or B+ for sure. They had to deal with the "kids ruin sitcoms" thing at some point, and this episode did that well. At least they're acknowledging that having a baby gets in the way of having friends and a social life. A…

I agree with all of this. I was really surprised to see a C+ on this one. I would have thought a B or B+ for sure. They had to deal with the "kids ruin sitcoms" thing at some point, and this episode did that well. At least they're acknowledging that having a baby gets in the way of having friends and a social life. A…