It's been two weeks since Ted so woefully let a helium inflated Robin slip through his fingertips and into the dangerous airplane filled atmosphere above. But just as that episode filled us viewers with an overbearing sense of cheesiness and on-the-nose metaphors, "Rally" picked up from behind and got us near to the front of the pack, chock full of enough hungover fast forwards, marathon-bacon eating, and Manhattan Project references to nearly make the episode burst from its seams in hilarity and absurdity.
Ted
AFrom the flash forwards we see that Ted and The Mother are happily enjoying their respective success, drinking champagne out of a private car on the way to celebrate The Mother's new book while having a decent family life back home. And in the present, it seems that Ted was able to actually get over Robin for real this time, with the Canadian not being on his mind during his marathon beacon eating challenge. Then again, Ted might have suffered brain damage from so much grease and cholesterol that he actually forgot about Robin entirely. Regardless we know that Ted is going to end up well and happy. Now that he can both have The Mother and eat his bacon too, Ted gets an A.
Robin
CRobin deserves some credit for all of the Stinson shenanigans and family absences that she's dealt with in stride. But Robin really is getting screwed over with the whole wedding thing. She certainly isn't the most girly girl, and has no apprehension to soothing anonymous hispanic babies in Buenos Aires. But this is still her day, and she's spent most of it thus far cleaning up after her groom's messes. Hopefully Robin will get a Canadian wedding day worth singing aboot. But for babysitting her soon-to-be husband puts Robin at C.
Lily
BLily's excitement at the prospect of making out with Robin seemed to be a collective representative of the audience. And even though it was a brief unfulfilling peck, the fact she still got to slightly hook-up with Scherbatsky earns Aldrin a lot of points. Plus, we see that Lily is going to be a powerful NY political figure in the nearby future, helping save her husband's drunken speeches while handling his combover. Lily may be just a tad overbearing on guiding her son to success at Wesleyan, but for getting a brief co-ed make out session with Robin puts Lily at a B.
Marshal
BWho else can throw a "Tantrum" (LOL) quite like Marshall can? But seriously, even though Marshall got a little bit too real of advice from the breakfast chef about fatty bacon affecting his dad's health, he still manned up and revealed to Ted all of the delicious foods he's been missing out on. And while Marshall will get too drunk after being elected New York State Judge, the fact that he has a loving woman by his side to sober him up before falling into an inebria-gate puts Marshall at a B.
Barney
AHe thinks he got to experience a classic "Weekend at Barney's" scenario. But what Barney doesn't know during his comatose blackout was the gang realizing how legendary his Hangover Fixer Elixir had proven to be over the past few years. Regardless of whether the elixir was developed alongside the Manhattan Project and was later used in the inhumane sobering up of millions of Japanese drunkards during WWII is still debatable. But the fact is that none of Barney's friends would have been able to make it through their toughest moments without him. He's marrying the second best girl on the show (The Mother does beat out Robin I'm afraid) and he's the best friend a guy/girl could ask for, earning Stinson a legendary A.
The Mother
ANothing gets me more excited watching TV than when Cristin Miloti appears on screen during HIMYM (with pretty much episode of "True Killing" being a close second). Finding out that The Mother achieved her dream of ending poverty, or at least writing a book about it was so warming to hear. She definitely has a nasty hangover that won't go away, but with two loving children and a goofy elixir holding husband ready to cheer her up, The Mother has all the necessary pieces in life for an A.
"Rally"
AFun and farcical, "Rally" was akin with the early tone of the series, while firmly showing that stories about the gang's friendship, not Ted's romantic pursuits, is truly what makes HIMYM so much fun.
Extra Credit
- I'm still very interested into what actually brought Barney and Robin down to Buenos Aires, and why Robin was able to act so motherly to a baby that wasn't even hers. There've been some other hints that the two do adopt a baby, but this is the first firm acknowledgement that their child isn't hispanic. It's a start people...
- It's funny in all the flash forwards how Ted's hair becomes more and more old man-ish, going from spikey to gently combed over to the side. Is there a uniform age where men give up spiked hair for combed, just like how all males must learn how to play Golf after they turn 55? HIMYM has a lot of loose ends to wrap up in a few short episodes, but Mosby's follicle mystery is at the top of my list.
