When the gang visits Stella's house in New Jersey, Ted is devastated that she wants him to move in with her once they marry. Meanwhile, Robin undergoes a job crisis.
This episode provides examples of:
- Beyond the Impossible: Future Ted lampshades that there's no way Robin could have actually done a backflip on Lucy's bike to get around the traffic, but he throws it in because she swears it happened.
- Big Applesauce: Discussed and argued throughout the episode, as Ted leans on New York's reputation as a selling point for Stella and Lucy to leave New Jersey.
- Determinator: Barney will not lower his hand until he gets his brofists or high fives. The only thing that would let his hand down is when Robin tells them that she's going to Japan.
- Handshake Refusal: No one will give Barney a fist bump for his lewd jokes, so he vows not to lower his hand until it gets bumped.
- Heel Realization: Ted realizes that insisting that Stella move to New York is actually kind of a dick move, since she has a young daughter, still in school with all her friends in New Jersey.
- Here We Go Again!: Lily finally gives Barney the fist bump he desperately wanted. But then...Barney: Thank you, Lily. My arm hasn't been this sore since I was thirteen and first learned to lock my bathroom door. Up top! [Offers high-five; Lily just shakes her head no] Oh, no.
- High-Five Left Hanging: Barney tells a bad joke and asks for a fistbump, but no one in the gang wants to. Through the rest of the episode, Barney refuses to lower his fist until he gets that bump. By the end of the episode after witnessing Robin quitting her job with another pun, Lily bumps him back, and Barney sighs with relief, but not before Barney makes another bad joke and asks for a high five, to which Lily refuses. Barney only lowers his hand when Robin announces that she's moving to Japan.
- Joisey: Contrary to most media depictions of the state, this episode depicts New Jersey as pleasant suburbia (albeit a bit boring if you're a young, single city dweller) and makes Ted and Lily come across as elitist jerks for their dogmatic put downs of the state and their idealistic praise of NYC.Stella: Oh, here we go. [deep in Sarcasm Mode] New York's the greatest city in the whole wide world! It's where dreams come true and pigeon poop tastes like tapioca!
- Lame Pun Reaction: Robin leaves her job at Metro News 1 because there was at least one lame pun in every other headline, regardless of the tone of the report. It's one more pun that puts the nail in the coffin and convinces her that, job waiting or no, she can't stand her shitty job.Robin: Seriously? Guys, a man died.
- Lucky Charms Title: The DVD release lists this episode as "I ♥ NJ".
- Oh, Crap!: The gang realize they've been dicks when they turn around after insulting New Jersey and see Stella standing there. Yeah, they're really just doing a bit they've done for years, but still they were viciously insulting someone's chosen home.
- Punctuated! For! Emphasis!: When no one will return Barney's fist bump.Barney: Then know this. Until my fist gets the respect it deserves - Nay, demands - it will not yield. It. Will. NOT! Yield.
- Rage Quit: After saying said horrible pun.Robin: You know what, I really am done. Goodnight, New York. (takes off earpiece)
- Serious Business:
- The gang and Stella treat New York vs New Jersey as this, a trope common to real New Yorkers and Jerseyites.
- Barney, as per usual, this time with high fives and fist bumps.
- Take This Job and Shove It: Twice, by Robin, after having it with all that fluffy news reports with very horrible puns. Once by a formal speech made by Ted, and once by saying yet another horrible pun.
