The gang recounts a story from 2012 when Barney failed to finish a challenge, Ted and Marshall discussed Ted's relationship with Robin, and Barney had an encounter with The Mother. Also Ted's former co-worker Hammond Druthers calls him from Chicago to offer him a job.
This episode provides examples of:
- Armor-Piercing Question: The Mother asks Barney, "Do you want to keep playing or do you want to win?" Barney replies with the latter, meaning he's done going from conquest to conquest and creates his elaborate way of proposing to Robin.
- Been There, Shaped History: One night, Barney is desperate to avoid introspection, lets Robin and Lily present him a series of ever more impossible challenges until they get bored, and then Lily sends him to buy diapers (and get someone's number; which is actually kind of a challenge. It makes him look like a single dad). Then his last attempt sees right through him and breaks through his barriers, then gives him the greatest challenge ever: win Robin back for good.Future Ted: And that, kids, is how Barney met your mother.
- The Bus Came Back: Hammond Druthers reenters Ted's life by offering him a job in Chicago. He actually acts a little more aggressively yet goes back and forth between fierce and pathetic trying to convince an unwavering Ted. (This is likely because most viewers now recognize Bryan Cranston as Heisenberg.)
- Constrained Writing: One of Barney's challenges includes not using the letter "e" while picking up a chick. As the most common letter in languages from northern and western Europe, it's a common challenge for authors, made doubly difficult for Barney since his name contains that very letter. At least two full novels have been written entirely without using it, one in English, another in French.
- Barney: Challng accptd!
- Epic Fail: In Chicago, Druthers designed a concave crystal tower. The problem? It concentrated so much light that melted near buildings and boiled the aquarium, killing thousands of fish. This actually happened in real life: The architect Rafael Viñoly designed not one but two buildings that focused sunlight to a point it melts plastic. Check The Other Wiki
- No-Sell: The Mother sees right through Barney's play and shuts him down.
- Rooting for the Empire: In-Universe. Ted and Marshall are fans of The Generals and crap talk to The Globetrotters.
