Let’s start with Ted. At the end of this episode, we’re as close to the mythical Mother as we’ve ever gotten. And it we got there in quite an interesting way: he dates a woman who’s jealous of her “perfect” roommate. Rachel Bilson did a nice job of playing Cindy, making her vulnerable position because this problem, but not crazy. And it seemed at the start that Cindy could be the mother, when Ted had confiscated beers with her in his classroom, but I’m happy that the magical roommate was brought up right away.
Here’s what I wonder, though: Is the Mother truly becoming mythical, at least as far as the viewers are concerned? Bays and Thomas in September her up in this episode to be the coolest chick ever created — She plays bass in a band! She paints robots playing sports! She makes breakfast food sing! – -And it makes me start to think that meeting her is going to be a letdown. But that’s the cynic in me talking. Oh, and just because we met her roomie does not mean that we’re going to see the Mother anytime soon. I mean, Ted could just get another umbrella, know what I mean? But it was fun to contemplate.
Now on to Barney and his love of suits. I’ve been complaining for a while that bringing Barn piggish back to his old ways after the whole thing Robin did not ring true, because we knew he could be a good guy. But, with his desire to conquer the hot bartender – who just happened to look like the oh-so-leggy Stacy Keibler – I started believing in the hound Barney once again. His list of the kinds of women have conquered, especially the rhyming section – was an inspired bit and is my Best Barneyism in a week full of great Barneyisms.
