Spoiler Alert: Do not read on if you have not yet seen Season 9, Episode 6 of CBS' "How I Met Your Mother," titled "Knight Vision."
If last week's episode was any indication that much of the final season of "How I Met Your Mother" would be a waiting game, "Knight Vision" solidified it. But instead of lamenting what should or could be crammed into the last moments we'll spend in our beloved "HIMYM" universe, perhaps it's time to lean back and stop being so damn impatient. Maybe then we can enjoy the ride. Maybe.
We began this episode with an "Indiana Jones" flashback related to Ted and Barney's search for Ted's weekend wedding and bedding companion. According to everyone, Ted had to find the perfect woman to hook up with at the wedding. If he chose poorly, bad things like tears and tantrums would ensue. If he chose wisely, he would be rewarded with '90s sex noises.
Naturally, he chose poorly and paired off with Cassie, played by the delightful Anna Camp. She was trying to rebound from a break-up, got fired over the phone, made Ted pay for dinner with her parents by accident and was an all-around nut-case. Watching Ted take care of Cassie for a few hours -- and yes, almost seal the deal -- was, well, kind of sad. The plot highlighted Ted's desire to have fun and get laid, which seemed kind of strange considering the first few episodes featured Ted in a pit of despair pining over Robin. We know he's trying to get over her, but it seems like they want to move past that nagging storyline as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, we haven't forgotten.
But we were rewarded at the end of the episode with another mention of The Mother, a reminder of why we're all still here. If Ted had actually chosen a weekend hook up "wisely," he might never have met the mother. Thank goodness for that ... I guess.
For the first time this season, we actually got a feel for what Barney and Robin's wedding plans would be like. They hired a grumpy, conservative reverend because his church had "cute coming out the wazoo." But in order to convince him they were not some promiscuous, boozy couple from the big city (they were), they passed off Lily and Marshall's first meeting story as their own.
At first, this seemed like the best scene of the episode, since we got to see Robin dressed in Lily's goth grunge attire and Barney in Marshall's college sweats. But that was trumped by Lily's portrayal of Robin's Pilot episode appearance. Decked out in Robin's green turtleneck and dark hair, she made out with Marshall-turned-Barney at McClaren's, and it was awesome. A+ for the wardrobe team.
When the couple finally came clean to the reverend, it looked like the wedding would be off due to Barney and Robin's sex, lies and booze. I mean, they had sex in the reverend's office. But then he died. Yes, the reverend actually died after hearing all of Barney and Robin's naughty deeds. He up and died.
C'est la vie, said everyone except Cassie, who, it turned out, was the reverend's niece. Cue Ted playing the comforting nice-guy.
Somewhere in the Midwest, Marshall was still trapped in a Hummer knock-off with Daphne. She was trying to coach him through the impending conversation he had to have with Lily about his judge offer. But the scenes in which they acted out the possible scenarios had us wondering: Was Jason Segel even there for filming? It's common knowledge that these guys have blown into huge stars during their "HIMYM" tenure, but it's getting to be a little ridiculous -- and sad -- that Marshall hasn't really been in any scenes with the core cast, aside from a few flashbacks here and there. No, FaceTime does not count.
Sigh. This dreaded conversation will indeed suck and neither Marshall nor Daphne has the answers.
We left the episode on a cliffhanger. Daphne got angry with Marshall and texted Lily explaining the job offer and Marshall's acceptance. Then the phone rang.
- Lily as Robin and Robin as Lily flashbacks.
- Throwback guest stars. We're crossing our fingers for more Patrice.
- "I felt him up," which came from Robin defending herself.
- "Robin-Pad and Barn-mallow."
- The historical flashbacks. Please, no more.
- The holographic knight, except for when he said, "She chose Wesley." Good pun.
"How I Met Your Mother" airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
"Knight Vision" was certainly a step up from last week's debacle, but how much longer can we last without Marshall actually being part of the crew? Do you think we'll be seeing more of crazy Cassie and Anna Camp? Who do you think will take over as officiant at the wedding? Leave your thoughts in the comments!
