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How I Met Your Mother: Happily Ever After

(S04E06) This was an odd episode. Sure, it gave us some closure on the Stella storyline and also gave us a lot of insight on why Robin acts like an alpha male even as she rocks the hell out of a cocktail dress. There were some genuinely funny moments. But, oddly enough, all of it was wrapped in a sitcommy device that just didn't seem to justify the flashback-fest we got. Maybe spending half an episode under a restaurant table just doesn't foster the funny. Or maybe it's because I've seen the gag a hundred times before. Either way, it killed whatever comedic and emotional momentum this episode was trying to build towards yet another reset in Ted's love life.

In an article in USA Today, the cast and crew discussed the "when are we going to meet the mother already?" issue. Bays and Thomas have always maintained that we'll be introduced to the mother at some point, but what we don't know is if that's going to be the last episode or she becomes part of the Scooby gang along the way. Either way, they all said that the story of these twenty-somethings living in New York should be enough to carry us through the mystery. I just wonder at times if Ted's pursuit chokes the life out of the show and the great chemistry among the five leads.

This episode was a good example. We knew that Ted's denial over Stella leaving him at the altar would boil over in one form or another; his way was to avoid her at all costs and push down the pain like a good Ohioan should. But when the whole gang ducked under the table to avoid her at that tapas place, I just hoped they wouldn't be down there very long. But the longer they were down there, the less I liked it. I mean, wouldn't Stella have seen the be-suited pant legs of Barney sticking out from under the table? Wouldn't anyone notice the waiter ducking under the table to deliver Ted's almonds? It just seems too odd to be believable.