How I Met Your Mother - The Goat, Or Where Is Stella?

The Goat - Ep. 317

Where were we?

Oh yah. Right. OMG! Robin and Barney. Together. In Bed. Together. Robin and Barney. Naked. Together. In Bed.

Before we get to more Barney awesomeness (including a strategically placed poster in his office reminding us so), there are more mentions of Stella as Ted's actual current girlfriend. Was that ever actually established? I thought the 2 minute date (which was the best thing ever) certainly secured her heart and they were going to continue to date but I didn't realize Stella became quote unquote Ted's "girlfriend"? Sweet! (Although I guess it never occured to me that they became an official couple but that may be more my own unconcious fear of commitment than what's been established on the show). Come on back Sarah Chalke (joined again with Britney Spears' Abby, now confirmed for May 12)! Are you the quote unquote "Mother" (though I actually doubt it because then the story would already be over, I think she's connected to the mother though)? So there's several mentions of Stella but we never actually see her this week. Instead, we see a lot about a goat, one year ahead of when we were supposed to. More on that later (Wait, whose pink towel was the goat eating if it wasn't Robin's? Stella's?)

But Back to Robin and Ted (oops, I mean) Barney.

In a season that varied from some excellent episodes in between some average clunkers (at least for this show), this one probably topped them all without any need of a special gimmick. No need for slaps, no need for Robin Sparkles, no need for 2 minute dates. No, this was the episode that finally broke up Ted and Robin (oops, I mean) Barney. It's also the episode that should secure Neil Patrick Harris an Emmy nomination and perhaps finally the award itself? His pecs certainly deserved it, hot damn do I hate David Burtka right now. Between his appearance in Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (which sadly, I didn't get to see this past weekend but will hopefully make it soon) and this episode, I'm falling hard for NPH! (Thanks to Superherofan for the screencaps and AfterELton for pointing me that way)

Robin and Barney promise to keep their tryst a secret, but Barney panics when everything said makes it seem like Ted knows, when in fact, Ted only knows about his surprise 30th birthday party. Barney still hires a jobless Marshall as his lawyer for the attorney/client privlege. In addition to seeing Barney at his job, Marshall becomes truly disturbed when he finds out about Barney and Robin. Barney throws Marshall the laws of the Bro Code to see if he can get out on a loophole, but not only can Marshall not find one, they realize that Ted was the best Bro ever, never violating the code once.

Also the best ever? Flashbacks to the original writing of the Bro Code with Franklin and all!

Barney steals Ted on their way to Ted's surprise party (where Stella is apparently in attendance) but Ted knows. Ted knows what went down between Robin and Barney. Robin freaked and blurted it out to Ted. Ted's not angry at Robin, but he finally hits his boiling point at Barney, finally calling off their friendship forever. GASP!

This also explains the whole Abby/Barney minor spoiler. (WARNING, Highlight Spoler Below)


Barney and Britney Spears' Abby decide to flaunt their relationship in front of Ted who both are angry at.

Oh, and the goat? It was a wrong memory. The goat didn't get saved by Lily after a show and tell at school, and the goat didn't come to Ted's 30th birthday party. The goat came at his 31st birthday party, when the goat ate a pink towel. A pink towel that wasn't Robin's... but who?