The Bro Code

Last night's episode of How I Met Your Mother provided the rationale for loving the character of Barney as much as I do. Yes, he is despicable and callous; yes, he is selfish and self-absorbed and usually acts out of self-interest alone. But he feels guilt, he can't handle the idea that he did something wrong, and he can't handle the idea that Ted will hate him forever. This doesn't excuse everything else, but it does make him human.

I liked that this episode focused on the consequences of last week's hook up on Barney's friendship with Ted, and not Barney's friendship with Robin, that well-traveled territory where each of them insists "this never happened, it will never happen again" only to have the show jump cut to them in bed, again, latherrinserepeat.

The goat bit I found a little weird. That whole story was to set up the reveal at the end that at some point in the near future Robin moves into that apartment? And this matters why? It's not like that gets Ted any closer to meeting his kids' mother. (P.S. I was a little bummed that Stella got mentioned but didn't appear in this episode.) She takes Marshall and Lily's room, I suppose, after they move into their re-floored apartment in DoWiSeTrePla (that still makes me laugh). And then a goat eats her washcloth. Whatevs?