'How I Met Your Mother' gives me what I wanted, by not giving me what I expected. If you're not sure how that math works out, let me explain it, gentlereader.

Who would have thought that the only thing it would take to get me really into a Lily/Marshall storyline was the injection of a little Ranjit? The group’s favorite driver has always been one of How I Met Your Mother’s fan-favorite recurring characters, and his appearance here was perfect. Less than perfect was Robin’s emergency helicopter landing, but in this case, passable was still incredible. And it was enough of a moment to unfreeze a little ice between her and Ted.

The folks that frequent my reviews of HIMYM should be familiar with my unhappiness with the vast majority of Lily and Marshall’s storylines over the years. When the couple finally got pregnant, I had hoped that visiting some of the TV-pregnancy tropes, including the fear of being good parents, would finally attract me more to their storylines. This week’s arc nailed what I was hoping for by completely upending what I was expecting. There was just something so … Marshall about Marshall’s confidence in being a good father. When the emotional core/punch line of a episode-long joke works that well, it raises my appreciation of the entire story.

Robin’s arc was also pitch-perfect. I love that even when she thinks she’s finally made it, things don’t necessarily come to her the way she expected. It took an incredible act before she was finally recognized, even by her co-workers. I love these kinds of moments; those shared experiences that bring a family together. While this experience wasn’t enough to completely put things right between Robin and Ted, it was enough of a moment to remind them both how much they truly care for each other.

I hate to admit it, but I can identify with where Ted’s at in his “Love, Loss, Hope, Repeat” cycle, though I think we all can. There’s that moment when we’re in the “loss” stage where we embrace being single just a little too much. It sucks, but you eventually get through it and are able to move on to bigger and better things – hence the “Hope and Repeat” cycles. There’s quite a bit of comedy to mine from that, and the writers did an excellent contrasting it with Barney’s unhappiness that can show just how deeply one falls in love with another.

And, again … RANJIT!

Ted and Barney’s Legendary Nights

The Night We Started a Mariachi Band

The Night We Ate Everything on the Menu

The Night We Brought a Horse Into Bar

The Night We Bungee-Jumped Off of the Statue of Liberty

The Night We Stole a Mummy From the Natural History Museum

The Night We Partied with the Mole People

The Night We Tracked Down Phil Collins, Became Best Friends with Him, and talked Him Into Reuniting with Peter Gabriel And Then We Got To Sing Back-Up On The New Genesis Album And It Was Awesome

The Night We Stole a Camel

The Night You Got Locked Out in Your Pajamas And Robin Landed A Freakin’ Helicopter And There’s Still Time To Reunite Genesis

Notes & Quotes

“What the hell are you doing?” – Lily

“Nothing. Did you have you have to pee?” – Marshall

“No … but yeah, I do have to pee. Man this kid better be real fricking cute!” – Lily

“Nothing. Did you have you have to pee?” – Marshall “No … but yeah, I do have to pee. Man this kid better be real fricking cute!” – Lily “I’m in a band … and we’re gonna make it.” – Security Guard

“And kids, they did make it, but I’ll get to that later … you know what, I’m probably not going to get to that later. They had one song, it didn’t suck. The end.” – Future Ted

“And kids, they did make it, but I’ll get to that later … you know what, I’m probably not going to get to that later. They had one song, it didn’t suck. The end.” – Future Ted “Guys, I was sitting at home last night and all of a sudden, I had an epiphany. And my piphany was this….” – Barney

“Actually its AH—piphany.” – Ted

“No, Ted. This is the—piphany, and here it is: Make Every Night Piphany.” – Barney

Photo Credit: Richard Cartwright/CBS