Flashing back to the present day at MacLaren's, Barney notices Ted doing the same thing as he sits grading papers.
Amidst his work, Ted is nervous about a blonde girl at the bar he wants to approach, and Barney boosts his confidence before calling "dibs".
After being left by Don weeks earlier, she has sunk into a depression, neglecting to wash and completely letting herself go, even going as far as to swear Ted to not sleep with her; which he finds easier in her current state.
Meanwhile, Lily has planned a romantic evening at home, with candles and banjo music, but gets angry with Marshall when she finds out that he has told his father that they are trying to have a child.
Marshall argues that his father is a part of his life and deserves to know, but Lily cannot stand Mr. Eriksen's constant calls and domineering personality.
We bookended the season with this song, which was the first time it was hinted at that the place where Ted ultimately meets 'The Mother' was at a wedding.
She said that the episode put in the show's "core competencies in a shrewdly calculated package," citing flash-forwards to the day Ted meets the Mother and how other elements could have a role in making it happen.