How I Met Your Mother: Change of Heart

     I only have one rule when it comes to HIMYM episodes; when they get sappy I stop watching... unless they're hot, no wait, not hot, funny... when they get sappy I stop watching... unless they're really funny.  So, when this episode took a bad right turn into super sappy land, I was able to forgive it because, damn, it made me laugh, probably more then any other episode this season.  The opening sequence was genius.  Like I've said before, the show is at it's best when Barney is carrying it and this sequence was classic Barney.  "Penis feelings" may be my new favorite Barney-ism and the "unless she's hot" exceptions were brilliant.  I also loved the sandwich sequence.  I'll admit it, I'm a sucker for pot humor and this was a great example of it.  My favorite line of the episode was "sandwiches make me hungry," a hilarious turn of phrase using HIMYM euphemism.  Even the whole Robin's new boyfriend acts like a dog gimmick, which wasn't working for me through most of the episode, had me in stitches when ate a whole tray of brownies and got out.
     Obviously the one part of the episode I wasn't so crazy about was Barney's dealings with Nora.  I don't watch HIMYM to see Barney fall in love and talk about wanting kids and a family.  That's Ted's role.  I want Barney making up rules like "never date a girl with a hook for a hand," and that doesn't happen, or at least have the same effect, when he starts talking about marriage and kids.  A friend suggested that we need to see Barney go through a relationship or two so he can grow enough to end up with Robin, and it looks like that's the way the writers are taking us.  But, as much as I feel Barney and Robin are destined for each other, I have no desire to watch the two get together or the growth Barney needs to go through to get there.  Let's just be told by Future Ted as the show wraps up that they got together so we can continue to be entertained by single womanizing Barney.
     One question this episode leaves... we were told what happened with Marshal and the calzone, will we find out what the other stories are?  Keep your ears and eyes open for Mr. Buttons, a Mr. T dream, and something embarassing about a thermos.