How I Met Your Mother: Duck Tie

(This is a little late because I had computer problems, but better late then never... right?)

    I'm trying not to get to excited about this episode.  If the writers of HIMYM have taught me anything, it's that they can' maintain this level of excellence for a whole season anymore.  So, instead of getting giddy over the prospects of my favorite show returning to form I'm going to enjoy a great episode, one that is an instant classic in the HIMYM annuls.
     The most important thing "Duck Tie" accomplished was making Ted a likable character again.  Wither intentional of not, over the last few seasons I've lost all interest in Ted, which is a problem when the premise of the show is following his journey to meet his future wife.  If I don't care about the main character, why watch the show?  But this episode brought back all those likable characteristics that have been missing.  He was vulnerable but not annoying, charming but not annoying, funny but not... annoying.  I hope the change was in the writing and not merely a byproduct of throwing him next to an old character I love.  At one time Ted was my favorite character, I really connected with him and his plight, I would love to have that old Ted return for good.
     The other thing that helped return HIMYM to form was the fact that it was actually funny.  As much as the idea of a bet between Marshal and barney feels like old hat and could be seen as a crutch if used too much, it had me laughing out loud, something that has been happening to infrequently the last few seasons.  Barney was hilariously evil, Marshal was comically naive, Lily was the perfect foil for both.  These are the HIMYM characters I feel in love with.  The way the writers bounced from Ted/Victoria to the Gang back to Ted/Victoria was brilliant and kept the episode moving and fresh.  I'm hoping nobody drops the ball with this bet and we have a season of duck tie jokes to look forward to, otherwise I may look back on this episode more as a broken promise then a classic.
     A lot of people have been speculating about the final few scenes of the episode.  They seem to think it signifies a return to Ted and Robin or possible a love rectangle between Ted, Robin, Barney and Nora.  I would be a little disappointed if that is the case.  We've gone down the Ted and Robin road before and, according to Narrator Ted, have closed the book on any Robin issues between Ted and Barney.  Plus, we already know Robin is not the mother, so why go back?  I think the writer's need to take it another way.  Ted needs to take Victoria's words to come to the realization that he will never find "the one" unless he puts some distance between him and Robin, something that robin, of course, won't understand.  The lesson of Victoria's insight shouldn't be that Robin is the one, but that she is in the way of Ted finding the one.
     It's nice to see HIMYM return to form, even if its only for one episode.  Let's hope this season is filled with more "Duck Tie"s then "The Best Man"s.