How I Met Your Mother Fodder

How I Met Your Mother: Rebound Bro

Future Ted tells the kids that the spring of 2008 was quite complicated. Just for starters, Ted hasn't seen Barney since the incident with Robin. Ted says that he has forgiven Robin and has gotten over Ted as a friend. Lily says it's because he's so happy with Stella. Apparently everything is perfect except for no sex. Marshall points out that it means that it has been quite a few months since he has had sex.

Barney begins the search for a new wingman and everyone he calls somehow is incompatible for bro purposes for different reasons.

Stella is telling Ted a story about a patient and he says that they should have sex. She says that she is nervous because it has been awhile since she has been intimate with anyone. He says it has been awhile for him, too. His awhile is five months. Her awhile is five years, on the other hand. Everyone in the apartment yells this out in shock.

Marshall says that the last time Stella had sex, Seabiscuit was in theaters and the world was learning about SARS. Robin wonders if there is a reason for this and we see by flashback that she says that women regret the men they have been with but then she says she thinks she could trust him enough to be with him like that. Ted worries that she will not enjoy sex with him and Marshall suggests that he lower her expectations for her.

At Barney's work, a guy called Randy (who happens to be on SNL) asks Barney if he can be his new wingman and after some hesitation he finally agrees.

Ted makes a painfully obvious comparison between potato skins and her expectations for sex with him. She tells him not to worry about it.

At the bar, Barney says that he will make Randy the greatest wingman in history. Randy says it will be easy because he has been reading his blog for three years. Randy keeps pulling Barney back because he is hesitant to approach a woman with Barney. Barney tries the "have you met" approach but Randy has run away.

Stella gets upset when she finds out that Ted told his friends about her sexual abstinence. He apologizes but explains that they are his best friends. She says she obviously can't trust him and he says that she was just looking for a reason because things were getting serious between them and she wishes him a good night and leaves.

Barney and Randy go over pickup techniques and then they try them. Randy gives it a try but fails and gets a drink in the face. They approach a couple of other women and that fails as well. Barney changes things again by letting him practice with Robin and he gets a nosebleed.

Robin wonders if he is just trying to fill the void of losing Ted by going with Randy - a rebound bro. Barney realizes this is the case and tells Randy as much. Randy says it's almost as bad as when he was a New York City police officer and they use this information to pick up a woman for Randy. That works quite well.

Stella comes to see Ted and admits that he is onto her and she is actually in and they kiss. She says that they have to go because there's something they have to do and so he gets to meet her daughter Lucy. A little later, Stella comes to tell him that her sister will be in town all weekend and - yes, they go to a hotel to make whoopee. I mean, have sex.

-- Gordon Davidescu