When a funeral conflicts with the Super Bowl, the gang vows to avoid hearing the score and watch it together on Monday. This proves difficult, as Marshall is threatened with the score by a boy in Lily’s class, while doing the news puts Robin in...
When Ted is constantly insulted by his former boss, who is now working for him on a project, he is told to fire the man, but he finds that a hard thing to do. Meanwhile, Barney offers Lily a lot of money to paint a nude portrait of him.
Robin wants to tell Ted that she loves him, but she can’t tell him. Meanwhile, her sister visits and brings her boyfriend, and Robin doesn’t know how to react when her sister says she’s ready to lose her virginity.
Ted almost ruins Christmas for everyone when, still carrying around anger toward Lily, he calls her a horribly disgusting name. Robin tends to Barney while he has a cold.
Barney’s brother, James, visits and Robin, the only one in the group that has never met him, is suprised. But James has a surprise for Barney that he finds difficult to swallow.
Ted and Barney discusses their viewpoints on knowing things about women. Barney thinks that the more you know the more likely you are to find a deal breaker. Ted wants to know the deal breakers right away, as Robin refuses to go to the mall to cover her...
Marshall and Lily drag the gang to Atlantic City to elope, and their quest to overcome the three-day wait for a marriage license crosses them with some Chinese gamblers, a ship captain, and a sexy novelty shirt.
Barney gets a new nickname. Meanwhile, Marshall goes on his first real date post-Lily, but Ted and Barney warn him that this girl has the “crazy eyes,” and Lily decides to do everything she can to find her own reasons for breaking them up.
Barney seduces Marshall’s law professor in hopes of getting her to grade more leniently. Lily takes a job at Ted’s office, where she promptly steals to teach Ted’s boss a lesson.
Marshall tries to get used to being single in a world that is very coupled-oriented. Barney’s intended one-night-stand won’t go away, and he uses Lily to get out of his “horrifying” situation.
After Ted and Robin’s first big fight, Barney tries to convince Ted that being an architect is an easy in to picking up chicks. Lily and Robin start following his trail after discovering that Ted hit it off with a girl named Anna shortly afterward.
Ted’s parents visit New York for their anniversary, and he learns a family secret, while Robin worries that they won’t like her. Lily and Marshall try to adjust to the new format of their relationship now that they are no longer together.
Barney works with Marshall on his bachelor skills, which include hitting on women. Lily is back from her venture. Robin helps her look for a new apartment but gets sick of hearing about San Francisco.
The gang tries to help Marshall get over Lily, especially when he finds a credit card bill that leads to a hotel in New York City where some of her charges are listed.
