Tonight on “No Pressure,” Ted deals with the aftermath of confessing to Robin his feelings while Barney uncovers a secret that Lily and Marshal have kept under wraps for quite some time.
After last week’s episode “The Drunk Train,” I was very fearful on how the show might progress. I really didn’t want to see it devolve into another cyclical story of Ted and Robin trying to make things work but failing miserably. Instead, we get the wonderful (though honesty should have been expected) notion that Ted has finally moved on with is life and finally closes the door with Robin.
It’s somewhat of a bittersweet moment in the series. For seven years, we have followed Ted’s little adventure that started with a girl and a blue french horn (of which makes a cameo). And though all the ups and downs, in the back of our minds, we always wondered if they might actually end up together. With this final decision though, we can rest assured that there won’t be any type of relapse. Instead, we move into the optimistic idea that there really are many other opportunities out there, many more women with yellow umbrellas to discover.
While watching this episode, I was worried it was actually a weird flashback episode. There are plenty of scenes from the first season to remind and enlighten viewers about the relationship between Ted and Robin. Robin though, has very little time in this episode, conveniently going off to Russia for the week and leaving Ted behind to contemplate. It’s almost as if it could have worked as a series end if needed. Though had that been a series end, I think the long term fans would have been furious. Instead, I think it serves as a good final bookend to the story of Ted and Robin, ending with her moving out of the apartment for the final time.
Along with the preview of Ted telling the mother he loves her after a disastrous date, the final scene reminds us of the fact that there are so many other people in the world, and Ted’s adventure of discovery is far from over.
Other observations
- Ted and the Mother miss out on “The Wedding Bride 3”
- Ted and Marshal are drinking at the bar at like 8am.
- We actually get a new show motif, Marshal and Lily betting on the gang, which acts as a great foreshadowing
- Lily bets Marshal that barney will die by murder
- Marshal bets Lily that robin will never return their hairdryer
- Lily bets Marshal that Ted’ll go bald
- Marshal bets Lily that IF Ted goes bald, he’ll totally pull it off
- Lily bets Marshal that Ted and robin won’t end up together
- Lily bet’s Marshal that Ted will break his legs skiing (which he doesn’t)
- Lily bet’s Marshal that Barney will watch their Sex Tape (which he doesn’t…sorta)
- “Bro’s before hoes…and no matter how mad she made me, Robin’s still my bro”
- Ted and Robin end their “single at 40” agreement.
- “Barney, that was my VCR” “Ted, it was a VCR”
- “You’ve been betting on us, like we’re a couple of hobos fighting over a sandwitch in some pycho preppy kid’s backyard”
- Conan O’Brien makes his cameo appearance tonight as Barney runs out of the bar. Conan won the appearance in a 2011 charity auction.
