S06E21 Hopeless

The episode starts with Barney and his father, Jerry, parting in 1983. Back in the present, Barney is disappointed in Jerry's normal suburban lifestyle, and decides not to pursue any further contact. However, Barney is surprised by a call from Jerry, who invites Barney to go fishing with him and his son JJ. Barney declines, and tells the gang he resolves to take his dad out to lead him back to his old "party hard" lifestyle. He creates alternate identities for the group so as to impress Jerry: Marshall is a playwright in an open marriage with Lily, while Robin and Ted are dating. The next night, the group meets Jerry at MacLaren's where, after a brief discussion on which club to head to, they decide on one called Hopeless. Jerry is reluctant to get drunk, as he is going fishing with JJ the next day, but finally agrees and begins downing several shots. Jerry and Barney begin having a great time, eventually roaming the streets of New York and pulling various pranks, such as picking a fight with a heavyset biker and yanking out a parking meter.

Meanwhile, Marshall and Lily make a bet to see who can pick up five numbers from people at the club the fastest, with either winner getting to have sex in the bathroom. Lily ends up winning, though Marshall claims to have “won the race” of the prize. Robin runs into an old crush of hers at the club; before she has a chance to ask him out, Ted claims to be dating her, to keep up the ruse for Jerry. Robin had met the man several years before at a clothing store; Ted realizes he and Robin had been dating at the time, and promptly decides to announce to everyone in the club that he and Robin are to get married, thus ruining any chance Robin has with the man. Robin points out Ted had bought his red cowboy boots that day because another woman had told him he would look good in them, and tells him to get off his high horse. As Marshall, Lily, Ted and Robin are heading home, Lily says that she is sorry that Robin's secret crush didn't work out. Robin replies that it is okay, and maybe it wasn't meant to be. Lily asks her why she is smiling and she says she doesn't know. Just as Robin and Ted are entering their building, Robin's crush passes by and is talking to someone on his cell phone saying that he met "that" girl again and that she is engaged to Ted. Future Ted hints there would be more between them later.

Barney and Jerry are eventually arrested after Jerry throws up on a police car. As they sit handcuffed on the curb, Jerry reveals that he was in fact never drunk, having only pretended to take the shots, while the various pranks really didn’t happen (due to Barney’s drunkenness, he couldn’t tell Jerry was pretending, and it was Barney who had thrown up.) Jerry wanted to hang out with Barney while at the same time showing him he can't keep partying forever. However, because Jerry is also an aspiring magician, like Barney, they manage to free themselves from the handcuffs, and head back to Jerry’s house (getting a ride with one of Jerry's driving students) so that he can make it on time for the fishing trip. On the ride back, Barney asks Jerry how he managed to settle down and live a "normal" life, and confides that someday he too wishes to settle down. Jerry tells him he won’t reveal his secret, but says he must first meet the right girl. Barney says that maybe he has already met the right girl.

Although he refuses at first, when Jerry produces a memento from their last day together when Barney was a kid and expresses how much it meant to him over the intervening years, Barney decides to go fishing with Jerry and his son, though later on the boat (wearing on suit's lapel the "Legalize It" button Jerry had held onto all those years) he sighs and says, “This sucks.”

S06E20 The Exploding Meatball Sub

Future Ted explains that though his relationship with Zoey was going well, the fact she was still campaigning to stop Ted’s project may put a damper on it. Ted and the others realize how much he and Zoey disagree and argue with each other, a polar opposite of Lily and Marshall’s relationship, where the two always seem to be in support of each other. Ted and Lily argue throughout the episode about whose relationship is better. However, Ted begins to feel Lily is right and is growing tired of his constant feuding with Zoey; he is also especially annoyed that Zoey had requested the Arcadian be listed as a landmark, which could scrap his entire project if accepted. When Ted argues again with Zoey about his dream to build a skyscraper in New York, he begins thinking he needs to break up with her. However, Ted realizes he has grown fond of their arguing, and instead kisses her. Future Ted muses on which type of relationship is better, but promptly decides a supportive one is best, a fact his younger self would have to learn the hard way.

Marshall has been growing increasingly displeased with his job at GNB, and is considering quitting soon to get a job with the Natural Resources Defense Council. Lily assures him that he has her full support no matter what, despite Barney pointing out Marshall’s new job would have considerably less pay. Lily’s resolve is tested, however, when Marshall later quits GNB and begins work at the NRDC, but only in a volunteer position (as all the paid positions have been filled). Marshall later offers his home to host an NRDC fundraiser, and Lily takes Ted to pick up a guest from the airport. When they arrive, however, Lily reveals she has grown fed up with Marshall’s plans, worried that her future may be in jeopardy due to the lack of income. She promptly leaves to head to Spain, a trip she had been hoping to take with Marshall but may now seem impossible. Later, at the fundraiser, Ted attempts to tell Marshall about Lily, but she makes a surprise return and assures Marshall again he has her support. Ted’s glance at her causes Lily to begin to reveal her doubts, but Marshall thanks Lily for her support and states that he will begin looking for another job with pay.

Upon hearing Marshall’s decision to quit GNB, Barney is considerably shaken, prompting Robin to wonder if it is because of Barney’s recent estrangement from his father. After Robin witnesses Barney tearing up his office, the two finally talk about it. Barney explains the real reason, leaving Robin in disbelief as it is over a trivial incident: some time ago, Marshall had pointed out some marinara sauce on Barney's suit while eating a meatball sub. Extremely irked by this comment, Barney spent months plotting his revenge, designing an exploding meatball sub to give to Marshall. Marshall had quit on the day Barney had planned to have Marshall receive the sub, prompting Barney’s anguish.

In the end, ten years later, Barney is shown apparently on his death bed, with his grieving friends beside him. Barney tells Marshall to eat a meatball sub he has as his last request; the sub promptly explodes in Marshall’s face, and Barney reveals he isn’t actually sick, laughing at his success, as it was all a ruse to get Marshall to take the sub. When Ted points out some marinara sauce on Barney’s clothes, Barney begins eyeing Ted in the same vengeful way he had with Marshall.