Air Date: September 24, 2007
Robin returns from her trip to Argentina with a guy named Gael, and much to Ted's chagrin, even his newlywed best friends fall for the Argentinian hunk.
The episode provides examples of:
- Amicable Exes: Ted and Robin, so much so that when he comes over to have the shouting argument they never actually got to have as part of their mature and mutual breakup, he explains it to her beforehand and she calmly agrees that if that's what he needs, she'll play along, then gets him started by complimenting his beard.
- Arc Symbol: The Yellow Umbrella makes its first appearance at the end of the episode.
- Beard of Sorrow: Ted grows one as part of his getting over Robin.
- Bigger Is Better in Bed: Invoked by Robin, when she reassures Ted that Gael isn't perfect.Ted: Name one way I'm better than that guy.
Robin: You're bigger.
Ted: Don't patronize me, if anything he may even be a little taller.
Robin: No, Ted. You're bigger.
[Beat] [Gilligan Cut to Ted in the bar with Marshall and Barney]
Ted: I win!
Future!Ted: Kids, I can't remember exactly what helped me get through the whole Robin-Gael incident. I'm sure that it was something profound and meaningful and not at all macho and petty. - Big "NO!": Barney has this reaction upon realizing what the countdown timer which Marshall sent him means.
- Brick Joke: An epic one - the first spoken word in this episode (not counting the voiceover) is "-Dary!" (The last spoken words of the previous season's finale were "Le-Gen- Wait for it...")
- Call-Back/Call-Forward: The Slap Countdown timer which Marshall sends Barney in The Stinger is both a Call-Back to "Slap Bet" (where Marshall won the right to slap Barney five times) and a Call-Forward to "Slapsgiving" (where the timer runs out and Marshall delivers the 3rd slap).
- When Marshall and Lily were trying to be more mature, they were going to do fondue. Now they own a fondue pot.
- The Cameo: Enrique Iglesias is Gael, and Mandy Moore is Amy.
- Embarrassing Tattoo: Turns out Ted, while drunk, got a butterfly trampstamp, to the amusement of Marshall, Lily and Barney.
- Flexibility Equals Sex Ability: Barney, trying to get Ted to go out On the Rebound after his break up with Robin, suggests "Female acrobats from Montreal. Super flexible."
- Jerkass Has a Point: While Barney was saying this for entirely selfish reasons, he's not wrong in pointing out Amy was being a bad influence on Ted and encouraging self destructive behavior.
- Latin Lover: Gael, Robin's rebound guy, instantly charms all the women at the bar, even Marshall.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: Barney objects to Ted getting a tattoo, because Ted has a "clean-cut look that lasts season-to-season."
- Also, the Slap Countdown timer, which shows that there are 55 days until the next slap. Marshall slaps Barney when the timer runs out in "Slapsgiving", which aired on November 19, 2007, exactly 55 days after the airdate of this episode.
- Malicious Misnaming: Robin introduces the gang to her new boyfriend Gael (prounced GUY-El). Ted, who just got broken up with Robin, Marshall and Barney keep pretending to mishear the name, calling him "Gale" "Kyle" and "Girl".
- Mood Whiplash: The scene takes a hard turn from comic to serious when Ted, in the midst of freaking out about his tattoo learns that Gaël was at the apartment last night, then back to comic.
- On the Rebound: Occurs to both Ted and Robin in the episode:
- Gael, Robin's Latin Lover whom she picked up on a trip to Argentina. The relationship explicitly happened because Robin was so torn up by her breakup with Ted that she needed something.
- In response to Gael, Ted rebounds with a Hard-Drinking Party Girl named Amy, which results in him getting a butterfly trampstamp.
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Playing Against Type: Mandy Moore plays a skanky, tatted up barfly. - Pretty Boy: Argentinian youth Gael. Ted reluctantly describes him as an adonis and tells off Robin that she should not have chosen someone who is so obviously better in everything.
