Air Date: October 24, 2011
Kevin helps the gang realize that their partners remind them of one of their parents. Meanwhile, Barney and Nora's romantic evening doesn't go the way they planned.
The episode provides examples of:
- Black Comedy: A man commits suicide in front of Barney and Nora, and Barney's response is to desperately insist he can still turn the night around.
- Brick Joke: Ted claims that a fan letter he sent to "Weird Al" Yankovic back in the 1980s inspired Al's hit "Like a Surgeon". For the punchline, see The Stinger below.
- The Cameo: James only appears in the first scene of the episode, and Weird Al shows up in The Stinger.
- Hurricane of Puns: Barney's itinerary for his and Nora's upcoming trip to Booty Town.Barney: I'm gonna hop on the Long Thighland Expressway, stop off for a nibble in Breastport, and then, with any luck, I'll be pulling into the Pork Authority by midnight.
- Then, when it seems like Nora wants the date to be chaste, James delivers the last one:
James: Pork Authority's closed. Looks like it's Hand Central Station for you tonight, little buddy. - Like Parent, Like Spouse: The main theme for the episode, which affects all the subplots.
- James brings up the subject after he first notices Nora has a lot of quirks from Loretta (the British accent and obsession with Julie Andrews, her hugging style and the way she offers Barney a treat). Barney just notices this when Nora turns into Loretta while singing "My Favorite Things".
- After Kevin tells this to the gang, Lily starts to picture Marshall as Mickey, since both like board games. On the other hand, Marshall pictures Lily as his dad, since both moan hoarsely while giving themselves foot massages and enjoy midnight snacks.
- Kevin himself is used to this, resigned that someday he will end up with a woman who compares him unfavorably to other men. Promptly Robin transforms into his mom when she tries to defend Ted.
Robin: Ted is a nice guy!
Kevin's Mom!Robin: You should be more like him.
Kevin: Mom, right on schedule. - Momma's Boy:
- Barney. Even after Nora transforms into Loretta, he still thinks it is awesome that his girlfriend resembles the most wonderful person he knows.
- Ted also tries to invite his mom to a Weird Al concert, offering to buy her a plane ticket to New York. When he meets a girl like Virginia at the bar, he shrugs it off and still buys her champagne.
- Parental Issues:
- Lily is known to have issues with her dad Mickey, which adds some serious awkwardness when she pictures Marshall as Mickey.
- Kevin has this with his mother, as he pictures her favor another guy over him.
- Portmantitle: Combines Nora's and Loretta's names.
- Rule of Three: Barney's and Nora's date gets derailed three times: when Nora falls and loses a tooth, when a rat winds up in her hair, and when a suicidal man falls past Barney's balcony.Jumper: Goodbye cruel world!
- Schmuck Bait: Barney asks the gang to ask where he and Nora are going tonight. The gang refuses, but Kevin walks right into a storm of sex jokes.Lily: That's why we don't ask him.
- Squick: Invoked, since they all start feeling this when their partners turn into their parents.
- James goes to barf when he pictures Loretta kissing Barney.
- Barney eventually realizes this, until he turns it around and he instead says it's a good thing his girlfriend shares positive traits with his mom.
- Lily, when she pictures Marshall as her dad in the middle of sexy time.
- The Stinger: In 1985, "Weird Al" Yankovic receives a fan letter from young Ted, which gives him the idea for "Like a Surgeon".
