After Kevin and Robin break up, Ted tells her his feelings for her, and Marshall tries to get the two together. Meanwhile, Barney finds a box of long-term bets in Marshall and Lily's place.
This episode provides examples of:
- Brick Joke: One of the bets in the box was Marshall predicting Robin wouldn't return to Lily her hair dryer. Near the end of the episode, Robin asks Marshall if it's OK to return the hair dryer to Lily. Marshall told her to keep it.
- Call-Back:
- When Future!Ted reminisces about the first time he told The Mother he loved her, the movie they are supposed to see is The Wedding Bride III.
- Ted takes Robin back to the restaurant from their first date. The blue French horn is now padlocked and chained to the wall. Meanwhile, Ted is hiding his face behind the menu, just in case.
- The Cameo: At one point Barney rushes out of MacLarens and runs past Conan O'Brien. O'Brien won a cameo on the show as part of a charity auction. When the creators learned who had received the role they offered to write an actual guest role for him but O'Brien insisted on being just an extra in the background. The writers agreed that it was funnier than having the cast acknowledge his presence.
- Color Motif: Throughout the episode, the entire cast have been wearing purple, with purple being symbolized as the relationship between Ted and Robin as a Call-Back to "Purple Giraffe". By the end of episode, after Ted lets go of his pining for Robin, he goes outside surrounded by a sea of people with yellow umbrellas, signifying his pursuit for the Mother.
- Hope Spot: After Robin and Ted decided to distance themselves from each other, the episode ends with Lily and Marshall thinking about them.Lily: I hate to say this, but for Ted's sake... Pay up.
Marshall: (smiles) Not yet. - I Want My Beloved to Be Happy:
- Ted still loves Robin, but he's happy to let her go and be the friend that she truly needs.
- Despite Marshall betting on Ted and Robin getting back together, Marshall had to ask Robin to move out for Ted's emotional state. Also he hopes that the distance will be good for both of them.
- Male Gaze: When the discussion between Barney and Lily is recounted from Barney's perspective, everything is blurred out except her chest and her words are replaced with a muted trombone.
- Side Bet: It turns out that Lily and Marshall have been doing small bets on their friends since before the first season. The biggest one and still unresolved is the "Robin and Ted will get together" wager.Lily: Pay up.
Marshall: Not yet. - Suspiciously Specific Denial: Subverted. Lily specifically tells Barney that there's nothing like a sex tape in existence, so it would be pointless to search through their stuff. Then it's revealed that one of the side bets was about Barney finding said tape, which means Lily brought it up knowing Barney would do the opposite.
- Yellow/Purple Contrast: Very deliberately used in this episode where Ted finally decides he wants to let go of Robin, the entire cast is seen wearing purple for the episode. However, in the end, after Ted makes his decision, he steps outside to a sea of people—all of them sporting the Mother's iconic yellow umbrella, symbolizing how moving on from Robin was the only way for Ted to fall in love with his future wife.
