Robin worries about Barney's reaction to discovering that James and his husband are getting divorced. Marshall struggles to find a way to make it to the wedding from Minnesota.
This episode provides examples of:
- Brick Joke: Barney and Robin wonder where they can stash the stuff Barney had put in James' room. When Ted finally gets access to his room, it's all there.
- Daphne picks the music. It'll be a thing.
- Call-Back: James's marriage is over; turns out his philandering ways didn't end just because he got married.
- "It's for the bride" returns, and gets Barney to cover his ears and hum "Battle Hymn of the Republic".
- Call-Forward: James's marriage is over; turns out his philandering ways didn't end just because he got married.
- Don't You Dare Pity Me!: Curtis the front desk clerk keeps giving pitying glances and encouragements to Ted. He finally explodes on him.
- Mythology Gag: In the Flash Forward to Ted and the Mother one year after Barney and Robin's wedding, Ted greets her by saying, "Hey, beautiful." This is the name of the song that the show's theme song comes from.
- Mundane Made Awesome: How Ted solves the crossword. He and The Mother remarks about it a year later.2014!Ted: I wasn't being all showboaty about it!Present!Ted: Vesuvius! BOOYAH!!!! Oh wait, that doesn't fit.
- Nice Guys Finish Last: Averted. Marshall made a promise to himself that he would get to New York with his Minnesota Nice manners. Despite Daphne being the "selfish rude New Yorker" and apparently taking advantage of Marshall being too naïve, she still agreed to partner up with him.
- Overly Long Gag: "Thank you, Linus." starts as a Running Gag, but when Ted starts taking drinks from Lily, it turns into this as Linus hands her half a dozen drinks in as many seconds.
- Sickeningly Sweethearts: 1 Year Future Ted and The Mother.
- Take That!: Lily gives the bartender a hundred dollars to make sure she's never without a drink the entire weekend.Linus: So you want the Kennedy package?
