'How I Met Your Mother' Season 8, Episode 18: 'Weekend at Barney's' Recap

Marshall and Ted observe the ladies at the beach, while juggling some guilt over the situation. A woman in a bikini comes to say hello to Barney, lying still in a chair… Ted uses a string to move his hand in a wave, “Weekend at Bernie’s” style.

Barney wakes up from the dream, yelling to Robin that the plays, the plays! They just keep coming to him. Robin tells him watching him burn the Playbook is how she knew she could be with him.

Lily goes to the bar to tell everyone about her upcoming first stint for The Captain as his new art consultant. Ted comes in to present Robin with his wedding response card. He has written crazy Jeanette in as his date. No one is happy.

Ted goes home to see her, and finds she has trashed his apartment. She went through his e-mails and found spam, interpreted it as another woman, and destroyed everything. Ted finds that charming… however, Jeanette breaks up with him. She returns the key he never gave her, and his grandmother’s ring.

“She was buried wearing this…”

Ted goes to talk to Marshall and Lily. He starts out all right with the break-up… until he remembers how great the sex was and determines to win her back.

Marshall meets Lily to go to the gallery. He brings a bag of Skittles as a snack… Narrator Ted informs us it is the last bag of Skittles Marshall will ever eat.

Ted goes to Jeanette’s to win her back. In the elevator, a bearded man rips off his disguise—it’s Barney. He tells Ted to accept his apology, and attacks him.

Ted throws him off. Barney reminds him that new is always better. He will help Ted find a date to his wedding… with THE PLAYBOOK. He reveals that the actual Playbook was not burned. He entrusts it to Ted and reminds him to keep it a secret from Robin.

Lily and Marshall get to the gallery. She goes to try and contact Strickland, the artist, although she is concerned about leaving Marshall on his own. He goes to network with the dramatic bag of Skittles.

At Barney’s, he prepares Ted to begin a play. They are starting with The Special Delivery.

Barney communicates with Ted via ear piece. Dressed as a delivery man, he delivers a package to Lisa—who must be Lisa because she is the most beautiful girl in the bar. It goes well, until Barney gives him an inappropriate line and the girl storms off.

At the gallery, Lily is still trying to get up to the artist. Marshall’s jokes are failing miserably.

Ted’s next play: The Kidney. He goes to the bar dressed in a hospital gown. He tells a woman he’s donating a kidney to his best friend. He wanted to have one last drink in case something goes wrong. Barney tries to get him to say another dirty line, but they have an awkward argument. Ted gives in and gets a drink thrown in his face.

Marshall listens to the artist tell a story about his dead grandmother. He is trying to be on his best behavior for Lily but horribly bored. The artist asks for a minute of absolute silence to honor his grandmother’s memory… and the Skittles leak from Marshall’s pocket and clatter all over the floor.

The play: The I have a Pet Loch Ness Monster. Ted arrives in a Scottish uniform.

Robin comes home, interrupting. She sees the Playbook and storms off. Barney tells Ted not to do anything stupid and goes after her. On his screen, Jeanette rushes in, shoves aside the woman Ted is talking to, and kisses him.

Barney chases Robin down the street. He apologizes for keeping the book, but tells her it has a lifetime of his ideas… including Weekend at Barney’s.

Lily stays with Marshall despite the Skittles incident. He promises no more jokes, no candy, he will just be quiet. However the artist hears him mention Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and comes over. The two hit it off. Marshall introduces him to Lily.

Robin and Barney are still arguing. She tells him she doesn’t want the lying. He tells her that is what he does. That is how he got her to agree to marry him. He is a liar and a magician. He tells her he loves her and that’s the one true thing, as he pulls magical implements from his coat.

Ted and Jeanette are back together… until she finds the Playbook. Lily and Marshall get a text from him. They go to find him sitting on the street, as  Jeanette throws his things out the window. She screams that for the finale, she found fireworks, and has attached them to the Playbook.

Ted tells her not to light it, it is Barney’s life’s work… but Barney and Robin walk up, and Barney tells her to let it have it. She sets it on fire, and it explodes, starting a little fire on his things. Everyone sits and sips wine while Ted crosses Jeanette’s name off the wedding RSVP.

“No more dating. I’m ready to settle down,” he says.

The red cowboy boots hit the ground.