After a more personal Marshall episode that didn't have a major impact on the course of the series, we're back to life changing events, and the plot points from episode 1 are continued.
It is getting more obvious that Ted rushed into his engagement with Stella without knowing her well enough and without thinking of all the consequences. He's not even able to pick up on her sarcasm, which leads to his assumption that Stella would be willing to move to Manhattan with her daughter. As it turns out, she is not. So Ted has to move to New Jersey. And if it wasn't evidenced via flashbacks in this episode how much Ted despises New Jersey, we'd already know it from S03E02, when Ted wouldn't even enter New Jersey for a one-night stand. This leads to an argument in front of Ted's friends, who are all inveterate New Yorkers - except Marshall, who suddenly switches sides and roots for New Jersey, which provides the best comedy of the episode. Then again, it's Marshall who must already doubt Ted and Stella's compatibility since she failed the Star Wars test two episodes earlier. At the end, Ted gives in and agrees to move to the detested city of New Jersey. Mostly because of Lucy, Stella's daughter. You have to wonder if Ted's decisions in this relationship are thought out well. First he went from wanting to break up with Stella to proposing to her within one day, and now he learns that he's expected to move to the place he hates more than anything else, and he agrees to do so only a couple of hours later.
The Barney and Robin story from episode 1 of this season is continued as well. We already know that Robin hates her job at Metro News 1, and that Barney encouraged her to take a chance and apply for a more challenging job. Now we see her finally quit her old job. But all she gets out of her audition at the other news agency is a job as foreign correspondent in Japan. Which is devastating news for Barney. He might not have planned to confess his love to her any time soon, but surely he can't stand the thought of not spending time with her on a regular basis.
All in all a good episode that complies well with the series' continuity, moves the plot forward and sets the stage for some interesting conflicts.
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