Off the Hook

After a much-too-long absence, How I Met Your Mother was back last night and it brought special guest star Carrie Underwood with it for a hilarious episode about being on and putting others on The Hook.  You know the people we have strung along and/or the people who have strung us along for far too long until it becomes painfully clear that you and that other person are never going to be together?  Well, then you have put someone on the hook or you yourself have been on someone else's hook.  The problem is, as long as there's some sign of hope kept alive, the hookee will continue to hang on.  Enter Ted, guest star Underwood and the latest "hot girl" job trend: Pharma Girls.



Ted had been waiting for Tiffany to dump her boyfriend and be with him.  He was convinced that things were going to work out for them.  He refused to even consider that he was on Tiffany's hook.  The situation caused the rest of the gang to reflect on their own experiences being on the hook and, as their friends pointed out, current situations where they have others on their hook.  For Ted, though, it took Tiffany's invitation to a wedding, her bringing a different date (whom she had gotten back together with), and then realizing that she was on that guy's hook for him to finally set himself free.  But in true HIMYM fashion, Ted had also been stringing along his own hookee, so this meant setting things right with her as well.  Unfortunately, a diamond ring, Ted on one knee and some seriously bad timing outside the girl's apartment door complicated things a bit.  But in the end, Ted was free and so was the girl he had strung along.

Meanwhile, Barney was marveling in his newest obsession: Pharma Girls.  After tracing the history of emerging trendy industries where hot chicks flock to for careers (including nurses and flight attendants), he proclaimed pharmaceutical sales girls the new hot trendy profession.  Tiffany was a Pharma Girl, so that meant that she brought co-workers with her and Barney was psyched (and well-medicated).  Things were going fine until he met the newest Pharma Girl.  She was not up to the standards of the other girls, so he decided that the profession's hotness was entering the beginning of the end.  He lamented that it was only a matter of time before gay men started filling the positions, so he would have to move on.  The very thought depressed him, but after taking a few purple pills he found left at his apartment, he had a whole new, hopeful outlook.

There was also an adorable tea cup pig who helped Lily let her hookee off the hook, but Marshall screwed that one up when he couldn't let Lily do it.  Good stuff.  How I Met Your Mother airs Mondays on CBS. If you missed last night's episode, watch it for free at cbs.com.