Starting to feel like sitcoms play with having characters literally get hit by a bus a bit too often.
While Marshall immediately went running to the hospital once he found out what happened to Ted just like Barney did, Barney is the best friend, not Marshall.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2016-03-15T03:17:27Z
This mirrored the Season 2 finale in structure, mostly to the tune of continually swerving the audience as to what to expect from the core relationships until the big reveal at the very end, but it was still a nice realization of the form. The Ted and Stella stuff is a bit melodramatic, but Sarah Chalke uses her dramatic chops to make it work, and it's a realistic conflict even if the whole car accident angle on it is more convenient than true-to-life.
Similarly, Barney getting hit by a bus while running and trying to see Ted in the hospital is a very sitcom-y occurrence, but it's enough of a gesture to show Ted that Barney does really care about him. Again, it's brief, but I appreciate the Ted-Barney arc for actually deconstructing the pair's relationship a bit, even if, as is inevitable on a 3-camera comedy, it sews them back together again.
And on the comedy side, Marshall and Robin's miracles debate was funnier and funnier with each successive flashbacks, and their respective positions felt true to the characters. It was a nice way to lighten the mood a bit, while still adding some depth to the main fireworks of the episode.
As for Ted's big proposal at the end, it's very him. I don't know that it really makes sense as something a person ought to do after 3 months of dating, but it's a sweet idea, and it's in character for Mr. Mosby. If nothing else, Stella is a very welcome presence of the show with how well she fits into the group and her rapport with Ted where she pushes back at him and isn't merely an object of his affection, so it's nice to see her feelings and needs in the relationship getting more focus.