7.3/10. Obviously the musical number at the end is awesome, and it alone bumps this episode into good territory. But it's very hit or miss otherwise. There's some nice additions to the mythos going on with the return of the yellow umbrella, and Ted briefly dating The Mother's roommate while catching glimpses of his ideal mate. But for the most part it's a pretty standard issue Ted dating story with not a lot to it beyond the end-game bait to liven it up.
By the same token, Barney's scheme to seduce the new bartender is one of his usual capers, and while the whole girls vs. suits angle gives it at least a bit of stakes, the humor is pretty broad and the whole thing really only works as a setup to the tremendous musical number at the end. The business with the rest of the gang hanging out at the bar--Lily trying to get Marshall to admit that the new bartender is hot, Marshall being nonplussed but then hurt that Lily thinks the bartender is hotter than him, and Robin being offended that she's not considered the hottest girl in the bar anymore--is much funnier than the rest of the episode, and leans into the hangout, silly argument vibe that the show does so well.
For me the musical part is what throw me off the series. I completed the series years after.
The show tune at the end of this episode is possibly a season highlight in a great season. We get tantalisingly close to seeing Ted's wife.
Shout by Project·OasisVIP 6BlockedParentSpoilers2022-02-22T20:17:24Z
If anyone is wondering what’s written on Barney’s T-Shirt: it’s German saying “Die neue Wohnung” which translates to “The New Apartment”.