Wow, guys.  This episode was epic.  The biggest long running mystery on HIMYM, other than the obvious “Who’s the mother?” question, has been “Who is Barney’s dad?!?!”  This week we meet Jerry, if you’re like me you were a little concerned to see a serial killer at Barney’s door (SPOILER ALERT: Dexter has forever marred my view of John Lithgow.)  I quickly got over it though. They both really sold it.

Barney finally meets his dad, but is disappointed the man who gave him life isn’t the jetsetting ladies man he’s always envisioned.  When the myth doesn’t match up with the truth Barney feels the need to tell the gang his dream first meeting between father and son. Which pretty much consists of Jerry being a badass, ladies man, and world traveler.

“You’re funny!  My Dad’s funny! (The delivery was superb.)

“This is going to be the 2nd best time I’ve had on an Asian leg.”

When the gang confronts Barney he refuses to talk about his dad.  They stage an intervention and Marshall pulls the old, my dad is dead, but you can still talk to yours, guilt trip.   Barney gives in and meets his dad’s current family.  Dinner was hilarious with Barney’s interaction/burn of his younger brother, JJ.

“JJ, I’m talking to dad right now, God!”

“Good time to get into print media, right Dad?”

“What gym do you go to?”  “Fourth period?”  “Sounds like you’re having your fourth period!  Am I right, Dad?”  “Got him again!”  “Jerry!”

“I like having a brother.”  I can’t wait for Barney to take this kid under his wing!

The gang was also around.   They were exposing each others’ gaps in knowledge.  We all have/had them.  Barney calls his super in lieu of a screwdriver.  In other words he can only use the tool attached to him.  Ted didn’t know how to pronounce Cham-a-li-on, I mean, Chameleon properly.  Robin … wow where to begin. She thought the North Pole was a fake place, reindeer weren’t real, and that John & Jack Kennedy are the same person.  Lily has terrible aim, which if you ask me isn’t really a gap in knowledge.  It’s more like bad genetics.  Though her throwing that beer into the wall was one of my laugh out loud moment of the episode.  Marshall calls everyone out for handling him with kid gloves since his dad died.  All the stuff they let him get away with was great.  I especially loved the soul patch.  Anyway, Marshall convinces everyone to lay it on him.  They give him a whole host of stuff he can’t/shouldn’t do: winking, swallowing pills, and asking to see the cockpit.

Barney starts to try and steal the basketball hoop hanging on the garage.  It’s irrational and crazy, but that’s what happens sometimes.  Jerry realizes it’s something Barney needs, and it’s the one thing he can help him do.  In the process Jerry teaches Barney how to use a screwdriver.   I literally let out a sob when Barney laid this one on his dad, “If you were going to be some lame suburban dad, why couldn’t you be that for me?”

NPH totally killed it this episode.  Barney went through pretty much every single human emotion and they were played to perfection.  The funny was hilarious, the sad was sob inducing and the denial was great.  I know I’m getting a bit heavy handed in my praise, but I think this episode was fantastic.

I know this one got a lot longer than we’re used to but I didn’t think it was BOOM! Quoted material this week.  Did you feel the pull on your heartstrings?  I want to know some of your gaps.  Lay it on me in the comments!