Gary Blauman

Did You Know?

• Gary Blauman once stole four of Barney's fries at MacLaren's, including the accidental curly fry.
• The episode received an A grade from Donna Bowman of The A.V. Club.

Plot

Three days after Barney and Robin’s wedding, Ted and the Mother are on their first date, heading to dinner at eight on a Wednesday. They decide to skip their original restaurant, and the Mother suggests just finding a place that doesn’t require a reservation. Ted replies that getting a table without one isn’t simple, and uses the story of Gary Blauman to explain why. Two hours before the wedding, Blauman shows up and congratulates Robin.

She panics because she didn’t plan a seat for him. Marshall tries to rearrange the seating chart but finds it tricky, so he asks Ted for help. Ted refuses, since he’s disliked Blauman ever since they competed for a girl at a party. Lily speaks up for Blauman, grateful that he once stopped her from getting a huge back tattoo after her breakup with Marshall.

Barney also doesn’t want Blauman there, because Blauman once stole four of his fries at MacLaren’s, including the accidental curly one. Billy Zabka and James arrive; Zabka wants Blauman to stay because Blauman appreciates his poetry, but James objects, as his affair with Blauman caused his husband Tom to leave him. Hearing this, Ted changes his mind, realizing Blauman is gay and had actually been trying to woo Ted at that party. Marshall casts the deciding vote: Blauman stays because Robin, as the bride, has the final say.

Then Barney admits he already told Blauman to leave. The group finds Blauman about to drive away, which makes Ted realize he needs to hold onto the people who matter, since they could vanish from his life instantly. Future Ted then lists the fates of many acquaintances from his stories, and adds that James and Tom eventually got back together. Blauman returns, apologizes, and agrees to attend the wedding.

As Ted tells this story, the Mother stops him when she spots her ex-boyfriend in the distance. She says she recently went through a bad breakup and isn’t ready to date, but wants him to finish the story. Later, she cuts him off again when they reach her building. They say goodbye, but she quickly calls him back and asks him to finish the story, which relieves him. After Ted finishes, they share their first kiss and decide to walk around the city more.