Ted takes a detour, Marshall fights for the planet and Robin has a breakthrough in her therapy.
On a show like HIMYM, which has a very singular and specific goal (i.e. meeting said mother), patience is key. Every season has a fair amount of filler: episodes that are not plot-driven, but rather keep us chuckling until Ted’s next girlfriend shows up. “Field Trip,” it seems, served this purpose.
We pick up where we left off: in the office of Robin's therapist, where Kevin (we’re given a name, which means this guy will probably be moderately important later on) announces that while they’ve made progress, he is moving to Alaska and can no longer see her.
Though fragile Robin is upset at being abandoned–by someone she paid, no less—she understands that he has a perfectly legitimate reason for leaving. This perfectly legitimate reason promptly flies out the window when she sees Kevin in a diner a week later. Cornered, he admits that he can’t ethically be her therapist because he’s attracted to her. The two then dissolve their professional relationship and decide to date.
Meanwhile at McLaren’s, Marshall frets over the possibility that his new boss Garrison Cootes (played by the LEGENDARY Martin Short) isn’t quite the environmental crusader he’d imagined. Barney, in classic cold-feet Stinson fashion, uses Nora’s dislike of Ewoks as a springboard to jump to the conclusion that she’s lying about her age and promptly freaks out. Robin announces that she’s seeing Kevin and everyone calls it what it is: creepy.
In an attempt to inspire them, a very scruffy Ted takes his architecture class on a field trip. They visit the GNB construction site, pick up Barney at the GNB office and interrupt Robin and Kevin in Ted's apartment. His students concur that dating your former therapist is not normal and, once alone, the couple agrees. However, Robin later visits Kevin's office and listens to his issues, putting them on an equal playing field so their relationship can continue.
Barney (still wearing the Ducky Tie, in case you were wondering) then overcomes his aversion to women over thirty and tells Nora that he cares for her no matter her age—which is only 29, much to his relief. Ted is discouraged when he fails to make an impact on his class, but a singular non-committal student mention of pursuing architecture is all the validation he needs.
Following an angry outburst from Marshall, Cootes takes him aside and tells him the truth: the planet is doomed, so there’s no point in trying to help the environment. But after seeing his and Lily’s child for the first time, he shows his boss the sonogram and refuses to give up—he has hope for the future. Cootes takes his message to heart. During the episode's final moments Bob Saget says that, in the end, the two really do save the world.
Highlights
Marshall, complaining about his coworkers' celebration: “It’s crazy! We have no right to be eating cake!”
Lily, over the phone and still very much pregnant: “There’s CAKE?! I’ll be right there!”
Marshall, later, at the office party: “No! It’s a matter of principle! I don’t care how good it is, I’m not gonna have a third slice of cake!”
Ted and Barney utilize his racially diverse class as a focus group to settle all past debates, such as Edward versus Jacob (thankfully it ends up having nothing to do with Twilight; the day Oscar Wilde-quoting Teddy Westside admits to reading Stephenie Mayer is the day I stop watching HIMYM).
This episode also marks the return of Marshall’s “fish list” stand-up comedy routine. In case you forgot, take this video for a swim—ba dum tiss.