[s3e5] How I Met Everyone Else (2027)

“I don’t want to be a mystery, Barney,” Ted sighs. “I just want to meet someone who likes The Divine Comedy as much as I do.”

“I’m telling you, Ted,” Barney says, adjusting his tie. “Your ‘Meeting Story’ is your brand. It’s your origin story. Right now, your brand is ‘Guy Who Bought a Blue French Horn.’ It’s a bit needy. You need a meet-cute that screams ‘International Man of Mystery.’”

As the night goes on, the gang realizes they are all connected to the same half-dozen strangers in the bar. The waitress, the guy at the coat check, even the woman sitting alone reading a book on 18th-century masonry. [S3E5] How I Met Everyone Else

“Boring!” Barney shouts. “Look at that guy by the jukebox.”

“Excuse me,” Ted says, his best 'Architecture Professor' voice ready. “Is that the 1924 edition or the 1928 reprint?” “I don’t want to be a mystery, Barney,” Ted sighs

She looks up, smiles, and says, “It’s the ’24. The footnotes on gargoyles are much more comprehensive.”

Ted’s eyes light up. “Wait... Aurora Borealis? I met her at an architecture seminar last month! She told me my design for the new library looked like ‘a frozen poem.’ I thought she was being romantic, but she might have just been describing a glacier.” It’s your origin story

“Don’t ask,” she says, sliding into the booth. “The dog didn't play the kazoo. He just used it as a chew toy while I was holding it. But on the way here, I met the most interesting woman. She’s an expert in Canadian geophysics.” “Is she a mountie?” Barney asks, hopeful.