I'm torn... I loved that the show finally addressed what an utter fucking asshole Barney is (as a fictional character, I adore him, but the few real-world variations on him I've encountered--fortunately, very few--have been extremely nauseous individuals) and I loved Lily's dogged insistence that he make some attempt at reparation, but I'm still kind of squeamish over how the women he nails and forgets are portrayed, and the way Ted, Robin and Marshall talk about them makes me like them a bit less.

The episode did mention his blog at least once.

He's mentioned his blog in other episodes.

the way Ted, Robin and Marshall talk about them makes me like them a bit less.

I think that they tried to address that with the beer and the brackets. First, they totally refused to be involved, then the beer got them.

I especially loved the Doogie Howser reference at the end.

That's what that was! I got that it was a reference, but I didn't know to what.

First, they totally refused to be involved, then the beer got them.

And then they were all depressed by the horribleness by the time they got to the Final Four.

Doogie Theme

I watched the first part of the new Sense and Sensibility last night after HIMYM and realized Willoughby is Regency Barney!

Bwah!

I'm still kind of squeamish over how the women he nails and forgets are portrayed,

You know, I'm generally okay with the portrayals of the women he sleeps with, and the way he talks about them, as a totally over-the-top joke, but when he said "I think I actually sold a woman once," that crossed way over the line for me.

but when he said "I think I actually sold a woman once," that crossed way over the line for me.

Yeah, me too. That was close to the jump-the-shark moment in Seinfeld when they were so cold about the death of George's fiancee.

Did anybody else completely miss the announcement that NBC are putting together an Office spin off?