How I Met Your Mother was one of my shows. I jumped into it from the very first episode and stuck with it for its entire run. I had my DVR set to record it and gave it top priority. The first five seasons were some of the funniest, silliest, and happiest moments I ever watched on television. (Don’t ever get me started on the last season and series finale…my cardiologist says I need to get my numbers down, and discussing the HIMYM finale will not help that at all).
Here towards the end of season 2, after Marshall and Lily got back together, they’re discussing who will be Marshall’s best man. Barney makes it a competition between him and Ted. It unnerves Marshall so much because Marshall sees Barney as a very selfish man. Marshall calls Barney out. ”I’m not even sure I’m inviting you to the wedding at this point.”
Barney’s hurt. Lily can no longer hold her tongue. She tells a story
”It happened last summer when we were broken up…”
This is what HIMYM was so good at, the reveal-via-flashback. Lily had broken off her relationship with Marshall and moved to San Fransisco to pursue her painting dream. The decision broke Marshall. At first, Barney tried to let it play out by itself, hoping that the two of them would get back together. But he couldn’t take it anymore. Lily reveals the reason why she flew back from San Fransisco to New York. Barney gave her the speech that she needed to hear. And he gave her the means to come back home.
A stunned Marshall asks, ”You really did that?” His view and opinion of Barney has completely changed.
That’s what a best man does. He drops everything he’s doing, flies across the country, and gets two soulmates back together. He goes to bat for his boy.
Ted ends the debate. Barney is Marshall’s (co) best man.
mruvula 