‘How I Met Your Mother’ Review: “Now We’re Even!”

'How I Met Your Mother’ Season 7 dares us to enjoy the tale of its twenty-first episode of the season, as the Barney drags Ted out night after night in search of something legendary, while Robin struggles to achieve notoriety in her new job and Marshall and Lily squabble over her latest sex dream.

Last time’s ‘How I Met Your Mother’ “Trilogy Time” saw Barney, Ted and Marshall plunking down to watch the 'Star Wars' trilogy once more, evaluating the state of their lives in three-year intervals as they always have, while Barney adjusted to living with Quinn (Becki Newton), so what will the latest episode bring?

Read on for your in-depth recap of everything you need to know about ‘How I Met Your Mother’ “Now We're Even!”

At MacLaren's, Marshall asks Ted about life alone in Quinn’s old apartment ,where Ted reveals that rather than be miserable, he loves everything about living alone, from the stupid, naked choices he can make, to eating and doing as any red-blooded American pleases.  Marshall tries to impart that living alone can be…nope, he’s got nothing on that.

Later, Barney brags to anyone and everyone that he’s dating a stripper, while Marshall appears to very closely survey Lily’s every facial expression.  Once alone with the guys, Marshall reveals that he caught Lily having a sex dream, though unusually she won’t reveal about whom!  He’s been systematically testing her to see who she turns “Vermillion, the color of carnal shame” around, but so far no luck.  Not even Barney!

Of course it’s not Robin either, who’s been having trouble getting recognized at work even with her fancy new job and portrait on the wall.  It seems like the only one getting any respect is the security guard, who’s band totally makes it one day, according to Future Ted.

In any case, Barney declares that he now wants to make every night form there on out legen - wait for it… -DARY!  But with Ted the only one remaining to accompany on his adventures, the pair drift through a number of crazy nights, including the night they started a mariachi band, the night they ate everything on the MacLaren’s menu, and even the night they brought a horse to the bar!  But you can forget about bungee jumping from the Statue of Liberty, the night they stole a mummy from the museum, partied with mole people, or even reunited Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel!  Genesis is dead, people.  But that doesn’t stop Barney from tricking Ted ot be locked out of his apartment, forced on a new adventure!

Marshall still wonders about whom Lily was dreaming, when she turns a scandalous vermillion at the sight of Ranjit, their driver for the evening.  Bewildered, Marshall cant help but argue with Lily for “sleep-cheating,” to which an admittedly intrigued Ranjit agrees to pull the car over so Lily can get out.  Meanwhile, Robin finally thinks she might have earned some recognition as Sandy Duncan offers her a helicopter news story, but before she can explain herself to the pilot, he explains that the one thing he’s learned is “flarm,” not a secret bit of wisdom, but rather a sign that he’s having a stroke mid-flight!

Meanwhile, while Lily seeks consolation from Quinn, and Marshall accepts the wise words of Ranjit explaining that pregnant women are crazy, leaving little room for a father to ever be crazy, Barney and Ted bicker over an arbitrary measurement of the points they’ve racked up for achievement in their lives.  As Barney attempts to lord over Ted his having succeeded in winning a girl’s phone number while wearing a dress, all of New York finds itself captivated by Robin’s efforts to safely land the helicopter, which thankfully succeed.  Hell, even the stroking pilot turned out okay!  Of course, the heroic landing lands Robin the fame she desires, including a meeting with the mayor, an appearance on Letterman, a sandwich named in her honor, phone calls from her loved ones (including her father), and finally, recognition from the security guard.

While on one end, Marshall comes to realize that Lily’s sex dreams have all been about great dads, Barney confesses that the doesn’t want to go home night after night for fear of being alone with his thoughts of Quinn stripping for other men.  Ted correctly reasons that Barney is in fact in love with Quinn, as he texts Robin his gratitude for her safety, and finally tries Barney’s game of getting a number whilst wearing a dress.  He finally succeeds, transitioning into the earlier scene from last season’s “The Mermaid Theory,” and even cops to wearing perfume as part of the ensemble.

Then…what?  No ending tag?  Lame!

Well, the writers laid themselves out quite a challenge to explain why Ted appeared in a dress one year from "The Mermaid Theory," and while it wasn't all that relevant to the plot, they've done a perfectly serviceable job.  So now with only a number of episodes remaining until the end of the season, are we finally done with the one-offs, to the point where we finally head toward Barney's mysterious wedding?

Did you get your jollies from “Now We're Even?”  Did Josh Radnor look any more, or less embarrassing in a dress?  What did you think about the episode? Join us in two weeks for an all-new episode recap of ‘How I Met Your Mother’ “Good Crazy” on CBS!