Barney and Robin (Cobie Smulders) come upon the scene after making up. Robin had discovered that Barney never really destroyed The Playbook, meaning that their entire engagement has been built on a lie, since his burning of The Playbook had been one of the key moments in convincing Robin that Barney was a changed man. In the best moment of the entire episode, Barney launches into a tirade, explaining that their entire relationship is based on lies. In a strange choice for the scene that totally works, Barney gives this speech while doing magic tricks, to illustrate the point that, as a magician, lying is his stock in trade – yet he isn’t lying about his love for Robin. As Barney and Robin come upon the scene, Jeanette threatens to destroy The Playbook with fireworks. When Ted pleads with her not to, for Barney’s sake, Barney tells her it’s okay, insisting that she blow the thing up. Barney gets to come full-circle for a second time, and it’s the best arc of the episode for that reason, even if it comes across as a bit of a retread. For as much as Ted has final hurdles to overcome on his journey to The Mother, Barney has hurdles to overcome on his path to the altar. His progress as a man has been one of the most rewarding elements of the series, for me.