Gary Blauman

"Gary Blauman" is the 21st episode of the ninth season of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, and the 205th episode overall. It follows future Ted mosby as he explains to The Mother why going somewhere without a reservation is not easy, through the story of Gary Blauman as they ditch the restaurant they wanted to go to earlier and choose to go a place where they do not really need reservation.

Plot
Ted and the Mother are going out to dinner on their first date at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, three days after Barney and Robin's wedding. When they decide not to go to the restaurant they originally chose, the Mother says they should just find a restaurant where they do not need a reservation. Ted tells her that going somewhere without a reservation is not easy, through the story of Gary Blauman.

In the present, Blauman shows up a couple hours before the wedding begins and congratulates Robin. Robin pretends to be happy, but panics when she realizes she did not plan a seat for him. Marshall calms her down, saying he will take care of it as he is very good with wedding seating. However, Marshall realizes it will be difficult to change the seating plan and recruits Ted's help to avoid creating further issues. Ted refuses, because he has hated Blauman ever since they competed for a girl once at a party. Lily comes in, saying she is grateful to Blauman after he stopped her from getting a huge tattoo on her back following her and Marshall's breakup.

The Mother stops Ted momentarily after spotting her ex-boyfriend in the distance. She tells Ted she recently had a bad breakup and is not ready to date, but wants him to finish his story. In the present, the three go to Barney for the tie-breaking vote. Barney does not want him there either, as Blauman once stole four of Barney's fries at MacLaren's, including the accidental curly. Billy Zabka and James come in; Zabka wants him there, because Blauman appreciates his poetry, but James does not, as his affair with Blauman caused him to divorce his husband, Tom. Upon hearing this, Ted changes his mind, realizing Blauman was gay and actually competing with the girl for Ted's attention rather than competing with Ted for the girl’s attention. Marshall ultimately makes the tie-breaking vote: Blauman stays because Robin wants him to, as she is the bride and has final say over any decision. Barney then admits he already told Blauman to leave, forcing the gang to go after him.

The Mother cuts off the story again when they reach her building. After exchanging goodbyes, Ted walks away as Future Ted says he did not make the mistake he made eight years earlier during his first date with Robin, when he prematurely said he loved her. Much to Ted's relief, the Mother calls him back and asks him to finish the story.

In the present, the gang finds Blauman as he is about to drive away, leading Ted to realize he must hold on to the people that matter most to him, as they could instantly disappear from his life. Future Ted then reveals the fates of many acquaintances he and his friends had met in his stories:


 * Carl continues to run MacLaren's, with the bar becoming a family business after he has a son.
 * Jeanette is arrested for her obsessive behavior and ends up with her therapist, Robin's ex-boyfriend Kevin. The two now live in Poughkeepsie.
 * Ranjit ends up getting rich off the stock market, and buys the limo company where he has worked for years.
 * Patrice gets her own drive-time radio show, and regularly listens to and offers advice to her listeners, one of whom is Robin.
 * Billy Zabka is honored with the American Humanities Medal for Literature for his poetry, becoming the youngest winner of the award.
 * Zoey continues her environmentalism, supporting many causes (some questionable, as shown when she is attacked by a hawk she is trying to save).
 * Scooter marries Jasmine the stripper, obviously due to her resemblance to Lily.
 * Blitz fights and beats a gambling addiction following a three-day bender at a slot machine, which paid off immediately after he left it.
 * Ted remains uncertain as to what happened to Blah Blah, but does manage to remember that her name is Carol.
 * Sandy Rivers' inappropriate behavior destroys his career in the U.S., but he soon finds work anchoring a Russian news program and never changes.
 * James convinces Tom to take him back, and the two enjoy a very happy life together with their son and daughter.

The narration concludes with the return of Blauman, saying he does not want to miss the wedding. After finishing his story, Ted and the Mother have their first kiss, and decide to walk around the city some more.

Critical reception
Donna Bowman of The A.V. Club graded the episode an A.

Max Nicholson of IGN gave the episode 8.7/10, saying that it "delivered a sharp and enjoyable storyline that felt like a snapshot of the show's former glory."