How I Met Your Mother (season 3)

The third season of the American television comedy series How I Met Your Mother premiered on September 24, 2007 and concluded on May 19, 2008. It consisted of 20 episodes, each running approximately 22 minutes in length. CBS broadcast the third season on Monday nights at 8:00 pm in the United States until December 10, 2007 when the season was interrupted by the writer's strike, when the season continued on March 17, 2008 it was moved back to 8:30pm. The complete third season was released on Region 1 DVD on October 7, 2008. In the United Kingdom it aired via E4 from October 30, 2009 weekdays at 7:30pm.

Plot

Ted's kids realise that the events that lead up to the meeting of their mother is a long story, and so decide to be quiet until Ted himself can actually recount the day he met her. Throughout the season, Ted reveals details about her that he learned even before he met her.

Barney begins the season with the word, "-dary!" Robin returns from a trip to Argentina with her new boyfriend, Gael (Enrique Iglesias), and Ted must adjust to life as just her friend, while watching Robin and Gael fawning over each other. Marshall and Lily decide to move out on their own, falling in love with a place they can't afford. Robin learns of Lily's bad credit rating due to her compulsive shopping for designer brands, and forces Lily to tell Marshall. Despite this, they are able to finally secure their dream apartment, only to discover it's in a bad location and more poorly constructed than they thought (the floor is tilted). Barney is slapped for the third time on Thanksgiving, which Marshall dubs "Slapsgiving."

Ted tells his children that he met their mother through a story with her yellow umbrella. He finds the umbrella at a club and takes home after attending a St. Patrick's Day party (which Barney had forced him to go to) where his future wife was, although they did not meet. Ted attempts to woo Stella (Sarah Chalke), a dermatologist he sees to remove an embarrassing tattoo on his lower back. Stella warns Ted she will say no if he asks her out on a date. However, after ten sessions with her, he turns the "no" into a "yes". This culminates in a memorable "two-minute date," which incorporates small talk, dinner, a movie, coffee, two (really short) cab rides, and a goodnight kiss, all within two minutes. Robin sleeps with Barney after he comforts her following a break-up, which is followed by Ted's disapproval and decision to stop being friends with Barney. Meanwhile, an unknown woman begins to sabotage Barney's attempts to hook up. His saboteur is revealed to be Abby (Britney Spears), Stella's receptionist, with a vendetta against him for not calling her after they had sex.

In the season finale, after Ted and Barney get into separate car accidents and end up in the hospital, they renew their friendship. It is revealed that Barney has true feelings for Robin, while Ted proposes to Stella.

Cast

Episodes