How I Met Your Mother: “Ten Sessions” Recap

Posted by Mike

Hey, did you hear? Britney Spears is on this week’s episode of How I Met Your Mother. And, yeah, she’s OK in her limited role — but the real star of the episode is this week’s other guest, Sarah Chalke of Scrubs. Chalke plays Dr. Stella Zinman, a character we first heard about (but didn’t see) in the pre-strike finale “The Platinum Rule.” If you recall, Dr. Stella is the woman who is removing Ted’s butterfly tramp stamp over the course of 10 painful sessions. Ted is instantly smitten with her, and only becomes more so after debating with her which movie is the worst of all time, Plan 9 From Outer Space (her choice) or Manos: The Hands of Fate (his). Since ethics dictate that Dr. Stella can not date a patient, Ted decides that he will simply ask her out after his 10 sessions are over. The only hitch is, Dr. Stella tells him that she will say no. And so begins the difficult process of turning that “no” into a “yes.” No big deal. After all, Ted is not a Top 40 song you instantly like. He’s “Stairway to Heaven” — which we assume means he’s not allowed in guitar stores.

Ted decides that Dr. Stella’s simpleton receptionist Abby — played by guess who — is his way to get in good with the good doctor, so he brings Abby coffee before his next appointment (though something tells us she would have preferred some Taco Bell). The first part of the plan works perfectly, as Abby is soon fawning over Ted, telling him that the things he says are “funny, smart and great.” But Ted still isn’t making any progress with Dr. Stella. In fact, things are going so poorly on that front that even Robin thinks it might be “nail-the-receptionist time.” (Actually, that would have been a few years ago when the receptionist was still hot.)

Not one to give up easily, Ted continues his quest, even going so far as to take tips from Barney, who reveals that Dr. Stella suffers from valliculaphilia — or, in terms that we can actually spell correctly, she is only attracted to men with mustaches. Ted grows a ‘stache, which Abby says makes him look like a younger, handsomer Tom Selleck, but Dr. Stella thinks it’s less distinguished. She laughs in Ted’s face. It turns out, Barney was just messing with Ted (which we kind of figured) – and winning a $10 bet in the process. Nicely played.

Finally, at the end of the 10th session, Ted asks out Dr. Stella. She begins an awkward “you’re a great guy” speech before revealing her real secret — that she’s got an 8-year-old daughter and no time to date. It’s only after Ted leaves that he realizes she didn’t say no technically. He convinces her to let him take her on a two-minute date, where they cram in a surprising amount of first-date activities — including their first kiss. It’s a nice scene, but we’re left to believe that there won’t a second date, at least for a while.

After the last commercial break, we find out that Barney, never one to let an easy score go to waste, is going to take Abby out — but only if they can stop by his place first, at her request, to have sex. There’s certainly no future in this relationship, but at least it’s a safe bet that Barney will be the best-dressed guy who has broken up with Britney. (Sorry, K-Fed.)

Other Highlights: The use of the song “Thirteen” by Big Star at the end of the episode, and Robin thinking that Roger Daltrey was in Led Zeppelin — and dead.

Best Barneyism: “Every little boy wants to grow up to nail the doctor or the lawyer — somebody’s got to nail the receptionist.”

Photo: Monty Brinton/CBS ©2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.