Directed by Pam Fryman
Written by Greg Malins
One Paragraph Synopsis: When Ted hits it off with a girl at the bar, he decides to call her almost immediately after getting her number. Barney and Marshall, however, are adamant about him not breaking the cardinal rule, where you should wait three days in hope of not rushing in. Eventually they get Ted to reluctantly agree to not call the girl... but he didn't say anything about texting. So he and Holli hit it off. Too well, until she sends a text that was not meant for him. Robin soon finds out that in actuality, Marshall and Barney swapped out Holli's number with Barney's work cell, and they've been messing with him the whole time. Robin cracks the information over to Ted, who then takes it upon himself to have his vengeance on them, as well as meet up with Holli to rectify their damage. Even though it turns out that she wasn't exactly the one...
Is the three days rule really that important? Well, you really do need some time before going on such a venture, just like this episode needed some time spread before hitting some of its key points.
While the lack of a subplot helps to keep the episode afloat, the pacing is still off after a tight first act. I feel that the reveal of Barney and Marshall's scheme could have been saved for a little, just as Robin's confession to Ted was also a little premature. Not for too long, mind you, as stalling can get tedious, but they almost cut right to everything in the grand scheme of things, making the revelations not as natural as they should be.
As a result, the ending is almost disjointed in how everything is spread across. Not that the resolution itself is bad, because it all makes sense, but the way to there is rushed and not given enough time to get its point across. Ted's gay dream scheme had a good thing going, but again, deserved some more attention as a way to break Marshall and Barney apart. Marshall's cuddly argument is among the episode's many highlights, but there was more gold to dig from this scenario, sadly cut too soon.
This is the only real problem that I have with the episode, which is otherwise a laugh riot from start to finish. Each act contains a new brilliant gag to help compliment the last, as it also gives into the need to balance out the chemistry between certain characters.
But first, I do want to mention Stan. Kevin Michael Richardson is a man with a gifted vocal complexion, who fits his tone to how it needs to mend, which he wisely uses as a smooth operator with a tender heart and a passionate appetite. His time with the guys is brief, but undeniably important. Articulate and poignant, but with enough sincerity to keep the lust alive. Stan was the man.
He added a good deal to Marshall and Barney's time together, but the two really have seen their friendship blossom considerably this season. Working together seems to help this a lot, as Ted is almost an afterthought in comparison to how Marshall and Barney easily connect to their devious plot. As the series does tend to get close to becoming Ted and his friends relating to Ted's issues, it's refreshing to see how his two best friends interact without him. Even as they almost destroy each other in the process, due to a good call on Ted.
Ted and Robin, meanwhile, have some fun themselves. Even before they team up, and Robin shows her continued inability to get with the picture as she stands by her ideal prank after Ted comes up with better ideas, sold in a dorky fashion by Smulders, Malins writes some solid interplay between them. Robin's reminder of Ted's naked lady laugh is a cute little treat, for example, especially when she gives him an example. There are other moments allowing the two to interact as more than just an old couple, but as friends that are out of the loop.
And as you can tell by the end, whether Barney and Marshall were right about the three days rule or their method, Ted dodged a bullet with Holli. Yikes. But I don't agree with the concept that women whose names end in the letter "i" that are meant to end in "y" have an agenda or anything. That's an old joke.
Albeit a rare joke that doesn't work here, as "The Three Days Rule" is just great throughout. Even with some pacing issues, the sheer amount of jokes and bonding is enough to push it over the edge.
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