How I Met Your Mother 'Slapsgiving 3: Slappointment in Slapmarra' Review: Marshall destroys Barney's face, but was it worth the wait?

How I Met Your Mother returned from its winter hiatus with a new Season 9 episode entitled "Slapgiving 3: Slappointment in Slapmarra." I'll keep this review brief, because there's honestly not too much to say about this latest offering in HIMYM's final season.

"Slapgiving 3" encapsulated Season 9 in a nutshell. It featured broad, hokey, slapstick (no pun intended) comedy that induced more eye rolls than laughs. The entire premise of the episode was goofy, as Marshall put the fear of God in Barney when he recounted the fake story of how he went to Shanghai and learned The Slap of a Million Exploding Suns from three Chinese masters, aka Robin, Lily and Ted. So it made sense in the context of the episode that there would be trees that slapped Marshall in the face, hearts literally popping out of Ted's chest and Marshall's hand glowing with the heat of Barney's numerous exes.

But in the midst of all the over-the-top comedy was the HIMYM of old, buried under elaborate fantasy sequences and fake jukeboxes. Barney's disbelief and then resignation with regard to Marshall's story was classic HIMYM, as was the gang's confirmation-in-unison of the details of Marshall's tale. And the gang was well and truly back together this week, both in the extended flashback and at the Farhampton Inn. Marshall's return from his road trip put all the pieces in place, which is a welcome turn of events for the second half of the final season.

It's become almost cliché to criticize a HIMYM Season 9 episode for not featuring The Mother, which is why I'm so torn on "Slapsgiving 3." On the one hand, it had some elements of what makes the show great, including a running gag and that old familiar banter among the main five players. But on the other hand, can we just get on with it already? I know the show is not called How I Met, Fell in Love With and Married Your Mother, but the amount of filler episodes is getting to be a bit much. As usual, I'll reserve judgment until the final season plays out completely, but things are looking a bit bleak.

Notes and Quotes

-       "Don't think of it as a slap. Think of it as a high five for your stupid face."

-       The appearance of Barney's exes was a hit parade (see what I did there?). Katie Walder! Stacy Keibler! Eva Amurri!

-       Cleveland is the city equivalent of being slapped in the face.

-       When will Marshall use the last slap? I'm betting series finale.

-       Any thoughts on the final scene that offered yet another rendition of "You Just Got Slapped"?

What did you think of tonight's episode? Let us know in the comments below.