"The Window" begins with Ted getting a phone call from an old woman saying that the window is open. The window involves a certain girl named Maggie, Ted's college friend who just had just broken up with her long-time boyfriend. Having waited years for the girl of his dreams, Ted wastes no time in asking her out.

Unfortunately, Ted can't hang out with her because has to teach architecture so he enlists the help of Marshall and Lily to keep her single. But keeping Maggie single proves to be a difficult task since she's practically a guy magnet. It also doesn't help that Marshall and Lily have to deal with Marshall's depression over a letter his younger self wrote containing a list of goals he wish to achieve by the time he's 30. And now, Robin's in charge of keeping Maggie off the market.

Robin does a pretty decent job of warding off Ted's competitors until Maggie's friend Jim arrives. He's obviously attracted to Maggie, leaving Robin with no choice but to seduce Jim. It doesn't work though because no amount of wine on Robin's breasts will take Jim's mind off of Maggie.

Barney, on the other hand, has challenged himself to get laid while wearing Marshall's old overalls, and takes advantage of the fact that Maggie likes his farmer getup. This time, though, Barney doesn't get the hot girl. He loses and so does Ted and Jim. It turns out Maggie has bumped into her childhood sweetheart and, according to Future Ted, is now happily married to him.  

Though almost everyone failed in "The Window" How I Met Your Mother shed light on an important point: Seeing Maggie happily married to the man of her dreams made Ted realize how much he wants to have the same thing in the future. It also made Ted realize that he's now ready to find true love again.  


(Image courtesy of CBS)