In " Field Trip ," the fifth episode of seventh season, the gang navigates professional disappointments and ethical dilemmas while Barney obsesses over Star Wars lore. Episode Summary The episode follows three main storylines:

: For a brief period at the start of the episode, Ted is seen with a stubble beard , a look that is never revisited in the series.

: Marshall starts his dream job working for environmental lawyer Garrison Cootes (Martin Short). However, he is horrified to find that Cootes is accepting tiny settlements from major polluters. Marshall eventually learns that Cootes has lost hope in the face of overwhelming corporate power, leading Marshall to try and reignite his boss's passion for the environment.

: Barney discovers that Nora has never seen Star Wars and doesn't like Ewoks. This sends him into a spiral, as he believes the "Ewok Line" (your age when you first see Return of the Jedi ) determines whether you find them cute or annoying—and Nora’s dislike suggests she might be older than she says. Notable Details

: Ted tries to inspire his Introduction to Architecture class by taking them to the GNB headquarters building site. The trip quickly falls apart when they aren't allowed past the security gate. To save face, Ted (with Barney’s "help") attempts to improvise, leading to a session where Barney makes the students question if being an architect is even a cool job.