Directed by Pam Fryman
Written by Chris Harris
One Paragraph Synopsis: Marshall's old Fiero, a family heirloom he's had since he was 16, dies just before it hits 200K miles. As he and the gang sit in the waiting room of the mechanics who try their best to work on it, they share their memories of the car, covering a wide range of their exploits.
Personal story time! This year, I had to retire my 2000 Ford Ranger, after giving me a good 5 years of service, and about 8 before for my grandfather. It wasn't the best truck out there, and it was showing its age by the end of its life, but I felt sad that it was time to let go of it. But I didn't feel bad for too long, since I was able to pick up a '94 Honda Accord, which actually drives and looks younger than my old truck, and has a fraction of the gas. Sure, I had to replace the stereo (personal peeve, but I just couldn't deal with such an outdated one. There wasn't even a CD player!), but so far, I'm loving it.
I think of this as I watch the episode again, and see how Marshall must have felt an even bigger range of grief than I did. I was happy with my truck, but despite its own issues (including music-related woes, but I'll get to those), Marshall loved his Fiero. It was there since the moment he got his license, when he and Ted were becoming best friends, as his and Lily's relationship blossomed, and while New York, Barney, and Robin were becoming a part of his life. The Fiero is more than just a mode of transportation to Marshall- it was as much of a part of the ride as the road itself was.
Each of the stories here work marvelously to define the varied atmosphere the car was responsible for. Not every event was a nice one, but they were all fun for the audience, which is what matters.
The thing about Marshall's Fiero is that it works as a metaphor for growth. He first got the car while hitting a particular right of passage in western culture- the legal ability to drive a car. This symbolizes that Marshall is getting closer to adulthood, and as such doesn't have to rely on his family to get to his destinations anymore. Now he can be in charge of his own direction, and even has the equipment to prove it.
His brother's hazing is a simple, but hilariously effective, method, indicating that while Marshall is aging, they're still his older brothers and they have first dibs to mess with him. Hazing for the most part isn't often pleasant, but in certain instances is done out of love. If anyone should mess with a given person, why not their loved ones? This is a method that the core five practice on each other daily.
Marshall and Ted's trip is arguably the most important flashback of the episode, as it sets up where the life of the three Wesleyan students' lives will be in the next 10 years. Marshall realizes that Lily is more than just a college fling when his life is on the line, while his friendship with Ted grows here, as they bond together over The Proclaimers and cuddling.
It even is hinted that the two grow to appreciate each others' eccentricities here, as Marshall finds the fact that Ted's spectacles are decorative to be humorous, while Ted... somewhat seems to understand Marshall's firm stance not allowing food or drinks in the car. I can see both of their sides in this stance, honestly. But as a further look into their college days, I think that this is a great montage of sorts. It's always fun to see Ted at his most pretentious, and Radnor certainly delivers here. Even when the dialogue doesn't call for Ted to offer unnecessary insight, he finds a touch of extra whining to make Ted sound deliciously obnoxious. Segel is rightfully game, as he plays the straight man instead of the other way around, with no noticeable strain on his performance. I wouldn't so much as call college Marshall cool, but he makes Ted seem like Urkel.
Lily and Robin take time away from Marshall to focus on how they built their friendship, which results in them bonding over cleaning up Thai food, smoking Marshall's Chinese cigars, and end up breaking its windows. This is traditional sitcom material that would usually be saved for a B plot, but is sped up to around 2 minutes of footage, cutting out much of the potential fat. While that would have been fun, this sequence cuts back on pratfalls and even bigger messes to stick to a brilliant Pulp Fiction tribute, while allowing for these fantastic actors share their increasingly tight chemistry for more fun, which works just as well in my book.
Barney, meanwhile, has a negative experience in the Fiero, as Ted unsuccessfully tries to teach him how to drive here. While he does eventually learn (Barney did mention that he has a BMW last season, and he will be shown driving very soon in the show. Even the creators have admitted that this isn't a continuity error), Barney is clearly reminiscent of a nervous teenager with a permit in his time with Ted, going unbearably slow and losing control fast as he screams. No one really gets driving right on the first try, but Barney seemed to bomb pretty hard here.
It is so fun to see Barney bomb, though. There's a theme of sorts to this review, that the acting on the show really has become something special. The five actors really have nailed their characters by now, and they get basically every beat down perfectly. Neil Patrick Harris especially is doing something magical with Barney, which is present throughout the entire episode. My favorite pre-flashback bit has always been Barney's theatrical reveal of his hatred for the car. Not only does NPH bring his training from theater over, but his little take before nailing the line almost as if he's the Phantom himself is a perfect addition, rightfully silly and in tune to the character.
But NPH adds in so many little Barney quirks into the flashback. His stammer as he tries to save face from Ted becomes a little more overstated and noticeable each time, which is the right note to play in a scenario like his. Then all of Barney's material behind the wheel is equally excellent. Even Barney's heavy breathing is enough to ignite a laugh, but his and Ted's combined screaming is an eternal classic that adds to the fun atmosphere that's meant to clash with Barney's delivery of the story. Such great material.
Between all the fun is a story of loss, but one that rises to eventful gain. While Marshall is getting closer to graduating law school, he is all but about to close a chapter in his life, of his youth. Soon, he won't have the massive walls of college to hide the real world from him, and eventually he'll be able to get a better job than the one he has at Barney's firm. The Fiero is one of Marshall's few remaining ties to his youth, but with it gone, it's time to say goodbye to his past and hello to the future.
But it's not like this is going to be a Hunger Games-like future. He has Lily and his friends to look forward to, as well as potentially some children and an important job as an environmental lawyer to see become a reality. The Fiero may be no more, but Marshall and Lily will have another, likely better car to look forward to in the near future, one that will take them wherever their trip needs them to go.
And if he ever feels nostalgic, Marshall has his old tape. God, I love The Proclaimers, and it's a perfectly specific choice to go with their biggest hit as the one song that plays on a loop in his car. It really does grow on you, but thankfully, it didn't take that long for the show to grow on me.
"Arrivederci, Fiero", is as close to a perfectly paced episode as you can get. Each little scene has plenty of great pieces to it to add to a fantastic puzzle. And while there are deeper episodes, it's a great choice to try to get someone into the show. And to get a classic song stuck in a friend's head for a while.
But to be fair, the tranny line is stupid. I'd argue that it's too stupid to be offensive. But the episode is still top quality if you can look past it.
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