Directed by Pam Fryman
Written by Robia Rashid
One Paragraph Synopsis: Now that she's been spending time with the gang, Zoey and Ted have been bonding a little, to the point that they start having one-on-one time. Lily warns Ted of the implications, with Zoey being a married woman, as Ted agrees and tries to not make their friendship too close. The Captain, on the other hand, seems oblivious to any implication, as he becomes closer to the gang despite having a creepy appearance. Ted is avoiding Zoey becoming a mermaid, and trying to keep her as a manatee, a piece of advice that Barney has installed onto him and Marshall, who in turn tries to keep Robin at a distance in fear of her becoming a mermaid. A night out with the two almost ruins this, as Barney and Lily fight about the theory, or at least will at a later time, as Ted gets his stories crossed.
False Positive (6x12)
Directed by Pam Fryman
Written by Craig Gerard & Matthew Zinman
One Paragraph Synopsis: Marshall and Lily are told that they are expecting, news that excites not only them, but the gang. It helps Robin push herself forward to get a research job at the Worldwide News Network, instead of settling to flip coins for Million Dollar Heads or Tails, hosted by Alex Trebek. Barney also decides to do good, using part of his massive Christmas bonus to give his friends, and others, some of his favorite things, and even deciding to use the rest of it to donate to Sam Gibbs' church. All it takes is a false positive to change their minds, though- Robin decides to skip the "boring" job to become a "coin flip bimbo", while Barney spends most of what he planned to donate on a diamond-crusted suit. Even Lily and Marshall decide to have a dog instead of focusing on having a kid. But Ted, who is also helping Punchy out with his wedding, won't allow any of this.
One of HIMYM's greatest strengths is how it plays with its structure. The show uses a frequently fast pace and relies heavily on cutting back to the past, or occasionally even the future, to help tell unique stories while keeping fresh sitcom writing.
The concept of Ted failing to tell his story as originally portrayed is a great one, even if it only makes for the second or third-most important story in the episode. But it's backed by hilarious circumstances based on his ability to get the facts right, even down to a magic trick of Barney's that seems great, but is actually pretty cruel.
This ends up being even more funny, since Lily and Barney's events do really happen later in the series. Complete with Ted showing up in a green dress. But this plays with the show's concept of time and structure, something it plays with well and often.
It is about time that Ted gets a anecdote so completely wrong, as he's telling his children these a good 20 years into the future, and he only rarely gets fuzz on some details. The joke might have been even better if this was more pertinent to the story at hand, but Barney's Mermaid Theory lessen to Lily is very minor, all things considered. That's why it isn't hard to believe that Ted can't get the story straight.
"False Positive" is more basic for the show- it takes us into the mind of each of the characters after discovering Lily's pregnancy, and comes back when this is proven to be false. But framing an episode on each character is something the series does well, as this is true here.
Both episodes succeed from giving each of the main characters a fairly equal amount of attention, even despite some faults of their own. "False Positive" might be a little more meager in comparison, but to my eyes, it hurts the episode a little more- Coin Flip Bimbo. Seriously?
My problem with "The Mermaid Theory" comes from what might be the main plot, though. I don't really buy, or care about, Ted and Zoey's relationship. At least not right now. The episode does gloss over their conflicting views, to the benefit (or perhaps detriment?) of its sake, but it's hard to forget how Ted and Zoey met.
Ted and Zoey can become friends, and maybe even find mutual ground. But so far, there hasn't been an attempt on either end for them to come to some sort of agreement on the Arcadian. Both of them have fair points- it's a (fictional) landmark! That's shown its age and is increasingly becoming beyond repair- but also keep in mind how Ted ditched his initial plans to keep the facade of the Arcadian after discovering that Zoey is married. And hasn't brought it or any other idea up since.
I hope that if the show continues in the direction of Ted and Zoey dating, that it's smart enough about their issues to make it work while still sticking to their characters. Ted isn't Dr. X anymore, while a big part of why the Captain, and ever-so-slightly Ted, are attracted to Zoey is her crackerjack personality. Remove her edges, and she's not the same.
Ted sings a different tune in the following episode, though. In "False Positive", he seems to be the one who is happy with his place for a change. This is probably because Ted does the most to ensure that he changes, while Robin and Barney have been happy being dormant for a while, just as Lily and Marshall have done so much together that they are able to focus their attention on growth towards conceiving their future child.
And it's in this moment of clarity where gets to shine. Ted proves that he can be a good best man and side planner to Punchy, who needs all the encouragement he can get; shows that he understands Robin well enough that he won't allow her to waste her future on a half-ass game show, and pushes for her to take job in the CNN composite; refuses to stand for Barney's bullshit too much longer, at least in terms of how he spends his money; and won't let Marshall and Lily coast on what they want most, ie a child. And he gets a great moment at the end where he makes sure all of his friends do good and live up to their potential.
Before I go, I'll also give props to Robin and Marshall's story in "The Mermaid Theory". Their friendship pairing isn't the most important element of the show, but is always welcome when explored, since they're both well-meaning people that bond well. And also, if someone as hot as Robin puked on me, I'd probably consider them a manatee for life, too.
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