I've been feeling really stressed out and unmotivated lately, but I miss writing about the show and want to make up for lost time. So I'm going to try something a little different, and take a few episodes together and write about each briefly to get them out of the way. I won't even bother properly formatting them.
Besides, this episode starts off the arc of Kevin, who is played well by Kal Penn, the stronger half of the Harold & Kumar flicks. He doesn't have as strong of a hold on the show's atmosphere or his character as the rest of the cast, but he does well with his material.
Things start off strong for Kevin in "The Stinson Missile Crisis", where he plays audience surrogate as present-day Robin replaces future Ted. It's a funny concept, as Smulders pulls off Kourtney Kang's script well to make her expressive details about Marshall and Lily's spat as tedious as it is to the audience.
Because in truth, this part of the episode isn't all that great. It's great to see Vicki Lewis have fun as Dr. Sonya, but I've seen similar spats between the two before, and I knew right where it was going. Adding Ted in was a little more surprising, but his main addition to the story was some unfunny bonding between himself and Marshall in the third act that only pointlessly bring up gender roles. There were worse ways the story could have gone, but it doesn't feel very fresh as a whole. Marshall's recurring lack of knowledge in regards to the vaginal area aside.
I do think that Robin's story to Kevin offers a little more, but it doesn't show Robin in the best light. Considering her more common characterization as a strong independent woman, seeing her as a jealous ex seems like a step backwards, especially as she was the one to help Barney hook up with Nora. For too long this runs in that direction, but I do at least applaud Ted's speech to Robin near the end, which explains her actions to require court-mandated therapy, and show that Robin is able to help herself at least a little.
"Field Trip" further helps Robin get over her lingering feelings for Barney, by allowing her to become involved with Kevin. All signs point this to being a mistake, but maybe it's what she needs right now. Kevin has already proven himself to be the right balance between intelligent and cool that she needs right now, so I'm able to give them applause.
Ted's titular field trip is a funny bit, and it shows where he is right now. His need for validation from at least one of his students is indicative that Ted needs to feel important, going back to his bragging in "The Best Man". While it seems like everyone else in their life is finding their happiness all at once, he's only slowly getting there. Maybe by the time the new GNB building is up, he'll cool down a little. And Barney's bits during the field trip are hilarious, even as his subplot about Nora's age isn't as cute as expected.
This is the only episode here that explores Marshall's new job, which shows promise thanks to Martin Short's generally charming self. But the actual job doesn't show promise until the end, itself indicating that Marshall is the only one who can find himself the validation that he needs. This is a struggle that he shares with Ted, but Ted looks in the wrong place for his validation, as opposed to Marshall's ability to win Cootes over to do some good. That's all the difference that you need.
"Mystery vs. History" is a little too problematic for me, with the transphobic mens room joke and Ted's blind devotion to Woody Allen. But I appreciate Kevin's bitter analysis of the gang, which was built up for the right amount of time, and allows for some great gags from everyone.
The episode does bring up a good point about technology messing with certain aspects of life, however. Robin's delivery in the cold open is a little too broad for me, but it does come to a valid point that it's really best to stay away from your phone and get to know who you're talking to. Ted has to learn this the hard way as he scares away a fantastic, gorgeous woman, but it's a good lesson that he'll hold on to for sure, even if Barney and Robin don't. Also, their delivery of "I gots to know" gets old fast.
And James doesn't stick around for too long in "Noretta". Wayne Brady is just too charismatic as Barney's brother to only have a cold open appearance.
The episode leads up to an interesting phenomenon of how it's easy to fall for someone who is very similar to your parent. Sometimes too much so, but it lends into some funny material, especially with Marshall and Lily's subplot. Moreso than Barney and Nora at least, which does also have its moments, but is a little too twist heavy to really land.
At least Ted's bits with Robin and Kevin help them find some kind of ground, as it's shown that Ted is surprisingly cool with the two dating. Ted is still feeling left out, being the only single one of the group, which Kevin picks up on as he does the ultimate sacrifice- goes to see Weird Al with Ted, just to make him feel a little less lonely. I don't appreciate the shade against Weird Al, but I do appreciate his cameo at the end, though.
There, four episodes in one review. None of these are the show at its best, but these all have enough merit to stick around for. Now let's just see how, or if, Nora and Kevin continue to interact with the gang,
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