tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65537953351102118122024-03-05T19:33:52.496-08:00Devil's OrchardAvaitorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17190140023125182618noreply@blogger.comBlogger177125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553795335110211812.post-58908935625765031722015-11-10T21:21:00.003-08:002015-11-10T21:21:59.047-08:00How I Met Your Mother Review- "Last Forever"Well, I did it. It took me longer than I expected, and I stopped writing serious reviews about two and a half seasons ago, but I've sat through every episode of what used to be my favorite television series all over again.<br />
<br />
And did I ever mention that I sided with the majority who hated the finale? Because, well, yeah. The show spent an entire season dedicated to Robin and Barney's wedding, and to build them up as this great couple who are going to accept their faults together, only to split them up in what equates to about ten minutes of screen time after the fact. What can I say, that has to take a lot out of the audience.<br />
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And it did. Many were, and still are pissed that the show sidelined all of the character building it had done for Barney and Robin, how Bays, Thomas, and crew attempted to have Barney grow up and to have Robin trust and be happy, for something as banal as Robin spending too much time traveling the world.<br />
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At the same time, though, is that not reasonable? Couples drift apart all the time for reasons such as this, and while it's clear that Robin and Barney do and will always still love each other (just look at their glances to each other during Ted and Tracy's wedding), maybe that just isn't enough. Sometimes love, no matter how strong and passionate, can't be enough. There needs to be some force pushing any two people together to make a relationship work, and Barney and Robin didn't have that force at this point in their lives.<br />
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Just as Robin and Ted didn't have that force in their lives a few years prior. Maybe they really did need a couple of decades apart to make it work. That's what the show wants us to believe, anyway.<br />
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I won't lie, I did not watch the broadcast ending. I don't think that I ever could. Especially with the alternate take being available. After finally seeing the alternate ending for the first time, I think that it's a steady improvement... but if anything, it feels a little short. And some of the things that rubbed myself and many others the wrong way still exist, such as Barney and Robin's divorce, Ted and Tracy's stalled marriage, how Barney went back to gross womanizer to an overbearing father all thanks to the power of dem womenz, the depressing tone, etc.<br />
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It's still there, and in a way, this finale will never work in the way that Bays and Thomas wanted it to. Especially if you watch it as they intended, with the return of that damned blue French horn.<br />
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But in some way, it's hard to not respect their desire to try something so different from convention, and to pull what seems like such a 180 on the show. But then, <i>How I Met Your Mother </i>always had a touch of sadness to it that made it feel a little more real than a lot of other sitcoms. While the message of <i>Friends</i> was that you can handle your transition into adulthood as long as you have a steady support group with you, <i>HIMYM</i> made it clear that while having friends and loved ones to lean on is nice, nothing is permanent.<br />
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But damn, the moment where Ted and Tracy meet is nothing short of magic. Radnor and Milioti have perfected their chemistry by now, and make this scene come out as beautifully as possible. Easily some of Fryman's best framing in the entire series.<br />
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In short, "Last Forever" is ambitious, but fails under its ambitions. And it does knock the season's rating down as a whole, to a <b>B-</b>. At its best, there are some incredible episodes here that bring the whole show together, but enough misguided decisions and subplots to put it in the middle, overall. Still, this is far from the worst last season of any series ever made.<br />
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And now, I think that I'm burned out on <i>How I Met Your Mother</i>. I guess that only means one thing- it's time to watch it in full again.Avaitorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17190140023125182618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553795335110211812.post-39768444934609330272015-11-08T22:46:00.002-08:002015-11-08T22:46:38.302-08:00How I Met Your Mother Review- "Gary Blauman"/"The End of the Aisle"The most important thing about either episodes is Blauman is clearly bi, but Ted is too oblivious to allow the implication to be fact.<br />
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But wow, "Gary Blauman" was a great final script from Kang, and gives welcome conclusions to a lot of the show's recurring players. It's a well-written episode from top, as in Ted and Tracy's first date, to bottom, including Barney's curly fry spiel.<br />
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"The End of the Aisle" isn't as terrific, since the Ted/Robin stuff is beyond tiresome, and Barney's dogpiling on Lily and Marshall gets old, but the last half is a solid way to finally get the two married. And I do hope that they have a happy marriage, but sadly, we're almost done.Avaitorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17190140023125182618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553795335110211812.post-41451257448897248372015-11-03T21:32:00.003-08:002015-11-03T21:32:54.823-08:00How I Met Your Mother Review- "Daisy"The introduction of Robin's mother feels like a waste. Tracy Ullman's British accent usually works, but here, it feels odd and forced, just as her character does. And why would having a gay, black half-brother be a red flag for your boo?<br />
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The rest of the episode is okay, but doesn't hit those high notes that similarly emotional episodes do. Even with the Captain being fun as always. This just feels forced to get to the point of what will happen to Lily and Marshall after the wedding, which is nice, but almost a little cheap.Avaitorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17190140023125182618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553795335110211812.post-47975167586172951982015-11-01T22:27:00.001-08:002015-11-01T22:27:25.517-08:00How I Met Your Mother Review- "Vesuvius"No. No no no no no no no no no no.<br />
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Very good episode, but I hate one particular thing. Sigh.Avaitorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17190140023125182618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553795335110211812.post-20102315528743702572015-10-30T00:50:00.000-07:002015-10-30T00:50:10.900-07:00How I Met Your Mother Review- "Rally"This is a good episode, although not exactly a great one.<br />
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I do want to point out that this isn't the first time Lily and Robin kissed, though- they did back in season 7's "The Broath". Still, that was a funny moment.Avaitorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17190140023125182618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553795335110211812.post-35124897233688549402015-10-28T21:33:00.000-07:002015-10-28T21:33:00.092-07:00How I Met Your Mother Review- "Sunrise"This isn't quite as good as the previous episode, but it's definitely one of the stronger Tracy-less episodes this season. Her material has usually been on point, but when she's gone, the show starts to linger.<br />
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But this episode has good use for the main characters, almost making up for their lack of original screentime in "How Your Mother Met Me". Marshall's ghost fight was a useful way to help him accept his best place to stand for his support of Lily, and ends the fight well. Barney's drunken wingman scheme allowed him to retire his playboy persona once and for all in the best way that he can. And I just hope that Ted and Robin are done for.<br />
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Also, I really appreciate the return appearances. Seeing Stella, Victoria, and Jeanette here seems like a good way to say goodbye to these characters as the show can focus on its end. And Tim Gunn, too!<br />
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Really, the only issue is the floating Robin at the end. Ugh.Avaitorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17190140023125182618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553795335110211812.post-87142429863627480112015-10-28T20:20:00.002-07:002015-10-28T20:20:44.343-07:00How I Met Your Mother Review- "How Your Mother Met Me"The best episode of anything ever.<br />
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Is that hyperbole? Probably. But this is a perfect episode.Avaitorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17190140023125182618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553795335110211812.post-71896552867941551652015-10-25T22:26:00.001-07:002015-10-25T22:26:12.618-07:00How I Met Your Mother Review- "Unpause"Good compromise- Ted only names one of his kids after Anakin's twins, and it's the more "traditional" name, at that. And Penny is a name with meaning as well, considering that a lucky penny is what caused Ted from his first move to Chicago.<br />
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This is a great episode, and I'm glad that Marshall doesn't let Lily get off too easy with his defense. Although he forgot to mention how she nearly ruined their credit history with her debt, which seems like as big, if not a bigger issue, than the time she left.<br />
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But hey, at least we know what Barney does for a living. Please.Avaitorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17190140023125182618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553795335110211812.post-38725205191341710372015-10-23T23:14:00.002-07:002015-10-23T23:14:27.110-07:00How I Met Your Mother Review- "Bass Player Wanted"/"Slapsgiving 3: Slappointment in Slapmarra"In this pair, it looks like we have the best and weakest episodes of the season to date.<br />
<br />
The former is excellent for bringing the gang back together alone. It's nice to have Marshall back with his friends, as well as to see a return of the pause method that he and Lily share. And Tracy is continuing to prove her own, as an addition to the cast and as her own character. Niceness can be a fault, as she does seem to be too passive here, which is hopefully something that she'll fix by the time she meets Ted.<br />
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And then the other... has its moments. Boyz II Men have a great performance, and it's nice to see a slew of Barney's exes cameo, including Nora! But the attempted yellowface is awful, whitewashing an already predictably racist concept. Not to mention that the whole episode feels like a waste, not adding much to the final story.Avaitorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17190140023125182618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553795335110211812.post-41341683105346026162015-10-19T20:27:00.000-07:002015-10-19T20:27:17.820-07:00How I Met Your Mother Review- "The Rehearsal Dinner"This episode was actually the one that really bugged me at first. I couldn't stand Barney's inability to shut up about laser tag, and didn't think that the pay-off was worth it.<br />
<br />
But in hindsight, this is pretty good. Like his proposal, this is a moment where Barney's deceitful side is beneficial. And really, I just miss seeing Marshall be a part of the gang. As brief as his time here is.Avaitorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17190140023125182618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553795335110211812.post-19105175580234419832015-10-17T23:59:00.000-07:002015-10-17T23:59:07.760-07:00How I Met Your Mother Review- "Mom and Dad"/"Bedtime Stories"I can barely rhyme<br />
But I don't feel like writing much this time<br />
These episodes are fine<br />
But not much more on the line<br />
I was bigger on the latter when it was new<br />
Seeing how the season developed, though, fuck rhymingAvaitorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17190140023125182618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553795335110211812.post-37118730464888545292015-10-14T22:48:00.002-07:002015-10-14T22:48:57.496-07:00How I Met Your Mother Review- "Platonish"This episode juggles a lot of things together. Both serious- Ted's conflicted stance on his relationship with Robin, Barney and Tracy's poignant introduction, which leads into Barney's desire to win Robin back. And comedic- Ted and Marshall heckling a Globetrotters game, Barney's crazy schemes, other silly moments. And Bryan Cranston going full out as Druthers.<br />
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But what works- much of it. I'm lazy lolAvaitorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17190140023125182618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553795335110211812.post-19097373285500909642015-10-11T20:59:00.001-07:002015-10-11T20:59:19.827-07:00How I Met Your Mother Review- "The Lighthouse"I remember when I saw the teaser trailer for this episode after the previous one aired, and it promoted the scrambled eggs contest like it was a serious thing. And considering how silly some of the episodes had been recently, I remember being among a fairly big group of fans who weren't too excited for the outcome.<br />
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But then the episode aired, and wow. This is easily the best the season has done since the premiere. The comedic moments mostly work. Robin and Loretta have a great moment at the end, as we get to find out more of what makes Robin tick. And the proposal was beautiful, perfectly scored by Ted's favorite artist.<br />
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This is why I'm still watching. The show that I love is here, and it's not afraid to show itself again.Avaitorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17190140023125182618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553795335110211812.post-56378693593542163052015-10-10T00:36:00.003-07:002015-10-10T00:36:56.320-07:00How I Met Your Mother Review- "No Questions Asked"So far, this season has been an improvement over the previous one, but it's still not A-game.<br />
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Funny stuff, but it's pretty routine. That feels about right.Avaitorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17190140023125182618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553795335110211812.post-86839610275757903102015-10-08T23:57:00.004-07:002015-10-08T23:57:58.811-07:00How I Met Your Mother Review- "Knight Vision"Y'no what, I like this one. It's one wacky event after another, but it works. And killing off the reverend was a surprisingly dark comic moment.<br />
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If you stuck around for this point, you chose... I don't know, wisely I guess.Avaitorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17190140023125182618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553795335110211812.post-26226901595082831222015-10-07T19:54:00.000-07:002015-10-07T19:54:07.187-07:00How I Met Your Mother Review- "The Poker Game"Part of this feels like a rehash of "The Ashtray", but frankly, the flashbacks do help to make it a decent episode. As silly as it may seem, getting the chance for Ted, Lily, and Marshall to iron out this feud connects Marshall to his two closest friends in a way that has been missing in the past few episode. I appreciate it for that, alone.<br />
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And more Frances Conroy is nice, too.Avaitorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17190140023125182618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553795335110211812.post-24397932303609970742015-10-05T20:53:00.003-07:002015-10-05T20:53:45.611-07:00How I Met Your Mother Review- "The Broken Code"Four episodes in, and we hit a weaker episode.<br />
<br />
Well, Ted and Barney's closure feels nice. Since his feelings for Robin still haven't been dropped yet, hopefully this will help to get there, as it's well past time. No one still wants them together at this point.<br />
<br />
I'm less enthused about Robin and Lily's storyline, which is fairly sexist. Internalized misogyny is still misogyny, and it's annoying to see Kuhn play with Robin's inability to connect with other women like a joke. The ending is meant to come out nicer, but it doesn't fit.Avaitorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17190140023125182618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553795335110211812.post-56564303533472265662015-10-02T21:02:00.001-07:002015-10-02T21:02:16.422-07:00How I Met Your Mother Review- "Last Time in New York"I remember the excitement I felt as I, and the great majority of my social circle, caught up with the last season of this series every week. And I remember finding this episode to be a slight disappointment from the stellar premiere eps, mainly due to the lack of Tracy. While having more of her presence would have been nice, this holds up a little better than I remembered, and I like it about as much as "Coming Back".<br />
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If anything, my least favorite part might be Marshall and Daphne's weak attempt for a side plot, but it's slight enough to where I can forgive, or at least ignore it. Vikings jokes usually do work for the show, and this has a couple that are solid, but this feels like a waste of space to give Segel his paycheck for the episode. And Daphne so far hasn't been given a lot to make her stand out, despite Sherri Shepard being game for the show's sensibilities.<br />
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Robin and Barney's material is similarly silly, but not necessarily in a bad way. This is a good way to bring them back together, as they address whether or not they can keep the spark going well after this weekend, an issue that even Lily and Marshall tend to still have. The recurring gag about anal wears thin fast, but their chemistry shines regardless.<br />
<br />
The main course of this episode comes from Ted and Lily, who get the chance to hash out their issues just once more, along with a few <i>Princess Bride</i> references to fill the show's quota. The characters still have it, as their discussion feels real and essential here, just as it should. If Ted really is going to leave New York, then he better hope that he can find some friends who can match the gang, particularly Lily's honesty.Avaitorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17190140023125182618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553795335110211812.post-69939138723383219612015-10-02T00:08:00.003-07:002015-10-02T00:08:54.898-07:00How I Met Your Mother Review- "The Locket"/"Coming Back"I promised to avoid spoilers here... but nobody's reading. And I refuse to go by with calling her the Mother, so I'm going to use her name, Tracy.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But wow, finally seeing Tracy on the screen is magic. Bays and Thomas had a clear vision for the character, which they have thus far brought to life in a wonderful manner, just as Cristin Milioti is perfect at maintaining the show's dialogue and tone.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
These are very good episodes, brought to life by a set of actors that are committed to giving their show the final run-through that it deserves. A couple of questionable lines of dialogue appear, and the family history flashback that Barney shares could have been taken out, but these feel like a welcome return to arms after last season's downswing.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Really though, seeing Ted and Tracy together was just out of this world. Radnor and Milioti have perfect chemistry, even as evident from their one scene. But that's nothing compared to hers and Lily's time together. If I could eat peanut butter, I'd want some Sum Bitches.</div>
Avaitorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17190140023125182618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553795335110211812.post-48441330255138348572015-09-29T21:43:00.003-07:002015-09-29T21:43:44.898-07:00How I Met Your Mother Review- "Something Old"/"Something New"These episodes seem to pose different concepts for Barney and Robin's future. "Something Old" plays with his immature side, keeping him away from Robin when she needs him the most (or so we might think, at least), which suggests that he isn't ready for such a commitment. Yet, their magnetic chemistry is present in "Something New", as diabolical as their scheme is, as the two keep together throughout without losing an ounce of passion, itself showing a potentially happy ending for the two. How this goes down will be shown in the next season, as the wedding is stretched throughout the majority of the season.<div>
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And dammit, am I tired of Ted's past with Robin coming back up.<br /><div>
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Season 8 as a whole is a mixed bag. Things started out to be increasingly less promising, as each of the three short-term relationships initially present only dragged things out for the show, itself getting a little long in the tooth. Lily and Marshall's newfound parenthood also wasn't adding too much positivity to the show, with weak stories plaguing what should be a potentially exciting addition to the show's lore.</div>
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Things do pick up when Ted, Barney, and Robin ditch each of their partners from the beginning, and go through their own arcs this season, but even then, weaker concepts and increasingly tired humor plague the show down a notch. We're past its glory days here, but it's still able to knock one out of the park here or there, with a few absolutely fantastic episodes made. Still, I'll have to give this season a plain <b>C</b>, which is indicative of the decline <i>HIMYM</i> is facing in its twilight years, but also says that it's still watchable even now. I'd still argue that its weakest episodes are never berefit of good moments, which is still true here.</div>
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But wow, is that shot of the Mother at the end of "Something New" incredible. This shows promise for what should be a final victory lap. Will the last season pull that off? Well, we'll see.</div>
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Avaitorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17190140023125182618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553795335110211812.post-14422989385241532112015-09-27T21:00:00.002-07:002015-09-27T21:00:53.842-07:00How I Met Your Mother Review- "The Bro Mitzvah"I am <i>nothing</i> like Ralph Macchio.<br />
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Great episode.Avaitorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17190140023125182618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553795335110211812.post-86283979561603946782015-09-25T22:27:00.003-07:002015-09-25T22:27:39.348-07:00How I Met Your Mother Review- "Romeward Bound"I was going to try to write a full review, but I was watching an episode of <i>The Mary Tyler Moore Show</i> as a night cap, and it's like day and night.<br />
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Well, this episode has some funny and nice moments, but the show has definitely seen better days.Avaitorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17190140023125182618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553795335110211812.post-23209765680182823182015-09-23T19:14:00.001-07:002015-09-23T19:14:18.972-07:00How I Met Your Mother Review- "The Time Travelers"Great, great stuff. Let future me write about it, and then we can do Billy Joel tunes acapella.Avaitorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17190140023125182618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553795335110211812.post-62838027427295028582015-09-21T20:14:00.000-07:002015-09-21T20:14:02.272-07:00How I Met Your Mother Review- "Weekend at Barney's"/"The Fortress"This pair of episodes is selling the idea that Barney probably can't change, at least not without a lot more effort. It's not exactly a happy concept, but one that does show some promise in these otherwise decent episodes.<br />
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I will say that losing Jeannette was not a big deal, since there's only so much that could have been done with the character. Her welcome was wearing well past thin, but it says a lot how she was the one to break up with Ted earlier in the episode for being too dramatic. He really needs a perspective change, which their time together should hopefully allow for.<br />
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Also, it was sad to see the red cowboy boots go, but at least they were set off to an explosive enough finale. And I can't argue with the use of Creedence for the soundtrack.<br />
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Ted's material is a little more thin in the latter episode, which is fine, since it allows for Lily and Marshall to have more screentime than their inferior plot in the previous episode allowed for. "Weekend at Barney's" skipped over Lily's new job, which is explored more here. It seems like a better opportunity for her to shine in the art world, but it's not exactly what either she or Marshall want- long hours for little real experience. Thus, their fight comes off as real, and allows for a reasonable expansion of the story for the two. And a funny parody of<i> Downton Abbey</i>, which never fails to put me to sleep.<br />
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Still, the important arcs of these episodes come from Robin and Barney's attempts to connect. Both of them still appear to love each other and want to make their relationship work, but Barney is still a kid at heart, and not exactly in a good way. Robin's disappointment is fair, but she is also shown to love Barney for what he is as well, given her defense of his apartment. So it's overall a mixed experience.<br />
<br />
Pair it off with matching movie spoofs of equal so-so quality, and that's what you get from these episodes. Some good material, but not the show's best.Avaitorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17190140023125182618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553795335110211812.post-59940084242819883402015-09-20T21:42:00.001-07:002015-09-20T21:42:30.898-07:00How I Met Your Mother Review- "The Ashtray"So the show's 10th anniversary just hit, and if certain events didn't transpire later in its run, there would be more rejoicing about its revelation. Here I am, still going through my rewatch and critique, just trying to soak up what's left of the show's greatness.<br />
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This isn't <i>HIMYM</i> at its absolute best, but it's a pretty strong episode anyway. Lily and Marshall get the bulk of the serious material, as Lily's passion for art is called upon to result in a welcome conclusion for her. This isn't among the show's most emotionally satisfying moments, but her hopes to make it seem genuine.<br />
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Meanwhile, the rest of the gang pick up the comedic slack, and do so well. High Ted, drunk Robin, and Barney as usual all make for good moments abound. And the Captain! Great to have him back.Avaitorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17190140023125182618noreply@blogger.com0