Directed by Pam Fryman
Written by Chris Miller
One Paragraph Synopsis: Lily has Thanksgiving in St. Cloud, Minnesota with Marshall's family, as the notion of the couple moving to St. Cloud after getting married scares Lily. Although not as much as her potential pregnancy... Back in New York, Ted and Robin go out to volunteer at a soup kitchen this year, and are surprised to find Barney being the place's star volunteer. They become even more surprised when the three of them get kicked out, and end up spending their Thanksgiving at a strip club instead.
Practically every fairly long-running American sitcom worth their weight in, idk, the metric system (?) has at least one memorable Thanksgiving episode of their own. Even if the show's Christmas, Halloween, Valentine's Day or what have you episodes outshine them, you're bound to find a fan favorite Thanksgiving episode in your average comedy. Friends is probably the most famous example of them, with a Thanksgiving episode every season (I believe- I'm actually not a Friends fan, so don't bother quizzing me here), but HIMYM has a few notable ones itself. This is a good example of such.
But really, this is an episode full of firsts! For starters, this episode gives us a brief idea of what Ted does for a living. Key word, brief- he tells Robin that he's working on a new wing for someone, which quickly hints that he's an architect. It isn't much, but I do find it surprising that we're only now discovering what the series' main character profession is.
Also undeniably important is the discovery of Robin's national origin- she's Canadian! This is a great running gag that lasts until the very end of the show, and thankfully Cobie Smulders is game to allow herself some fun. Hers and Ted's opening argument has some of the liveliest conversation the series has had to date, which is a big plus that helps to make this one of the strongest episodes thus far.
But the first that makes up the bulk of the episode comes from the introduction of the Eriksen clan, the first time we've seen any of the main characters family members. While I don't recall seeing Marshall's sisters-in-law again in the show, we'll see a good deal of his immediate family in the coming years, his parents especially leaving a mark. Marshall's brothers and their wives don't leave much of an impact this time, but dad Marvin has a few decent lines, as mom Judy is delightfully small town in her material.
There's even a hint of her not-so-subtle disapproval of Lily sprinkled in, which, despite being a cliche, does bring a solid angle to her character. Judy is overprotective of the family's runt, and wants to be sure that he lives the happy life he deserves. Ultimately, Judy admires Lily on some level, since her devotion to Marshall is beyond apparent, but there will always be some resent of Lily not fitting in with the Eriksen's small town morals. Lily herself seems to understand this, and I'd argue that she seems conflicted. On the one hand, Judy is clearly an important part of Marshall's life, so Lily does want to be on good terms with her, yet at the same time, Lily knows that she doesn't need her soon to be mother-in-laws approval, and doesn't ask for it. This is a great balance that helps maintain an edge to this episode.
Lily's upbringing is an important facet to the story, as Marshall's family just doesn't relate to it. By now, it has been referenced that Lily was actually raised in New York, clearly contrasting from Marshall's small town roots. Practically everything that Marshall has seen in Manhattan since he and Ted decided to move to there for Marshall's law school and Ted's work at his architecture firm, Lily has known for her whole life. Lily is aware of the crime, pollution, and noise.
Somehow, Marshall hasn't been infected by the city and is still his sweet self even now, proving that they should be just fine without having to locate to St. Cloud. The exact reason why Lily and Marshall love each other isn't entirely clear, but it seems obvious that Marshall's hospitality is a big part of why she admires him so. This is why I wouldn't be afraid of Marshall settling in the city. Being mugged, though, is another story, and that may or may not come back...
Before I get to the rest of the episode, I want to delve into Marshall and Lily's relationship a little. What has always fascinated me about the two is that they don't seem to share that many interests. Both like a decent amount of the same 90's music, but that's relative to their timeframe. Marshall's fascinated by the paranormal, which Lily tolerates more than anything. Lily is artistic by nature, as Marshall is more of a pure logical mindset. Marshall could probably think of a third thing, while Lily would slide her underwear out of her skirt by now.
What passion do they honestly share with each other? Well, both like sex. A lot. They definitely seem to connect sexually, but I think that's because the two of them just click. Sometimes, that's all you really need to keep a relationship going, some kind of spark, and they clearly have one. Even from the very beginning, I could tell that Jason Segel and Alyson Hannigan had fantastic chemistry with each other, and as both become increasingly comfortable in their roles, their bond similarly tightened. It also helps that the writers are usually good at giving the two characters agreeable dialogue to share, which Hannigan and Segel pull off like magic.
That bit of magic comes right back in during the jail scene, which itself isn't particularly special, but thanks to Segel and Hannigan's performances, I saw a sincere conversation about a couple's future, potentially with child, come to life. Right in Jason Segel's eye came a glimpse of love, which I take with me now as I write this review. The show has done a great job at making me care about the outcome of Lily and Marshall, despite having seen it all years ago. Always thank good writing and performances for this.
I'm also favorable towards Ted, Robin, and Barney's story. It's fascinating to see there be "too much" good will spirit on Thanksgiving, which is actually something that never occurred to me before this episode. There must be a huge supply of more fortunate people who go to soup kitchens to help the less during this festive day, but the other 364? Not so much. Ted and Robin's intentions are good, but I can see why the organizer felt swamped when they arrived.
The rest of their story is pretty funny, even if it is shit that the three of them get kicked out for ratting on the volunteers stealing the kitchen's food. Thankfully it ends better for them, complete with a lovely buffet at the strip club and Ted doing his good deed of the night by paying for a homeless man's lap dance. It's just fun to see unravel from beginning to end. And even though I've been trying to avoid turning these reviews into highlight reels, I'd be remiss if I don't mention that Ted's delivery of "But you're Satan" to Barney after his reveal always cracks me up in a big way.
Truthfully, I'm happy to see the characters manage material that isn't the same old thing we've seen them tackle before. Ted drops his romantic self to bring some good to the world, which a welcome change in my book. I also enjoy seeing Robin play wingman to Ted, another surprising, but likable, move as she's truthfully a little underused in comparison. Even Barney cuts back on his womanizing ways in hopes to finish his community service, but still has decent gags abound. But really, who pisses on a church?
The rapid fire editing is still here, and thankfully never makes us stay at one scene for too long in favor of another. The transitions work well enough to keep the pacing in check, rather than leaving too much or too little leeway into a sequence. This makes for a well-paced, strong entry into the show. The best thing is, there are yet better stories to come!
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