How I Met Your Mother Review- "The Scorpion and the Toad"

The Scorpion and the Toad (2x02)

Directed by Pam Fryman

Written by Chris Harris

One Paragraph Synopsis: Barney shows Marshall how to live, becoming his wingman, and while Marshall is enjoying the chance to try out the single life, Barney consistently failing at it. At the same time, Lily comes back into Robin and Ted's life, as she has them help her find an apartment. As they learn though, Lily's experience in San Francisco wasn't that hot, and she still misses Marshall. However, they don't end up back together at the end, by Marshall's decision.

Hey, I'll just say it right now for first timers- keep a note of that penny. It'll be a big factor over the course of the show.

But you know, I wasn't planning to write a review tonight. My schedule was too tight in the morning for me to allow myself to sleep in late after the requisite couple of hours I need for my writing, but after a not-so-great day and an unfortunate rescheduling of events, this won't be much of a problem for me now. HIMYM often used to make me feel better on a bad day, so I wanted to see if that's still the case.

Well, it didn't hurt. Thankfully both stories are strong enough, even if "The Scorpion and the Toad" isn't A-level on the whole. So let's get to it.

After,brief flashes aside, sitting out the premiere, Lily is back front and center to explain her half of the story. While it is nice to see her again, I don't think it was a big disservice to the premiere that she wasn't a part of it, since Bays, Thomas, and Fryman made sure that she wasn't forgotten at all. Even besides the bulk of the episode involving Marshall's grief over losing Lily, the camera often left a certain amount of the screen empty, enough to show that something is missing, deliberately done in a way to prove that it's obvious what is. The presence of a character couldn't linger on anymore than it does in "Where Were We?".

But Lily is back to form here, being able to keep a serious face on top of her true emotions. Initially, she can't let Marshall win whatever game they're playing, since this is a quiet act of superiority, whether she admits it or not. Lily knows that she was miserable after her San Francisco experience blew up in her face, but she isn't ready to admit that just yet. Only after a night of drinks and disappointment does she come out with the truth.

So Lily failed to reach her goals. It's a shame, since it really does seem that art is her passion, but passion doesn't always equate talent, which she seemed to quickly learn while being out. This episode only briefly lingers on the notion of Lily not being as great of a painter as she hopes to be, but it's a crushing idea that brings the show into an unfortunate, but truthful state of being, that sometimes you're just not meant to achieve your dreams. That isn't always fun to see in media, but I think it's nice to bring in this message in between numerous cases of wish fulfillment that fill up the screen.

It's still unpleasant to see Lily return to San Francisco unfulfilled, but it must suck for her even more to feel as heartbroken as she is. Despite her believable anguish that caused their split, Lily feels rotten about her separation from Marshall, which takes a while to come out, even though it consumes her mind.

I spent a lot of my first season reviews chronicling the bond that Lily and Marshall introduced to the screen, so I'd rather not repeat myself here. Instead, it's probably worth coming to the conclusion that while Marshall feels like half of a whole person without Lily, she feels the same, and needed to be back with her Marshmallow. It took a summer of disappointment for her to realize it.

But she might have to learn to deal with it, since Marshall isn't ready to let Lily back into his heart just yet. This is a great sign of strength for Marshall, allowing him the chance to be more than just a doormat. Not to say that he was back when they were still together, but I fully support Marshall's decision here, since he knows better. Good for him, but there's a full season for them to spend time together in.

Ted and Robin fit into Lily's story pretty well, as their view points help to give the plot some weight, as well as define their relationship. Robin tries her best to be neutral, as she's been with Marshall during the summer and has seen him deal with the break-up, yet feels that Lily deserves her day in court and doesn't hold anything against her. Ted, meanwhile, misses Lily, but also feels an obvious devotion to Marshall, and isn't afraid to admit it.

To me, this indicates that Robin is the more relaxed of the two, while Ted is more of the commandeering type. This has shown up sporadically in the two episodes since they've dated, primarily with how Ted chastises Robin for being a gun fan, but it hasn't been thrown in our face just yet. They have their clear dichotomy down, and right now it certainly seems to work, as both appear to be happy on and off the surface.

While Robin and Ted do clash, they ultimately do agree that Lily deserves to see some of her friends again, after a long time away. Neither of them hold back too much, but the characters assume the role of Lily's friends well, allowing them to play as side characters for a change, allowing her confession to take lead of the episode. It's a bold move, but it does pay off, and it's not like Ted or Robin are bereft of solid bits.

Robin's hangover spiel is quite possibly the moment I fell in love with her, actually. Cobie Smulders nails the role so perfectly, which seems effortless at this point on her part. If Robin hadn't fully arrived yet, that little giggle was her red carpet.

Marshall and Barney's story is the lighter of the two, but it allows for some consistently funny moments throughout. I wouldn't say that it's devoid of meat, however, since it works as an attempt for Barney to show compassion to Marshall as he gets over Lily, as well as helps to solidify their bond, giving them material outside of the office and excel in. But it is meant to be the funnier of the two stories, which it lives up to.

The rule of 3 is broken as Barney keeps on taking Marshall's dates, which isn't the last time the show does this, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. True, in many cases, going beyond three takes of the same gag does become tiresome, just as once or twice often isn't enough, but the fourth time Barney steps in over Marshall is a deliberate set-up for great pay-off. Barney's hypocrisy isn't forgotten, but the delivery is perfect for the episode.

Although "The Scorpion and the Toad" ultimately doesn't feel like HIMYM at its very finest, but there's plenty to like about the episode as the second season keeps on rolling. With Lily back, things are going to get interesting for the gang, as the writing maintains its strength. And hey, watching this episode again did make me feel a little better!