How I Met Your Mother Review- "Showdown"

Showdown (2x20)

Directed by Pam Fryman

Written by Gloria Calderon Kellet

One Paragraph Synopsis: Days before the wedding, everyone is out to try a new challenge. When the others call out Marshall and Lily for being too codependent, they decide to sleep alone before the big night. At the same time, Lily has lost too much weight to still fit into her wedding dress, so Robin attempts to help her gain weight for it rather than pay $300 to fix the bust, or much more to replace the dress. Ted tries to write a suitable best man speech, but each result fails in Marshall's eyes. But to top it all, Barney is training to score big for his appearance on The Price is Right, both to win gifts for the wedding, but more importantly, to impress his "father"- Bob Barker.

Although Barney's Price is Right stint is among the show's most iconic moments, it isn't all that funny. At least not in comparison to the rest of the episode, anyway, because it is a joy to see Barney dismiss his fellow competitors' bids, and Bob Barker is wonderfully game as he keeps a straight face. There are just moments that are even more fun to get to.

Still, this fits in with a somewhat shared theme of other sitcoms crossing over with actual game shows. Cheers with Jeopardy, Friends with Pyramid, Boy Meets World with... some forgotten 90's MTV show. Even Full House had Vanna White appear in an episode. It's a different way to try to find some humor in a less explored location for the writers and bank in on a recognizable ideology to tinker with as a result (many other comedies have game show episodes, but usually stick to familiar parodies or thought-up mixes to coin a gag. All of these, meanwhile, are the real deal. And yes, there was a Boy Meets World episode where they competed in one of these aforementioned made-up game shows. It had a chance to go in both routes, but at least with different characters and circumstances.). The telling thing about this episode style, however, is that Boy Meets World aside, all of these shows had their game show episodes a bit later in their runs than HIMYM does.

But does that mean this is a lazy concept? If the episode was meant to mostly be about Barney mugging it up on The Price is Right, this could have easily been a fun, if unimportant, endeavor. But I think that each of the connected storylines are just as tight, if not tighter, to make this wacky episode hold up among the best the show has to offer. Even Barney's material is more meaty than I initially gave it credit for.

It's a joke that Barney thinks his father is Bob Barker, clearly, but it addresses one of his core characteristics to the front- as big of a game Barney talks, he never really grew up. The child that blindly believed his mother about Barker being his father and would show him report cards via the TV screen is still alive, in adult form. Between all of the heavy drinking and sexual prowess, he may never truly leave, as Barney is still held by an umbilical cord after years of questionable parenting and an inability to see beyond what's on the surface. It's an interesting character trait, one that certainly helps for Barney to be among the best sitcom characters of them all.

That's not the only interesting character trait explored here. Barney's dedication to his friend is also present, after a strong turn in the previous episode. Each of his gifts went to Lily and Marshall, even the dune buggy. Barney could have easily kept everything for himself, but he knew that this was an opportunity to make his friends happy as their wedding date gets close, which indicates a good heart, which his friends should be blessed that he ultimately has.

But even more interesting is how Barney was able to succeed at remembering each and every item's price range. His immaturity has been present pretty regularly on the show, but there's a little more to Barney's character- he's actually quite smart. Or at least, he is able to maintain information very well. The guy was able to get each item down to the cent, for crying out loud!

It's just a well made game show subplot that works for Barney as a character and the plot with no reservations. But the thing is, every other addition to the episode works just as well, if not even better.

Lily and Robin's time together only proves how strong they are as friends at this point. Robin sees that her best friend has an issue, and does everything in her power to help. Which includes Robin digging at Lily like a pent-up grade school coach, resulting in one of my favorite moments of the episode where Lily cries while eating as Robin screams. Her little piggish squeal on top of the crying is just perfect.

This helps to solidify Robin and Lily's friendship by showing their determination for each other. And their ties make sense, as Robin sees the gang as her closest friends since moving to the New York, with Lily in particular playing the part of a gal pal for her very well. Lily, meanwhile, has welcomed Robin in as some much needed estrogen to the group's manliness, but has grown to find everything there is to Robin's person to be someone she is glad to consider her bud. Both of the women have spent enough time together to find their particular quirks, and make them match together. Lily admires Robin's dedication to reaching her goals, while Robin sees Lily's own passion, and hopes for her to find the same happiness. So it comes as no surprise that they'd be willing to help each other gain weight when needed.

Ted and Marshall's stuff is just joyful, though. Both of Ted's honest stories are hilarious, and seem like things that definitely would have happened. Road head is a mythic thing, something no man would mind getting a ticket for. Granted, the reveal here is pretty obvious, but that's the fun, seeing how they'd get caught. And the Funyuns story? The brilliant thing here is that Marshall did, in fact, love Lily by this point, so his confession was sincere. But it's another great little look into the trio's college life, but it probably isn't as fun as Ted's last failed attempt, a story so lame and obvious that it couldn't help but fail. Besides being a nice callback to the end of "Swarley", this is just delightful to see how Ted fudges up the truth for everyone's sake.

But at the end of the day, the most important best man speech that Ted came up with was the final one. There isn't a better definition of Marshall and Lily's relationship than the picture Ted paints for the reception, with the couple curled up together in secret, helping Lily fit into her wedding dress. You wouldn't have guessed that they split up almost a year ago, since their spark hasn't gone off at all, as evident here.

This is the spark that has helped to keep How I Met Your Mother as exciting of a ride as it is. The love that these five people feel for each other has been enjoyable to watch and write about again and again, as the show continues to surprise even someone who's seen it as many times as I have. "Showdown" is a fantastic episode, and we have two more episodes from this great season to look at first.

Heads-Up: I have a trip coming up on the 9th of December, and a lot of stuff to take care of before then. For various reasons, I think that I'll write about the last two episodes together, rather than in separate entries and start season 3 up after I return from my trip on the 16th. If I have enough time before then, I might also try to redo my review of "The Limo", and I'll post an update on my season 2 finale review if I do, so stick around.

How I Met Your Mother Review- "Bachelor Party"

Bachelor Party (2x19)

Directed by Pam Fryman

Written by Carter Bays & Craig Thomas

One Paragraph Synopsis: With some time before the wedding, Marshall and Lily have their bachelor and bridal shower parties on the same night. While Barney hoped to set up Marshall's party, and even calls over a stripper to Atlantic City, actual best man Ted does instead, as he drives the guys to Foxwood to watch a boxing match and enjoy a steak dinner after. But by Barney's magic, he brings the stripper over to their hotel, only for her set to bomb and set off a disastrous night for everyone. Barney almost gets uninvited, when Lily, who dealt with her own embarrassment at her party thanks to Robin's poor choice of a gift among Lily's extended family, reveals something nobody would have expected- that Barney was the one who encouraged Lily to come back to New York and get back with Marshall.

Oh Barney, what a softie.

I've mentioned before that when all is said and done, he really is a great friend. This is proof positive of that. If Barney didn't care so much about these two people, he wouldn't have flown all the way to San Francisco just to convince Lily to come back. He knows what she and Marshall have together, and he knows it's worth fighting for.

Barney was critical with Ted and Robin last episode as he sees that there are slipping cracks in their relationship. Both are important people in his life, but Barney can see that the clock is ticking on them, for better or for worse, and they're meant to find other people. Lily and Marshall, meanwhile, are here to stay. He knows that they fit together, and despite some negative words, Barney will go to bat for Marshall and Lily for as long as they live. His brief time as Marshall's straight man was only a coping mechanism, and even Barney acknowledges here, at least somewhat, that it was a waste of time.

It's funny, since they don't really appear together until the end of the episode. But it makes sense, since this is about their bachelor parties, which go down in fairly traditional sitcom fashion. As in, nothing really goes right, but it's fun to watch everything deteriorate.

The girls' story was a fun question of truth, as Robin has her gift right with her, but doesn't realize that Lily invited all of her older and evangelical women to the party, rather than just some gal pals. Traditional, but in a way that can work if the writers are game to make the jokes land, and thankfully Bays and Thomas nail it.

It's not like you can fail with K Callan around, though. The veteran actress does wonders as Grandma Lois, rolling with an extended double entendre that, as obvious as it is, is undeniably hysterical. Callan clearly knows what's going on, but she manages to keep a straight face as she delivers her speech, sharing every classic line as one, right until the grand reveal. And that itself leads to a classic, freaky Sex and the City tribute, which brings perfect disgusted reactions to Lily and Robin.

The story is basically set-up for this joke, similar to how "Slap Bet" did everything in its power to keep the final reveal as fresh and hilarious as possible, while never being afraid to add in relevant jokes along the way. The moment Barney shares his advice, it's obvious where this is going, but would you want it any other way? Also give credit to how the word "vibrator" is never mentioned, even if Barney uses a far more colorful and unique phrase into the pool. A smart cue taken from Seinfeld's iconic "The Contest", it works.

Although in the commentary, Bays and Thomas admit that they had another joke in mind for the ending tag that was sadly scrapped, where Robin shares to Lily that a particular set on the device is great. I can see why it was cut, since the implication is uncleanly, but it's a great line. Thankfully, the aforementioned tag still keeps some great arguing between the two of them, and helps to make not only this hilarious plot succeed, but prove just how strong the girls' dynamic is. Lily may not have read Robin's mind correctly, but they definitely have each other down perfectly.

While I find Robin and Lily's material to be so strong, ultimately this is "Bachelor Party", not "Bridal Shower". Thankfully, the guys have some very good stuff themselves, as their story takes a bit of a turn. At least, I'd say- who would have expected their stripper to continually fail so hard, after all?

If there's a flaw that I have with the episode, it's that the writing is so demeaning to the strippers mentioned here. Future Ted's line about Barney's usual choices being attractive "two children and a pesky substance problem ago" (I don't feel like checking the right quote, so pardon the paraphrasing) was meant to come off as a big laugh, but it comes off as a little gross. I understand that sex workers don't have the most prestigious job in the eyes of our society, but they deserve more respect than what Bays and Thomas offers them.

Which also weirdly makes Barney the most mature one of the group. While Ted and Marshall deride the women he hires to be slimey or what-have-you, Barney sees everyone he hires to be a wonderful, capable person to spend money on. There's nothing wrong with hiring sex workers, after all- everyone has the right to get off, and strippers, porn makers and the other awesome people in the business have the right to use their sex appeal to their own gain, by George! Barney has fun when he visits strippers, and just wants his bros to join in on him, harmlessly. This makes the material work enough. Also, I'll admit that the 15 line is a good, respectful enough joke.

But oh Treasure. What a treasure her time was. Erin Cardillo does a good job at making her plight to give everyone a good time feel authentic, even when it's obvious that she's just a bit of a mess. Bays and Thomas don't go out of their way to make her look bad- on the contrary, Treasure seems to be somewhat vindicated to make her weird, complicated strip show be a major win for the boys. But it just doesn't work, as fun as it is to watch.

I would say that the guys' time at dinner isn't as fun as their stripping disaster, but since it's not the end to the episode at all, that's fine. A simple fire just can't compete with seeing a stripper fail twice to excite. But it couldn't to begin with.

It's nice to see Stuart and Brad back, even if the latter is wisely kept away, about 2 years before the guy from National Treasure would be in The Hangover. But he and Stuart do fit their roles of the bachelor party cliches well; Brad being the guy everyone forgets about, including himself, until the end, and Stuart being the guy that spouts dated domestic beliefs in hopes of grabbing Marshall's goat. What makes Stuart's bits work is how it's proven that he really is miserable with Claudia, and he's not just trolling. It's not expanded on at all beyond a quick exchange he shares with Ted, which just makes the scene surprisingly funnier.

It all works into a pretty great episode, in fact. The show's questionable take on sex workers aside, there's much to like here as a fun half hour. The reveal of Barney's confession to Lily gives the episode a little more of a punch, but it's a hilarious treat even without that. But just wait until the next one!

Continuity Errors: Eh, not really. Barney's clearly lying about the ten-way. We're going to see the trophy soon, and Barney's fear of winning says it all.

Edit: Lily has her bridal shower, not a bachelorette party. There is a difference. Male strippers are often involved at one, rather than the other.

How I Met Your Mother Review- "Moving Day"

Moving Day (2x18)

Directed by Pam Fryman

Written by Maria Ferrari

One Paragraph Synopsis: As the title says, it's moving day for Ted and Robin, but just when Ted has completely packed, Barney has taken his moving van. While Ted lives up to Barney's demands to get his stuff back, he and Robin decide on something before the day's over- they're not moving in. At the same time, Lily and Marshall realize that their place isn't the same without Ted. Especially since he took care of most of the stuff for them.

"Moving Day" is, like a decent amount of the show's episodes, a story of love. Whether the gang realizes it or not is another point, though.

It may seem a little strange to say, since the fact that Ted and Robin decide to not move in together indicates that they won't last, but I didn't necessarily mean this was meant to show a booming, passionate love. While it is alarming that Robin and Ted can't find it in themselves to move in successfully, they still recognize and care enough about their bond to try to keep the relationship going, even if they do in separate houses. Besides, if you need to move in to determine if your relationship is worth keeping, it probably isn't to begin with. As Ted and Robin step out before going through with the test, they technically skip this test completely.

If you're confused about my previous paragraph, I'll just say this- Ted and Robin love each other. They do today, they will tomorrow, they probably will long after they break up. There's no denying this. Sometimes, though, love isn't enough, which seems to be the problem here.

Because what exactly is love? You can ask twelve random people this, and get twelve different answers. My personal belief is that love is a mutual understanding of two or more people, where the parties involved recognize but can look past the other party's faults to see something worth dedicating part of their life to in the person. By this standard, not only do Ted and Robin pass, but so do the core five among each other.

But first, back to Ted and Robin. Again, their love is definite, but the fact that neither of them can find any sort of agreement towards their living environment is telling. Robin refuses most everything Ted wants to keep in her place, while Ted wants at least some sort of statement that shows he lives here now. Both cases have solid points here, but Ted is more willing to back down, allowing Robin to keep her dominance in her building. It's a good move on Ted's part, as he isn't reverting to sexism to get his way, but shows a lack of trust on Robin's to not budge with her decision.

Robin herself has her own changes to make, like how she handles her gun enthusiast magazine subscription, done in a cute scene. There are certain aspects of her life that Ted doesn't approve of, which flexing these herself should make for a good compromise. If Robin can cut back on her love of guns and stop smoking regularly, it shouldn't be too hard for Ted to allow Robin to keep her place the way it is, right?

Life doesn't always work like that, though. On the surface, this seems like a nice compromise, but Ted and Robin are too invested in their ways to budge. Robin loves to shoot and read about guns, Ted likes his sword being present in his living space. These aren't issues that are make it or break it to a relationship, but might still be reflective of the two not being ready to be together. At least not now.

As much as he may hate to admit it, Barney was right. The fact that Ted called the apartment "Robin's place", not his or theirs, is proof that moving in was a mistake. It also says that they aren't ready to go the next step, since their directions aren't placed together correctly. Sometimes you just can't fight destiny. The love is there, but their paths don't seem to be. Now, it's up for them to decide if they can mutually meet up.

Besides, without Ted, Marshall and Lily are screwed. Now, their love has been proven time and time again on the show, and has rewarded them in a bond that many people would kill for. With their wedding coming up, I'll save skip over this again for now.

But it really is true that they love Ted as much as he does them. For one, without commonly addressing it, he fills the role of caretaker for them in a succinct way. Ted owns most of the household essentials that keep a happy environment together, like the microwave. But he also bought the groceries, and arguably more important, kept them essential company. As much as Lily and Marshall love their sex time, they can't keep at it forever, not when they had someone to occupy like Ted. Or vice versa, since he knew how to entertain them just as well as they him.

Just like the other sword, Ted really kept the place together. When they're officially married, Marshall has a steady job, and they're getting closer to being ready for children, then it'll be time for the couple to stray from Ted. Right now, they're still the three amigos, Wesleyan alums that compliment each other quite well at this phase. Their story makes sense on this account, and it makes for some fun jokes, my favorite being their naked time, which comes off as harsh, but lovingly fair

Barney, similarly, loves Ted as a friend, just as he does Marshall and Lily (love may be a strong word for Robin right now, but they're pretty good friends by this point, and he sure sees the beauty in her). But right now, Barney is seeing himself being the only one in the gang to not change their ways. He's not engaged, like Marshall and Lily, nor is he moving in with his significant other, like Ted and Robin. Barney is still pursuing women at the bar in hopes of the perfect lay, just as he was when he met Ted 4 years prior. And this terrifies Barney. Maybe not his stagnancy, but that his friends are growing beyond him.

Ted doesn't have a ring on him, which is why Barney attempts to sway him back into the game, partially explaining his actions. And to be fair, Barney doesn't try to get Ted to leave Robin, but only play laser tag and be Barney's wing man for a change. It allows for some fun bonding between the two, bonding that Ted admits to enjoying, although I'd argue that their material isn't the strongest, only by default. There are some good gags, but the brief flashes of Robin's mediating alone time and Lily and Marshall pondering their life without Ted work better for me.

But it I do like the reveal of Barney using Ted's moving van as a place to consummate with a date at. It's a concept that makes sense within Barney's GTA charge, and it allows for punishment to be dealt upon him by his date, even without him really doing anything wrong to him. Sometimes karma like this just works.

"Moving Day" is yet another strong, enjoyable episode from a strong, enjoyable season. Much is done for these five characters, and there is enough good material used sparingly throughout to not let it drag even briefly. I'll admit that Ted and Barney's time isn't as fun as the rest, but even that has some strong jokes, and a good plot for the two. With only four episodes left to go through, I can't wait to delve into what's left for the season to to throw at us.

Continuity Errors: Er, or is it? While Robin is shown as a smoker here, in actuality, Ted has been smoking the whole time. So have the whole gang, as shown in season 5's "Last Cigarette Ever". Ted was able to keep this from his kids the whole time, but the way that he plainly reveals Robin's habits contrasts from the shock reveal of the same thing in that episode. I can buy that Future Ted would make Robin's smoking a bigger issue than it really was, especially if she was a more active smoker than him, but the result comes off as a tad confusing. Hmm.

How I Met Your Mother Review- "Arrivederci, Fiero"

Arrivederci, Fiero (2x17)

Directed by Pam Fryman

Written by Chris Harris

One Paragraph Synopsis: Marshall's old Fiero, a family heirloom he's had since he was 16, dies just before it hits 200K miles. As he and the gang sit in the waiting room of the mechanics who try their best to work on it, they share their memories of the car, covering a wide range of their exploits.

Personal story time! This year, I had to retire my 2000 Ford Ranger, after giving me a good 5 years of service, and about 8 before for my grandfather. It wasn't the best truck out there, and it was showing its age by the end of its life, but I felt sad that it was time to let go of it. But I didn't feel bad for too long, since I was able to pick up a '94 Honda Accord, which actually drives and looks younger than my old truck, and has a fraction of the gas. Sure, I had to replace the stereo (personal peeve, but I just couldn't deal with such an outdated one. There wasn't even a CD player!), but so far, I'm loving it.

I think of this as I watch the episode again, and see how Marshall must have felt an even bigger range of grief than I did. I was happy with my truck, but despite its own issues (including music-related woes, but I'll get to those), Marshall loved his Fiero. It was there since the moment he got his license, when he and Ted were becoming best friends, as his and Lily's relationship blossomed, and while New York, Barney, and Robin were becoming a part of his life. The Fiero is more than just a mode of transportation to Marshall- it was as much of a part of the ride as the road itself was.

Each of the stories here work marvelously to define the varied atmosphere the car was responsible for. Not every event was a nice one, but they were all fun for the audience, which is what matters.

The thing about Marshall's Fiero is that it works as a metaphor for growth. He first got the car while hitting a particular right of passage in western culture- the legal ability to drive a car. This symbolizes that Marshall is getting closer to adulthood, and as such doesn't have to rely on his family to get to his destinations anymore. Now he can be in charge of his own direction, and even has the equipment to prove it.

His brother's hazing is a simple, but hilariously effective, method, indicating that while Marshall is aging, they're still his older brothers and they have first dibs to mess with him. Hazing for the most part isn't often pleasant, but in certain instances is done out of love. If anyone should mess with a given person, why not their loved ones? This is a method that the core five practice on each other daily.

Marshall and Ted's trip is arguably the most important flashback of the episode, as it sets up where the life of the three Wesleyan students' lives will be in the next 10 years. Marshall realizes that Lily is more than just a college fling when his life is on the line, while his friendship with Ted grows here, as they bond together over The Proclaimers and cuddling.

It even is hinted that the two grow to appreciate each others' eccentricities here, as Marshall finds the fact that Ted's spectacles are decorative to be humorous, while Ted... somewhat seems to understand Marshall's firm stance not allowing food or drinks in the car. I can see both of their sides in this stance, honestly. But as a further look into their college days, I think that this is a great montage of sorts. It's always fun to see Ted at his most pretentious, and Radnor certainly delivers here. Even when the dialogue doesn't call for Ted to offer unnecessary insight, he finds a touch of extra whining to make Ted sound deliciously obnoxious. Segel is rightfully game, as he plays the straight man instead of the other way around, with no noticeable strain on his performance. I wouldn't so much as call college Marshall cool, but he makes Ted seem like Urkel.

Lily and Robin take time away from Marshall to focus on how they built their friendship, which results in them bonding over cleaning up Thai food, smoking Marshall's Chinese cigars, and end up breaking its windows. This is traditional sitcom material that would usually be saved for a B plot, but is sped up to around 2 minutes of footage, cutting out much of the potential fat. While that would have been fun, this sequence cuts back on pratfalls and even bigger messes to stick to a brilliant Pulp Fiction tribute, while allowing for these fantastic actors share their increasingly tight chemistry for more fun, which works just as well in my book.

Barney, meanwhile, has a negative experience in the Fiero, as Ted unsuccessfully tries to teach him how to drive here. While he does eventually learn (Barney did mention that he has a BMW last season, and he will be shown driving very soon in the show. Even the creators have admitted that this isn't a continuity error), Barney is clearly reminiscent of a nervous teenager with a permit in his time with Ted, going unbearably slow and losing control fast as he screams. No one really gets driving right on the first try, but Barney seemed to bomb pretty hard here.

It is so fun to see Barney bomb, though. There's a theme of sorts to this review, that the acting on the show really has become something special. The five actors really have nailed their characters by now, and they get basically every beat down perfectly. Neil Patrick Harris especially is doing something magical with Barney, which is present throughout the entire episode. My favorite pre-flashback bit has always been Barney's theatrical reveal of his hatred for the car. Not only does NPH bring his training from theater over, but his little take before nailing the line almost as if he's the Phantom himself is a perfect addition, rightfully silly and in tune to the character.

But NPH adds in so many little Barney quirks into the flashback. His stammer as he tries to save face from Ted becomes a little more overstated and noticeable each time, which is the right note to play in a scenario like his. Then all of Barney's material behind the wheel is equally excellent. Even Barney's heavy breathing is enough to ignite a laugh, but his and Ted's combined screaming is an eternal classic that adds to the fun atmosphere that's meant to clash with Barney's delivery of the story. Such great material.

Between all the fun is a story of loss, but one that rises to eventful gain. While Marshall is getting closer to graduating law school, he is all but about to close a chapter in his life, of his youth. Soon, he won't have the massive walls of college to hide the real world from him, and eventually he'll be able to get a better job than the one he has at Barney's firm. The Fiero is one of Marshall's few remaining ties to his youth, but with it gone, it's time to say goodbye to his past and hello to the future.

But it's not like this is going to be a Hunger Games-like future. He has Lily and his friends to look forward to, as well as potentially some children and an important job as an environmental lawyer to see become a reality. The Fiero may be no more, but Marshall and Lily will have another, likely better car to look forward to in the near future, one that will take them wherever their trip needs them to go.

And if he ever feels nostalgic, Marshall has his old tape. God, I love The Proclaimers, and it's a perfectly specific choice to go with their biggest hit as the one song that plays on a loop in his car. It really does grow on you, but thankfully, it didn't take that long for the show to grow on me.

"Arrivederci, Fiero", is as close to a perfectly paced episode as you can get. Each little scene has plenty of great pieces to it to add to a fantastic puzzle. And while there are deeper episodes, it's a great choice to try to get someone into the show. And to get a classic song stuck in a friend's head for a while.

But to be fair, the tranny line is stupid. I'd argue that it's too stupid to be offensive. But the episode is still top quality if you can look past it.

How I Met Your Mother Review- "Stuff"

Stuff (2x16)

Directed by Pam Fryman

Written by Kourtney Kang

One Paragraph Synopsis: When Robin discovers that much of Ted's personal belongings come from ex-girlfriends, she starts to feel uncomfortable until they agree that he'll replace everything that came from an ex. All seems amicable until it's revealed that all of Robin's dogs come from her ex-boyfriends. But, it's harder to agree to replace dogs, so Ted tries his best to adapt until it becomes too difficult, leading Robin to relocate her dogs to her aunt's farm. When she comes back to Ted's place, though, she sees that he brought back all of his ex's old stuff, causing the two to fight until they finally agree on something- they're moving in together. In the midst of all this, after Lily drags the gang to an awful low-fi play, Barney unleashes his true feelings about it on her, giving him the incentive to come up with his own stage production.

I like how we didn't have to wait too long for the next slap. It shows that the staff knew that the episode was going to catch on, so another was reserved for not so long away. It's also helpful that not only is this episode also written by Kang, but that the slaps bookend this disc. I'm not sure if Bays, Thomas and crew had this in mind when working on the order of the season, but it works out quite well.

While I'm not a big fan of the A-plot (which I'm choosing to touch on later), I don't have too many  negative things to say on the subplot. After spending more time in smaller, artistic productions and anarchic free poetry than I've been comfortable with, both Lily and Barney's plays come off as hilarious to me. Both nail the aesthetic behind these shows in traditionally goofy fashion, but that's what you expect from a sitcom, anyway.

There are many quasi-neck beards who run tiny productions that try their hardest to call out consumerism but come off as the most obnoxious, pretentious kind of art house crap you can think of, with no visual flair or subtlety to offer. Virtually none are pleasant to watch, thanks to a tiresome, jaded post-college mentality that ages badly by the time you hit 30 and you're helping people with their taxes, instead of asking for help. Lily is still in her artistic stage, and while she means well, her performance doesn't give much towards a future in stage. To be fair, the dialogue doesn't give much for a performance to begin with.

Barney, on the other hand, knows just how excruciating his show is. I mean, he uses Lily's beloved word moist for 40 minutes as a starting point. But it is in his image, after all, which explains why he begs the gang to stick around for his second act, even after Lily caves in. He has them in his hands, and Barney intends to roll with it for as long as he can.

The fact that he adds a robot piece in adds something a little different, since on top of his attempt at arthouse- this is a callback to allegorical science fiction, which has admittedly been made for as long as the genre existed, and is still made today, but here, Barney has his eyes on the 50's. The age of Cold War and communism parallels. Just check out the vintage tin foil look on the robot! But Barney isn't Rod Serling, and he revels in that fact. That's where the fun of his performance comes from, which is quite funny overall.

It's a great subplot that works with Aristotle's belief about subplots- that there's no real thing. Any good story worth its weight in plot and development have every little addition to the core story connect, no matter how small. With this being a story of trust and understanding, it makes sense that Barney and Lily are dealing with the same thing, as Barney doesn't seem to realize how offensive his honesty could be, but at the same time, there are some things even your best friends could have trouble sitting through. I'd argue that Barney learns his lesson the easy way, with a slap to the face being a quick, if painful, concrete end. Lily had to deal with hours of tedious bullshit to get to her point.

Now as for Ted and Robin, huh. Have you ever been in the middle of a fight between two friends, and wanted to slap both, since they both sounded pretty off? That's how I am with their argument.

Both of them have their right to be jealous. Jealously is a perfectly natural emotion that practically everyone feels at some point. If something doesn't make you feel jealous or cautious when you're with your significant other, you might just be too serene. And while it is true that Robin is considerably more lackadaisical than Ted, she has her limits as well. And I can never fault the show for embracing Robin's true feelings for Ted.

I just wish Robin could have addressed this without shut shaming women she's never met before. Even if we did have receipts of her encountering any of Ted's exes, besides Victoria of course (who isn't even mentioned here, btw), it's still kind of gross to hear Robin call any of the women who left or gave Ted any of his possessions whores, not to mention unbelievably catty. There's a difference between defense mechanisms, and misogyny itself.

Otherwise, I'm fine with Robin asking Ted to consider replacing his stuff. While the memories may be gone for him, I can definitely see how Robin would keep a mental note of different periods for Ted, where she wasn't a part of his life. Serious relationships are meant to be new beginnings, and Robin wants to have hers with Ted, which is a perfect excuse to get rid of some furniture and doo-dads. Now, they can find their own little things to spruce up the apartment and cement their time together. Ted may have a point about items like the lamp and the phone box being just items with little sentimental value kept to them, but it isn't hard to retire them for new memories.

But I can't defend Ted's hope of wanting Robin's dogs to go. There's a difference between some furniture and accessories, and actual life. Dog raising is different from child raising, but it's still an obligation, one that Robin chose to accept. Yes, she adopted each of her dogs while she was with different men, but the fact that she kept each one of them and continues to care after them years removed proved that this is more than just a romantic gift, but that her dogs meant a sense of duty and passion to Robin.

It's also weird, since Ted has mentioned more than once before that he loves dogs, but he can only see faint ideas of Robin's ex-boyfriends in each of her pups. If he really loved dogs, he wouldn't have made a big deal of this to begin with, let alone keep on going on with his issues of Robin keeping them, which just rubs me the wrong way. Although from what I've heard, Josh Radnor is extremely allergic to dogs, so it makes sense that his admiration for canines became ignored after a certain point.

I would say that in Ted's, and the episode's, favor, Robin is the one who decides to finally relocate her pups. I'm not crazy on her doing this to begin with, but it is an important notion of her dedication to Ted, that she's willing to give up her doggies to please him if need be. Does this mean that she's ready to go further with Ted?

Well, I'd take the fact that they don't adopt a dog of their own as a no on that regard. Even though the two were able to patch things up well enough to move in, Ted isn't willing to sign up on the insurance to go through. There's still a disc's worth of episodes, so maybe he'll change his mind and find a dog to share with Robin. Or maybe he isn't as willing to keep going with their relationship.

Depending on how you take the core story here is how you'll appreciate "Stuff". If you think my most recent paragraph is the direction this episode is set, I can see how this episode works as interesting foreshadowing. But as someone who considers this to be an episode about the two trying to prove their worth together, it's not all that strong. There have been weaker episodes made, but I've seen the show do much better at this point. Perhaps if there was less slut shaming and Barney, I'd be happier with the episode itself.

How I Met Your Mother Review- "Lucky Penny"

Lucky Penny (2x15)

Directed by Pam Fryman

Written by Jamie Rhonheimer

One Paragraph Synopsis: Ted and Robin try their hardest to make it to their plane to Chicago, but end up missing it. There's another flight going soon, but as much as they tried, it didn't happen. This is a shame, since the trip to Chicago was for an interview that would offer Ted a job there. While he is later thankful for missing the flight, since his future wife will be in New York and all, he and Robin couldn't help but wonder what went wrong in the process, as they flashback to everything that caused them to miss their flight.

When your plans don't go as intended, it's logical to consider every little step towards the inevitable disappointment. What went wrong? How could I have done that differently? Why am I so stupid? But at the end of the day, shit happens. There's little point in looking back at the past, when you should focus on the present instead.

Ted realizes this after his attempt to make it to the plane failed, but his step tracing still makes for another hell of an episode. Similar to the previous episode, "Lucky Penny" has a bunch of little stories interconnected to one main plot, and gives everyone something to do throughout.

Let's look at each vignette in chronological order, rather than how it was presented. This way, I can attempt to trace Ted's, and the rest of the gang's, luck as it arrives.

Of course, this chain of events starts off with Ted finding the titular penny, taking us all the way back to "The Scorpion and the Toad". For fans of film, 1939 is a memorable year, with many iconic releases made. I can't really think of one that ties to this episode, so I'll stop there (but I'd give a vote to Ninotchka for the year's best film, if we're only sticking to Hollywood). But it is classic Ted for him to find an old penny to be way more interesting than it really is. Ted's obsessed with the tiniest detail he can find for history, and you can't get much tinier than a penny. The way that no one shows any interest only proves just how tiny it really is.

The night that Ted and Robin cash in on the small (read: VERY small) fortune obtained from the penny, they find the wedding dress sale that Robin camps out for with Lily the next night. Truthfully, Robin had no desire to camp out with Lily, but did so as an obligation as her friend, which she holds onto to help ease the both of them when a car alarm keeps on ringing into the night. This isn't very much of a character moment for either of them, but the material is strong anyway, with a perfect ending. Car alarms are the worst, but considering how tight of a budget Lily has to keep to, especially after she ruined her dream dress all the way back in "Cupcake", it becomes a comical error that she must endure anyway.

Robin's lack of sleep after dealing with the alarm results in her crashing at the main apartment, during Marshall's period of training for the New York City Marathon. While he has traditionally been bigger set, Marshall's weight seems to be bugging him as of late, especially when Lily addresses it to him. Even though she likes the girth, Marshall still feels the need to assert himself to lose weight, which starts off the training. The montage is classically entertaining, but I think the thing that makes it so appealing is Lily's reaction to it. While she came off as believably sincere in her defense of Marshall's size, she has no problems supporting him when he wants to make a personal change, and gives him advice along the way. For all of their problems, these two really do love and respect each other.

But beyond love, I feel like this story of endurance shows how proactive Marshall is. He sees a problem, and decides to address it without taking the easy way out. Marshall knows what he's about, and knows that he can probably hold his own here, which the montage clips indicate for the most part. At least until Robin comes and embarrasses him in an awkward moment, where he breaks his toe as a result. Painful, but considering the joke, oh so worth it.

Now Barney feels compelled to run in the famous marathon in Marshall's place, with nary a touch of training having taken place. The gang calls out the ridiculousness of the suggestion, but Barney clearly seems to be a firm believer of Dr. Frank N Furter's "Don't dream it- be it" policy, and runs the marathon dry. And succeeds.

As outlandish as it is to see Barney run the marathon with no problem, the funniest material from his story comes from after he wins his medal. As every one who runs the New York City Marathon is entitled to a free subway ride that day, Barney uses it- only to discover that his feet aren't working after the massive run. Great jokes are used this whole time, including a harsh, but honest, mugging as the episode's ending tag, shot in a way that keeps to the realities of New York but still has the show's comic timing unharmed.

And this is how Ted comes back. He needs to come to Barney's rescue on the subway, but after he briefly catches Barney's car when he arrives at the station, Ted makes a jump to catch the car. Sadly though, the station security guards catch Ted, and fine him. As it turns out, the court date is on the same day as his interview, which is where we return to the present.

Each story, slightly absurd but undeniably likable in their own ways, attempt to explain why bad luck prevented Ted from catching his flight. But in actuality, this is good luck, since he's meant to be in New York. Not only for the date when he meets his true love, but to be with his friends and to ensure that his building comes to life in his image. This is the way it was meant to be, as luck tampered with fate. All because of that lucky penny.

I sell the episode as a humorous diversion, but everything is put well together, thanks to a returning Fryman, enough so that this is HIMYM at its best. Hilarious and extraordinarily likable at the same time. A lucky balance.

How I Met Your Mother Review- "Monday Night Football"

Monday Night Football (2x14)

Directed by Rob Greenberg

Written by Carter Bays & Craig Thomas

One Paragraph Synopsis: The gang's annual tradition of watching the Superbowl together is put to a halt when Mark from McLarens' funeral is being held at the same time. As they go, and try to remember Mark, the group Tivos the game, and plan to watch it when they get home. The problem with that is, these are adults with jobs, and they're not able to head back until rather late in the evening. This inspires the gang to avoid finding out who won the game, and to watch it after work the following day instead, causing everyone to try different methods to avoid discovering the results. Like that'll happen...

Okay, is this episode supposed to indicate that Barney's gambling problem didn't come into fruition until he was persuaded by Marshall to try it out? It could also be inferred that Barney had been subduing it until that one Superbowl Sunday in 2003. Both are funny concepts with enough possibility in them to work out. I'll stick to the former theory, since it's darkly fascinating to consider that Marshall started up Barney's fixation on gambling.

But you know, just as I've been writing these reviews, I've also been watching Seinfeld all the way through for the first time, and I'm on its last season now. As I've mentioned before, I think HIMYM is more influenced by Seinfeld than Friends, at least moreso than the general public considers. This comes to mind while watching "Monday Night Football", as I'm reminded of certain episodes with only one real plot that makes good use for everyone, primarily "The Parking Garage". The pacing and character beats are there, which is what makes the episode reminiscent of A-game Seinfeld, but HIMYM stands on its own for using this scenario more for character building than for observation, which is the key difference to my eyes.

Which is the other thing about this episode- there's little of the show's traditional emotional core here. "Monday Night Football" is still respectful to the characters, but there isn't an attempt to pull at the audience's heartstrings, or to challenge their status quo. The whole point of the episode is just for the five to avoid spoilers. This isn't meant to sound like a detraction at all. How I Met Your Mother has been great at delving into the characters' psyche in a rightfully emotional manner, but it's still a comedy first, as present here.

As I mentioned above, though, the show succeeds at using scenarios like this to explore and expand on character, which is definitely true this week.

Ted's attempt to avoid spoilers is the most outlandish, yet as seen in the end, the most successful. Those goggles are weird as all hell, but the real humor comes from Radnor's screaming delivery, which is surprisingly fresh. It's required for him to head into the bar and yell to make sure his order is heard, since Ted can't hear anything else, but thankfully Radnor finds the right tone to make it work, rather than to break anybody's eardrums. He's worked quite well at having Ted succeed as a character with his inside voice, but proves that he can still crack up when he's yelling.

It also helps that Ted has to return to the bar, with his full set-up returning. I think it's a good call to not refer to the rule of three here, since one more trip would have been redundant, but necessitating Ted to head back for the sauce just shows that once wouldn't be enough. It's a rare balance to consider, since the rule of three often works well, but I think Bays and Thomas made the right call with only two trips. Once wouldn't be enough, but three or more would drag the joke down.

While Lily sadly doesn't get much to do herself (admittedly the episode's biggest flaw, although her reaction to the radio with Marshall near the end is ace), Marshall's decision to lay low in her class had to result in great material, which it rightfully did. I think every class with a young, attractive enough teacher like Lily has at least one kid who has an obvious crush on her, which makes for a strong foil to Marshall. How many other times can said have a chance to mess with their crush's man?

While the kid's actions were mostly harmless (and of course, humorous- who doesn't love seeing Marshall stuck in time out?), I don't think that Marshall's victory against him was too harsh, or uncalled for. He could have been quite worse to the kid, and does allow for him to fix his wet spot. It's also just hysterical to see Marshall stop giving a fuck, and let his adult superiority give him the upper hand. Good timing with Bob Saget's narration allows for the juice box joke to totally land.

Robin's time might be my favorite of the episode, as the lengths she goes to avoid having the results shown on her broadcast are insane. As Future Ted says himself, Robin would of course have the biggest problem avoiding the media, being the media herself, as we see her deal with. On the one hand, this shouldn't have even been that much of a problem, since Robin isn't a big name yet, but on the other, this is still a news broadcast she anchors, so it makes sense.

Everything she does is great, though. Robin's initial stalling is entertaining, especially as it indicates what certain parts of a studio are like when not being focused on. This is even true of scripted programs that shoot in a set, as you're bound to find people who aren't needed then just hanging out, eating a doughnut like the weatherman here. And of course, her leap near the end was framed well, continuing the camera's tradition of loving Smulders, even at her most awkward. But the best bits have to be when she discusses the Winning Team and whatever delicacy their city is famous for. It's a perfectly paced quip against Losing Team's Mayor.

Although Barney's method is the most outlandish, which again, I don't mean to say begrudgingly. It is funny to see him lock himself up, especially when, as Ted noted while brilliantly taking away the nearest plant, he didn't think of a bathroom system. It's a great moment that shows a lack of restraint, which is crucial to Barney's character this week.

Crucial, since Barney is the one with money at stake, as he bet big on one of the teams. It's because of this that Barney quickly gives up his attempt to shelter himself from the results, and panhandles for the truth. A hilarious cameo by Emmitt Smith is not only a welcome addition to this sequence, but reflective on Barney's mindset here, as Smith wisely reminds Barney that there's more to life than the score of a game. This is true, but Barney's addictive personality won't allow him to see logic right now, when he potentially has quadruple digits, or possibly even more, on the line. Barney really needs therapy of some sort, man.

But the thing that makes this episode comes at the end, when even after everyone finds out who wins one way or another, the gang decides "who cares?", and watch the Superbowl anyway. At the end of the day, it's not the results, but everything it takes to get there that matters. With good wings, good beer, great friends, and a Tivo full of the highest-rated event on TV in the US, you're bound to have a hell of a time. And a hell of an episode, as this all equates to. There are deeper episodes, although Barney's material might require analysis from someone better suited to it than myself, but this is one of the purest fun episodes of the season, bar none.

One thing I'll add before I go- the lengths the gang went to avoid discovering who won the Superbowl has to be reminiscent to how people avoided spoilers of HIMYM's final the Tuesday after it aired. I know people who consider themselves fans, but still haven't seen it without even really knowing what happened, so it is possible to not find out. But considering how big of a deal the finale was, this is only reflective of not only life imitating art, but just how important the series ultimately became.

How I Met Your Mother Review- "Columns"

Columns (2x13)

Directed by Rob Greenberg

Written by Matt Kuhn

One Paragraph Synopsis: Hammond Druthers isn't taking his decrease in his roll at the architecture firm so well, to the point that Ted has been recommend by more than one person to fire his former boss. Whenever he's about to, though, Ted keeps on finding reasons to avoid uttering the words, including the fact that Druthers has been sleeping at the office while he and his wife are separating. Even as Ted takes this into accounting and starts to like Druthers as a friend, the man is still a pain to work with, which causes Ted to go through with firing him after all, even while Druthers has a heart attack. And earlier, when he, Robin, and Barney find a nude painting of Marshall that Lily made back in college, the group initially mocks him, until Barney offers to pay enough for their honeymoon if Lily paints Barney nude.

They say that the older you get, the smaller $1000 will become to you. I haven't hit this point yet, but I wonder what 5K seems like to Lily and Marshall. Not as impressive as 10K, I know that much.

The nude painting subplot is a pretty interesting one, since it builds on two ideals that the show has referred to since its beginning, and continues to tinker with- Marshall and Lily's trust in each other, and Barney's bravado. Not for one second does Marshall question Lily's decision to paint Barney nude, which means not only does he completely trust her, but that he was very likely in on the joke the whole time.

Thankfully, it is a good joke. I chose to not go with the reveal of Barney's painting in hopes of not spoiling it for first-timers that check my blog before watching the episode, but the image of Barney's castrated self, painted like a war general, is classic. It's also reaffirming to see how far beyond Lily and Marshall are from themselves in the decade since the painting was done. Whatever obstacles needed to be reached by the two have been taken care of.

As for Barney, it should be a surprise to no one that he's offended by Lily striking him as permanently impotent. Barney is a product of a sexist domineering mindset, which means that his barnacle means more to him than it will to ultimately any woman. But it must not have been fun for Lily to have to see him naked, but it is possible that she mentally blocked him off.

It's a well-made subplot. Funny without stretching the realm of reality in any way, with enough emotional weight to make it important without coming off as melodramatic. There were a couple of questionable lines, but all is basically forgiven for the sight of Marshall grabbing the painting from the bar alone. It's a nicely composed scene from Greenberg, who successfully takes the helm from Fryman on her first episode off. There are only slight touches of her charm missing, but Greenberg nails most of it quite well.

Things falter a tiny bit in the A-story, but again, only in traces. The characters are understood, but the grip Fryman had down on each of them slips somewhat. At least with Robin, who comes off as distressingly moderate in the episode. Despite Ted's confidence being an important part, she is barely present for his material, and instead offers her best moments when she agrees with Ted and Barney on how to mess with Marshall. This is of course blamable on Kuhn's screenplay, which is otherwise strong but not quite equal on the characters, but Greenberg seemed to have found her lack of presence to mean that she required a lack of attention, and doesn't offer much for Robin when she's on screen. Cobie still nails her dialogue, but the lighting and camera don't do her justice this week.

But Ted fares better. His need to do the right thing in regards to Druthers is a reasonable story idea, which works, even if this isn't a masterpiece. The strange thing is, I can't really explain why this episode doesn't fully register to me, even though in my personal rankings, it gets a good score.

My initial reaction might have been that Druthers was too much of a pain, but that's not really the case. While he was often obnoxious to Ted, that was the point, and it becomes easy to sympathize with the character after his circumstances are portrayed. Cranston especially does a fine job of bringing Druthers' pathos to the table, along with his usual comic charm. There's definitely the scent of a washed-up superstar getting pushed to the side here, as Cranston pulls off with sometimes only the need of a rub to the head.

Still, it is hard to fault Ted when his job comes into play. While he is thankful for Druthers being a technical reason for his advancement, Ted realizes quickly that his old boss is a problem, even if it takes him time to grant the courage to take control. Ted also fears being considered bossy by his peers, being too much of a seismic shift for him to handle. It doesn't take too long for him to win everyone over, but as Ted learns, this is one of the side effects of being in charge.

But that may be my problem, that even though Ted is adapting to his job well, it's not being shown that he is happy with his advancement. Yes, there is a line earlier in the episode where Future Ted outright says that he liked his place as an employee, but there is meant to be growth in a story, some sort of catharsis for the protagonist and the story after they go through their ordeal. Ted just seems happy to not have everyone hate him, and doesn't gush about his dreams coming alive enough. It's an unfortunate waste to an otherwise fine episode.

Because I do quite enjoy it. Both stories are done sharply enough to make them matter, as are most things in their right place even when the core director is missing. But truthfully, I'm just excited to take on the next episode.

How I Met Your Mother Review- "First Time in New York"

First Time in New York (2x12)

Directed by Pam Fryman

Written by Gloria Calderon Kellet

One Paragraph Synopsis: Robin's little sister Katie (played by a young Lucy Hale) comes to the big apple for the first time to see her big sis again. All should be well, except for one thing- Katie's boyfriend is also in town to see his family, and Katie hopes to use this opportunity to make her first time special. Robin, who is also dealing with new emotions as she plans to tell Ted that she loves him, feels that her baby sister is too young and Kyle too lame to lose her virginity to so early. This causes the gang to tell their own experiences of their first times as they all wait in line to go up the Empire State Building. It turns out that before Lily and Marshall consummated their love, she barely got some from Scooter, and that Barney's first time was with a friend of his mom's when he was 23. Yikes.

I have 3 papers due soon, so this may likely be a brief one. However, I needed a breather and decided to watch my next episode, so why not try to dissect it a little, anyway?

Although, who was surprised by Barney's story? His description of his college hippie days did not make him out to be a desirable young man, which makes the fact that he waited so long for such a middling experience hit close to home. The Barney Stinson of today did not exist that far back, and wouldn't without some experience and a solid clean cut look. That is just simple character building, which is wisely kept towards the end, to work as a useful tag and have potential to be expanded on later in the show's run.

In terms of the show's shared anecdotes episodes, "First Time in New York" works pretty well. Every story here works towards character building, the kind that comes off as logical to the gang, and remain consistently entertaining. Similarly, the A-plot is developed well even beyond the flashbacks, as it tells a strong story that works in most functions.

Besides Barney's story, which the gang respects him enough to not even dignify it with a proper flashback, let alone him exploring in further detail, there's some gold in the gang's loss of virginity stories. I actually almost went with a frame from Marshall and Lily's first time together, but that'd spoil one of the best gags for my new readers (but then again, I recall the joke being referenced back in the pilot. Still, that was far back enough for others to have forgotten). But it is a brilliant construction on the dichotomy between their friendship with Ted, bringing up just how essential he is to them. Whether he wants to be or not.

Robin's is a little more questionable, but it does happen. Heck, I'm sure many people attempt heterosexual intercourse to see if it's for them if they're debating their straightness. And there's nothing wrong with that, if you trust and respect the person you're experimenting with enough. I think the story is well-meaning enough to not come off as homophobic, since Robin's partner wasn't made fun of his homosexuality. Instead, the joke came from Robin's own disappointing experience, and the absurdness of the context. It's strong enough to work, for sure.

Ted's, oh Ted. His decision to reverse the story to Katie was very smart, and obviously effective. Otherwise, it should have been no surprise to the audience that he was full of shit, and that Ted hasn't changed all that much in the years since his first time. He may be a little smarter, but he is as sensitive as ever, explaining his issues with commitment and especially his inability to read context clues.

Of course, Lily got only a teeny bit from Scooter, which explains why her flashback was skipped. But that's the thing. The one problem I have with the episode is how such a fascinating concept, that Lily had a reasonable love life before Marshall, was only hardly touched here. There's enough weight in their discussions to make it more than an afterthought, but this could have held its own episode. Here, Lily and Scooter's time is only mentioned twice, starting at the halfway point, which means this will be resolved quickly by the end of the episode. There's clearly more that could have been done, but if I was to give this episode the benefit of the doubt, Lily and Marshall have had plenty of development during the show's screentime. Robin definitely deserved a little more for a change.

And now that I think about it, we never got to learn much about Robin's family at this point. It's been mentioned that her father wanted a boy, and she's been on the phone with her mother earlier this season. I honestly don't even recall if her having a sister was mentioned previously, but here she is. Not for the last time, either! (I will say this without intents of spoiling, though- despite being the main character, Ted's family will ultimately having the least amount of presence on the show. Not to say that we won't see any more of his parents, or more family beyond them, but compared to the rest of the gang, they don't fit into his development very much at all)

Katie is written with a touch of adult-laced teenage logic, in that Kellet means well with her attempt to keep the character fresh, but much of Katie's use of mid-aughts slang comes off as artificial and unaware. I can't fault the show too much for this, since this is often a problem for shows typically starring older characters, but I don't buy a surprising amount of her dialogue. Thankfully, though, Lucy Hale does her best with the dialogue, which does admittedly contain some solid jokes as well, and makes Katie come off as likable enough. She pulls off he age well, and responds well to Smulders' attempt at being a big sister figure. Not many people would call her among the show's best minor characters, but I know that Pretty Little Liars fans consider this to be a fun little curio.

But Katie's arrival is important as it shows how Robin acts as an older sister, and what it means to her. Rather than using flashbacks to explore their past together, context clues give an idea of Robin and Katie's relationship. From what I gather, while the sisters are loving towards each other, the age gap between Katie and Robin does keep them a little distant in terms of relation, especially as Robin still sees her as a child. Now that I'm well past the age of 16, I can safely say that Katie isn't as mature as she thinks she is, but Robin doesn't need to keep her training wheels on. She's a big enough girl.

When it comes to growing up, virginity is a solid metaphor to go with, even if there is far more to maturity than intercourse. Still, this is a subject that if done well, can be used intelligently to symbolize the process of aging. While the gang's first time stories were comically crass, this episode still uses sex in a respectable enough way to make the concept work, as each story adds a different punch and perspective towards Katie's potential first time.

Does it make the episode better or worse knowing that she doesn't go through with it? Well, Ted's joke explanation is another classic moment of bending the truth for comedic and "informative" effect, so I'm glad that exists as a character balance. Although, I am reminded of a story I read about The Mary Tyler Moore Show's spin-off, Phyllis, in which an episode was made when Phyllis' daughter Bess may or may not have had her own first time, alarming Phyllis. The episode ends with Bess telling her mother that nothing happened, where Phyllis calms herself in the truth, only to bring up to the camera the possibility that Bess is lying. While this is a great idea for a joke, apparently CBS' standards & practices were strongly against it, and removed the last line, forcing the audience to believe Bess.

I'm not sure if something like that would have worked here, but it is true that some things are better left to the imagination, rather than being rammed down our throats*. However, I'll give Kellet a passing grade for her decision to have Katie open up to Robin, anyway, as her explanation to her big sister does indicate that Katie learned herself that Robin was right about her beau being an ass. Not to necessarily reward Robin, but the revelation pays off.

But yes, the episode ends with Katie keeping her virginity for today. While Robin does ultimately keep her little sister, I'd like to think that the fact that she promises to add Kahlua to her drink is an indicator that Robin will attempt to acknowledge that her sister isn't the little girl she left behind in Canada. It's a sweet idea, although I would have likely made that notion a little more noted if this was my script.

But how about Robin's confirmation of her love for Ted? It's a little crazy to consider that we're halfway through the season, and they hadn't uttered this phrase yet, at least not since Ted's fuck up in the pilot. The couple have continuously been working on their trust and have built up a strong enough core to where this isn't an issue anymore. Robin can safely prove to Ted what he means to her, while Ted knows that it's real. Talk about a hell of a first time.

Huh, I guess this wasn't as short as I was planning. But "First Time in New York" is another in an innumerable string of fantastic episodes in a row. As mentioned above, there are a couple of points here that I do find underdeveloped, but more than enough of it works to make the episode worth multiple viewings.

And maybe it reminded you of your first time, as awkward as it may be. And if you still haven't had yours yet, that's okay. Virginity isn't that important at the end of the day.

*I'm sure that some of my readers who have seen the show all the way through know what I'm talking about here. If not, I'll get to it eventually, I can assure you!

How I Met Your Mother Review- "How Lily Stole Christmas"

How Lily Stole Christmas (2x11)

Directed by Pam Fryman

Written by Brenda Hsueh

One Paragraph Synopsis: While Marshall's out rocking his "paper", Lily plans to out-do herself this year with the apartment's Christmas decorations. All is being set well for a fine Christmas Eve, until she finds an old message from Ted on their answering machine where, in hopes of consoling Marshall, he calls Lily a bad word. A very, very bad word. Ted tries his best to apologize to Lily, but there is still animosity to be felt as he wishes that Lily had made more of an effort to keep in contact with him while she was away in San Francisco. The two do eventually patch up, especially as Ted helped Marshall to find the perfect Christmas gift for her. Also, Barney gets sick, a rare occurrence for him.

Here's a question to my (however few there are) readers- which word do you think Ted meant with "Grinch"? Clearly, Grinch kind of rhymes with bitch, but the reaction he gets from everyone who discovers the message makes it seem like he used the C word. Feel free to decide for yourself.

I've always found this to be an important episode, since it involves the friendship between Ted and Lily, a rather important one to the show's mythology that isn't portrayed as much. It's surprising, since Lily went to the same university as Ted and Marshall, and they all met each other within a 24-hour span, but at times, the series makes it seem like Marshall and Ted were life-long best friends whose dynamic changed shortly after Marshall and Lily started dating. This can be blamed on normative gender roles, where it's always assumed that men and women are meant to be best friends with one another, and the only time that people of the opposite sex can be close to each other is if there is sexual tension involved. Which is almost like writing out queer people entirely, but this may not be the best outlet for that.

For the most part (which means that I'm trying to avoid spoilers, but we'll get to what I have in mind), Lily and Ted's friendship has stayed entirely platonic. Ted recognizes that Marshall loves this girl, and in such had succeeded in becoming close with her in non-romantic ways in the decade since they've become buddies.

When Marshall's not around, Ted is willing to hold Lily's hair back if she drank too much, while Lily always knows the right compliment to throw to Ted when he's getting ready for a date. While Lily isn't as hot for Ted and Marshall's geekier interests, the two buds do share an appreciation for art and culture which their friends aren't so much for. And above all else, they just click as friends. Ted has always shared Marshall's type-A personality when it comes to order as opposed to Lily's more relaxed, yet uniquely structure utilitarian stance, but the two mind types respect each other well and surprisingly rarely clash. It's a great balance.

This is why Ted was so hurt by Lily's departure. Even beyond the way she broke Marshall's heart, Ted feels that Lily left him in the dust as a friend. If one thing can be said about Lily's summer in San Francisco, it's that she didn't mean to be malicious to her loved ones. If anything, keeping in closer contact with the gang would have likely hurt her even more, as she can hear directly how her decision affects them, which explains why she kept her distance. There's little doubt that she felt bad about this, but Lily's intentions were not impure.

The rest of the gang took this differently, but Ted felt two obligations going on that summer, as he tried his best to be the guy who helps Marshall out during his time of need, as best friends are meant to be, as well as feeling hurt that his other best friend left him suddenly. As childish as it may seem, there's logic as to why Ted gave up on one of these emotions when he resorted to name-calling Lily while trying his best to keep Marshall happy.

I don't think that Lily necessarily had to apologize to Ted, but I do understand his feelings towards her previous actions. While Lily had the right to head out and try to achieve her dreams, it was a sudden decision that it took a while to be resolved. Lily was only trying to succeed in life, but Ted felt like she was leaving everything here behind.

Especially since Ted proved how much he cares about Lily quite well with the Easy-Bake Oven. The fact that Ted can remember something like this so clearly despite being so baked proves how well Ted is at maintaining information about his friends, a notion that Lily takes well.

It also contains a great flashback to the trio's college days, containing some great stoner gags. It's one of many great little scenes in the A-plot that help to keep things entertaining all the way through. Marshall's post-office story is another good one, bringing a delightful sense of Christmas wonder to the show without deviating from its tone at all. It's a cute side story that works pretty well, but the true gem might be Ted's time with his religious cousin's family, which as fabricated as it may seem, wow is it funny. I can't tell which bit is funnier, Ted trying to pass off Sam Jackson's abbreviated passage from Pulp Fiction as his favorite piece of scripture, or the idea of these little kids possibly saying cunt repeatedly.

Barney's subplot is also cute, giving him a moment of sheer vulnerability and more one-on-one time with Robin, both being things that I am always for. Forcing Barney to let his guards down makes Neil Patrick Harris challenge himself a little more than usual as he finds a way to keep the character still interesting as he's sick. Thankfully, NPH is able to adapt to a sick voice quite well, but his true shining moment comes from his muscle inflections, which are primarily prevalent in the scene where Barney lies on Ted's bed as Robin feeds him soup, where he finds the right way to make even a chin reflex funny.

As for Robin? Right now, she might just be Barney's best female friend, as she seems to understand and like him better than Lily. Granted, Barney's attitude towards women still must be a turn-off to her, but at this point, his womanizing ways must be a joke to her, especially as she knows what Barney is truly like. And at the end of the day, yes, he might be a little creepy, but Barney is primarily just a child that cares deeply for his friends. When his addictive personality gets in the way, it may be harder to defend him, but Robin didn't leave Barney since she knows his good, and at the end of the day, finds him to be such a fascinating character.

But it's even more telling about Robin's character that she just drugs Barney's drink. As much as she cares about Barney, she has almost no maternal instincts, which is surprisingly rare in fiction, but certainly welcome. As well as telling about her relationship with Ted, since even after being together for a while, she hasn't changed her ways when it comes to childcare.

Hsueh's script brings many great ideas to the table, thematically and humorously, and with the help of Fryman's eye for pacing and talent, each of them pays off quite well. For the show's first Christmas episode, this is a home run. At the halfway point, season 2 is proving to be the step-up that the series deserved, which is the perfect Christmas gift for fans. Now onto the back-half of the season!

Continuity Errors: Huh, it's weird to see the show refer to smoking weed by a real term, and not "eating a sandwich". This iconic euphemism will show up soon as a way to "keep the innocence of Ted's kids", which makes it so strange to see Ted not even bother to hide that they smoked even remotely here.

How I Met Your Mother Review- "Single Stamina"

Single Stamina (2x10)

Directed by Pam Fryman

Written by Kristin Newman

One Paragraph Synopsis: When the rest of the gang holds a couple's coma during the winter, Barney, still maintaining single stamina, decides to impress the gang by having his gay brother James show up to raise their enthusiasm.  The thing is, though, James is engaged with plans to adopt, which breaks Barney's mind and heart. The episode deals with his unwillingness to adapt to James leaving the dating world, before Barney eventually meets the man and child his brother will spend his days with, and relents. Meanwhile, Ted and Marshall see what it's like to consistently be hit on when the gang goes to a gay club, as the ladies get time off from their usual scenario.

Let's start this off by dealing with the elephant in the room- yes, this is about gay rights. The episode was nominated for a GLAAD award as it handled the issue of gay acceptance in a vaguely subtle way. While there are elements of the episode that I don't think work very well, the metaphor is portrayed well enough that I'd call it effective.

Of course, Barney is cool with James being gay. That's just a part of who he is, and Barney seems to have always been accepting of it. It's the notion that James is get married that disappoints Barney, and where the episode builds on gay rights. His denial fits in with family members that are initially unconvinced of their loved ones not being straight, as it's often a big shock, even now as our culture has become increasingly more welcome to queer people. Blame some dated pieces of literature on that.

Granted, not everyone becomes accepting of their queer child's being. Some people are so conditioned to believe that homosexuality is a sin that they may never become accepting, but plenty do take time. Barney goes right into anger, though, as James' revelation causes him to almost want to write James out of his life. The gang also takes note of Barney's rage, as he isn't necessarily willing to hide it. This is an unfortunate cause, one that Barney quickly glances over.

Barney goes to bargaining when he brings James and the group over to the gay bar. Initially sold as a "bachelor party", James is quick to see Barney's motive, as he brings numerous attractive men over to his gay brother in hopes of having James forget about his fiance. James thankfully doesn't hesitate to let Barney know that he thinks this is wrong, similar to how a queer person's loved one is likely to bargain to them to change their viewpoints, sometimes by praying away the gay. As you can imagine, that just doesn't work.

This episode goes past the depression phase quickly, as it fast-forwards up to the wedding and shows that Barney has grown full acceptance of James' decision. Barney's little speech to his newly adopted nephew is a thing of beauty, showing Neil Patrick Harris' natural acting graces in a calm, loving motive. In hopes to save time, I don't think that I need to explain how the last two stages would affect the loved one of a queer person's coming out, nor that a queer person may likely have their own system of coping towards their coming out.

The Kübler-Ross method of grief is used in "Single Stamina" for two reasons- not only to show how Barney adapts to his brother's recent venture into a lifetime of couple's coma, but for him to hold the potential in his mind that some day soon, Barney may similarly go into that same coma. The Barney Stinson of today is a self-proclaimed bachelor, but give him 6 or 7 years, and who knows what will happen to him. Like everyone else, Barney will continue to mature as he lives his life, and there's no reason to believe that he'll be so against domestication in the future as he is right now. He's not able to admit it right now, but it seems like Barney even has this idea right now.

The bulk of the story is about Barney and James, which is lifted not only from NPH's usually excellent performance, but from Wayne Brady's own acting strength. He adapts very well to the show's structure as he adheres to its typical sense of humor, but also adds a unique energy to it. James' dialogue has a different kind of punch to it, as he's even more long-winded than Barney, as well as even more charismatic. Barney may be funnier, but Brady still proves that he understands comic timing just fine when he's given the chance to let James deliver some real kickers.

At the same time, Brady is also great at performing more gentle moments, as shown here. When James confides in Barney, it comes off as believable and generally likable from him. This is only the first episode for James, but he nails the character immediately, as there's already a brotherly bond between the two characters that's clearly present.

But as for the rest of the group, there's definitely some good in here. Their material isn't as essential, but the idea behind couples coma and single stamina is logical, as it common for people in happy relationships to lose their desire to go out when they can have just as much fun with their boo at home. I've been on Barney's end more than the other way around, but it is definitely a thing. One that is respectable on both sides.

The part that does stick to me about their material, though, is the role reversal at the gay club. There is some excellent commentary about misogyny with the constant advances that Ted and Marshall deal with in relation to the guys there, as they see what women have to deal with daily. The idea that they should be flattered by unwanted flirting, grouping, and creepy comments helps to give these men a clue as to what not only the women in their life, but practically every female alive, deals with from men.

Although it almost loses me when Lily and Robin grow tired of being ignored at the club, and head back to McLarens. I just can't buy that they actually miss the gross attitude from men, since a lot of it borders on abuse. And abuse is just wrong, which makes me wonder what the intent here is, as it comes off as counterproductive.

The shared lines from Robin and Lily at the end results in my biggest flaw from the episode, which is otherwise another strong installment. James doesn't keep his distance for long, appearing sporadically in the years to come and usually adds something of value to the episode. Here, his relationship to Barney definitely helps to contribute to the episode's qualities, as it's another loving, believable addition to this great show.

Also, keep note of Ted and Robin's ending scene, especially how it contrasts to Marshall and Lily. There's more to come for the couple over the course of this season.

Continuity Error (?): Ted talks about how he isn't crazy on his brother-in-law, but to my memory, over the next handful of times we see or hear about his sister, there isn't another reference to a husband. It's possible that they got divorced, but this seems like an error.

It's also worth noting that Megan Mullally voices Barney and James' mother here, even though when we finally meet her, she doesn't keep the role. It makes sense, since Bays and Thomas don't seem to have her down as a character rather than a concept just yet, but this will change. Thankfully, Mullally is often great, and she delivers some crushing lines here.

How I Met Your Mother Review- "Slap Bet"

Slap Bet (2x09)

Directed by Pam Fryman

Written by Kourtney Kang

One Paragraph Synopsis: When Robin emphatically refuses to go to the mall with the gang, Ted's curiosity won't be satisfied until he finds out why. Ted asks Robin if she was married at a mall years before, she hesitates but does confirm that it happened. Except, to satisfy the titular Slap Bet between himself and Barney, Marshall checks Robin's records and finds that she's never been married. So why does Robin not like malls? Did she shoot a porno at one? Was she stuck in a bomb threat or robbery in one? Did she get stuck underneath a fake boulder at one? The answer is more than any of the gang's wildest dreams could have concluded.

It used to be more common to make episodes that served as build-up to one big joke in sitcoms, ages ago. This is an episode format still occasionally used, but the results are usually flat or unfocused when they're attempted, with It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia in particular being rather hit or miss when the show tries this kind of episode. Still, two of the most beloved episodes in situational comedy history, particular episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and WKRP in Cincinnati, follow this format, and still hold up today since the joke still works wonders, as well as their characters managed to be defined enough to make the set-ups work.

"Slap Bet" follows this, but in HIMYM style, which allows for the show's rapid fire pacing and smart efforts towards cast inclusion to allow for a hell of an experience. There is nary a minute that goes by without an excellent gag, as the reveal at the end more than justifies its weight as the big one.

I don't know which story I should focus on first, but I should probably save the more meaty material for later. That is not to say Marshall and Barney's plot isn't important, though. Although I should definitely mention Lily in here, as she plays a very important part as she mediates between her restored love for Marshall and her devotion to the Slap Bet. As commissioner, she is meant to be as unbiased as possible, but the brilliant little addition comes from Hannigan's pauses, where she quietly reminds the audience that she'd love nothing more than to see Barney get his dues. While Lily ultimately shows respect to the Slap Bet by making Marshall take his expected hits, she doesn't hesitate to make sure that Barney gets it good, if not harder, as well. Kang's script, along with Fryman's direction and Hannigan herself, allows for a strong, understated role for Lily as she struggles with her love life and equally important duties.

Marshall and Barney keep their part of the story going by showing both strength and child-like fear at once. There's no mistake that this is a kid's game that they're playing with in an adult's body, but the determination that the guys share indicates that they don't care, since the Slap Bet is a great challenge. When one gets to slap the other, there's a frank show of confidence from the slapper, as sweat and bargaining drops out of the slapee. This indicates that Barney and Marshall's childish tendencies are coming in full circle, as they realize just how demented this game is, but it's too late to step off.

This especially comes into play at the end, when Marshall's final play comes into his hands, as Barney becomes increasingly terrified of the outcome. Segel's face shows apathy, which to me means that he knows that this is a pointless game that two adults like them show be over with. This epiphany is paused until Marshall's slap at the very end shows an unbelievable penchant of joy, suggesting that Marshall doesn't care. This is going to be very fun for him to use against Barney in their life to come.

The other thing about the Slap Bet that I enjoy is that it's a penis metaphor. The concept is brought to the table when Marshall out-right brags about his size to Barney, a move that on the surface may seem uncharacteristic to him, but makes sense for him in hindsight. Even though Marshall may be one of the greatest guys on the planet, he's still male, and the vast majority of males are succumbed to penis envy thanks to a patriarchal view set. The Slap Bet furthers this by making the conflict about these two men proving the other right, and having the skills to surpass them when it's time to deal. As well as the truth that men care more about it than women do.

But the reason Barney and Marshall even set the Slap Bet up is to see who is right about Robin's mystery, which is the heart and center of the episode. It primarily is as the mystery is what brings a rupture into Ted and Robin's relationship. This becomes a big deal since their time together was supposed to have helped Robin open up and become more comfortable among her loved ones, especially her significant other. This is something the show has brought up before, particularly in "Ted Mosby, Architect", but it all comes together when Robin openly tells Ted that she's trusted him with more than she has to anyone, an important line that Smulders pulls off as a way to validate Ted's importance while still keeping her own identity. That is something Robin has been afraid of from her relationships for a long time, but Ted, up to this point, has been able to give her the best of both worlds with no hesitation, making this a tough time for them.

Although it's hard to tell who is really in the wrong. On the one hand, I understand why Robin feels that her privacy was invaded, since it was and her reasons for disliking malls have nothing to do with Ted. No could and should be a complete sentence, but too many people reject this notion in the eternal quest for validation. For better or worse, that makes Ted's quest for information human, but ultimately makes it easy to side against.

However, Ted isn't wrong when he considers that as her boyfriend, he deserves the option to know everything about her. Even though it wasn't all too difficult to put this behind her, the revelation was a part of Robin's life, and he has the right to know about it. While the "oh" moment wasn't about Robin formerly being a dude (the episode's one blind side, an unfortunate transphobic joke, but even that is one that gets a bit of a laugh from me thanks to Radnor's facial delivery, and it is fair to admit that Ted would have deserved to know if Robin was formerly male), this is still something Robin could have easily told Ted in a hope to get to know each other even better.

But in Robin's defense, I feel that she would have told Ted eventually, but he ruined his chance by telling the gang when Robin lied to him. A simple break of faith is enough to halt any good relationship, especially when it's as important of a deception as this seems to be. Whatever reason there is for Robin to not want Ted to know about her disdain for malls, he ruined his chance of knowing at the time for going behind her back. Besides, he moved to Hong Kong for business.

My god, though, every line in this episode is pure gold. Kang really knocked it out of the park, as she got the characters down perfectly while giving everyone a great share of fantastic dialogue to keep up to while many of her lines hold universal truths throughout. Fryman keeps game with no problem, as she makes sure the pacing perfectly compliments the episode, as she's already proven before on a frequent basis to be game for. One scene she completely hits is the flashback of when Ted tells the gang Robin's "secret", which is done exactly 30 seconds after the scene begins with Marshall's slap, and ends after exactly 30 seconds with a reprisal of the slap, keeping an unbelievable sense of continuity. The crew have this show down exactly by now, only improving as it goes along, just as the best should.

But I've talked so much about this episode without touching the reveal at the end, which shows great restraint on my part. How does it hold? Incredibly. Who would have guessed Robin Sparkles was a thing? The joke came from Alanis Morissette's history, as she had a Tiffany-esq mall tour cycle after her You Can't Do That On Television days, but before her Jagged Little Pill superstar status. Both are unbelievably funny, but holy shit.

Just, words always fail me when it comes to the discovery of Robin Sparkles. Besides, everyone's response does more than I could ever say.

This is everything the show aimed to accomplish in an insane compilation of clips, as the "Let's Go to the Mall" video builds character in unorthodox ways, keeps a well-constructed balance of 80's and 90's nostalgia in check, and keeps the humor and pacing as quick as a virtuoso guitarist's shredding skills. And this thankfully won't be the last time Sparkles appears on the show.

The reveal isn't made obvious, even to repeat viewers. But I consider that a strength to the episode, not a weakness. While other series would be more willing to spell out the mystery to its audience, "Slap Bet" doesn't even give a chance for the audience to guess what the big deal really is. At the same time, though, it's astounding how much sense Sparkles makes towards Robin's embarrassment. I'd be embarrassed if I had to laugh like that every single day.

"Slap Bet" is considered by many to be the quintessential How I Met Your Mother episode, and it's hard to argue against it. This isn't just good enough; if you asked for pancakes but got waffles instead, that's good enough. This is among the very finest that the situation comedy can offer, and is required viewing for every single person on earth. Although personally, I think there's even better material to come!

Hey, it's 2006!: Barney uploaded the video to MySpace. I honestly don't remember MySpace having a video service, let alone a credible one.

Also, Nova Scotia residents are rarely flat-chested.