Directed by Pam Fryman
Written by Craig Thomas & Carter Bays
One Paragraph Synopsis: This is the year that the gang decides to retire from any crazy St. Patrick's Day activities... aside from Barney, who convinces Ted to join him on a wild night with a compelling "end of the world" speech. Things appear to be in their favor, as they head to a club mostly full of women, as the two ditch their dates and lead to Ted deciding on something new- instead of trying to be good as he normally does, screw it and go crazy. He ends up using a stranger's tab for drinks and meets with a married woman that he almost scores, until karma comes back and punches him in the face. So there does end up to be a tomorrow, and a moment of clarity from Marshall allows Ted to realize how much of a tool he was the previous night. But this is a day full of promises, as besides a vow Ted does his best to take seriously, the future love of Ted's life was somehow at the same party as he was. But while this was happening, Lily and Marshall discover something about their new apartment with Robin- it's crooked.
Thanks to the Writers' Strike of 07-08, this is the shortest season of HIMYM, clocking in at a slightly smaller-than-usual 20 episodes. But 20 is still a fine production number, and not only does the show have more episodes than the average network series airing that season did, but it was also one of the first to return to TV with new episodes. Fans only had to wait about 3 months between "The Platinum Rule" and this, which aired conveniently by St. Patrick's Day.
That's a blessing and a curse from Thomas & Bays, who wrote this, as well as the previous episode. They're able to pull out a good script very quickly, but there are some cases where it really does feel that they needed to go through at least one more draft. Although this isn't one of those, as "No Tomorrow" comes off pretty well for a return to the show.
Right away, the showrunners come up with an effective storyline for Ted, in which he tests his inhibitions out ala Barney, keeps a consistent rise and fall for him to deal with. Ted is proven to be an asshole this week, but it fits quite well for the story.
Because in truth, Ted is an asshole. Whether he realizes it or not, he seriously can be cruel. The gang do seem to realize this at least somewhat, but his actions are usually less demented than Barney's, which is why he's given a free pass. But his actions in this episode really do seem to cross a line, as Ted says and does some bad things.
In "No Tomorrow", Ted's ethical factors are questioned as he continuously acts against respectable mannerisms, coming off as a complete douche. And of course, it starts with Ted agreeing with Barney to leave their dates behind, an unfair move to the women, despite the guy to girl ratio being so in their favor. It's just not right to make plans with someone, only to ditch them right in their face.
Granted, that's nothing unusual for Barney, but I think the way that even he objected to Ted using another guy's tab is telling of just how far he's going that night. When Barney told Ted that today could be their last day, it was only meant to give him a slight boost in energy to have a good night with his bro, not ruin a stranger's bank account. The logic that is going on in Ted's head is icky.
But this isn't some new discovery for Ted, in the same way that Walter White didn't just become an evil mastermind. The filters in Ted's mind has just turned off for the night, and he's loving it. But it does say a lot that Radnor plays Ted straight, and doesn't play up on the absurdness of this change of pace. I see it as intentional, which is why Radnor gives a performance consistent of his usual for the show.
This also proves true of Ted's chemistry with Ashlee, which is fine but ultimately vanilla. Victoria she ain't. But she isn't meant to be, as evident by her lack of character. She's cute enough for Ted, which is what matters in the show, but it does become tiresome to see the various women who come and go in his life be so thin in personality.
But the thing about Ashlee is that her "oh moment" isn't a personality trait, but rather a life choice- her husband. Now this is something Barney is familiar with, but even despite Ted's not-so-nice side, he's too ethical to sleep with a married woman. The realization creates for good conflict, which ultimately gets side stepped for a deserved punch in the face from the man's tab that Ted was using. That isn't a complaint, though, since Ted really did deserve the punch.
Which is a point Marshall brings up wonderfully at the end, as he rails on Ted for his actions. Being his best friend and a person closer in life to where he wants to be, Marshall is the perfect choice for this discussion, as Thomas and Bays gives him a strong piece to share with Ted. While Marshall does have his own problematic behavior, he works well as a voice of reason, and his devotion to Lily gives him good incentive to tell Ted what he did wrong the previous night.
This moment also allows for an excellent creative move from Thomas and Bays, where we get to see something a little closer to what Ted was like that night, as Radnor plays up his drunk inhibitions. It's a strong contrast to what we've heard from Future Ted, and not only proves that he isn't too reliable of a narrator (or maybe not, since the audience is shown this bit anyway. There have been other moments where Ted needed more citations, though), but that drinking is a way to identify your true desires, and Ted really is a bit of an asshole.
Which is something Ted acknowledges himself, thanks to Saget's narration. There is real remorse and sincerity in his voice, which indicates that the Ted of 2008 saw something about himself that needed to change, and most likely did by 2030. It's a good cap-off to a great episode.
But not as great as that clue towards the mother at the end, huh? As a first-time viewer half a decade ago, this definitely kept me interested in the mythology of the story after a long period of stalling, and I can see it still do so for new viewers today. Considering its icon status, I'm sure it won't surprise you to say that this isn't the last that we see of the yellow umbrella, either. Also keep an eye on the shot of the umbrella as the camera pans away. Truly gorgeous.
I shouldn't end the review without mentioning the subplot, though. It really is cute, and the way that the ghost angle is played is not only a silly bit of fun, but also gives the idea across that Lily is falling into Marshall's paranoia herself.
But it is believable to see a crooked apartment be something that breaks down Lily, since hell, I'd be pissed off if the place I fought to get a decent mortgage on turned out to be such a travesty. Props must be given to Marshall and Robin for doing their best to soften the blow, but it wouldn't be as fun if they didn't fail, which makes for even more fun. But not as much as their ending decision to lunging in the apartment. Good thinking!
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