Directed by Pam Fryman
Written by Craig Gerard & Matthew Zinman
One Paragraph Synopsis: When Ted's old girlfriend Karen moves to New York, he meets up with her, has lunch, passionately reunite, and commit to each other, just before discovering that Karen is using him to let her current boyfriend know that their relationship is over, a tactic she used to do with Ted. A decade removed from that self, Ted has no patience for it and makes Karen confront her issues, which she does, and thus results in the two of them trying their relationship out again. This story is slowly being doled out to the group, half of which already don't like Karen while the other half is growing to not like her either, as Marshall shares his story of how he lost his pants at work.
The Front Porch (4x17)
Directed by Rob Greenberg
Written by Chris Harris
One Paragraph Synopsis: A couple of weeks have passed since "Sorry, Bro", and while Ted seems happy on the surface, Karen hasn't become any better of a person since Wesleyan. As such, it doesn't come as a disappointment or surprise when she and Ted break up early into the episode. But what does become a surprise is the revelation that Lily personally sabotaged their relationship, and that this isn't the first time she's done this for Ted. The selling point, however, is that Lily became a cataclysm for Ted and Robin's relationship, a decision that she regretted, but had to do for the good of her hypothetical front porch, where she and Marshall can see themselves play bridge with Ted and his future wife for the rest of their lives. There just wasn't a way for Ted and Robin to resolve their differences at the time to make it work. But a nice night later gives the two the opportunity to decide on potentially marrying each other if they're still single when they turn 40. Meanwhile, Marshall shows Barney the joy of a nice nightshirt, in a surprisingly tender moment with them.
Meh, I am behind, so I might try to do some more double reviews on a semi-regular basis. Not for every episode, obviously, but for whichever instances that combining two episodes into one post will work, why not? But I definitely wanted to do so for Karen's run on the show. She'll be back on the show in an odd flashback or two, but her time in the present is over for now.
Laura Prepon (post-That 70's Show, pre-Orange is the New Black) does a fantastic job at playing Karen's pretentiousness. The character isn't very likable at all, but Prepon knows this and plays it quite well, finding a good mix between keeping a straight face while she seems able to laugh at herself. Her French pronunciations are also perfectly obnoxious, and not fully accurate, either.
But that is just what Ted wanted around that time, as he wasn't a whole lot better. He may have enjoyed wrestling unironically and drank a beer or two on the side, but his ability to call up an impressive French pallet, years removed, proves it. Although to be fair, when they were seen together, Ted seemed a little too good for Karen, as his pretentious facade was merely a joke, not something to put people down for. Unlike Karen, who reveled, and still does revel, in putting down people who don't share her particular passion for culture.
Both episodes do a good job at showing how bad of a person Karen really is, even beyond Prepon's performance. The writing is strong throughout, as even in basic lines, there is a bitterness present in all of her dialogue, but not in a way that takes away from the show. The rightful balance is still kept, which explains how these episodes succeed.
"Sorry, Bro" fits with the show's classic framing ploys, in the way its stories are told without the gang leaving the bar in present tense, similar to season 3's "The Platinum Rule". Everything you need to know is going on through Ted, Marshall, and Barney's narrative, as the ladies sit and hear their tales. It's not only unorthodox in the sitcom world, in that this is technically based in real-time and nobody leaves the set until flashbacks occur, but it helps to bring the audience in along with the characters. Barney's overecstatic expression towards Marshall's pain is palpable, just as the tension between Ted's stalling can be felt.
Ted and Marshall's main stories aren't the only flashbacks here. We also get to see how the rest of the gang have dealt with their exes after breaking up, each with varied results. Barney's fear of Wendy the Waitress is unfounded, but the return of Scooter is welcome, as awkward as he can be to Lily. Marshall's throwback to grammar school, meanwhile, shows his general innocence in this grand scheme of things, as this young love was the closest thing to a real relationship he's had before Lily. And Robin is a gun nut, which is always a fun trait to return to.
But as for Marshall's material, it's silly, but a fun diversion to Ted's more serious story with Karen. Segel and NPH do a great job of bouncing off their reactions, as Marshall's ambivalent embarrassment and Barney's giddy admiration perfectly keep this set fresh, even as the material feels otherwise hokey. But that is the charm, how tired this story might otherwise feel.
Barney and Marshall get some more time together in "The Front Porch", as they hilariously bond over the joys of nightshirts, complete with a cute Big Lebowski reference. Usually Marshall and Barney's friendship with Ted is front and center, despite the former two working together, which is why the diversion to how they work as friends makes for a welcome change of pace. It's simply fun, a kind of fun that is displayed well here.
Ted and the ladies have their own time in this episode, as his fight with Lily reveals a new shade to her character. Lily has always been protective of her friends, but here some things finally add up. Her other sabotages, including Karen, make sense, but Robin hurts. It hurts because it makes all too much sense. Looking back, while she and Ted did still love each other, the spark was gone by this point.
It seems likely that the spark was gone as they were recalling just what the biggest roadblock in the way of their relationship is, even before Lily came in. It is kind of hard to forget if your beau wants kids while you don't, after all. Lily merely decided to try and find a way for them to have an amicable discussion about it, which did end up working, but not in the way she hoped for.
And it is hard to be mad at Lily, since Ted and Robin just were not meant to be then, or even now. Their romantic night together still shows shades of this, which explains why they made the friendly proposal for years ahead, rather than just get back together. These are smart adults, but if Ted had to give up his dream of children, or Robin her dream of breaking into journalism, just for someone they love today, it's not worth it. They can't see each other as their dream right now, which only confirms it.
This is what makes both of these episodes strong, but I've only touched a fraction of the humorous highlights. These are top quality HIMYM, as the show's love for character, humor, and heart is present constantly here. And you don't even need to bring up Karen anymore to prove the point!
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