Directed by Pam Fryman
Written by Chuck Tatham
One Paragraph Synopsis: The Zoey drama isn't other yet- one cross line at Ted gives her the incentive to register for her class. And despite his best efforts to win his class over, it doesn't take long for her to get them against him and on board with saving the Arcadian. Ted tries to take the advice Lily gives him to win them back, with one final, successful result- threatening to fail his students when they ditch class for a protest, they come back in great numbers. At the same time, Marshall has to deal with Randy, a total loser of an underling who keeps on screwing up their work. It gets to the point that Marshall has to fire Randy, and when he changes his mind, it's revealed that Randy planned to use his severance check to start a microbrewery going. Eventually Marshall decides to do Randy the big solid, and fires him again.
Natural History (6x08)
Directed by Pam Fryman
Written by Carter Bays & Craig Thomas
One Paragraph Synopsis: The gang is invited to a gala event at the Natural History Museum, being ran by GNB, and Arthur's old friend, the Captain (Kyle MacLachlan). From there, the night resumes. Ted runs into Zoey and learns that she's married to the Captain, an arrangement she isn't super happy about. They end up finding a mutual agreement against all odds, even with the articles she gets posted about Ted in the paper. Barney and Robin play a game of mess with the museum, only to get caught, when some important news is shared to Barney. And Lily is struggling with the reality that Marshall is willing to stick around at GNB, and give up his dreams of being an environmental lawyer.
I wasn't really expecting to find as strong of a connection between these two episodes that I have, but it's there- these are episodes about maturing, embracing second chances, about listening. And it helps that they're both pretty strong episodes.
Although there's a clear winner here for sure- "Natural History" might just make my top 10, give or take my position on "Subway Wars" on the day you ask me. But it's funny, on instinct I should have a grudge towards the episode based on a piece that Bays and Thomas stated during its commentary track. They actually compared this to a Billy Wilder script!
As much as I admire Wilder (he's my second favorite filmmaker, behind only Hitchcock), the thing is, this doesn't really fit his aesthetic. And I don't even mean his more dramatic material, such as Sunset Boulevard or Ace in the Hole- even his comedies, such as Some Like It Hot, Sabrina, and One Two Three have an entirely different pacing and structure to the show as a whole, this episode included.
But then I think about some of Wilder's scripts before he got his big break as a director. His and Charles Brackett's screenplays for Ninotchka, Midnight, and Ball of Fire were among the sharpest of screwball comedy, adhering to many of the recognized rules of the genre, but with his sharp sense for dialogue and character allowing for unique takes on the form. Midnight, for instance, almost exists as a satire of the very kind of film it is, with a respectful amount of snark used but not enough to overshadow his skill for formulating movie magic. When Wilder adapted to directing, his first film, The Major and the Minor, was a part of the screwball form, but he jumped the game shortly after.
This isn't meant to be a film lecture, though, but my point is that there is very much an element of screwball to "Natural History", and the show's creators were able to bless the screenplay with the right amount of biting wit to nail it.
The composition between the three plots are done equally well and in tune to each other, like many of the show's best scripts. None of the core five are forgotten- even Robin gets a chance to let her hair down and have fun, which is helpful in between all of the obnoxious things going on in her life.
Like Becky. The character of Becky isn't going to be a major one, in this season or as a whole, but she serves her purpose well. Having given up a great job in hopes of staying with her then-boyfriend, it doesn't seem like life for Robin could get any worse for the moment, until she becomes completely upstaged by a toddler. Becky's innocence can be cute, but I'd be annoyed too if I was in Robin's position.
Which is what gives her the incentive to appear in an adult diaper commercial. The build-up to the reveal in "Canning Randy" sticks to the show's strength of character building as exposition, as everything that's going on in the moment is about to burst, thanks to Lily's smart choices of words. The rise and fall of her secret and its reveal is almost reminiscent of "Slap Bet", which is always a great comparison to be made.
Barney doesn't have as much to do in "Canning Randy", other than to enable Marshall to fire Randy, a move that seems justified. We met Randy back in season 3, as Barney (somewhat) successfully attempted to be his wingman, but here it's clear that no amount of help he can give Randy can make the guy good at his job. Which is why Barney is tired of watching over him, and lends the guy to Marshall. That's about it.
As opposed to "Natural History", where his and Robin's story not only allows for fun gags, but comes into a surprisingly satisfying reveal of his true father. While this might have seemed to be an inappropriately dramatic sequence considering some of their other material, it's around this time that the three plots collide to make for meatier results, and thanks to the timing and talent of the cast and crew, the reveal packs a real punch. I think it's great, as it helps push Barney a little forward as he can no longer use his mother's lies to hide the truth. He knows, and it's about time he does something about it.
Lily spends most of her time in "Canning Randy" as a mentor for Ted, giving him advice on how to treat his students. The point of this material tries to show how college students aren't too different from kindergartners, and hey, if turning the lights on and off and going "ooooo" is enough to calm a group of young adults down, maybe there really isn't. And while Lily can go a little too far in her investigations, here her nudging to Ted actually pays off.
In "Natural History", though, Lily has something a little bigger to face- the fear of getting old and losing your dreams. While her ambitions as an artist aren't referenced, the implication is there as she sees her husband admit that he's willing to stay at GNB, instead of work for the environment. Too many people give up on their dreams to wake up every morning in a business suit, and Lily didn't seem ready to embrace the fact that she'll be married to someone like that.
It's a facet of maturing that we like to forget in hopes of keeping some kind of spark alive, but many succumb to letting these go and settle. And as much as Lily and Marshall are on point as a couple, they're on a different wavelength right now. Lily seems ready to accept Marshall's willingness to accept his place at the end of the episode, but she doesn't seem all too happy about it.
The use of college-aged Marshall and present-day Marshall as museum exhibits is clever. The former gives Lily a chance to come to grips, at least momentarily, with their current place in life, while the latter lets us know that his story isn't done yet. Since Marshall only claims to be happy with working at GNB for financial reasons, not for anything else. He still seems pretty miserable all around in both episodes.
The Marshall of "Canning Randy" isn't happy with having to fire Randy at all, even though the guy is clearly a dead-end. The episode has a well-meaning, if forgettable, framing device by showing Barney attempt to get Marshall to say that "GNB cares" for their damage control video (clips from it almost give off a Better Off Ted vibe, which is never a bad thing), a phrase he can't in good will say.
Because they don't! Or at least, not when they shouldn't. And to be fair, it is Marshall who messes things up for Randy by hiring him back. But this is a way to bring us into the dichotomy of GNB, a corporate who can fire with no remorse, but will screw you over just as your dreams are right in front of you. Marshall still means well, which is why he fires Randy for good after a whip of his craft beer. Between this and future Ted's foreshadowing, it's clear that Marshall isn't fully a suit yet. And seeing how this turns out will be great.
But Ted. Alright. And boy, Zoey can be a pest, as evident in the former episode. But the latter is interesting, showing the two almost getting along, especially after meeting the Captain, brilliantly portrayed by MacLachlan, who rocks every syllable he gets. But this shows a potential mutual agreement between the two. Maybe?
Two great episodes, with the latter getting the best out of everyone and ranking as one of the best of the season thus far. And this is a pretty fine season thus far.
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