Directed by Pam Fryman
Written by Stephen Lloyd
One Paragraph Synopsis: Ted's trying his hardest to find his new girl Royce's (Judy Greer) baggage. The thing is, he's doing this while keeping his own baggage tightly lipped- he's still not talking about how Stella left him at the altar. At least, Ted didn't plan to until he and Royce go see the hot new romantic comedy, The Wedding Bride, written by Tony himself. The movie is a inaccurate retelling of the Stella affair, treating "Jed Mosley" like a complete jackass, as it shows Ted's side to be unbalanced. Ted hurts until he decides that it's for the best to tell Royce the truth, that he was left at the altar and it still hurts, especially when this movie is around to remind him of it. It doesn't matter though, since we don't see Royce after this episode.
Doppelgangers (5x24)
Directed by Pam Fryman
Written by Carter Bays & Craig Thomas
One Paragraph Synopsis: The quest to find Barney's doppelganger is over, when Marshall and Lily find a cab driver who looks just like him. This means that Lily is ready to keep her end of the bargain with Marshall and have a kid, until it turns out that the cab driver is actually a scheme of Barney's. They push their baby-making plans back until Lily finds a hot dog vendor that she swears is Barney's doppelganger, which Marshall doesn't even try to fight. But that isn't all- Robin was offered a anchor position in Chicago, which she almost takes, before realizing how much she loves Don, and is willing to give it up for him. Except, Don takes the offer himself, and the two break up instantly.
The fifth season was a roller coaster of quality, containing the show at its best and its worst, often at only an episode apart, and sometimes even in the same episode. These last two episodes maintain a good thing, but they're pretty different when you get down to it.
Most series usually start to lose their touch when they hit 100 episodes. There are plenty of exceptions to the rule, but it's around this point that most of the best possible stories have been exercised and character and plot beats are starting to increasingly be repeated. There's often a sense of familiarity that becomes involved with this- after a few years, showrunners are able to figure out virtually everything that fans like about their series, and are willing to burn them into the ground for the sake of keeping the cash flow coming.
I've mentioned before that at this point, Bays and Thomas knew that HIMYM was going to run for a while, and were willing to stall for a while to keep the good times coming. That sense of complacency hit the season pretty hard, as noticed when watching it as a whole. On a case by case basis, there doesn't seem to be too much of a decline in quality, at least if you don't hit the weakest episodes. But together, the lack of focus and general coasting nature is obvious, with a negative effect on the show.
I'm going over season 5 as a whole now, as this is the best time too. But I should probably get to the episodes in question first.
"The Wedding Bride" is a pretty funny episode, but I'm not sure if it was able to justify the full half hour without a side plot. The main theme of accepting and working on baggage is a strong one, but the Wedding Bride material, as funny as it is, runs a little thin at the end of the day.
It works as a reminder of Ted's grief from the Stella ordeal, though, just as it works as a parody of romantic comedies, even HIMYM itself. Chris Katan in particular is great as Jed Mosley, bringing some of Ted's general douchiness to screen as authentically as possible. Also note that Malin Akerman is here as Stella in a bit of synergy, as she stared in Radnor's directoral debut, which was so unremarkable that I forgot its name.
While I like this, I'm less enthused about seeing the gang be little more than spectators for Ted's issues, even as they have notable highlights- Barney is kissing awesome in particular. Lloyd is a good writer, and can do great stuff for the characters, but failed to dig further on the gang's baggage beyond an unremarkable endeavor into Marshall's kindness, which doesn't get resolved. Still, what works works well, as I find enough good in the episode to recommend.
"Doppelgangers", meanwhile, is a strong endeavor, ending the fifth season well, even if it isn't a five-star effort. Each of the characters have something important to deal with here, and it does help to lead into a (hopefully) promising sixth season.
Marshall and Lily's discussion on whether or not they're ready for children is answered throughout, based on the quest for the last doppelganger, And the results are telling to their current position. Marshall instantly sees the cab driver as a double of Barney, and while Lily is initially ready to side with him, she soon changes her mind even before learning that it was a double. But when she sees the random vendor, reality doesn't matter. The timing and circumstance is right- Lily is ready to have kids. And Marshall doesn't want to wait, either.
Robin's change is equally big- she's given the chance to pursue her dreams, but at the risk of losing her love in the process. The Robin of season 2 may or may not have made the same decision, but the Robin of season 5 seems happy with her call.
At least until she discovers that Don takes that offer, which is a huge blow. Robin's pride is still valid, and she's too strong to stay with someone who spit on her dreams like this. It's what keeps Robin going, and what will help her in the long run.
Barney's doppelganger attempt is sweet and welcome, as it shows how he really has grown over the years. Before, he never would have pushed for his friends to advance their life as much as he is,but this shows how there really is growth to the character. And we also see his grief when he discovers how Robin might leave. This is about more than just a friend moving away- he still really seems to like Robin, to the point that Barney would fight for her.
And Ted. Crazy, blond Ted. Not only is his bleached hair subplot funny, it prevents him from screwing things up by getting back with Robin. But maybe there's more to them, as well. It also shows how he has grown himself, as otherwise Ted might have taken that offer up, but seeing how Robin has changed over the years gives him an idea that it isn't for the best.
These are solid episodes, but my reservations about the fifth season remains. The thing is, the show still has the ability to be at the top of its game, which is why I still enjoy coming back to write up about it, even if it isn't as consistent as it was last season. I give season 5 a B-, the lowest score since the first season, but still respectful enough. Can season 6 bring things forward, though? Let's hope.
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