This pair of episodes is selling the idea that Barney probably can't change, at least not without a lot more effort. It's not exactly a happy concept, but one that does show some promise in these otherwise decent episodes.
I will say that losing Jeannette was not a big deal, since there's only so much that could have been done with the character. Her welcome was wearing well past thin, but it says a lot how she was the one to break up with Ted earlier in the episode for being too dramatic. He really needs a perspective change, which their time together should hopefully allow for.
Also, it was sad to see the red cowboy boots go, but at least they were set off to an explosive enough finale. And I can't argue with the use of Creedence for the soundtrack.
Ted's material is a little more thin in the latter episode, which is fine, since it allows for Lily and Marshall to have more screentime than their inferior plot in the previous episode allowed for. "Weekend at Barney's" skipped over Lily's new job, which is explored more here. It seems like a better opportunity for her to shine in the art world, but it's not exactly what either she or Marshall want- long hours for little real experience. Thus, their fight comes off as real, and allows for a reasonable expansion of the story for the two. And a funny parody of Downton Abbey, which never fails to put me to sleep.
Still, the important arcs of these episodes come from Robin and Barney's attempts to connect. Both of them still appear to love each other and want to make their relationship work, but Barney is still a kid at heart, and not exactly in a good way. Robin's disappointment is fair, but she is also shown to love Barney for what he is as well, given her defense of his apartment. So it's overall a mixed experience.
Pair it off with matching movie spoofs of equal so-so quality, and that's what you get from these episodes. Some good material, but not the show's best.
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