Review: 'How I Met Your Mother' - 'Bad Crazy': Is there a policewoman in the house?
Ted struggles to get rid of Jeanette, while Robin keeps a secret from Lily for a very long time
Abby Elliott and Josh Radnor in "How I Met Your Mother."
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A review of last night's "How I Met Your Mother" coming up just as soon as I talk to the ghost of Marilyn Monroe's cat...
"P.S. I Love You" was going to be a hard act to follow, and "Bad Crazy" unsurprisingly was a drop-off from last week. But at the very least, it again felt structured like an episode of "HIMYM," using some of the show's familiar storytelling devices and following them all the way through to the end.
Both stories dealt with omitted details that transform our perception of what happened when they're fully revealed. The Robin/Lily story took that gimmick to its logical limit by having Robin take 17 years — without either of them noticeably aging — to tell the full story of that time she was left alone with Marvin. Mike Tyson's cameo was unexpected and funny,(*) and a case where the writers clearly thought through exactly how each scene would work whether the stranger was a maternal older woman or Iron Mike. Ted and Jeanette, meanwhile, revolved around information we didn't have until the end: that Ted had brought this on himself by giving mixed signals to his crazy/hot girlfriend.
(*) Albeit part of his unlikely transformation from feared ex-con to cuddly punchline. "Senator Mike Tyson"? Okie-doke.
Of the two stories, Robin's was more successful because it was simpler, because the payoff was better, and because Ted's leaned much much too heavily on Marshall and Barney acting like oblivious jerks whenever the plot demanded it. And, yes, Barney can certainly be that at times, but last week, Marshall was the one leading the charge for Ted to kick Jeanette to the curb, and here he cared more about playing video games in the clubhouse than he did helping his buddy stay away from this nutbar. I'm also not sure I buy Lily's advice to Ted — other than as an excuse to keep Abby Elliott around a bit longer, and give Ted something to do between now and the wedding at season's end. But there were individual gags that worked, like Barney with the cuckoo clock, or the red boots finally being worn by a woman.
Not great, but acceptable, which would seem more impressive by season 8 standards if it wasn't airing a week after "P.S. I Love You."
Some other thoughts:
* First, terrible job by me last week when, in discussing Abby Elliott's background, I somehow failed to mention that she's the daughter of Chris Elliott. Ordinarily, I would hope for a Jeanette/Mickey scene, but "HIMYM" has a spotty track record with this sort of thing, like not putting John Cho and NPH together, or Jason Segel and Busy Philipps.
* Speaking of Busy, her appearance as part of the threesome from "Third Wheel" was one of many components in the montage of fun Ted dating moments, which also included, among others: Mandy Moore in the hot tub in "Wait For It," Ted and Lindsay Sloane on their second first date in "Double Date," the Victoria's Secret party from "The Yips," and Ted going nude in "The Naked Man."
* I'm curious about the origin of Ted and Marshall's "Departed" voices, which they busted out again last night as they screamed about Jeanette being "a cawwwwp." Is this something Segel and Radnor just do on set and the writers started putting it into episodes, or was it more random than that?
* Barney has a long history of buying expensive toys like the Boba Fett armor, but Marshall has a modestly-paying job, a new baby, debt, etc. Is he really going to go buy Donkey Kong and that other stuff?
* In addition to not aging, Future Lily lives in that brownstone with the bay window for a really long time. Can someone remind me how far off in the future any scene with Combover Marshall is, and whether they were meant to be living in the suburbs again at that point? Trying to figure whether this was another of season 8's continuity flubs or if my memory on this one is fuzzy.
What did everybody else think?
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupJen T.
February 12, 2013 at 10:49AM EST Reply to CommentMaybe Lily's advice is not so bad. What's worse -- Ted dating someone crazy or Ted annoying them so much because he's not dating someone?
floretbroccoli
February 12, 2013 at 10:58AM EST Reply to CommentYeah. Not finding a rapist holding a baby so very funny.
Watts Yeah. That was my reaction. Mike Tyson, having served his time, is free to live his life. Doesn't mean I have to like seeing him in shows/movies I watch.
February 12, 2013 at 11:35AM ESTMeg It's not surprising, considering how misogynistic this show has become in recent years. The whole point of this storyline is apparently "bitches be crazy." At least Barney admitted he's a total monster. But having Lily be excited about "Senator Mike Tyson" holding little Marvin made me gag. She seems like she'd be more of a feminist. She kept her maiden name for chrissake!
February 12, 2013 at 1:40PM ESTGreg I agree in that Tyson's appearance in this and other things I enjoy gives me pause, but it's also a tricky area I am conflicted about.
February 12, 2013 at 1:54PM ESTFor example, I'm a huge DEADWOOD fan, but I recognize that a perusal of the personal histories of both Ian McShane and Jeffrey Jones (to name just two) turn up some extremely disturbing information (albeit from many years ago in both cases), but I tend to put it out of my mind and enjoy the show.
Also, obviously, THE WIRE employed some "actors," (Melvin Williams and Felicia Pearson off the top of my head) who had spent years incarcerated for very serious crimes before they were on the show (in Pearson's case playing a character similar to herself in some ways, down to the same name), and yet I find myself letting it go there too.
Perhaps it's different because Tyson is actually playing himself, and thus his whole personal history is being made "part of the joke" in a sense, which might make it more distasteful. I don't know.
Slam I know FOR A FACT that Mike Tyson is clean and sober. His past is in the past. I'm his biggest fan , LOVED seeing him being totally comfortable holding Lily's baby. Awesome.
February 12, 2013 at 4:00PM ESTfloretbroccoli Disengaging, in deference to Alan's prime directive.
February 12, 2013 at 4:48PM ESTDezbot @Greg, I know the Jones story, but what did McShane do? I couldn't find anything on the interwebz. Thanks!
February 12, 2013 at 6:55PM ESTPlanetix @Dezbot He's probably referring to allegations of abuse by a former girlfriend of his in the 70's. Also lots of drink and drugs, but in the case of the latter you could say that about virtually any actor in the 70's.
February 12, 2013 at 11:32PM ESTNothing quite like Jones, which is truly disturbing (not that hitting women isn't reprehensible, but as far as I know that was only alleged by a former lover)
Dezbot @Planetix, thanks! Yeah, the stuff about Jones creeps me out.
February 12, 2013 at 11:39PM ESTVideophile Tyson began his one-man stage show in my hometown this week. Watching the local media fawn all over a convicted rapist was nauseating. His showing up here just added to it. Disgusting.
February 15, 2013 at 12:43PM ESTSlam Tyson did hard time in a Federal prison and has completely changed his life. The only thing nauseating here is Videophile's horses*&t attitude
February 15, 2013 at 6:06PM ESTPlanetix @Slam for my own part, I agree with the others - I can appreciate that Tyson paid his debt to society, but that doesn't mean I have to find him amusing in the sitcoms or movies I watch, and neither does anyone else.
February 15, 2013 at 7:35PM ESTHe was one of the greatest heavyweight boxers that ever lived, and probably always will be considered so. Nothing will take that away from him. But a second life as a cuddly comic presence? A convicted rapist? No thanks.
Nick Bond
February 12, 2013 at 10:58AM EST Reply to CommentThat Combover Marshall/Old Lily bit is from the episode with the letter and I feel like that is supposed to take place when they are in the 60s, not mid-to-late 40s.
sepinwall Combover Marshall has appeared several times. Someone on Twitter noted that he looks that way in 2020 in a "How I Met Everyone Else" flash-forward.
February 12, 2013 at 11:32AM ESTJohn Couldn't it be Robin's brownstone, theoretically?
February 12, 2013 at 12:03PM ESTCombover Marshall appeared in their college reunion and "exploding meat ball sub" where Barney is faking death and also in an episode where lily&Marshall reads the last letter or something(they showed that scene in an office room)
February 12, 2013 at 12:23PM ESTMeg I was thinking it was Robin and Barney's brownstone. Though I noticed Robin hid her hand the whole time to not show a ring--the producers have repeatedly confirmed that their wedding goes off and Robin and Barney get married. Why play it coy? It's weird.
February 12, 2013 at 1:41PM ESTRuss I noticed the hiding of the ring on the hand as well. I think that is part of the story for the future. In exploding meatball sub, I don't think Robin is wearing a ring. I think the show sets up that Robin and Barney get divorced in the future.
February 12, 2013 at 2:53PM ESTChase
February 12, 2013 at 11:01AM EST Reply to CommentI think Lily's advice made quite a bit of sense. She recognized that Ted is a little bit insane himself right now. This is an opportunity to just let all his crazy out, so when he actually meets "The One", he'll be a bit more normal.
That's how I saw it, and I'm curious to see if Ted will be written a little differently after the break up (I don't see this lasting long).
On the whole, I thought it was a funny episode. I laughed very hard at the Mike Tyson reveal, but not as hard as at Dave Coulier.
Steve
February 12, 2013 at 11:37AM EST Reply to CommentI thought the sequence of Barney and Marshall bringing things over to Ted's apartment was mostly an example of the unreliable narrator.
Also, I would've liked it better if it was revealed that Barney and Marshall let Crazy into the apartment to mess with Ted. That's something my friends and I definitely would've done to each other back in the day.
MCB
February 12, 2013 at 11:54AM EST Reply to CommentAll the talk of crazy girlfriend Jeanette and no mention of Crazy Eyes? Seemed unlike HIMYM.
Chilli Crazy eyes dated Marshall, not Ted.
February 12, 2013 at 3:47PM ESTMatt_H Yeah, that was disappointing.
February 13, 2013 at 12:59PM EST@Chilli, Crazy Eyes was a thing that all crazy girls have, not a specific person.
Heisenberg
February 12, 2013 at 12:13PM EST Reply to CommentThat was a horrible episode. It was a classic example of the show being fixated on one joke and beating it to death. Unfortanately, it got fixated on three jokes, none of which were ever funny.
4 years later - not funny; 12 years later - not funny; 14 years later - still not funny; 16 years later - never going to funny; 17 years later - Ted still hasn't met the mother.
WF Painful to say the least. Almost every joke was predictable. The Mike Tyson switcharoo was the only good part of Robin/Lily bit, and then they go and show every scene again as if we couldn't be expected to remember the "stranger" holding the baby, the stroller rolling into the street, the strip club or the dialogue. Ted not-exactly-breaking-up-and-making-out-instead with Jeanette was a run=on punchline too. Worst episode of HIMYM of this season, hands down.
February 12, 2013 at 1:48PM ESTMike
February 12, 2013 at 1:36PM EST Reply to CommentIt's nice that they're maintaining "Robin hates kids" even after that entire episode designed to mess with our emotions with her "kids" disappearing.
Miso Confused
February 12, 2013 at 1:39PM EST Reply to CommentFrankly, I was bored with this one. It didn't go anywhere unexpected. Except, how was Ted able to tell his kids in 2020 about Robin and Lily's convo that took place in 2030 (17 years later)? Or did I miss something?
sepinwall Future Ted's kids are also in 2030.
February 12, 2013 at 1:45PM ESTMaf
February 12, 2013 at 1:40PM EST Reply to CommentMarilyn Monroe didn't have a cat.
David Ouija boards also don't work.
February 13, 2013 at 6:06PM ESTMeg
February 12, 2013 at 1:45PM EST Reply to CommentThis episode bothered me mainly because I absolutely despise the over the top "crazy! girlfriend! is crazy!" trope the seems better deployed on much crappier shows, like 2.5 Men or something.
But an even bigger gripe is this: the whole point of Crazy Abby Elliott the Cawp is that she is the girl who "inspires" Ted to be "ready" to give up dating and get married. WHUT. That is the whole premise of this show! Ted has been "ready" to get married for 8 years. He's been engaged. He's lived with girlfriends. It's not like this show has been about Ted The Bachelor.
emma That is exactly what I was going to write!! Makes not a bit of sense for Ted to say that. Alan, I'm surprised you didn't pick up on that. The writers are not only desperate at this point, but are becoming glaringly inconsistent.
February 13, 2013 at 1:41AM ESTDarkdoug Ted is, and always has been, full of shit. He fell in love with the IDEA of commitment when Marshall & Lily got engaged. Even if the show has portrayed a gradual progression to the point where he is finally ready to sincerely commit to the mother when they eventually meet, he is still the sort of melodramatic guy who would repeatedly announce that he is NOW ready to FINALLY commit every time his dating life hits a setback.
February 13, 2013 at 5:46PM ESTJeannette being the one who "finally" gets him ready to be married to the mother is a combination of hindsight and an unreliable narrator. She's the one who seals the deal for him in hindsight, because she was the last one he happened to date. If he had met and married the mother a year ago, Zoey would have been the one about whom he was saying all that crap. That's all there is to it.
The important thing about Ted is that he sometimes amuses us, and that he is close friends with people who even more frequently amuse us.
Speaking of amusement, I have the niggling impression that Lily's & Marshall's OoC behavior regarding this incident (ignoring Jeanette's shenanigans; telling Ted it's okay to date her) are fueled by some sort of bet on how long it lasts or how bad it gets, or some other entertainment-related motivation. Maybe they're just sick of the melodramatic declarations and are sitting back enjoying watching their mid-30s friend reap the consequences of not growing up and acting his age.
Miso Confused
February 12, 2013 at 1:54PM EST Reply to Comment@Sepinwall--"Future Ted's kids are also in 2030."
lol Well, yes. Thanks. But at the beginning of the episode the caption indicated 2020. Was there ever a flash forward for the kids? Perhaps, I glazed off.
pamelajaye nope. beginning caption said 2030.
February 13, 2013 at 8:36PM ESTand yes, Ted's been looking for a wife since Marshall & Lily got engaged in the pilot. Ready to settle Down? *He* thought so. and honestly, he doesn't seem the wild unable to commit bachelor type, to me.
Bland Remember, the daughter is born in 2015. So 2030 seems about right.
February 16, 2013 at 11:59AM ESTJeff A
February 12, 2013 at 2:05PM EST Reply to CommentContinuity error: Boba Fett's shoulder armor was reversed. The armor with the mythosaur skull decal should be on the left shoulder
sonia
February 12, 2013 at 5:11PM EST Reply to CommentEvery time they showed Future Robin and Future Lily talking, when Lily said "So long as that's the whole story..." I really wanted her to say "WHERE'S THE POOP, ROBIN."
Slam
February 12, 2013 at 6:30PM EST Reply to CommentI don't get why Alan reviews episodes of some shows ( HIMYM, The Office, Happy Endings , etc ) and not other better shows ( Downton Abbey, Banshee, Nurse Jackie, Big Bang , etc ) I don't get it
sepinwall I review what I'm interested in, what I have things to say about weekly, and what I have time for. It's not always necessarily about what's good or what's bad. (Though sometimes it is: I don't particularly like Downton Abbey, which is why Liane covers it for us.)
February 12, 2013 at 6:44PM ESTSlam Well I guess I need to take the great ( Justified ) with the ...er....not as great ( The Office ). ps just started reading your book LOVE IT
February 13, 2013 at 3:33PM ESTDavid It's also what's interesting to write about weekly. A show with more serialization like this and The Office (which currently has some fascinating and controversial stuff going on right now) gives more material to work with than TBBT.
February 13, 2013 at 6:11PM ESTAlso, humor is subjective. I find HE hilarious and don't mind The Office and HIMYM while I think TBBT is the pits and Nurse Jackie was terrible for seasons. Also, Banshee is the poor man's poor man's Strikeback and Downton Abbey has become meh. I don't know Sepinwall's interest in TBBT, but the other three are all opinions he's expressed previously. You should check out his podcast to hear his thoughts on shows that he doesn't write about weekly.
dezbot
February 12, 2013 at 6:59PM EST Reply to Comment"(*) Albeit part of his unlikely transformation from feared ex-con to cuddly punchline. "Senator Mike Tyson"? Okie-doke. "
Seems more likely than "Oscar-winner Mike Tyson" :-)
asdf But it seems far less likely than "Grammy-winner Mike Tyson"
February 12, 2013 at 10:36PM ESTLAS
February 18, 2013 at 3:07PM EST Reply to CommentIt becoming harder to get thru these episodes even as a longtime loyal HIMYM fan. The crazy girl bit has been done several times in the shows history (Barney's Crazy-Hot Scale + Marshall's Crazy Eyes Date). And the silly plotline stressing AGAIN that Robin is weird aboutr kids. We get it but CMON, this is her best friends' kid for crying out loud. I think she could get over it for a second.
But the Tyson cameo was solid.