Review: 'How I Met Your Mother' - 'Weekend at Barney's': Michaelangelo is a party dude!
Barney brings back the Playbook to help Ted, and Marshall bombs at an art event
The "How I Met Your Mother" gang re-enacts "Weekend at Bernie's."
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A review of last night's "How I Met Your Mother" coming up just as soon as I stop sitting on the art...
Last week's episode (which aired while I was on vacation) wasn't great, but it was at least a reminder of the structural cleverness "HIMYM" has played with at its best. "Weekend at Barney's," on the other hand, was mainly a reminder of the difficulty the show has in writing for its characters at this late stage.
We finally get to see how Ted wound up in that moment on the sidewalk where he declares that he's ready to settle down — this time, with Future Ted adding, "And kids, for the first time in my life, I really meant it."
Which is among the most ridiculous, false things anyone on the show has ever said.
Ted Evelyn Mosby has been ready to stop dating and settle down from the very first episode of "HIMYM." It's been his defining trait, and his primary goal. That he hasn't been able to accomplish that goal isn't because he wasn't sincere until now, but because he's the main character on a long-running TV show that doesn't want to introduce him to his wife until as close to the end as possible. If Robin had wanted kids, he'd have been happily married by the end of season 3. If Stella hadn't turned out to be a horrible human being, he'd be content living in (gasp!) Jersey. Circumstance, and the whims of his creators, have kept him single, not a need to keep playing the field.
For much of this season, the writers have been willing to sell out established backstory and characterization for the sake of jokes, but for the most part they've tried to be honest and fair when it comes to the emotional moments. And this was just irritating revisionist nonsense that foiled any attempt to get me to feel what the show wanted me to feel.
The Robin/Barney storyline that gave the episode its title, meanwhile, was another illustration of why they're kind of a horrible couple, even if once upon a time it seemed like a brilliant idea. Had you paired the Robin of the first couple of seasons with a Barney who had genuinely matured just a little bit, there might be something special and fun. This, though, is an entirely different, far more traditional (and shrill) Robin, and a Barney who can't stop being Barney because the show isn't over yet and the writers enjoy Playbook gags too much. (Even after Jeanette's assault on the book last night, I would not be surprised in the slightest if we got to see one or two new plays over the final season.) Neil Patrick Harris is so good at sincerity (and close-up magic) that his plea to Robin to almost landed despite the grossness of the sentiment. But as with the proposal that he kept mentioning in the speech, it's really best not to think at all about the motivations and flaws of the parties in this relationship.
Marshall and Lily at the gallery was broad and largely forgettable, which probably makes it the most successful of the episode's three stories. I laughed a couple of times throughout the half-hour (including, I have to admit, at Ted getting the drink thrown in his face from using the penis line again), but "Weekend at Barney's" was more aggravating than not.
What did everybody else think?
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February 26, 2013 at 10:34AM EST Reply to CommentGoodbye boots!
AaruC
February 26, 2013 at 10:35AM EST Reply to CommentWhat did everybody else think?
"Let's just get this over with" and I mean the series, not just the episode.
Watt d fark Ditto
February 26, 2013 at 2:13PM ESTSick of the thematic arcs "bitches be crazy", "Barney be as stable as a 15 foot stack of crackers", "Robin be pathetic", "Marshall be dense", "Ted be lacking in continuity" and "WTF is up with Lily"
brian_shea
February 26, 2013 at 10:39AM EST Reply to CommentAgreed. Such a lazy episode in every way possible. The only positive for me was that the "that was the last time Uncle Marshall bought Skittles" actually paid off IN THE EPISODE THEY MENTIONED IT instead of being teased to some future event that ultimately let us down.
Mark S. This, this, a million times this. They setup a joke and paid it off in the same episode rather than wait two years, tease that they are going to pay it off and then wait another year.
February 26, 2013 at 10:59AM ESTDezbot Which reminds me: How many slaps are left in the slap bet?
February 26, 2013 at 11:35AM ESTMikeNJD
February 26, 2013 at 10:41AM EST Reply to CommentAlan, I thought you'd at least enjoy the fact that the boots were destroyed, finally.
PamelaSchuur
February 26, 2013 at 10:43AM EST Reply to CommentOnce again I watched, and once again I came away feeling that the show just needs to be over. It is time for Barney and Robin to wed - for better or worse. It is time for us to meet Ted's wife. I simply don't care about any of the characters anymore. I'm ready to just read your tweets, Alan, to let me know when it's time to read about the series finale.
Bob
February 26, 2013 at 10:46AM EST Reply to CommentI know I'll be verbally assaulted for this, but I think a lot of you are guilty of a sort of rosy retrospection, where anything the show does now pales to this mythical past perfection. I think the show is fine right now. It isn't great, and it probably was better in the past, but I'm just sick of the constant "This show is so terrible now it should just end" comments. You sound like a bunch of old men telling the show to get off your lawn. Watch a few episodes in syndication; the quality really hasn't dropped off that much.
Darkdoug It's CBS. Whom do you expect to be watching its shows?
February 26, 2013 at 11:04AM ESTTom Compared to the first few season, this season is beyond weak. Even compared to seasons 4-6, this season has been severely lacking.
February 26, 2013 at 11:09AM ESTIt's not rosy retrospection. This show was truly great at the beginning and has been noticeably declining since after it returned from the writers strike.
Eric11 The show, IMO is so bad in comparison, that when I catch a show in syndication from the Zoey storyline, I realize just how infinitely better those shows were than these past few year, and I thought that when those shows aired, they were a significant drop off from what I was/am accustomed to with this show!
February 26, 2013 at 12:35PM ESTtedmosbyisnotajerk Bob, I might agree with you with Alan had been saying "This show is so much worst now" without giving numerous examples of WHY it is so much worse. But he has done just that, making reasonable arguments (e.g. Robin has been turned from a strong independent woman into a weak-willed, overly emotional shrill woman; Barney has frequent emotional growth that is quickly forgotten about in the next episode; Ted turning from lovable love-lorn sweetheart into unbearably sappy douche).
February 26, 2013 at 1:10PM ESTMahmoud Fayed I think you're wrong, Bob. I've been re-watching the first 3 seasons last week and I still stand by the majority of the fanbase's statement that the show is nowhere near as good as it used to be.
February 28, 2013 at 12:31AM ESTIt's not a case of wearing nostalgia-tinted goggles. Not to start an argument but I believe you may be a bit of an apologist for the show.
Atta I also can't see a big difference in the seasons to tell the truth. Not like I can in shows like the Simpsons or Scrubs where early seasons are tons better than later ones.
February 28, 2013 at 4:24PM ESTNick Bond
February 26, 2013 at 10:49AM EST Reply to CommentI loved this episode, it was one of my favorites, which is of course totally my opinion.
You, however -- and this, is also only my opinion --just don't seem to like the show that much anymore. Which is fine, I love your writing and will always look for your opinions on the show no matter what, but if you don't like the show, it seems unfair to you to keep reviewing it.
And to be clear, I Do Not want you to stop writing about the show. I wouldn't even be saying this, but when the AV Club gives the episode a hard "A" and you seem to have hated it, that seems (along with your actual reviews) to be a disconnect between how you feel about the show and what the show is doing.
Either way, I "think" the episode was a fantastic farcical episode and both the Barney feeding Ted lines and Skittles bit was some of my favorites of the past couple of years.
EAS Except that his criticisms are 100% valid. They aren't simply "I don't like the show". Ted saying "This time I meant it" or whatever the exact line was is basically peeing all over the audience that was invested in Ted's journey from the pilot episode and retroactively invalidates just about everything we've seen the character do for 8 seasons. Barney's explanation (after rightfully being told off by Robin) that everything he does is based on lies and Robin suddenly saying oh, just kidding I love you after all, basically committing to an emotionally abusive relationship, was just plain creepy.
February 26, 2013 at 11:00AM ESTMany people have been at this point all season as they've stripped the characters down their most basic and broad comedic attributes and actively retconned several of the things many fans liked about the series in the first place. The only surprise to me is that it took Alan this long to get there.
Amy To be fair, a huge portion of the comments on that AV Club A review are about how awful this episode was. It was clearly a divisive episode for whatever reason-- count me in the group that thinks it was one of the worst episodes the show's done.
February 26, 2013 at 11:08AM ESTNick Bond Well, we'll have to disagree on the definition "valid". Are they criticisms, sure? I don't know if "valid" is the same as "things that bother me, personally, about the show".
February 26, 2013 at 11:12AM ESTBut even if that is the case -- and I think a close reading of the show could very well challenge whether or not Ted was *really* looking to settle down with anyone other than Robin, a criticism that's been hurled at him throughout the run -- I'm not talking about whether or not his criticisms are valid, as they are definitely valid criticism of the show from His Standpoint.
And since Alan Sepinwall gets to paid to state his opinion about any number of TV related things, I'm just wondering if his time wouldn't be better spent reviewing a show he isn't disappointed in week after week.
But, HAVING SAID THAT, I will keep coming back here every post-HIMYM Tuesday to see what he has to say.
Whether or not he wants to is all I am asking.
Brian "I think a close reading of the show could very well challenge whether or not Ted was *really* looking to settle down with anyone other than Robin"
February 26, 2013 at 2:48PM ESTI mean, he was left at the altar by Stella. Maybe that was a marriage headed for divorse, but its pretty clear that Ted would have settled down with Stella.
SL Why cant we all just finally agree that what has happend to HIMYM is what happens to all comedies after many, many yrs on the air. The characters get stripped down or become no longer relatable and more silly "characters" of their former selves (as EAS rightly mentioned in his above comment.
February 26, 2013 at 2:54PM ESTOnce I realized yrs ago that it happens to every show (a show like Friends being the worst example of this), then you care less and just accept it.
Nick Bond Whether or not he thought that he and Stella would have lived happily ever after At The Time isn't in and of itself irrelevant. But him staying with her or not is fundamentally irrelevant to whether or not Future Ted believes that he was truly willing to settle down when looking back at his life in totality.
February 26, 2013 at 3:04PM ESTThat I believe that He (meaning Future Ted) believes that this was the first time he really wanted to settle down (again with someone other than Robin) is a matter of opinion. That this has already been challenged by Victoria (and Barney, Robin, Marshall and Ted himself) tells me that I'm interpreting the show in a way that's at least one of the ways in which the creators intended it to be viewed.
There's clearly evidence on both sides, but I think that saying that "it totally craps on continuity" is a matter of opinion, which AGAIN is Alan's right (and actual job) to do. I'm, once again, simply saying "Alan Sepinwall doesn't seem like he likes writing about How I Met Your Mother any more and I feel kind of bad for him about it", and using examples like that as evidence to support my "hunch".
Ashley Alan does WANT to like the show, and isn't that what matters? There have been a few episodes over the last few months that he has basically said "This episode was a good one," usually because the writers were true to the characters or didn't focus so much on a plot device that the humor was erased. What I always get out of reading his reviews is that he loves this show, and he misses it from when it was at its peak.
February 26, 2013 at 3:42PM ESTJoel
February 26, 2013 at 10:54AM EST Reply to CommentUsually I agree with you Alan about this show, but I actually enjoyed last night's episode. I agree that Future Ted's "And kids, for the first time in my life, I really meant it" rang false, but I thought the rest of the episode was solid. Ted trying (and failing) to execute the Playbook worked for me. As did the stuff with Marshall and Lily. Plus, I thought they gave us just enough of Robin being upset and Barney realizing his mistake that that stuff worked for me too. As long as Barney giving the go ahead to blow up the real Playbook is the end of it, then I'm fine with this episode.
(Also, I was really amused by Barney's fixation on Weekend at Barney's and Robin pointing out what a stupid concept it was.)
I know humor is subjective, but I thought this episode worked. I enjoyed it more than I have most of the episodes this season.
Col Bat Guano I agree that this episode made me laugh and I had no problem with Ted's "I really meant it." Ted has been telling himself that for the entire run of the series. He's always sincere, but I think the fact we're supposed to take away is that Ted is a clueless moron when it comes to relationships. He always wants to settle down and every woman is "the one" for him regardless of how different each is from the next. I think his statement was meant to be a joke rather than a factual statement. Plus the "my penis" jokes made me laugh a lot.
February 26, 2013 at 11:56AM ESTT I don't get all the commenters that watch the show and don't enjoy it. Yea, the writing isn't air tight. Big deal. I thought it was funny and really enjoyed this ep. The Barney/Ted mission was hilarious.
February 26, 2013 at 11:32PM ESTMatt_H Joel, You said it perfectly. Besides that last line, I enjoyed this episode. Besides the embittered few who just hate-watch this show every week, I expected this episode to get a generally positive reaction, except for that one last line. Maybe because that line came at the end of the show, it left a bitter taste in everyone's mouth. Maybe there are more hate-watchers than I realized.
February 27, 2013 at 9:58AM ESTThe show isn't as well-rounded or consistently funny as it used to be, but, I think, this season, at least, it has improved from the quality trough it was in the last couple of seasons. They've stopped teasing little jokes for weeks and months only to offer unsatisfactory pay-offs. The characters have turned into caricatures of themselves, the comedy has become broader, and we're not going to meet the mother until the very end. Accept this and enjoy the show or fight it and be disappointed. I may not be happy that those are my choices, but I'm happier with the show now that I've realized that.
ChampSkins
February 26, 2013 at 11:00AM EST Reply to CommentYup, I actually enjoyed the episode a lot. Thought it was one of the funnier episodes in a while, and was laughing a lot. Weekend at Barney's? Hilarious sight gag.
Look here is the thing... this show is what, 8 seasons in? 160 episodes old? I just find it hard to believe the writers and creators seriously thought they would last this long. Continuity is very important to a lot of shows, but in my opinion that sorta got thrown out the window seasons ago. If that irritates people and makes them not enjoy the show as much as others, well I guess that is just unfortunate.
This is not one of the greatest sitcoms on TV anymore, it just isnt... instead its a show that has its quirks and when it tries to just be funny it can be. And personally I felt like last night was funny. Doesn't mean I still think the show is that good anymore, but I watch for funny episodes that occasionally can happen like last night.
Amy Re: your second paragraph-- I don't think you're WRONG necessarily, but does that mean that critics like Alan and viewers like us should stop expecting quality television? We should just lower our standards? I don't enjoy episodes like this as much as episodes from earlier in the show's run because they just aren't as good. Maybe I WOULD enjoy the show more if I stopped thinking much about it, or thought, 'eh, it's not SUPPOSED to be good.' But I still want it to be good. I don't think having reasonably high expectations is a bad thing.
February 26, 2013 at 11:25AM ESTLuke I'm with Champskins. Let's say you bought Google stock EARLY on. At some point, you took your profits. Then you took more profits. The next thing you know, you've taken 5x your investment out, and you still have a few nostalgic shares.
February 26, 2013 at 2:36PM ESTYou can "expect" whatever you'd like from those shares, but if you analyze them under the expectations of the stock's performance as the company was coming to prominence, you'll be disappointed, repeatedly. With HIMYM, any character development is an extension of groundwork already laid, and call backs are going to out-number new show themes, 100-to-1. It's just how old shows work.
Now you can adjust your expectations to the fact your once "penny stock" is now an ultra-large cap company, or you cannot. Either way, the episodes from here on out will be the same; the only thing that will change is whether or not you enjoy them.
Matt_H Exactly. If I had read one comment farther down, I wouldn't have had to make a similar argument... :)
February 27, 2013 at 10:00AM ESTDarkdoug
February 26, 2013 at 11:03AM EST Reply to CommentI just got the impression they remembered after shooting the episode where they burned the playbook, that they still had a gag they wanted to feature, so they came up with another copy.
I don't know if I agree about Ted's being ready to settle down. I think that "This time" was only sincere, because shortly after that breakup, he met the woman he happened to marry. The show seems to be claiming that he met the Mother because he was finally ready (which says something deplorable about his maturity), but really, it's more like he happened to find the right girl who would tolerate his crap and thus everything else he retconned into a narrative leading up to that moment.
It's a pity new showrunners couldn't wrench this series away from Bays & Thomas, who are clearly enamoured of Ted, and don't even seem to realize he's a blank slate or a placeholder (it's probably no coincidence that of the whole cast, Josh Radnor has had the least amount of professional success outside this show), who serves to bring together his much more amusing & likable group of friends. With a more objective showrunner, they could do an interesting show once the Mother is introduced, exploring the details of what made THIS relationship work, either the redemption of an incredibly pretentious and self-absorbed tool, or else how the Mother is just the right kind of crazy or flawed in order to click with Ted.
But Bays and Thomas could never look at Ted that way, the occasional nod to his pretentiousness notwithstanding (though usually buried in an episode about the entire gang having similar quirks, or else played with Ted as the victim whose friends don't GET his love of Dante & the NYT X-word) and so that's why they are making the show's lifespan determine the length of time until Ted meets the Mother. Because in their eyes, Ted is awesome and the Mother is just the prize of his quest - all that matters about her is that she gives him the happy ending and idealized family.
In case anyone was wondering about the versatility of the writers who could create a character as romantic as Ted and as sexually objectifying as Barney, the answer is...they are not that versatile, because the characters are actually very similar. They simply differ in the form their objectification takes. At least Barney grows enough to form a sincere, however flawed, relationship with a woman he acknowledges and accepts as a real person. Ted is still pursuing his self-satisfying ideal, rather than settling down because he has clicked with the right person. That's why he could stay in relationships so long with people as terrible as Stella or Zoey or Jeannette: he was more interested in the checklist of features that would make for his "happily ever after" than in their actual personalities.
Call Me Carlos the Dwarf Did you even watch "Robots vs. Wrestlers"> Because the entire point of the episode is that he realized what a giant douche he was being and how much better he likes his friends than the people who actually let him recite Dante in the original Italian.
February 26, 2013 at 7:33PM ESTMatt_H While you may not agree with it or like it, Carter and Bays most likely determined VERY early on that the show would end with Ted meeting the mother. Whether or not that was a good decision, that's the decision they made and have decided to stick with (they may change that with the late season 9 pick up). I don't think it has anything to do with their opinion of Ted, "enamored" or otherwise. It's the premise of the show, spelled out for you in the title, and they've stubbornly made that title literal.
February 27, 2013 at 10:09AM ESTthejluntzreport While I can agree that there are some similarities to how Ted & Barney feel about women, I have to say that Ted and Marshall also have a similar out look.
March 5, 2013 at 1:24AM ESTThe point is that Ted is more like real men, while Marshall and Barney are both extremes of each side of the coin. A lot of men do look at women as objects from time to time, but those same guys are often ready for the true love of their life. I think Ted represents that urge to date and see what is out there while really wishing one day that period in your life can end.
I also want to point out that while Josh Radnor has not hosted the Emmys and the Toneys and has not had smash hit movies under his belt, he does have a strong acting career that any working actor would be proud of. He has directed and stared in two really well made independent films.
Not everyone has to make 100,000,000 at the box office to have achieved success.
chris
February 26, 2013 at 11:05AM EST Reply to CommentThe show just felt lazy last night. Trotting out the Playbook again was proof that they can't find anything new for Barney to do, so they have to go back to his old tricks. I agree with Alan, that it felt incredibly false to the show's history to have Ted say he finally "meant it" about being able to settle down.
But I found myself particularly insulted by the fact that the writers wanted me to be moved by Barney and Robin's make-up at the end. I'm supposed to think it's touching that Barney tells Robin "I'm always going to be a liar, but that's why you love me?" I want to the character to grow-up, not see him be a liar in love. And I'll go one further than Alan--not only do I expect to see more plays next season, but I would not be surprised in the least to see the Playbook resurrected in some form--whether there's yet another copy, or an online playbook.
Still, I'll admit the scene with Marshall dropping the Skittles made me laugh. And I loved Ted's begrudging deliver of "with my penis."
JB Yes to everything you just wrote!
February 28, 2013 at 3:40PM ESTI enjoyed Ted's plays, and that showed some classic HIMYM. The Skittles was a little forced to me, but many people seemed to enjoy it.
The rest of the episode - especially the Barney apology to Robin was awful. Robin used to be a strong woman and now she's a sad shell of herself.
smellmyfinger
February 26, 2013 at 11:13AM EST Reply to CommentI've fallen out of love with this show a long time ago and I only watch to see how it finally ends. With that said, while not a particularly great episode, there were some seriously enjoyable parts. Marshall's art jokes were so ridiculous they were kinda funny, as was the Skittles scene. And the scenes of Barney feeding Ted the lines at the bar were pretty dynamite especially Ted trying to talk him out of the penis line while the girl thinks he's just talking to himself. The only part that really lost me was Barney's apology and Ted saying "he really meant it." I'd rather just have the whole thing be a throw-away than try to advance the story like that.
scoopie77
February 26, 2013 at 11:33AM EST Reply to CommentThe Skittles....that is the only funny thing the show has done in a long time. I love Marshall's face. He was trying show hard to not be ridiculous.
Sarah Agreed. That moment made me laugh out loud, something that "HIMYM" has not been able to do for a very long time.
February 26, 2013 at 2:08PM ESTMeg I laughed out loud at that too, especially when he mentioned it to Lily afterwards "Not sure if you noticed, but I dropped some Skittles." That made me cackle.
February 26, 2013 at 2:32PM ESTShawn
February 26, 2013 at 11:54AM EST Reply to CommentI think the fact that we are still watching and complaining is our own fault to be honest. Back at the end of season 2, HIMYM was on the bubble, CBS obviously told the creators that they would be renewed if they made the show more like Two and a Half Men (Which was on Mondays back then). Episode 3.01 had Ted telling Robin that he does not want to have this indie music deep moment that tries and works on his soul but a cheap no nonsense arguement to get this problem they had out of the way. Then Robin made a penis joke and the show swept up the Robin and Ted tension in 22 minutes. Right there at that moment the show was telling us that any creativity or originality was gone and they were not going to even try and do something better.
It is our fault we still watch, the show told us years ago that they were going to go broad and cheap and crappy and we still watched. The show told us that they were going to misogynistic and we still watch, the show told us that they were going to do whatever they had to do to survive and we still watch. Whose fault is it that we watch if they told us that after season 2 the show will be a pale version of itself?
Answer = US!
The show in season 3 turned broad and stunt casted and sold out everything and we are still complaining?
Well, we cannot blame the creators anymore to be honest. We knew what network the show aired on and we should be lucky we got 2 seasons of greatness.
Drew
February 26, 2013 at 11:56AM EST Reply to CommentI believe Ted's line about "I'm going to get her back," or whatever the exact phrasing was, was a payoff to the season four bit about how there are phrases in life every man says. Am I wrong on this? I'd be curious as to whether or not they were able to match the clothes and what-not.
nic919
February 26, 2013 at 12:25PM EST Reply to CommentI kept wondering when the cops would show up to arrest the girl terrorizing Ted. I guess domestic violence is supposed to be funny when a woman does it.
And I had the exact same thought as Alan when the narrator claimed Ted was finally ready to settle down. In fact he was ready from the first episode because that was the premise of the entire show.
evolution1085 They established last week that she was a lieutenant in the NYPD, thereby using the magic of the "Blue Wall" effect to their advantage.
February 26, 2013 at 1:01PM ESTBrett
February 26, 2013 at 12:31PM EST Reply to CommentApparently I'm in the minority, but I will so miss the boots. I loved the boots.
He was pulling them off, and they were GCWOK approved!!!
Eric11
February 26, 2013 at 12:32PM EST Reply to Comment>>> sell out established backstory
Aside from the all too glaring Ted comment you mentioned above, I was also (all too) annoyed with when Ted handed over his response card, no one commented on "The Rule" that Barney established way early in the series (and to be honest, I have attempted to instill onto my friends as well) which is that you do not commit to functions in the future with a S.O. for a longer time period than you are together for.
I am not quite sure how long Ted and Jeanette were supposedly dating for, but I can't believe it was long enough to not be called out on assuming she would be around that for into the future, and for IN THE VERY LEAST Barney to call him out on one of his hundred's of Rules that he has tried to drill into Ted's brain.
I really have no idea why I care so much are silly crap like that. Thankfully for me, my wife doesn't seem too bothered by it! lol
Intellectual Ninja
February 26, 2013 at 1:31PM EST Reply to CommentI'm calling BS on you Alan. Because the "I finally meant it..." note DIDN'T ring false. Why?
Because what separates humans from animals is our ability for self-delusion.
What I take from Future Ted saying, "I finally meant it..." was him looking back at his life before the Mom, and all of the times he declared he wanted to settle down as him deluding himself, lying to himself about what was right for him.
This is how the world works, Alan. In a real-life relationship, there are warning signs that we delude ourselves into believing that aren't there.
So even though Ted probably would've married Robin or Stella, they would've been horrible mistakes that ended in even more heartbreak. He wasn't ready.
This is Future Ted being as honest as he's ever been. Brutally so, since a few episodes ago, he pretty much admitted he's spent the last 8 years lying to himself.
You have to give credit where credit is due, and I think your take on this epiphany of Ted's is completely wrong.
Now, the show not being as funny any more, etc, you're completely right there.
But don't poo-poo a true, honest moment of introspection for Ted Evelyn Mosby.
stephabc Teds marriage to stella or robin would have ended up in heartbreak whereas barney and robins marriage now is gonna be happily ever after..yeah right...
February 26, 2013 at 1:58PM ESTIntellectual Ninja Did I mention Barney and Robin?
February 26, 2013 at 2:00PM ESTDid that even come up in ANYTHING I wrote?
How about you stick to what's written when trying to criticize instead of insinuating and assuming?
You know what you do when you ASSume, correct?
Col Bat Guano But Future Ted has no idea if his relationships with Robin, Stella or even Victoria would have worked out. His epiphany is just self-justification for his terrible luck and poor decisions.Given all that we know of Ted at this point, his meeting the mother isn't going to suddenly change the fact that he is clueless at relationships and I will mostly feel pity for that poor woman knowing what she will have to go through.
February 26, 2013 at 4:21PM ESTRWGibson13 Yeah, I've tended to zone out any "future Ted" dialogue for years now. For good or for bad.
February 26, 2013 at 4:36PM ESTThe Ted we've watched for all these years isn't really someone who can teach his kids much of anything. I imagine they both know it at this point in their lives and are listening to all of his crap because he bribed them with something.
RWG (or fed them sandwiches or something)
thejluntzreport I think Ted realized that he really liked chasing women all this time. He had been into the feeling of "falling in love" rather then actually being in love.
March 5, 2013 at 1:30AM ESTThat moment when he saw his placed trashed he realized he just been running around acting like a kid. At this point he truly knows that it is not just about that excitement of meeting someone new, it is about growing something.
At least that is how I took it.
stephabc
February 26, 2013 at 1:54PM EST Reply to CommentThe biggest joke of last night episode was "ted finally ready to settle down".I cant beleive writers thought they can get away with this total nonsense.
They just flushed the awesome ted of season 1 & 2 down the drain.
Barney can lie all he wants coz he loves Robin and robin will ignore that for a ring and flowers.Even if they get married in this seasons finale, the relationship cant last long.
Marshalls jokes made me laugh couple of times.
Overall horrible episode even compared to last weeks one.
return of werdna It cheapens the identity of the Mother, too.
February 26, 2013 at 9:16PM ESTTed's problem throughout the series had been in finding the right woman, right?
But this plot point just instantly recast the whole run of the series as Ted becoming actually really ready.... they're telling us it doesn't matter who the Mother is, she's just the next somewhat suitable girl he dated after going through his Personal Transformation.
As for Barney and Robin, they're both brash people who put on massive fronts over their weak egos and daddy issues. I think part of the point of their relationship is supposed to be that they're such bad mates for everyone except one another (remember Kevin's and Barney's competing responses to Robin's "Why do you even like me?" a few years ago?) I'm still a little creeped out that Robin's only friends are people who want to sleep with her.
Of course in the real world people like that would have a stormy relationship that would end in fights, affairs, and divorce. Barney joked about a threesome last week but they really could use some third partner like a Kevin or a Nora who could give them some stability.
angiem
February 26, 2013 at 2:28PM EST Reply to CommentI have watched HIMYM on and off for 8 seasons, I did catch up on all episodes on netflix.I am only interested in mother now(Marshall & lily we know is happily everafter and Barney & robin ...hmmm less said is better). I wish they show the mother at this season finale and next season i want to see why shes "THE MOTHER".Poor ted has suffered through 8 seasons coz that the premise of the show, not because he is a player.I finally want to see ted happy with the mother and their wedding.
Alan
February 26, 2013 at 3:17PM EST Reply to CommentI do not think HIMYM show runners give a crap about what fans think or even critics to be honest. All that matters is that Nielsen number that gets sent to them every Tuesday. They see anything over 3.0 in the key demo and they think job done.
Why people are still upset I do not even have a clue right now. If they actually cared they would have changed things a long time ago.
himem I'm sure they care, but look at it from their point of view, and the network's.
February 26, 2013 at 9:27PM ESTOnce this show goes into syndication, we'll see the best episodes go into heavy rotation, but ultimately we'll tune in sporadically for ten years on TBS or where ever, and then the show will go away. This isn't exactly great art we're talking about, it's a sitcom in the mold of other similar sitcoms. A few hard core fans will buy the DVD.
So their Duty To Art, which is what we're talking about here, is rather limited. And whatever return they're going to get from fan loyalty has already been paid in terms of ratings. So why NOT stretch it out as long as it will go?
Shows like Lost, BSG, DS9, X-Files, (watch me commit sacrilege) Buffy, Twin Peaks, Friends... how many shows can you name that actually ended well? Seinfeld? Babylon 5? ST:TNG? Maybe a couple others.
HIMYM is past its sell-by date, but the writers have to know that even a brilliant ending is worth a few nice reviews, a retrospective at an awards show, and brief flashes of nostalgia. It's not going to fundamentally alter the show's value creatively at this point.
I'd LOVE it if they wrapped things up nicely. If more shows did it, we'd believe their creators' promises more often. But I won't be horrified or surprised if the show sputters to a halt. That's typically what happens.
Dan
February 26, 2013 at 6:07PM EST Reply to CommentNot as good as the previous two episodes, but I'd say it's an average showing compared to the past 2+ seasons.
I definitely had a problem with Ted finally really being ready to stop dating. Which is total BS.
Call Me Carlos the Dwarf
February 26, 2013 at 7:39PM EST Reply to CommentI actually didn't mind Barney's speech at the end. If they get married, Robin has to realize she's marrying Barney Stinson, not some man she wants to turn him into. Elaborate lies are literally his thing, and as long as he doesn't lie about stuff that's actually important to their relationship, Robin has to accept that Barney will always be Barney to some extent.
Olih
February 26, 2013 at 9:46PM EST Reply to CommentI hated it, because one fifth was made purely to be a SKITTLES-ad.
A little harmless product placing, fine, but an entire segment just because they want dough so badly from candy company? No thankyou.. no himym more for me.
Rick
February 27, 2013 at 12:52AM EST Reply to CommentAlan, as Cuba Gooding Jr.s character said in Jerry McGuire...."Show me the money!"
That is what the HIMYM creators have been saying tobCBS for years now, they simply do not care.
Pity.
Ditko
February 27, 2013 at 8:16AM EST Reply to CommentMeeting the wife is just the McGuffin, the trick to differentiate HIMYM from every other sitcom about a group of friends. I don´t know why everyone is so upset we haven´t met the wife yet, and why everyone seems to be so happy the show is ending. Some episodes aren´t as good as before, but I still love the characters. I wish it could still hit the 10 year mark.
Greg
February 27, 2013 at 8:17PM EST Reply to CommentI understand a lot of the complaints, but I honestly love this show, and it never fails to make me laugh. I am completely ok with their extending things because I love these characters, feel that every week it is another chance to visit with good friends, and always look forward to another wacky episode. It's just tv, people. It just has to let you escape for a few minutes, not make some valiant statement about the state of relationships in NYC in 2013.
Drake
February 27, 2013 at 11:12PM EST Reply to CommentWhile I detested that final sentence as much as you did, I thought the episode as a whole was one of the funnier ones of the season, and less revisionist as the first few episodes and the horrible, horrible things the writers did to the once-awesome Victoria. This episode seems to be quite polarizing when it comes to both regular viewers and professional television critics. In the last twenty minutes I've read one review that called it the best episode of the season, one that thought it had it's funny bits but didn't really stay faithful plotwise, and one that thought it was one of the worst episodes in a season of subpar to terrible episodes.
Camila
February 28, 2013 at 1:36PM EST Reply to CommentI watched the last 3 episodes back to back and this was the first time that I read your review in the middle of the episode and the last one (weekend at barney’s) I didn’t even finish it. I really really loved this show, the first time I watched it was two years ago on Netflix, my husband and I couldn’t stop watching and had to set up a rule of two episodes per day to go on with Life, but now, I’m the only one watching just because I’m curious about the mother but I don’t mind missing episodes maybe I’ll just wait for the season finale. I want to meet the wife but I really don’t care about the characters anymore and the jokes from the past two season are just horrible, once in a while I do laugh but it’s rare.
I love all of your reviews! Sometimes I even read ones of shows I don’t watch to see what you have to say and maybe I’ll give them a shot!