This is going to be short. The very last scene notwithstanding, reaction to last night’s episode has been mostly positive. But aside from a short but sweet cameo by Ernie Hudson (by the way, I would totally watch a version of ‘HIMYM’ that has Marshall trying to be a successful Ghostbuster), “The Rebound Girl”didn’t completely click for me. Parts of it were definitely amusing, but between the two stories, there just wasn’t much here that made me laugh.

Where the episode managed to right itself briefly (before the aforementioned final scene) was in Wayne Brady’s appearance (I did laugh when James and his family just appeared inside the house during Ted and Lily’s conversation). The bro-parent story was ridiculous, as it was meant to be, but the arrival of James and his kids gave it the kind of heartwarming-ness the show is good at delivering.

I think I mentioned in a previous post that I’m just fine with a ‘HIMYM’ that isn’t LOL funny as long as the more heartfelt nature of the show shines through, and while this episode wasn’t the best example of that, the first 18 minutes of the episode were pleasant enough, and the 2 minutes after that touching enough, that I would’ve placed this episode in the ‘win’ column, especially given how disappointed I’ve been with the show as of late.

But then there were those last 30 seconds. The pregnancy reveal definitely raised my eyebrows, and it also raised a ton of questions that really just made me worried about where things will go from here. I just can’t see the majority of fans watching that last scene and collectively concluding, “Robin’s pregnant?! Awesome!” Until we know more, it just feels like Bays and Thomas are digging quite a hole for themselves and I really hope they got a good plan in place for the rest of the season.

It’s been a while since I wrote anything about ‘HIMYM’ (or anything, for that matter, but that’s another story). I think my lack of enthusiasm stems from the fact that we’re almost halfway through the season, and there’s really only been one episode in which I’ve had little to complain about (which happens to be the last one I wrote about, the one with Victoria). Last night’s “Tick Tick Tick” continued the trend of problematic episodes, with an A story that managed to compound the awful decision last week to have both Robin and Barney cheat while in committed relationships. Continue Reading

Now that was a solid episode. We got a very funny B story that reminded us that Barney is an evil genius, as the main plot continued on (in flashback) from last week’s surprise ending. Continue Reading

The Fall TV season kind of unofficially began last night, and we got not one but two episodes of HIMYM. The premiere was fine, containing some decent gags, a dance number, and setting up what are likely to be season-long story threads for the entire gang. The next episode, while not quite as successful, continued on with everyone’s new arcs, giving the show a more cohesive feel. So while the jokes can still be hit or miss (it doesn’t seem prudent to expect “Slap Bet” caliber episodes anymore), where the story is concerned, it does kinda, sorta, maybe feel like we’re going somewhere with this. I just hope the road to getting there contains as few bumps as possible. Continue Reading

How I Met Your Mother
Aired 5/16/2011

I don’t mind an unfunny HIMYM if there’s something interesting happening with the characters, and I don’t mind an episode that doesn’t move any personal stories forward as long as it’s funny. Neither is an ideal scenario, but it’s a hell of a lot better than an unfunny episode where nothing really happens. “Challenge Accepted” was a case of the former: half an episode of flat jokes, and another half made up of big changes for almost everyone in the group (Or the whole group, I’ll get to that in a bit). Continue Reading

How I Met Your Mother
Aired 03/21/11

The actor who would end up playing Barney’s father (the eponymous ‘Legendaddy’) would, of course, have to be someone worthy. The legendary John Lithgow, no stranger to sitcoms, would seem to be a perfect choice, depending on what type of man Barney’s dad would be revealed as. So did Lithgow’s Jerry end up being a disappointment, or was he the kind of dad Barney always hoped he would be?

In true HIMYM fashion, we actually see both options play out. As Barney tells it, Jerry is the coolest dad ever, a tour manager for some big musical acts and a natural with the ladies. He sounds like the perfect role model for Barney, but the rest of the gang is less excited. They think he’s too good to be true, and it turns out they’re right. But it wasn’t Jerry who was putting on a show, it was Barney. It turns out the long overdue reunion wasn’t as awesome as Barney said it was. Jerry used to be a roadie, but has long since settled down, now employed as a driving instructor and with a family of his own. Continue Reading

How I Met Your Mother
Episode 6.18
Aired 02/28/11

Now that we know Ted and Zoey are 100% destined to fail, and a sufficient amount of time has passed since Marshall’s dad passed (I’m glad that he’s still on everyone’s minds though), the focus has shifted to Barney and the new woman in his life. Despite the variance in quality of individual episodes, this season has been much more cohesive in terms of story. Bits and pieces of individual character arcs have been (for the most part) carefully layered in throughout the season, making the eventual payoffs more satisfying than they otherwise would have been. Depending on how this story plays out, it could mean very big things for the Barnacle. Continue Reading

How I Met Your Mother
Episode 6.15
Aired 02/07/11

After some annoying scheduling by CBS, How I Met Your Mother returned last night with a very good episode, maybe the best of the season in terms of recalling the good old days when the show was at its creative best. “Oh Honey” was equal parts funny and romantic, using an onion-peeling structure to reveal new layers to a story that I think was as much about Marshall as it was about Ted. Continue Reading

How I Met Your Mother
Episode 6.14
Aired 01/17/11

Last week’s episode, “Bad News,” had some good laughs, some not-so-good laughs, and one hell of an ending. I chose not to write up a review after seeing it because it’s the kind of episode that will be viewed differently based on the next episode(s). Some of the jokes fell flat but I liked the many callbacks to previous episodes (from Robin slipping on the horse crap to Barney wearing the Sensory Deprivator 5000). The reveal of Marshall’s dad’s death and Marshall’s reaction was terrific, but where the story goes from there is the determining factor in whether or not this was the right move for Craig Thomas and Carter Bays to make. So did “Last Words,” which deals primarily with Marshall’s obsession over the final words his father said to him, make killing off Marvin Eriksen worth it? For the most part, I think it did. Continue Reading

How I Met Your Mother
Season 6, Episode 12

“False Positive” felt a little light on comedy, but what it lacked in laughs it made up for in character. The use of shifting perspectives, while done before, was effective, with the subplots feeling more connected than usual thanks to the characters’ re-examination of their lives in light of Marshall and Lily’s big announcement. Continue Reading