How I Met Your Mother

[mole]

If the writers keep giving us storylines like this week's ep, perhaps there is hope for the show. This is the first ep that made me laugh out loud, not just a courtesy chuckle, but a real, from the gut laugh. Tthe Swarley gag was quite funny as well.

Aly has got to be the best crier in Tinsletown - how in the heck does she do that?

Michelle

[SithLordWiccan]

If the writers keep giving us storylines like this week's ep, perhaps there is hope for the show.

I hope that you didn't see this week's, then, because whatever good stuff that they built up in last week's ep (that I wouldn't know about since I missed it ), they flushed away this week.

Basically, I haven't seen last week's ep yet (and most likely won't till February sweeps), but just knowing that Marshall and Lily get back together was enough to convince me that the shows creative people had somehow heard how much I have been bitching about this season since day one and have finally decided to do something about it. And this episode sure seemed like it was going to deliver, what with them finally getting married after pretty much a season and a half worth of taunting and teasing.

And really, when Barney won the gambling thing, I had a damn near flip out. I haven't been that emotional about the show this season yet (whereas I was pretty much happy throughout Season 1 up till the last episodes).

Then...in those last two minutes...

I really don't know what's worse at this point: the creative team teasing us that they might not get back together at all, or the creative team teasing us about the fact that they are going to get back together. I mean, you spent the bulk of last season taunting us, guys. We want to see Marshall and Lily together. No crap, no bullshit, no teasing. It's a proven case that Aly being Happy and Goofy = Big Ratings and Big Box Office Numbers. Aly being Angsty and Moody = Low Ratings and Box Office. (You need look no further than Date Movie and the last two seasons of Buffy as proof. Date Movie was crap, but Aly somehow manages to make it just barely watchable, so I consider it good. Whereas the bulk of Seasons six and seven, especially from "Seeing Red" onwards, are just plain near unwatchable for reasons that have been dealt with to death already.)

At least I can comfort myself with the fact that creative finally got off their asses and got them back together. That's something. I guess. But if this is what we get for it, I'd think I'd rather see them broken apart again.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go relax in the only way I know how: blowing the pixelated hell out of some enemy fighters.

[mole]

If the writers keep giving us storylines like this week's ep, perhaps there is hope for the show.

I hope that you didn't see this week's, then, because whatever good stuff that they built up in last week's ep (that I wouldn't know about since I missed it ), they flushed away this week.

Yep, the creative team at HIMYM sunk the ship (sorry, had to put in a nautical reference given the storyline) with this ep. I keep watching in hopes that the writers will somehow find their stride, that the actors will loose their cardboard-like coutenances, and of course to watch Aly. Every once in awhile my efforts pay off - there have been flashes of a truly funny show. But those times are few and far between (getting farther all the time).

Who was it who said that the definition of insanity is repeating the same behavior over and over with the hope that the outcome will be different?

Michelle

[Dana5140]

I missed the show- what happened yesterday?

[SithLordWiccan]

I missed the show- what happened yesterday?

The thing most of us have been wanting to see all season, followed by the thing that made the show finally jump the shark after so many close calls.

[Dana5140]

Stop being cryptic; I really want to know. Use a spoiler tag if necessary. Thanks.

[SithLordWiccan]

I really want to know.

All right. Don't say I didn't warn ya.

Spoiler:

Basically, the whole of the episode was built up around how Marshall and Lily were going to go to Atlantic City to elope (Lily saying what we’re all thinking: if they don’t do it now, who knows if they’re ever going to). So, having spent the bulk of the episode working along that premise (and getting some genuine laughs outta me that haven’t happened since early Season 1 episodes), they finally decide to go out to international waters and get married (since it was established earlier in the ep that it would take too long to get it done on dry land).

Unfortunately, when they get out there, they decide not to go through with it, instead insisting that they should take the time to do it right.

Everyone else (including me), reacts as you would typically expect: ?!

[Hemiola]

I'm really sorry that the show affected you so negatively, SLW, and of course you are entitled to your opinion.

I, however, am by no means ready to give up on this show, which has developed a genuine following of its own, due in no small part to the work of AH and Neil Patrick Harris. I disagree strongly that the show has "jumped the shark".

I, too, was disappointed by the ending of the epi, but I have no doubt that the reason can be found in the simple desire of the writers to bring back the "Minnesota Giants" from the Thanksgiving episode of last season.

[SithLordWiccan]

I'm really sorry that the show affected you so negatively, SLW, and of course you are entitled to your opinion.

I, however, am by no means ready to give up on this show, which has developed a genuine following of its own, due in no small part to the work of AH and Neil Patrick Harris. I disagree strongly that the show has "jumped the shark".

I, too, was disappointed by the ending of the epi, but I have no doubt that the reason can be found in the simple desire of the writers to bring back the "Minnesota Giants" from the Thanksgiving episode of last season.

Perhaps I was a little abrupt with my comments last night. I had posted so soon after the end of the ep, at which time I was in a particularly foul mood about what had just happened. This, combined with the fact that I had yet to see any real indication that the show was going to get out of its slump (remember that I haven't seen last week's yet), made me think that we were in for more of the angst between Marshall and Lily.

Of course, I did say that overall, I was happy they had gotten back together. So, that being said, I'm perfectly willing to give the show another chance. I just hope that it doesn't end up doing what everything I end up giving another chance to does, and make me regret doing it.

[Dana5140]

The ep does not surpirse me, then, given what you say. I think that they need to ratchet the tension up. This has so far been the year of Marshall and Lily, which may reflect the fact that Aly is a bigger star and better actor than Cobey Smulders (whom I like, so I am not casting aspersions), but we also know that Robin and Ted have to split up at some point, and so far that has not been in play at all. They have focused instead on Lily- and last week was especially a funny Lily episode. I suspect that the real resolution of Marshall and Lily will take place at exactly the same time that the end of Ted and Robin occurs....

[sacinema]

Last episode wasn't as funny as the one before and the episode with Lily and Barney sharing his appartement but it was funny and nice too. I actually was glad that Lily and Marshall didn't end up married in the end. Because this would have ended probably the main focus of the second season so far: It was mostly about Lily and Marshall but most of all about Lily. Them being married all to soon would have ended the ups and downs of the couple and would have ended one of the biggest plot points this show has: We like to wonder how they are going to end up together. We know they will - or we are pretty sure about that. But we don't know how they will get there. So them marrying would put an end to that show and an end to Aly working on it. If she would do something else even better than this show I wouldn't complain. But I'm just glad to see her regularly again. So, writers and producers don't bring them to this marriage thing to soon. Thanks. I want a lot of more Aly-goodness.

[Incarnadine]

What, no comments on this episode yet? Aly was her usual adorable self and was great as the "slap judge" but Cobie Smulders stole the show. How can you not love "Robin Sparkles"? The way it started I half-believed she was in Canadian porn but that music video was so much better. Someone already has a Robin Sparkles Myspace with the video (not great quality but still fun to watch again).

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fusea ... 33c8e95331

[helpfulinformationperhaps]

this was actually one of the first episodes I can really say I liked
Aly was great as always!

[Fleiss]

loved the episode, great video!! lol

[taralicious]

Aly just relished her job a little too much perhaps as slap-bet commissioner.
She got that twinkle in her eye and that wicked smile upon her lips and her brow crinkled up so adorably.
And the episode made us Aly fans sit up and take notice of hot hot "Robin Sparkles" is.
Hey, I'd go to the mall if she was there.

[CaptMurdock]

Aly just relished her job a little too much perhaps as slap-bet commissioner.
She got that twinkle in her eye and that wicked smile upon her lips and her brow crinkled up so adorably.
And the episode made us Aly fans sit up and take notice of hot hot "Robin Sparkles" is.
Hey, I'd go to the mall if she was there.

It made me realize why I don't miss the 80's.

The look on Aly's face when they appointed her Slap-Bet Commissioner flashed me back to when Willow was subbing as computer science teacher: "Oooo...do I get to assign detention?" Egad, they've awoken The Beast...

[SithLordWiccan]

Well, I just finished watching the episode, and I'm happy to say that, for the first time this season, I actually enjoyed sitting through the entire episode without feeling like I wanted to change the channel during the show.

Have to say, as others have, that Aly was in top form this episode. (And being from Canada, I can forgive her about knocking my home country. If in fact, that's what she did. I have my TV on mute at the time.) I have to agree with Incarnadine, however, and say that Cobie Smulders stole the show.

I've been making comments all season up till now about how much HIMYM was going to end up on the chopping block. Well, if the rest of the episodes this season are anything like this one, this is one instance in which I will not be disappointed to be proven wrong.

[Gatito Grande]

This is my first post on this show this season (I've barely had time to watch it, much less comment!)

I missed the Atlantic City ep, accidentally, but I guess it was for the best (I may be a minority, but I don't want Lily and Marshall to marry too fast).

Thus far, the best ep had been "Barney and Lily share Barney's apartment"...

...but that was until "Robin Sparkles" hit the video screen. Hy-freakin-sterical!!! ("Porn? Don't I wish!")

GG "Let's Go to the Mall {giggle-giggle} To-day!" Out

I'd go to that MySpace site, but dial-up means fuhgeddaboutit, unfortunately...

[SithLordWiccan]

It's really hard to believe that this is the same show I was bitching about two months ago. I really do think that everyone did their best to irradiate the tension and angst inherit in the first few episodes.

And I could so make a joke about Barney having a gay brother when NPH just came out himself, but I'm just not mean enough. Actually, I am that mean, but I can't think of a witty thing to say.

Aly, however, gets props for giving what may very well end up becoming the new catchphrase for single women everywhere:

"Poor guy!? Poor my boobs!"

Anyone who didn't laugh about that is nuts!

[dlline]

I loved the whole issue that Marshall had about the fruity drinks and that somehow that being in a gay bar made it OK for him to indulge his own girly drink side. Add to that the fact that Lily had a beer in her hand and refused to accept responsibility for her fiancee's fru-fru cocktail, and I was laughing out loud. The, he made the sissy drink for himself and Lily just assumed that it was for her. The look on his face was priceless.

I thought tonight's ep was fun, and I have seen the rest of the season. Monday night is bonding night for me and my partner's 13 year old son, since we've discovered that we're both Aly addicts. Well, at least he's not learning about adorable, ex-lesbian witches on the street.

Diane

[CaptMurdock]

Well, at least he's not learning about adorable, ex-lesbian witches on the street.

[Dana5140]

Wait, wait, wait. The witches are still lesbians! It is just the actors that play them that are not. :-)

[dlline]

Hey!

Good point...my bad. The witches are still lesbians, and that's a really good thing!

[SithLordWiccan]

This week's was a repeat, which I'm not that sad about. But I think next week's is gonna be funny.

Nobody likes a "grinch," so the Christmas-stealing Lily must be stopped after she threatens to ruin the gang's plans of a joyous holiday together due to a brawl with Ted

[taralicious]

After seeing the very special holiday episode of HIMYM, I am torn between Robin in those black stockings and that miniskirt as she nursed Barney back to health and Lilly in the skintight santa claus outfit.
Here's hoping I get put on Aly's naughty list.

[SithLordWiccan]

Lilly in the skintight santa claus outfit.

OK, I definitely gotta find time to see this episode.

[dlline]

Hey!

All of the stuff about the skin tight outfits is fine and dandy, but I hope I'm not the only one here who wants to hang with stoned Lily. I had an actual college flashback, but none of the folks I was hanging with looked like her, no matter how much we partied.

But I digress....

Diane

[mole]

How is it possible for this show to be so laugh-out-loud funny one week (the Christmas ep is one of the best I've seen) and yet so completely lifeless another week?

Lilly in the Santa suit...yummy. But I also enjoyed learning a bit of the history between Lilly, Ted, and Marshall. The backstory of these characters is interesting and lends strength to the show.

My Christmas wish for the writers of HIMYM...consistent writing.

Michelle

[tarawhipped]

Now through Dec. 31st, you--yes you can become a Slap Bet Commissioner

Woohoo for HIMYM influencing the pop culture t-shirt lexicon!

[SithLordWiccan]

HAH!