It's funny, I didn't have particularly fond memories of this one, but it's pretty damn great. Normally, Barney's behavior on this front is kind of gross, but couching it with (a.) the subtext that it's a way to distract himself and prevent him from having to confront his fear of getting fired and (b.) the whole Jim Nantz/perfect game frame story and premise, made it not only palatable, but a lot of fun and even a little introspective for Barney. The baseball metaphors and jinxes were amusing, and there was a subtle but firmly present emotional undercurrent to it as well.
Plus the B-story consisted more or less of nothing but one of my favorite elements of the show -- the gang just sitting at the bar and riffing with each other. From the endlessly spinning web of Marshall and Lily's toothbrush, to the progression of Robin hating her date and then wondering why he hasn't called and then convincing herself that he was the greatest guy alive, to Ted's unfortunate "Cook Poo" name problem, it was a collection of little bits that felt natural and amounted to something very amusing.
Shout by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2016-05-08T16:17:53Z
It's funny, I didn't have particularly fond memories of this one, but it's pretty damn great. Normally, Barney's behavior on this front is kind of gross, but couching it with (a.) the subtext that it's a way to distract himself and prevent him from having to confront his fear of getting fired and (b.) the whole Jim Nantz/perfect game frame story and premise, made it not only palatable, but a lot of fun and even a little introspective for Barney. The baseball metaphors and jinxes were amusing, and there was a subtle but firmly present emotional undercurrent to it as well.
Plus the B-story consisted more or less of nothing but one of my favorite elements of the show -- the gang just sitting at the bar and riffing with each other. From the endlessly spinning web of Marshall and Lily's toothbrush, to the progression of Robin hating her date and then wondering why he hasn't called and then convincing herself that he was the greatest guy alive, to Ted's unfortunate "Cook Poo" name problem, it was a collection of little bits that felt natural and amounted to something very amusing.