I'm pretty sure I like this one better on rewatch than I did when I originally saw it. I like the central ideas the episode plays in -- Marshall's idea that family is important and not something that you can just cut out of your life, and Lily's that sometimes family members can do things that are so consistently awful and insensitive that your life is better off without them. I also appreciated the fact that by the end of the episode, they'd seen the other's point to where they actually flipped -- Marshall understood why Lily had such a hard time with her father, and Lily understood the idea of making peace even with people who have hurt you because you may regret it if you don't. It's obviously a bit simplified, but it's a nice idea for a Thanksgiving episode.
The slap stuff didn't do it too much for me. Let's face it, the whole slap thing was pretty much exhausting after Slap #2. The build up, the fanfare, the debates, all feel like trying to recreate one of the show's finest hours rather than forge ahead with something new and more original. It's not as though there weren't some funny moments (Mickey explaining that he doesn't know Barney, doesn't have anything against them, but just can't pass up the opportunity to slap someone in the face), but the entire slap-gifting chain was kind of contrived and broad even for a show that can get a little campy. There's a lot to like here, but it feels like the batting average is slipping.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2016-04-25T04:39:09Z
I'm pretty sure I like this one better on rewatch than I did when I originally saw it. I like the central ideas the episode plays in -- Marshall's idea that family is important and not something that you can just cut out of your life, and Lily's that sometimes family members can do things that are so consistently awful and insensitive that your life is better off without them. I also appreciated the fact that by the end of the episode, they'd seen the other's point to where they actually flipped -- Marshall understood why Lily had such a hard time with her father, and Lily understood the idea of making peace even with people who have hurt you because you may regret it if you don't. It's obviously a bit simplified, but it's a nice idea for a Thanksgiving episode.
The slap stuff didn't do it too much for me. Let's face it, the whole slap thing was pretty much exhausting after Slap #2. The build up, the fanfare, the debates, all feel like trying to recreate one of the show's finest hours rather than forge ahead with something new and more original. It's not as though there weren't some funny moments (Mickey explaining that he doesn't know Barney, doesn't have anything against them, but just can't pass up the opportunity to slap someone in the face), but the entire slap-gifting chain was kind of contrived and broad even for a show that can get a little campy. There's a lot to like here, but it feels like the batting average is slipping.