5.7/10.This is an odd opening salvo to the finale, because it's a lot of junk, combined with little moments of greatness.
I'm not sure I ever really needed HIMYM to become Family Guy, with a bunch of random cutaway gags that have nothing to do with the present moment. Some of them were funny (everyone wearing the same Breakfast Club costume), some were pretty lame (Barney's "Come with me if you want to bang" Terminator pick up attempt), and some of them were just out there enough to work (where does that door go?), but for the most part, they were just too slight to have much impact. Robin treating Lily like a horse was too broad for my tastes, and while Ted sending out an elaborate labor announcement was totally in character, that tack with him didn't do much for me.
Similarly, Marshall and Barney being trashed and trying to get back to NYC from Atlantic City got really broad and not all that funny as well. Barney's ridiculous attempts to get the motorcycle were dumb, and not in a fun way, and Marshall's drunken attempts to get up two stairs went on too long without enough payoff (though the ATM showing him a scene from Zelda was amusing). The entire contrived "seniors bus to Buffalo" plot hurdle to get him there in time, replete with an "No I'm Sparacus!" array for fake heart attacks to justify it was pretty corny too. (Though I'll admit, everyone's sucessive reactions to the middle name "Wait-for-it" had me chuckling.)
And yet, despite that, there are some supremely well done, even touching moments here. This season's done a good bit to rehabilitate Lily's dad, and setting him up as being the worst person to have in a medical emergency and yet eventually making him the one who gives Lily the strength she needs to go on without Marshall while in labor was a perfect reversal. Barney's speech to the bus driver about why Marshall deserves to be there for the birth of his child was a nicely sincere moment, that revealed Barney's desire to have something like what Marshall and Lily have as well as his own love for the two of them. And Ted and Robin making up after their awkwardness hit the right balance between earnest and funny; it was a very human, down-to-earth moment for both of them (and Ted pulling the "I love you" shtick again was hilarious and real).
In the end, the sweetest moment of all is when Marshall walks out, announces he's a dad, and they all embrace. It's a big moment for this found family, and this episode plays it right. It's just a shame that there's so much drek mixed in a long the way to getting to the good stuff.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2016-08-05T22:02:04Z
5.7/10.This is an odd opening salvo to the finale, because it's a lot of junk, combined with little moments of greatness.
I'm not sure I ever really needed HIMYM to become Family Guy, with a bunch of random cutaway gags that have nothing to do with the present moment. Some of them were funny (everyone wearing the same Breakfast Club costume), some were pretty lame (Barney's "Come with me if you want to bang" Terminator pick up attempt), and some of them were just out there enough to work (where does that door go?), but for the most part, they were just too slight to have much impact. Robin treating Lily like a horse was too broad for my tastes, and while Ted sending out an elaborate labor announcement was totally in character, that tack with him didn't do much for me.
Similarly, Marshall and Barney being trashed and trying to get back to NYC from Atlantic City got really broad and not all that funny as well. Barney's ridiculous attempts to get the motorcycle were dumb, and not in a fun way, and Marshall's drunken attempts to get up two stairs went on too long without enough payoff (though the ATM showing him a scene from Zelda was amusing). The entire contrived "seniors bus to Buffalo" plot hurdle to get him there in time, replete with an "No I'm Sparacus!" array for fake heart attacks to justify it was pretty corny too. (Though I'll admit, everyone's sucessive reactions to the middle name "Wait-for-it" had me chuckling.)
And yet, despite that, there are some supremely well done, even touching moments here. This season's done a good bit to rehabilitate Lily's dad, and setting him up as being the worst person to have in a medical emergency and yet eventually making him the one who gives Lily the strength she needs to go on without Marshall while in labor was a perfect reversal. Barney's speech to the bus driver about why Marshall deserves to be there for the birth of his child was a nicely sincere moment, that revealed Barney's desire to have something like what Marshall and Lily have as well as his own love for the two of them. And Ted and Robin making up after their awkwardness hit the right balance between earnest and funny; it was a very human, down-to-earth moment for both of them (and Ted pulling the "I love you" shtick again was hilarious and real).
In the end, the sweetest moment of all is when Marshall walks out, announces he's a dad, and they all embrace. It's a big moment for this found family, and this episode plays it right. It's just a shame that there's so much drek mixed in a long the way to getting to the good stuff.