8.4/10. It's tough to pull out of the tailspin of the last episode, but damn if this one doesn't deliver an unexpected quality follow up.
The thing that really elevates the episode is Ted and Lily's scene on the roof. Lily admitting that there's days she wishes she weren't a mom, and Ted admitting he was hurt by Robin and Barney getting engaged is a nice match of the two good friends sharing their open wounds with one another. It was a particularly good performance from Alyson Hannigan, who rarely gets to go dramatic on the show, but absolutely nails it here. And Josh Radnor holds his own as well, with the montage of times Ted's gotten "hurt," helping to drive the point home. It's that bit of darkness and realness that gives the show weight beyond the sillier sitcom trappings.
But those trappings are fun! Referring to baby poo as "confetti" is the latest in the long line of HIMYM's visual euphemisms, and Marshall getting blasted with confetti was a fun way to pay off the storyline of Little Marvin being constipated. It's a trifle of a storyline, but it worked.
Barney persuading Robin's Dad to give his blessing, and Robin confronting and then accepting her dad to some degree was probably the weakest of the storylines in the episode, just because there was a whiplash in the tone going from goofy to serious pretty rapidly. Ray Wise trying to be "fun" while still being scary resulted in some awkward laughs, though again, the actual comedy went pretty broad.
On a mythos level, I'm still just not persuaded by Ted being hung up on Robin, but Mrs. Bloom pointed out that even if Ted wasn't still chasing after Robin, the fact that the woman who said she'd never be getting married is now getting married could certainly hurt him, especially when he's still looking for his own The One. And the reveal that the whole band vs. DJ thing works out despite Ted's protestations, because it leads to The Mother playing Barney and Robin's wedding is a nice one.
Overall, a nice little rebound from the doldrums of the prior ep.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2016-08-23T01:15:08Z
8.4/10. It's tough to pull out of the tailspin of the last episode, but damn if this one doesn't deliver an unexpected quality follow up.
The thing that really elevates the episode is Ted and Lily's scene on the roof. Lily admitting that there's days she wishes she weren't a mom, and Ted admitting he was hurt by Robin and Barney getting engaged is a nice match of the two good friends sharing their open wounds with one another. It was a particularly good performance from Alyson Hannigan, who rarely gets to go dramatic on the show, but absolutely nails it here. And Josh Radnor holds his own as well, with the montage of times Ted's gotten "hurt," helping to drive the point home. It's that bit of darkness and realness that gives the show weight beyond the sillier sitcom trappings.
But those trappings are fun! Referring to baby poo as "confetti" is the latest in the long line of HIMYM's visual euphemisms, and Marshall getting blasted with confetti was a fun way to pay off the storyline of Little Marvin being constipated. It's a trifle of a storyline, but it worked.
Barney persuading Robin's Dad to give his blessing, and Robin confronting and then accepting her dad to some degree was probably the weakest of the storylines in the episode, just because there was a whiplash in the tone going from goofy to serious pretty rapidly. Ray Wise trying to be "fun" while still being scary resulted in some awkward laughs, though again, the actual comedy went pretty broad.
On a mythos level, I'm still just not persuaded by Ted being hung up on Robin, but Mrs. Bloom pointed out that even if Ted wasn't still chasing after Robin, the fact that the woman who said she'd never be getting married is now getting married could certainly hurt him, especially when he's still looking for his own The One. And the reveal that the whole band vs. DJ thing works out despite Ted's protestations, because it leads to The Mother playing Barney and Robin's wedding is a nice one.
Overall, a nice little rebound from the doldrums of the prior ep.