The How I Met Your Mother Blog

Coming off a hugely strong episode last week, I was worried that the show wouldn’t be able to maintain momentum. My fears were assuaged early on and this proved to be a strong episode that focused primarily on Barney. The gang joined a gym, Barney got the yips, Wayne Brady popped up, Barney sweat-suited up, and the boys attended a Victoria Secret fashion show. Not a bad run for a single episode.

What Was Good

We don’t usually get episodes devoted to The Barnicle. Seeing him with a full-on case of the yips was, to borrow from Mrs. Klum’s native language, a classic example of schadenfreude. We meet Rhonda, the woman who deflowered Barney long, long ago. Personally, I love seeing old, hippie Barney from back in the day. Did you notice the little extra bit where, when shown shirtless in his youth, hippie-Barney had chest hair where older, suit-up-Barney has a bare, waxed chest that he mentioned much to the ridicule of Ted and Marshall sometime last season? Also, we see that Barney’s love for the Backstreet Boys goes back to ‘98 when he was a young doe-eyed virgin.

I love that in the show, in the year 2030, gyms are a thing of the past. All the gym stuff was pretty good. I like “ugly Robin”, but even better is everyone making fun of her, including Lily. Marshall’s trainer was also a surprise. I’ve seen Meredith Roberts in a bunch of different shows over the years and she always plays the ditzy, cutesy, sexy, skank-tron that Barney would usually date (look at her credit on Veronica Mars, she played “Cute as a Bug Manager”). It was totally unexpected, therefore, when she turned into R. Lee Ermey on Marshall’s ass. I also loved Ted’s excuses to get out of working out. Going home because he had the wrong shorts, going home to charge his iPod, etc.

I have to say I was impressed by Heidi Klum. That woman is gorgeous and she can act. Some of the other models were a little bit awkward with their lines, but Klum was natural and sweet and totally believable. I loved when she just wagged her finger at Barney when he started to retort. He could use a tough frow like that. Miranda Kerr did well too–plus, she’s just adorable. Also, I have to say I enjoy Ted’s personal devotion to the truth when dealing with women. He seemed like the only suave one at that party. After all, he held it together while talking to Heidi Klum.

Speaking of guest stars, there were some legendary moments tonight with Wayne Brady as Barney’s brother “before he was gay”. I love the beer helmet, the advice to think about baseball during sex. It was perfect.

I love how one week we see Ted and Robin share this emotionally tumultuous event which results in a realization that though it won’t be easy, they must persevere in their quest to remain friends despite the sexual tension, and the very next week they see each other all sweaty at the gym and they are both moved on. It feels realistic. You think you’ll never get over an ex, until you do.

Rumor had it that Sandy Rivers was supposed to make an appearance in the episode this week. While I think that would’ve exceeded the guest star capacity for a single sitcom episode, perhaps we should keep an eye out for him?

What Was Bad

The episode didn’t quite flow like some do. The gym stuff felt a bit strained at times, it was obviously a B-plot for Barney’s arc, although it was by no means bad. The resolution of Barney’s dilemma was a bit too tidy for me, it seemed a little too sitcom “must fix everything in one episode”. There weren’t any huge, dramatic moments for the cast (which, I think, is good, they can’t maintain that every week.)

For those continuity people out there, there was a bit of a glaring error tonight. In “First Time in New York” Barney led us to believe his initial tryst with Rhonda happened at his house. He said “my comforter smelled like menthol cigarettes for a week”. Then tonight, we see him do the deed at her house. I suppose, as Elizabeth pointed out, that with his long hair that odor could be carried back home with him, much like his shame.

Favorite Moments

“I wound up shame-eating a whole pizza. I woke up all greasy and sweaty. My sheets looked like what they wrap deli sandwiches in.”
“Women who…how should I put this delicately? …They FAT!”
“That one’s going to reward shareholders soon. I see aggressive growth in my future.”
“Do you smell that? Smells like there’s a little bitch in my gym.”
“We’re meeting our friend Robin here, I hope you don’t hate her, she’s pretty hot.”
“I’m sorry lesbian prison guard, do we know each other?”
“Oh, hey dude, I’m Barney.”
“Well of course you’re scared, it’s gross, the thought of doing that with a woman?”
“You know that new paper boy? I let him throw one into my hedges if you know what I mean. You see that new guy that cleans my pool? I let him snake my drain if you know what I mean. You know that Chinese food delivery boy? I had sex with him. I don’t have a funny way of saying it yet, it just happened 20 minutes ago.”
“That was the night I was born. I rose like a Phoenix from her mentholated bosom and strode into the world, Armani-clad and fully awesome.”
“Hers’ is the only vagina for me. I love it, it’s not scary at all.”
“Hi is this Trish? This is Marshall’s wife. Listen, we have a problem here, and it’s you. I don’t know who the hell you think you are but from now on you don’t tell Marshall what to do. You are an employee, we tell you what to do. And I’m telling you you’re fired bitch. Bye. Better get down there baby she’s pretty pissed.”
“Go, you’re too sore to do anything anyway.”
“Guys, this is not a regular game. This is the World Series” — good to see Barney’s brother’s baseball metaphor staid with him.
“You guys work for the company?”, “Yeah, it’s called ‘I’m gonna get in your panties’ incorporated.”
“This party is legend…wait for it…”, “Um, how long do we have to wait for it?”
“Those are very nice honkers.”
“I see little hamburgers! I love little hamburgers!”
“Hey. Maybe. How about. Sex. Let’s…sex.”
“Today at work I had to have an intern rip up my bagel and drop pieces of it into my mouth.”
“What about your big muscular trainer who’s all into stretching you out?”, “Yeah, well, turns out that guy had no affilation with the gym whatsoever.”
“Lily, help me bend down these three fingers.”

Lastly, if anyone knows what it is that Heidi Klum said in German I’d love to know if a) it was real or just gibberish and b) if it actually meant something equivalent to “the yips”. UPDATE: Reader Ike points out that she says “Ach du meine Güte, gar nichts klappt mehr, so’ne Scheiße” which means: ”Oh my goodness, nothing’s working anymore, oh crap”.

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