Season 3 Episode 11: The Platinum Rule Discussion
This week’s recap was written by Have You Met Ted long-time fan Jason “The Mix”. Jason offered to take over this week since I’m in such a flux with the move. I’m super excited to share his thoughts with you. As Broda would say, the Force is strong with this one. Without further adieu I present Jason’s recap:
With this episode was the last new one we’ll see for a fair amount of time, however, if were we’re going to go out on any episode, I’m glad it was this one. It left us with a sense of mystery, and a cliffhanger of sorts with more than one person in Ted and Barney.
This was, as older Ted put it, the story of making decisions that we aren’t prepared to live with, “and the consequences that follow”. This episode in particular is one I found to be fairly iconically Ted, in that there are several episodes where the focus is upon Ted making a bad decision, or simply unwise, even though he knew before hand it was a bad decision to be making. In fact, that’s generally been the overlaying theme of the entire season so far. Old Ted at the beginning of the season puts it as going through what he needed to go through before he meets the mother. In the end, this episode is sort of a more hilarious stepbrother to “Nothing Good Happens After 2 AM”.
What Was Good
The show is starting to run with self-referentiality fairly often now. We’ve seen it pop-up numerous times this season (especially with “Spoiler Alert”), and sometimes even turning the mirror around on yourself can get old, but they seem to be keeping it surprisingly fresh. Shows such as Scrubs can just be blatant with it, but HIMYM seems to do it both blatantly as well as in a slightly subversive kind of way (ala Lily’s hair).
We also got to see other people in the building! Other than Slutty Pumpkin, I can’t remember really meeting anyone else that lived in the building. It would be nice to see them come back with perhaps a bigger role. Two other smaller notes: 1. It was good to see Wendy get a larger role. 2. Barney (NPH) was fricking amazing in this episode…one of his best performances in my opinion.
There’s a lot more to talk about (including Wendy’s revenge? & Robin’s interesting wardrobe in the apartment), but I fell like I’ve already written too much. [Editor's note: Jason, you said it. That top Robin was wearing was hot. It was a short hop-skip-and-jump away from negligee. I was shocked, although I can't complain.]
What Was Bad
There wasn’t a whole lot that was just outrightly bad in this episode that I could sense. I felt as though the neighbor gag was a tiny bit banal at times, but otherwise it went well. The time shifting, as per usual, could get a little confusing if you weren’t paying hard attention to what was going on.
I was also going to say, as JD probably would have, that the Rules are starting to wear me down, but at the end Ted threw down the “I’m sick of all of your rules” speech, and brought it back to earth.
And lastly, I’m also wondering, just as JD, why Robin is going after all of these wussy guys. Even though she was dating this guy under the pretext of him being not a wuss, you could tell at the beginning that he was going to be. I kind of want Sandy Rivers back, if for no other reason than to see not only Yosemite Sandy again, but also the other Sandy’s.
Favorite Moments
I’m not as good with quotes as JD, so bear with me.
“Don’t poop where you eat”
“We love brunch!”
“You want to antique the crap out of them”
“Don’t kill the bar dude”
“You’re killing the bar!!”
“You killed our bar dude”
Marshall charading “we just go across the hall”
Pretty much everything that came out of Wendy’s mouth
Yet another jazz shirt (Miles Davis)
“Remember the old Barney? He was a lion. The king of the jungle. Stalking whatever prey he chose, going in for the kill.” - B
“You have a whole meat locker full of corpses at home don’t you?” - Ted
“Now look at me; de-clawed, neutered. What was once my jungle is now my zoo. And I am forced to mate with the same old lioness, again and again and again and again, while families PAY to watch.”- B
“Ya, this metaphor’s really fallin’ apart” - Ted
“Put a bell around my neck and scratch my belly kids, for I am just a docile house cat now…Meow” - B
My lord, Barney’s slide. It was A-Maz-Ing.
“Step six is called Purg- wait for it. Keep waiting. Keepwaitingforallofeternityonlytodiscoverthere’snoescap-atory.”
“I kinda wanna see those same parts, just on other girls.”
“The Knicks didn’t deserve my love to begin with….the Knicks suck!”
Ted still called Wendy, “Wendy the waitress”, even after Barney “dated” her.
“So that was the end of the story between me and Stella…..at least for the time being.”
I’m going to hopefully get JD to put up a pole here, because I want to see how many of you think this whole Wendy the Waitress’ revenge upon Barney is going to come back. I don’t know about you all, but I’ve dated some people in the past much like Wendy in the sense that they were really nice, but something was just a little bit off. They thought we were in a relationship based on very little contact, and when we broke-up things went just a little “too well”. I saw some crazy eyes in Wendy and I wanted to see what others thought. [Editor's note: done and done:]
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corey | December 13, 2007 @ 1:59 am
great review!
and yes, the eyes ARE CRAZY!!!
Elizabeth | December 13, 2007 @ 9:50 am
Great review!
I think Wendy’s revenge is that Barney will be forever paranoid!
eduardo | December 13, 2007 @ 11:14 am
Being OK about it is the worst thing she could do to Barney! Is that a revenge or what?
Notice how I’ve used a canadian accent when I said “about”;
I just love Robin and her wardrobe.
Great review Jason!
Eric J | December 13, 2007 @ 11:29 am
So how does The Platinum Rule affect Robin and Barney’s inevitable hookup? (Although I’m beginning to favor the theory that it’s been going on behind the scenes for a while already.)
JD | December 13, 2007 @ 11:38 am
Eric J, The Platinum Rule would definitely affect Robin and Barney. I haven’t heard the theory that it’s going on behind the scenes. What a juicy little tidbit. Is that a personal theory or did I miss it on the interweb?
Ike | December 13, 2007 @ 11:55 am
Great review. It was a good episode. And I would love Sandy back to see all the other Sandys. Oh brainstorm maybe he gets on a Good morning America type show in ny and does the newspaper stuff, classic. The part about being done with Stella for now is intriguing. Barney in a relationship was classic. And Robin’s shirt wow.
As far as Barney and Robin I don’t know if the platinum rule would apply to friends. Who knows, let’s just hope we can get new episodes sometime soon so we can hear the story of the goat and find out any other clues.
JD | December 13, 2007 @ 12:03 pm
Ike! The story of the goat! Good call. I forgot about that. Ted’s 30th is coming up isn’t it?
Andy | December 13, 2007 @ 5:30 pm
It’s in early May. “Milk”, which covered Ted’s 28th, aired on 5/8/06.
Ray | December 14, 2007 @ 12:17 pm
I think it’ll be great to see Barney dump his drink every time Wendy brings them all drinks. Although it does explain why Barney usually always goes to the bartender to get his drinks.
Adam | December 15, 2007 @ 2:33 pm
Yes, crazy. And dangerous. Dangerous like an angry bear.
Michael Fay | December 18, 2007 @ 11:53 am
Another great episode and a nice way to start the limbo while we wait for the strike to end. I think that the writers hit on something powerful when they amped up Wendy’s role this past week.
Long running series’ need to evolve in terms of cast and story line to stay fresh. I believe that a bigger role for Wendy truly might be the answer for HIMYM. She provides the quirky humor of Phoebe (”Friends”), the sincerity of Coach (”Cheers”) and the wholesome attractiveness of Carol (Teacher / Girlfriend in “Ed”). I guess the question that needs to be asked is “How to realistically expand on her character’s potential?” Relationship is the easy way, but probably not the right way. Maybe a “worldly advice” episode (where she comes out looking brillant about something off the wall), a “girl’s night out” episode (in a limo / staggette), a “huge revelation” episode (Where we find out something totally out of this world about her past) or finally a good wingman / savior episode (where she saves Barney from a tough situation).
Bottom line, any direction you go with her storyline will be good for the show as a whole!!
JD | December 18, 2007 @ 12:02 pm
I agree Michael, but I don’t think that the show has asked a question that Wendy can “be the answer to”. I like the possibility of all your scenarios (do you write for the show?) but I have to wonder how a shift away from the 5 primaries would affect the overall feel. We’ve had two and a half years of Ted, Barney, Marshall, Lily, and Robin and to have another character come into a prominent role could be strange.
On the other hand, it would even out the ship thus eliminating the “5th wheel” phenomenon that sometimes brings the group down. Also, during the first season the episodes with Victoria were hugely successful which shows the writers and Fryman can handle a new addition.
You might be on to something here. I can think of a few other guest stars I’d love to see featured more prominently. Cho being one of them for sure (him and NPH riffing would be awesome).
Only time will tell I suppose.
Chuckie | December 21, 2007 @ 2:56 pm
I Think Wendys Hot!!! She would be a great sexy psycho!
Pat | December 31, 2007 @ 1:21 am
Wendy’s hot! And she’s no psycho!
Josh | March 5, 2008 @ 11:54 pm
I know this is from months ago, but…
I seriously thought this was a set up by Bays and Thomas for the eventual reveal that Wendy is Barney’s true love and who he ends up with.
I know the whole ‘girl thinks she knows you when she doesn’t’ scenario, but I thought in this case Wendy can just see through Barney’s facade. I didn’t remotely think she had the crazy eyes.
Michael Fay | March 6, 2008 @ 3:05 pm
A few thoughts on the Platinum Rule discussion…. The show is about to re-enter America’s living rooms in a matter of weeks…. we are so excited about seeing the show “fresh” again that it’s RIPE for a WENDY twist on the plot. Perhaps the opposite of a cliff hanger….. open with a totally made up scene of “where we were before the writer’s break” Play on the fact that they’ve been gone for awhile…. all the girls are pregnant, the bar burned down, someone lost thier job, Wendy and Barney get married and Barney is HAPPY … and then have Wendy come out of a day dream where she states “I’ve got to stop finishing off other peoples drinks”
Whether it was intended or not, the setup is right for Wendy to be Barney’s true love (but only in a HIMYM sort of way). It gives you something to build towards for a seasonal finale
To answer an earlier comment, no I’m not a writer for the show, thats just always been a dream of mine. I’ve daydreamed about writing an episode (I’m the kind of guy that figures out the “who dun it” half way through a movie, or who thinks to himself “if they had only tweaked it a a little bit it could have been a home run instead of single), but I love my job & family so much that to leave them to pursue that dream isn’t very realistic.
Final thought…. Has anybody seen the Dodge commercial that’s been on about 300 times. I swear that the girl that walks up and draws on the board (circles on the tires) is Wendy the waitress. The commercial is on during sporting events (hockey, NASCAR, ESPN, etc.). Has anyone else seen it? Do you think that it’s Wendy?
JD | March 6, 2008 @ 3:51 pm
There was a commercial for Wal-Mart pharamacy that I would’ve sworn had Charlene Amoia in in. I could never find it online so I didn’t post about it.
Michael, I like your ideas but I think they’d have to exist in some parallel HIMYM universe where Bizarro Barney falls in love and gets married. One of the main draws to the show is the Barney character, specifically how chuck-a-block full of misogyny and machismo he is. I think he’s a modern day swashbuckler, living out—on screen—the lives that so many men wish they could have in real life. The suits, the money, the women, the attitude. What would that mean if he married and settled down? That’d be like Indiana Jones 5: The PTA Meetings.
Jason | March 11, 2008 @ 2:13 am
Both the Dodge and Walmart commercial feature Charlene Amoia. If you youtube her name you will find them along with a few others.
Marie | March 11, 2008 @ 2:32 am
Yes that’s her.
toomuchfreetime | March 21, 2008 @ 11:47 pm
How am I the only one weirded out by the whole Mr. Mosby making out with Wendy the waitress (from Brunch) and Barney snapping a picture for Ted, given that we now know Barney already planted his flag there?
Ted has essentially kissed his father (via the girl they bet about to Barney to Wendy to Old Man Mosby.)