Season 3 Episode 19: Everything Must Go Discussion
Ted pulled on his red boots, Barney pulled off his suit, and Britney pulled out the cleavage. All this while Lily tried desperately to sell her art in order to preserve her wardrobe in the hopes that maybe not everything must go. Photos to come tomorrow.
What was Good
Who are these people?
I love a good LAME story. Between vague references to their bedroom play (what “stuff”, exactly, does Lily pretend to sell?) to fantastical stories about GCWOK and veterinarians (those poor birds), LAME truly are Mr. and Mrs. Awesome. Remember, lilyandmarshallselltheirstuff.com is real and you can bid on items from the show. Lily thought it should be called guyforceshiswifetodressinagarbagebagforthenextthreeyears.com. Oh yeah, it’s real. It has music and everything. I love Bays and Thomas. The site was registered on April 24th to 20th Century Fox Intellectual Property so it was made for the show—that’s awesome. Can anyone translate the French? Canadians?
Ted’s red cowboy boots were amusing, if not a little cliche-sitcom. They did look ridiculous though (they’re one of the items you can bid on at the web site mentioned tonight) and they served for some of the best zingers in the episodes. The GCWOK reaction surely pulled laughs from some but none from me (more on that in a minute.)
Yet again Robin didn’t have much to do. And yet again she shined and stole each of her scenes. I loved her unapologetic poaching of Lily’s wardrobe (canadagirl@metronews1.com!) and her hilarious ex-bickering with Ted. Robin is a treat (except for that green thing she was wearing at the cafe which was…neat. Neat means bad right?)
Barney’s plot line was filler, and odd filler at that. It wasn’t without its moments though. Him continually forgetting Abby’s name, his sudden wardrobe switch and proposal bit (that sweater would pair well with Ted’s boots,) all classic over-the-top Barney. I worried a bit that the misdirection with the proposal would be left as a lose end for the less-clever of viewers to debate over but it was good to see that in the end, Barney is still evil. This was a better turn around than the last scene of The Yips. Did he really give Abby Ted’s home address? Maybe. Hopefully we’ll never find out. Oh, and Britney’s cleavage was pretty nice.
Update: We might actually be seeing Britney again.
What was Bad
So any one who’s spent the last eight years becoming a lawyer can throw together a full e-commerce site for their wife’s clothes/paintings? I beg to differ!
Lastly, I took issue with the portrayal of the GCWOKs in the episode. It seemed very 90s, pre Will-and-Grace, gay stereotype and I think the show could have done better. I don’t find that stereotype that funny anymore, so while it didn’t offend me, it didn’t make me laugh either.
Favorite Moments
- This dog is awesome. Can anyone identify the breed?
- “A rainbow? Sounds like that bitch had it coming.”
- “Are you as turned on as I am?”
“Probably not as much” - “That kind of money only goes for real paintings” <- bad move bro.
- “And you don’t have to be a pretentious jerk to like it.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, are the colors neat or neato-burrito?” - “The Good, the Bad, and the Fabulous”
“The Magnificent Kevin”
“No Country for Straight Men.”
- Was that heroin addict selling socks Matt Besser from Upright Citizens Brigade? Yes! That is awesome.
- “Abby and I are in love. Not hot, passionate love. Couple love. You know, movie night with my girlfriend then waiting for her to go to bed so I can steal one pitiful moment of hollow ecstasy by the cold blue light of my computer monitor.”
- “It’s still in the family!”
- “No, Lily, they love me. But that’s not the point.”
- “I didn’t want to steal any attention away from America” <– most unintentionally funny line. Or was it wry social commentary?
Closing
Overall, this felt very much like a generic sitcom episode. It did nothing to move any of the serialized plots along (except, maybe, to update us about Dowisetrepla) and considering its penultimate position in the season, I was left wanting more.
Britney Spears looked OK. She still yells most of her lines and acts only slightly better than the girls who star alongside Lance Hardwood, Sex Architect. The question I want to ask you all is this: If this hadn’t been Britney but just some random actress, how would we have felt about this plot? If we weren’t scrutinizing every moment and hadn’t been barraged with media coverage, would the Barney-plot have seemed so mediocre? We’ll never know, but I’m curious what you think.
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Ally | May 12, 2008 @ 11:35 pm
FYI, not sure if this has been mentioned, but http://www.guyforceshiswifetodressinagarbagebagforthenextthreeyears.com/ is also a real site. It features a hilarious slideshow of a guy and his wife, who is in, well, a garbage bag. I can only assume it was set up by the show.
…I really hope it was set up by the show.
That being said, this is the first episode I have ever really disliked. Boring and pointless.
Ally | May 12, 2008 @ 11:36 pm
Heh. So, you mentioned it in the first line your recap, and I was obviously so excited that I completely missed it.
Anyways, put me down as someone who got a laugh out of GCWOK.
john d'arc | May 12, 2008 @ 11:42 pm
come on, Britney. You can’t suck it in for one measly episode?
Also, they totally redid the scene where the mystery girl confronts Lily.
Liz | May 12, 2008 @ 11:53 pm
Britney’s voice was so irritating. I was hoping that the events in the Bracket would lead to a bigger payoff. I was annoyed that Abby turned out to be the mysterious girl. I guess I was hoping for something different/more exciting to happen.
Psst - it’s heroin. Although heroines are awesome.
Ally | May 12, 2008 @ 11:59 pm
Alright, courtesy of my novice French- The Garbage Bag song. I’m 99% I got all but two lines. Can anyone clarify?
Darling, I want you to wear a
GARBAGE BAG
Please, for three years, only a
GARBAGE BAG
Darling, it’s prohibited that you’re not in a [UNSURE]
GARBAGE BAG
Please, for me, wear this, wear this
GARBAGE BAG
When you leave the house, you leave wearing a
GARBAGE BAG
In the café, on the Champs Elysee, wear a
GARBAGE BAG
In the club, you are going to dance in a
GARBAGE BAG
In church, you’re going to pray in a
GARBAGE BAG
It could be
HEFTY
It could be
GLAD
Something ?????, provided it’s a [UNSURE]
GARBAGE BAG
AH, OH, OH YES, GARBAGE BAG, YES
Darling, I adore you when you wear a
GARBAGE BAG
We make love with everyone, in a big
GARBAGE BAG
Darling, I want you to wear a
GARBAGE BAG
Please, for three years, only a, only a
GARBAGE BAG
Jake | May 13, 2008 @ 1:06 am
I did not like this episode, especially since it was the second to last one of the season. If they insist on making episodes like this at least do them in the middle of the season. The Abbey character and Britney need to go. She was “better” in this episode from the last, but if these are the types of episodes HIMYM is going to make with Britney then maybe the show needs to bow out. I really think the show is better than these episodes with Britney. And I don’t think it’s a case of stunt casting because they have had stars on before
and have worked out great. Bays and Thomas need to use Brit Brit like
Barney used Abbey. Get a bump (in ratings) and kick her out of the apartment.
AF | May 13, 2008 @ 1:18 am
I don’t know if anyone has seen this yet but the LA times reports that CBS did pick up How I Met Your Mother for a fourth season.
You can see the article here: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2008/05/upfronts-cbs-re.html
As for the episode…
I enjoyed it. Robin fondling Lily’s clothes was amusing. And I thought Britney did a better job than last time even though her reappearance felt a little forced.
Barney reigns supreme as the ultimate player though. He can get out of anything.
Jake | May 13, 2008 @ 1:25 am
I think you are asking the wrong question about whether we’d feel different if another actress was in the role of Abbey. I think if Britney hadn’t asked to be on the show the character of Abbey wouldn’t exist. She just hasn’t made sense from her introduction.
Ever since Abbey was introduced it seemed superfluous. In the first episode, she was there so Ted could use her to make Stella jealous. That was weird since Ted has never needed to anything like that before. And it seemed Ted dropped the idea of making Stella jealous almost as quickly as he thought of it. In other words, the episode was rewritten to include Abbey. Then in tonight’s episode, it just felt like a letdown when Abbey was revealed to be the Barney Blocker. I say that because she was so cavalier about having sex with him, plus she was obsessed with Ted, that I didn’t buy that she would go through so much effort to kill Barney’s game. She seemed in the first episode to be the female version of Barney, just crazy and obsessive.
Like I said in my previous post, I am down on this episode because I know Bays and Thomas put so much into the narrative of this show that when an episode comes out like this, it’s a let down. I know they can do better and hopefully Brit Brit gives them the ratings boost to continue. I just hope the Abbey Character is not recurring. I’d rather see one more brilliant season of HIMYM than 2-3 more with episodes and characters like this.
Ae | May 13, 2008 @ 1:44 am
Jake nail it, 100% agree. This was their worst episode to date.
Greg | May 13, 2008 @ 1:56 am
Hi,
I’m from Belgium and as we’re speaking french here, I try and complete the VERY NEAT
work of Ally . Some sentences are really hard to understand, even for a french speaking person…
Darling, I want you to wear a
GARBAGE BAG
Please, for three years, only a
GARBAGE BAG
Darling, it’s prohibited not to wear a
GARBAGE BAG
Please, for me, wear this, wear this
GARBAGE BAG
When you leave the house, you leave wearing a
GARBAGE BAG
In the café, on the Champs Elysee, wear a
GARBAGE BAG
In the club, you are going to dance in a
GARBAGE BAG
In church, you’re going to pray in a
GARBAGE BAG
It could be
HEFTY
It could be
GLAD
Something will be enough, provided it’s a [UNSURE]
GARBAGE BAG
AH, OH, OH YES, GARBAGE BAG, YES
Darling, I adore you when you wear a
GARBAGE BAG
We make love with everyone, in a big
GARBAGE BAG
Darling, I want you to wear a
GARBAGE BAG
Please, for three years, only a, only a
GARBAGE BAG
Geri | May 13, 2008 @ 2:08 am
This is going to be a hard one for me to type because i nearly sliced off my finger while watching The Muppet Movie tonight (don’t ask!)
Though I have to say that incident was more exciting than tonight’s episode. It did feel like filler to update us on DOWISETREPLA as JD mentioned.
Britney does nothing for the show and the part of Abby. I would have liked to have seen it played by almost anyone else at this point. Especially if there’s a chance that Abby will be back for another episode. It could have been a fun little character. She looked bloated (what happened to all the working out she’s apparently been doing lately?) and forced her lines. I’m not being purposely critical, just honest.
Something that puzzled me as well, that John D’arc mentioned in his post, is the fact that Abby turned out to be Barney’s “mystery girl”. That scene was totally re-shot, because the girl in the original scene had wavy hair and a dark blue shirt (i think). So who did Bays and Thomas originally intend that mystery woman to be I wonder. I’m sure they could have brought back any number or Barney’s flings, as i’ve noticed the majority of them tend to be blonde. I’m not nit picking, just curious.
LAME was the only thing that saved the show for me tonight. Forget Marshall needing a haircut - Ted - Supercuts has many convenient locations.
Arxel | May 13, 2008 @ 4:54 am
The mysterious woman:
See s03e14 04:22
and
s03e19 00:30
First she had curled hair, next they was straight…
But, if there really will be 4th season - OMG!!11111oneone yeah. I hope it’s gonna be legendary… wait for it… dary!
Previous ep. was amazing… e19 - n/c…
john d'arc | May 13, 2008 @ 5:27 am
well it was obvious the first time it wasn’t Britney. The girl didn’t have Britney’s hair (why couldn’t they just curl Brit’s hair for the ep?) nor did she have Brit’s voice and/or pudgy arms.
Tommy | May 13, 2008 @ 5:57 am
I find this episode very weak. Like many of the commentators about me mentioned, it does nothing to move the plot along.
Ted’s bit did nothing for me today. The red cowboy shoes felt so forced, and that’s the humor I’d expect from the new Simpsons or the later seasons in Friends.
Barney was merely okay in this episode - I hate the fact that they resolved his mystery girl with Britney and out right retconned the scene at the bar.
From the commentating in the DVDs, the writers of how I met your mother generally throws in random events to expand on later. I have a feeling they hit some sort of writer’s block when they were writing this episode and last weeks as the resolution of Barney’s mystery girl and the goat story were very shallow, almost as if they pretty much gave up on it.
Robyn had a total of maybe 7 lines - she really didn’t do much this episode.
With all the negatives I have stated above me, I would like to comment on the fact that Lily and Marshal were excellent this episode, and serves as the one redeeming quality of this week HIMYM.
Tommy | May 13, 2008 @ 6:00 am
I forgot to add that Britney was completely useless and I really hope she never comes back on the show again.
She made the scenes awkward and uncomfortable. I felt revolted when I had to look at her. Her acting was horrible.
Ike | May 13, 2008 @ 7:41 am
Jake nailed it. I wish Britney had stayed away because she cannot act. I hate they changed the Barney Blocker just to have her back this same episode could have been done with someone other than Abby and been much much better. It was very sitcomy, but not horrible, unless you compare to the other penultimate episodes. Hope they’re able to once again go out on a bang. LAME saved this episode.
Tim Kirschenheiter | May 13, 2008 @ 7:46 am
Just a couple things:
1. Britney was absolutely terrible this episode. Her character just makes no sense.
2. The stalker being Abby is a terrible payoff. It makes the whole “Bracket” episode pointless in terms of plot advancement.
3. Ted is not funny when he and Barney are “broken up.” The majority of Ted’s humor comes from him playing the straight man in comparison to Barney’s Lothario nature.
Cosmo | May 13, 2008 @ 8:25 am
I really wasn’t impressed with this episode either. A couple things:
-Was it just me or did Britney look really thin in her first appearance, and much more like regular Britney last night?
-The “stuff” Lily sells in the bedroom is herself; it’s a reference to them role playing, where Lily is a hooker.
ky | May 13, 2008 @ 8:44 am
I agree with most of what I’ve read. I don’t want to go as far as say that himym has jumped the shark, but I wish I could scrap this season altogether (minus a few eps like Slapsgiving, How I met everyone else, and the episode with Kathy where Marshall passes the bar and everyone’s annoying habits are highlighted). Aside from those, this season has not really had the balance between comedic genius and heartfelt plot. This season has especially lacked a basic storyline….sorry, Ted outgrowing Barney does not need 22 episodes. I was rewatching seasons one and two and frankly, they are both so good that they’ve made me dispise this season even more.
Bays, Thomas - ban Brit Brit for life and give us the season four that I know you can!!!
Marcy | May 13, 2008 @ 9:03 am
I´m not going to comment on this episode that much, since everything worth saying has been already said. To make an episode that is not significant to the entire polt whatsoever (because even if it was the first post- Goat confrontation between Ted and Barney, and yes, I don´t count the short phone-call, it didn´t change anything between them!) as the second to last episode of the season is simply a crime! Brit´s only “good” part were the few lines in the cab, Ted was not funny at all, Robin seemed totally useless and if it wasn´t for LAME this epi would be my most hated HIMYM episode of all times (But thanks to LAME “Colums” is still numer one on my list).
But I noticed two other things:
1. Barney giving Abby Ted´d address was pointless. She works as a receptionist for Ted´s ex- doctor. She has acces to his patient´s file (actually I even suppose she was the one to type his data into the computer) and thus to his address as well. If she really wanted to, she could have broken into his appartament weeks ago. And crazy people tend to do such stuff, so there you go.
2. Where the hell did Abby know from that Marshall is Ted´s best friend? I don´t think Stella told her and since she scarcely spoke to Ted, he didn´t tell her either.
Just wondering here…
Geri | May 13, 2008 @ 10:23 am
@ Marcy “Where the hell did Abby know from that Marshall is Ted´s best friend? I don´t think Stella told her and since she scarcely spoke to Ted, he didn´t tell her either.”
Though I doubt he told her himself, don’t forget that Marshall visited Stella’s office to “check her out”, in the 10 Sessions episode.
Abby could have been told by Stella once her and Ted started dating, or figured it out herself since they would have shared the same address.
Something just dawned on me. I hope that Bays and Thomas have little scouts out on the internet, or read some of the HIMYM sites themselves, just so they can see how much we all appreciate their amazing show. Even if the ratings are low and there’s not a ton of us, I think it might keep them in check on continuing to produce the top quality episodes HIMYM is known for.
They don’t strike me as the type to capitalize, but I suppose it’s a tough choice when your show is facing cancellation. Don’t forget - these guys were fans of Freaks and Geeks (another amazing show that undeservedly got the axe) and probably want to keep from suffering the same fate (hence the Britney business).
Either way, i’m just glad it’s coming back for another season!
john d'arc | May 13, 2008 @ 10:25 am
that, to me, was just a shitty set up to the lame “olol Barney real best friend, not Marshall”.
and logically, if he dumps you and is still friends with Marshall, it’s clear who his best friend is.
you’d think that since Barney doesn’t “know” Ted isn’t mad at him, they wouldn’t be on speaking terms. But Barney basically walks up to Ted in the bar and talks to him like they DIDN’T just have a huge argument, Way to go, writers.
JD | May 13, 2008 @ 10:35 am
@marcy and @john d’arc
I hadn’t even realized that the scene in the bar was the first confrontation between Barney and Ted since their “brokeup”. That should’ve been a more momentous scene but it was flat. That proves what a clunker this episode really was.
Geri | May 13, 2008 @ 11:02 am
You know, besides LAME, I think the best thing about this episode is the guyforceshiswifetodressinagarbagebagforthenextthreeyears.com website.
I could totally see Marshall walking around the apartment singing that song until next Monday’s episode! lol!
AF | May 13, 2008 @ 11:20 am
I’m going to say it again and I hope that JD puts something up for it soon.
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER IS NOT BEING CANCELLED. UPFRONTS DAY HAS HAPPENED AND THE SHOW HAS BEEN RENEWED FOR ANOTHER SEASON.
Let’s just cross our fingers and hope Britney doesn’t come back. They could have much better cast members than that.
I’d love to see Seth Green make an appearance.
AF | May 13, 2008 @ 11:54 am
So I did find a throwback to Season 1 in this episode.
Barney’s comment about going to Farmer’s Markets with his “new girlfriend” can be linked to the discussion Barney and Ted at the end of the episode “The Wedding” about single life. Barney does a complete eye roll as he talks about couples going to Farmer’s Markets.
the modern gal | May 13, 2008 @ 12:06 pm
I was completely disappointed with this episode. They need to put Brit Brit up for sale on the website too, cause it’s time for her to go.
Joseph Price | May 13, 2008 @ 12:46 pm
Another nice callback: Barney tells Abbey to go to Ted’s apartment about 2 or 3 AM. As we know, “Nothing good ever happens after 2 AM.”
Mike | May 13, 2008 @ 12:46 pm
Im just going to say it. I kind of liked Brittany this week. I think her performance was much, much better than it was last time (”that’sfunnysmartandgreat” makes me cringe everytime I watch it). This is possibly because the writers were able to write the part specifically to her talents (or lack thereof) but whatever the reason, I think it worked, and was totally ok as a B-plot. I was hoping for a better payoff to the march madness episode, but we can’t blame Brittany for that. I have to wonder if people would still think this was the worst episode ever if Brittany wasnt there. That said, as good the final 3 episodes of last season were, I do think this episode should have been much better than it was.
DHMBIB | May 13, 2008 @ 12:56 pm
I’ll be the outlier on this one, so shoot your spitballs at me if you must, but I didn’t think this ep was as bad as the general tenor of the comments would indicate.
I, too, thought Britney was better on her previous guest appearance. But watching her last nite, I wasn’t looking for a Chalke-level performance — I was looking for Britney Spears and Barney together, and I think she pulled that off okay.
Robin didn’t have enough to do, for sure — this has been a problem for her ever since the breakup, of course — but she did manage to steal every scene was she in. Cobie has been doing that a lot this season, which makes up for her decline in screen time.
I thought the “Lily and Marshall sell their stuff” storyline was very well done. It brought LAME back together again. It gave Robin something to do with Lily. And it and had nice Easter Egg payoff for longtime fans — and re-threaded several storylines that have faded recently: Lily as an artist; Lily as a clothes-horse spending way beyond her means; LAME still trying to move to Dowisetrepla; Marshall who will do anything for Lily to get a gift to her (his efforts to track down the painting reminded me of him chasing the UPS driver — and then riding along on delivery — to get the Easy-Bake oven in time for Christmas); and — of course — more “websites”!
But do I want to see Britney back? Absolutely not. The producers should let “Abby” go.
And I will agree that it feels like we’re stumbling to the finish line this season. That’s most certainly the biggest effect of the writers’ strike, as planned storylines had to be rewritten and/or dropped — or possibly expanded (”Abby”) as well. It’s nearly impossible for me to believe it’s only been a year since the 2d season finale. I think the three-episode arc that ended last season (”Showdown”, “Something Borrowed”, and “Something Blue”) is the best arc of the whole series. So, I’m not really surprised that things seem a little off-kilter this year.
DHMBIB | May 13, 2008 @ 1:17 pm
That was pretty long-winded of me, but I also just thought of something else I really liked about last nite. That sequence where the gang was ragging on Ted about his boots and making up Western movie names gave me warm thoughts about how they ragged on Ted’s “break-up beard”, and its stages of removal, in the season-opener.
Slick | May 13, 2008 @ 1:36 pm
I guess now we know why NPH had to rush out to soften his anti-stunt-casting comments a few weeks ago–they showed him the script that had all of Britney’s scenes being with him, and he had to mend fences! I thought her first performance was terrible (on par with the fake bad performance by Pee-Wee Herman as a bellhop in the movie of his life at the end of “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure”), and this was just as bad. Ugh. Hope she’s not back; there’s really no need.
I did enjoy the Marshall/Lily plot, but everyone keeps omitting one other high point: Larry Wilmore (of The Daily Show, and the “Diversity Day” episode of The Office) as the veterinarian. I always enjoy Wilmore’s cheerful, deadpan delivery, and it killed me when he happily acknowledged the contents of his trash run: “It was mostly dog testicles.” I also liked his rundown of the dogs’ reactions, especially, “A little while later, I noticed the exact same result with Tidbit.”
And the boots were funny to look at, if a ridiculous plotline.
JD | May 13, 2008 @ 1:58 pm
@Slick I knew I recognized that guy from somewhere!
Tyler B | May 13, 2008 @ 2:41 pm
Wow a swing and a miss for Bays and Carter.
I’m not biased against Britney in any way and still feel as if this may have been the worst HIMYM episode ever. This sucks because I really liked last week.
Ashley/Ashlee | May 13, 2008 @ 3:01 pm
Ratings Note: HIMYM was in the top 20 last week tied with the office!!!
*Edit* in adults 18-49
Ashley/Ashlee | May 13, 2008 @ 3:17 pm
Doug Benson from BWE (love that show) will be Cool Customs Officer next week.
Best Week Ever Holiday Special - Doug Benson s Top 5 Movies of 2006
Ashley/Ashlee | May 13, 2008 @ 3:20 pm
Little wait for it
Robin
Ashley/Ashlee | May 13, 2008 @ 3:21 pm
http://www.ipopconvention.com/success_shelbyz.jpg
HTML does not work damn it!!!
JD | May 13, 2008 @ 3:42 pm
HTML does work Ashley. Is that a picture of a young Cobie Smulders?
Also, if you used a real email address I could email you about your issue and wouldn’t have to do it here
Use a real email! It’s not published.
Ashley/Ashlee | May 13, 2008 @ 3:55 pm
[img]http://www.ipopconvention.com/success_shelbyz.jpg[/img]
Yes that is little 6 year old Robin
She will be on next weeks show!
Not little real life Cobie Smulders.
I would much rather fight in the comments!!!
JD | May 13, 2008 @ 4:03 pm
That’s not working because it’s not HTML, it’s BBCode or something. There was a link in your earlier post, that’ll work.
You can fight with other people in the comments, but my readers who choose to subscribe via email don’t need to see 2343124 back and forth comments while I help you trouble shoot your code
john d'arc | May 13, 2008 @ 7:21 pm
I did like Larry Wilmore as the vet. That line about dog testicles was pretty funny.
God, do not compare this show to the Office. I used to love Office, but now I can’t stand it.
Nicole | May 13, 2008 @ 8:08 pm
I swore I did this already but…
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (5.4/08, 8.93m), featuring a second guest appearance by Britney Spears, was first in adults 18-34 (3.1/09), second in adults 25-54 (4.5/11) and adults 18-49 (3.8/10). Compared to last week, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER was up 6% in both households (from 5.1/08) and adults 18-49 (from 3.6/10), 10% in adults 25-54 (from 4.1/10), 7% in adults 18-34 (from 2.9/09) and added 570,000 viewers (from 8.36m, 7%). This is HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER’s best delivery in households and viewers since March 31, 2008.
The Mix | May 14, 2008 @ 7:04 pm
Ok, I may be highly speculating at this point and I don’t generally like to do such things….but I actually do think that the Barney/Abby storyline is relevant.
It may not be visibly relevant to the situation as it stands right now, but it may be fairly pertinent to the writers/creators of the show. When Britney and NPH showed up in the cab together (10 pts. for Barney’s flop onto the cab btw) I immediately shouted “Oh my god, they’re going to conspire to break-up Ted and Stella!!”. Yes, that’s obvious, but it also provides the writers with a number of avenues to go down….not only that but at the time it was written it provides a convenient way out for Sarah Chalke, who will be coming back to Scrubs for an 8th season.
The break-up would also A) conceivably allow Barney back into the group’s fold. B) give them an “in”, if need or want be, to bring Robin and Ted back together. C) let Barney see why relationships can be good as seen from the POV of the person who needs help, thus enabling him to see why he and Robin are so good together.
I don’t know. I lost my train of thought, but there it is. I haven’t read any of the spoilers, so I don’t know if any of this makes sense, or if it’s just complete BS.
Jason
john d'arc | May 14, 2008 @ 7:29 pm
I don’t think that at all. Barney, for all his bravado, is really a softee who recognizes that relationships exist, even if they aren’t his cup of tea. He didn’t try to break up Robin and Ted, and he let Ted go out with chatty Kathy, as well as all other myriads of women.
Why would he break up Ted and Stella, a girl Ted likes alot, and then somehow be welcomed back into the fold of the group? That’s betrayal.
The Mix | May 14, 2008 @ 7:38 pm
Like I said. I’m just offering that up as a sort of “writers” perspective.
Plus everybody does stupid things that may not be in their character, especially when it means they get something they want.
The core difference between the Robin-relationship and the current situation is that one is Barney-less. When Ted was with Robin, Barney and Ted were friends and he could at least pawn off some sort of Barney escapade every now and again. Now, Barney isn’t part of the picture. Barney, from the sense that I got last night views as Ted and Stella’s relationship as a wall that blocks him from being friends with Ted.
Jason
NV | May 14, 2008 @ 9:51 pm
Warning: Long and critical view of the entire season.
I fail to see the complaints that this episode hasn’t moved the plot.
The moment we had Robin and Ted resolve their post-break-up issues, the story hasn’t moved forward much at all. What really is different about this episode.
Ted and Barney having issues hasn’t even become a plot yet, it’s still a bunch of jokes thrown together. We haven’t seen the potential of such a plot realised. And guess what?! The season is ending, so when are they going to find the time to build it up?
I’m sorry, but the writer’s strike has thrown a monkey wrench on the plot-writing of this show.
I will concede the show has remained funny, and I laugh alot. But the specialness of this show to me, from the very first episode (it didn’t hide the fact) that this show was a blend of story and humour.
This episode is no different from a large number of episodes that go back before the writer’s strike. Plot-wise, this season has been finished by episode 7 (Dowisetrepla). Since then, we’ve been given single episodes to gain a chuckle and that’s it (except for the few points with Stella, but they’ve been far too thin with that, and I don’t see near the magic of Ted-Victoria, but episode 18 did do a bit I’ll give).
I think Britney Spears’ presence merely draws more venom. She was on the level of a ‘meh’ *shrug*. Have no use for her character and hope it’s the last we see her. But she wasn’t terrible, I’ll say. And she certainly wasn’t the main problem.
With one more episode, I don’t want no cliffhangers. Seasons 1 and 2 ended with some of the most magnificient episodes of the entire show, with cliffhangers. I’m not even going to try to hope for anything like it.
Because seasons 1 and 2 slowly built up the finale of the seasons, episode after episode, with an end in sight. Season 3? Nada.
I will give some leeway for the strike, but still, it’s been haphazard and almost like they gave up.
Don’t get me wrong. It is still funny. Really funny. But that wasn’t what HIMYM was all about.
But, I repeat, plot-wise, this season in my mind ended in episode 7, with Stella being a small portion of plot spread far too thin over 13 episodes which came later on.
This summer, I want the writers to sit down and plan an over-all arc of the plot for the entire fourth season, before writing ANY episodes. Then, they work their way through the episodes with the goals in mind, with humour thrown in.
And enough with the subtle hints about the ‘mother’ (the yellow umbrella, being in the same party)! Enough, enough, enough! I’m sick of them, and they were only clever the first time.
Either we see the mother in front of us, in that oddly rectangular box called the TV, or don’t refer to the mother at all, (perhaps once or twice in the narrator’s talks to the children. But that’s it!). Make a decision, either Ted will meet the mother soon, or he won’t. I fail to see the point of showing a yellow frickin umbrella unless something will happen in the same season the umbrella is shown. That was such a tease!
The Mix | May 15, 2008 @ 2:03 am
NV:
You pretty much had me up until those last 2 paragraphs (though I will add to this that despite your assessment, “Slapsgiving” was, is, and will be one of the better and more crucial episodes in the entire run of the series).
I agree that, as with many shows, something (that something being a continuity of thought in the writers’ minds) was lost when the strike came about.
However, working with what they had, I can’t fault them for where the show has gone. I think it took a bit of a dip, but it’s not quite as dramatic as perhaps you are making it out to be. In fact, I think that the St. Patty’s Day episode is one of the more well crafted episodes in the series. Nada Surf’s “Beautiful Beat” mixed with Ted’s sudden realization that he is becoming something that he doesn’t want to be is an incredibly poignant moment in the over arc of the show. That song, alongside Jaymay’s “Sea Green, See Blue” and Rachel Yamagata’s “Quiet” are perhaps the most fitting in all of the series. In any case, to get back to the point, without that umbrella Ted’s character doesn’t seemingly have a reason to turn things around. Without that umbrella, there is a void.
Point being, we need those little clues to provide some sort of hope of continuity….or crap, at least I do. With the first season we had the hope balled up in Ted needing to be with Robin. In the second season we didn’t really have to worry, as Robin and Ted were together…even though we had already heard “Aunt Robin” long long beforehand. But this season was different. It started off with a bridge over the gap via “-dary” and again there wasn’t really any need for that mother to be present other than a very momentary view of the umbrella….as Ted was more concerned about his bro-hood at that point. But with LAME being married now, a friendship seriously forged between Robin and Ted, and Barney being Barney…there’s not an incredible amount of room for plot development…so one would think that the writers are simply attempting to throw some mystery into play.
I’m all for exploring secondary characters. I love hearing Robin’s Canada stories, and i would REALLY love to hear more about Marshall back in Minnesota (as I’m from Minnesota), but the title of the show bears an answer to your statement/question…”I fail to see the point of showing a yellow frickin umbrella unless something will happen in the same season the umbrella is shown.” Purely hypothetical, but say you sat your future or current children down and told them the story of how you met your eventual paramour. Would you want the story to be full of stories of the women you met before your mother, leading up to an eventual dropoff sentence like “so there I was one day, eating a bagel at the diner…I turned right, and there was your mother. end of story.” Or would you want there to be some mystery.
If my story was full of narrow misses that all lead to the eventuality of me finding the love of my life, I certainly wouldn’t leave out the narrow misses.
And by the way. We found out about The Goat in the first season and they didn’t bring that back until 2 seasons later, and even then there was no real resolution as of yet, it was still successful in it’s ploy to get everyone interested about a seemingly menial injection. Mystery, suspense and being teased are a part of watching TV. And as far as I’m concerned, HIMYM teases in much more creative and tasteful way than 99% of what’s on TV presently.
Just some thoughts.
Jason
JD | May 15, 2008 @ 8:56 am
Good point Jason, and I agree. I’m working on a post that deals with all this. Look for it next week after the finale when we can really be retrospective.
One slight caveat to your argument: No Tomorrow was (mostly) written before the strike. It was originally going to be a New Years episode. That might explain its quality.
NV | May 15, 2008 @ 7:29 pm
Jason, your comment gave me some food for thought.
I’ll admit some of my annoyance with the yellow umbrella was that I fell for it and assumed we’d see the mother in season 3 (don’t ask why, I’m pathetic). Perhaps it’s a reactionary thing. There was no reason to actually think this was the season.
I concede the ‘mother’ issue, and I’ll also say one of my favourite jokes was when they were ’smoking the sandwich’ in the future where they went back to the class reunion, and Ted goes “Where’s my wife?” (have no idea why, but it cracked me up).
I also agree on secondary characters. I love the Canada, Minnesota, Lily baby shower things that shows what made the characters what they are.
My point on the season was there were some good episodes that stood on their own. I agree Slapsgiving was one, and I’d add Spoiler Alert, The Chain of Screaming, No Tomorrow, and the The Platinum Rule (could’ve missed one or two others). As episodes, I thought they were quite good. Very funny. But I didn’t think the plot movement was significant in any of them.
Argh! Wait, I forgot, Slapsgiving was where Robin and Ted come to terms of being friends. I stand corrected. The season’s plot in my mind ended there.
Back to my point, as I said earlier, something more should come next season. I mean, Ted’s relationship with Stella has gotten some steam, but they haven’t explored it yet enough. Robin and Barney have reverted to the sidekicks (apart from banging one another, which hasn’t gotten a proper plot yet). Marshall and Lily are a sweet couple, and I love that, but the only plot they’ve had was an apartment.
Not one character has something that’s driving the season forward. Last season, we had two parallel plots defining the show, the Ted/Robin relationship and then eventual break-up, and the Marshall/Lily make-up and marriage.
Tbh, I can’t think of something new with these characters alone. And I”m worried. I mean, Barney’s Barney and is the classic character that isn’t going to change. Marshall and Lily will be together forever. Robin seems destined to have flings and then travel.
Ted’s the only character left I can see a development in. I wonder what the show will come to next season. The writers have done an amazing work, especially on the first two seasons, and as such I’ll trust that they have some things up their sleeve.
Josh | May 16, 2008 @ 11:06 pm
Re-watching the episode, they seemed to go out of the way to show the face of the woman holding “Muffin” at the vet’s office. Red herring? (I may be drunk)
Josh | May 16, 2008 @ 11:07 pm
To NOT show the face. Grrr.
Geri | May 18, 2008 @ 12:58 am
Maybe it’s just me, but I am not blaming anything that’s happened on “the writers strike”.
So there was a strike. I don’t think much would have changed if there hadn’t been a strike, except for the fact that the writers would have had a few extra episodes to write.
Yes they would have had some extra time to take us from the first episode of the season, to the last, but how do we know they wouldn’t have delivered the exact same episodes as we got? We don’t.
I respect everyone’s point of view here and their personal feeling’s about the show. I am not unhappy with where the show has gone - yet.
Now if the last episode of the season were to be a real stinker, I might be disappointed.
…..maybe The Goat’s the mother!
Geri | May 18, 2008 @ 1:33 am
Further back up to my feeling that Bays and Thomas know what they’re doing.
Bays mentions in this interview with the Chicago Tribune, that they had alternate plans for what would be the remainder of episodes for the season (warning, there are spoilers near the bottom of the article. I stopped reading where it says “exit here” lol!):
http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2008/05/should-sarah-ch.html
Marcy | May 18, 2008 @ 5:36 am
I don´t know why, but somehow the text after the spoiler warning (BTW @Geri, they don´t actually say anything that spoilery there) makes me wonder if Robin living in Ted´s and LAME´s apartament might be connected to Chalke´s availability. But I guess this is very, very, very far fetched.
Sean | May 18, 2008 @ 2:17 pm
I know this isn’t really on the topic of the episode but I have heard that Scrubs is being picked up by ABC for another season and I was wondering if anyone knew how this might effect Stella’s character on the show?
Geri | May 19, 2008 @ 3:23 am
According to Carter Bays http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/05/15/carter-bays-of-how-i-met-your-mother-the-tv-squad-interview/ Stella will be around for a bit and it seems that having Chalke play her won’t be a problem since Scrubs will be just finishing up their season’s shooting schedule, when HIMYM starts up again.
I’m even more excited for the finale after reading that interview and another with Craig Thomas! I have not been this enamored with a tv show since I discovered Freaks and Geeks.
I wish I could give both Bays and Thomas a huge hug!