The How I Met Your Mother Blog

This was the first episode in awhile where I saw the story as more than just a sitcom plot and wished that the characters were not only real, but my friends so that I could partake in their adventures with them. The whole thing, soup to nuts, as it were, because what we witnessed tonight was nothing short of legendary. The haters need to take a seat, because The Naked Man had exactly what you needed. No more, and no less.

What Was Good

First, let me just say that the writers must be working overtime or got an in-house espresso machine or something because this is the second week in a row there was no slack in the B (and in this case C) plot. We saw three stories tonight and all of them were awesome.

First off, Robin. She is fantastic. She is totally a guy stuck in a girl’s body, and therefore expectations. Was Marshall wrong in calling her a slut? Probably, because you can’t fault Robin for who she is. She’s exactly the kind of girl who would have sex with a naked man, even after a poor date.

That leads us to Mitch. I love this guy. I thought he looked familiar but his IMDB didn’t turn up anything I recognized. I loved how honest he was. When he was telling Robin all the reasons why she didn’t have a good time with him at the restaurant and this was the “I’m not a slut date”, that was awesome. The sweating while eating, the fantasy football, that was a man who knew his place in life and had found a way to get by.

The overall episode structure was natural in the way in which this show excels. The Naked Man lead to Lily’s list, as it did to Barney’s challenge to Ted. As long as we’re talking about Ted…

The Ted I know and love is back, and he’s kept a little bit of outlaw Ted with him. First (and even second) season Ted would have never done The Naked Man with Vicky, even if the date was sucking he’d have never stripped down again after she dissed Neruda. But new Ted throws caution (and his clothes) to the wind and drops trou with reckless abandon. But it’s not all new Ted, as we saw in the very beginning. I love the elevator courtship, the shots of him leaving the entryway sheepishly and the girl doing the same. Did you notice how with each consecutive trip on the elevator the girl was dressing sexier and Ted was dressing fancier? That’s the kind of thing the show does so well. That was romantic Ted (which is my favorite Ted flavor) and it was glorious. And to the haters who say the episodes lately have been meandering, at least this story was an attempt to find the mother, and was an obvious step forward for Ted in his progress and emotional state post-Stella betrayal.

Additionally, the interchange between Ted and Barney in the bar is all you’ll ever need to convince someone to start watching this show (as if anyone hasn’t already.) Barney’s constant goading and Ted’s addmittance of total neurotic break down “are you wearing makeup?” was the exact kind of characterization and humor that makes this show what it is.

Speaking of Barney overall he didn’t have a lot to do in this episode but what few scenes he had he stole better than those guys Robin held up with her gun (more on that later.) I love his repeating of “Naked Man” to Ted in the bar, his inflections are always hilarious. And the phone conversation while they were both suiting-down describing differnt positions in which they could make their debut is the kind of thing that makes guys jealous they don’t have a friend like that with whom they can share a similar adventure.

It wasn’t just Barney and Ted who took advantage of The Naked Man tonight. Lily got her mojo working too. I love “big girl” Marshall and his romantic ideals (who’s the hopeless sap now?) are played perfectly by Segel. Horny Lily was back, with a nice callback to her casual fascination with the details of Barney’s Lothario lifestyle (”what gadgets?”) I also like he admittance that it sucks that she’s only been with Marshall because everyone will know the weird stuff they do if a game of “never have I ever” breaks out. The plays on gender roles in this show are wonderful.

What Was Bad

Did you see how long the “what was good” section was? I’ve got nothing bad to say about this episode.

Favorite Moments

• “Exactly 10,000 drinks. However long that takes.”
• Did you guys think Vicky was cute? Nice bone structure but something was off.
• Anyone recognize the song playing in the elevator montage? Thanks to Aaron for pointing out the song is “Gorgeous Behavior” by Marching Band.
• A heart pendant is the perfect thing to compliment cleavage. The top mirrors the shape and the bottom points to the action. Girls, take note.
• Ted’s awkward discussion about the break dancing old woman was classic awkward Mosby.
• I’m always impressed when a not-so-in-shape actor has the confidence to birthday-suit up with aplomb. On the flip side of that coin Neil Patrick Harris and Josh Radnor have nothing to hide.
• The flashbacks for weirdest things Ted’s walked in on were great. I love the Barney drowning magic trick. Was that Robin counter burglaring qthe robbers in the one flashback? That’s freaking bad-ass. The date suggests that was before her and Ted even started dating. Who says Canadians avoid conflict?
• More hints toward the goat. Bays and Thomas have not forgotten. Neither have we.
• “When you leave, take the seat cushion with you. That’s trash now.”
• I loved Robin’s phone interview responses.
• “It’s shock, and awwwwwww”
• I love Barney’s reverence for the simplicity of The Naked Man. Although he almost did it by accident in Zip, Zip, Zip. Robin didn’t go for it then.
• “I’m like Batman. This Mitch fellow? He’s Superman, he just rips off his clothes and he’s good to go.”
• “So this is how it’s going to be? I come home and guys you’re dating are just going to be naked?”
  “I wish I could say no.”
• “I call slut” Marshall is awesome. “the only thing standing between you and sex is clothes.”
• I love the group collaboration when creating the list. Also the Pavlovian erection Marshall gets when he’s flossing.
• The ones on the list that didn’t make sense now do. Paratrooping, banging for roof, Cheetos sex, “this is getting a little hard”
• “Slut”
  “Oh no Robin I have a bad cough”
  “I don’t have a bad cough the college roommate is for Robin.”
• Barney’s tall girl fantasy is so specific.
• “This is the third outfit I’ve tried on. I got my hair cut three times.”
  “Screw you, I want my eyes to pop.”
• I liked the Austin Powers man-part cover ups.
• Shouldn’t Ted have noticed Vicky’s crazy eyes?
• Of all the different poses, I like the Mr. Clean is my favorite. Or maybe the Heisman.
• “You know who writes good poems? Jewel. Her teeth are crooked and she lived in her car so she has stuff to write about.”
• “I just had decent sex with a terrible person. I’m back!”
• “What pose did you go with?”
  “I went with ‘I’ve got boobs.’”
  “And she nailed it.”
• The bit at the end showing Mitch’s shadow as a cape was amazingly geeky. I loved it.

Closing

This has been one of many episodes this season that works as a stand-alone. There were a couple last year (like How I Met Everyone Else) but I’m liking the increase in this type. They’re still awesome for the hard-core fans and perfect to pull out when friends come over and you want to pour out some funny. I defy anyone to complain about The Naked Man. Go ahead, try.

Two more things. First, do you guys think The Naked Man would ever really work? I bet it would. What do you think?

Second, would one of our Spanish-speaking readers translate the Neruda poem that was referenced tonight? It might have some significance for the future. I jotted down a stanza from a screen shot and found it online:

Desnuda eres tan simple como una de tus manos,
Lisa, terrestre, mínima, redonda, transparente,
Tienes líneas de luna, caminos de manzana,
Desnuda eres delgada como el trigo desnudo.

Desnuda eres azul como la noche en Cuba,
Tienes enredaderas y estrellas en el pelo,
Desnuda eres enorme y amarilla
Como el verano en una iglesia de oro.

Desnuda eres pequeña como una de tus uñas,
Curva, sutil, rosada hasta que nace el día
Y te metes en el subterráneo del mundo
Como en un largo túnel de trajes y trabajos:
Tu claridad se apaga, se viste, se deshoja
Y otra vez vuelve a ser una mano desnuda.

Thanks to reader Eru for his translation, Eric also emailed me and his fits the show even better:

Naked (feminine) you are simple like one of your hands
Lithe, earthly, minimum, round, transparent
You have moon lines, trails of apple
Naked you are thin like the naked grain

Naked you are blue like the night in Cuba
You have orbits(wrappings) and stars in your hair
Naked you are big and yellow
Like the summer in a golden church.

Naked you are small like one of your nails
Curvy, subtle, rosey until the dawn
And you get underneath the earth,
Like in a long tunnel of suits and jobs,
Your clarity stops, gets dressed, sheds its leaves,
and again becomes a naked hand.

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