Season 5, Episode 10: The Window Recap
I really liked the phone call from the old neighbor. Before we knew what it meant it had an element of the fantastic about it that I really liked. It let me know that we were in for a good episode which proved to be true.
First off, sorry for the long delay. I’ve had this recap mostly written since Tuesday but it’s the time of year when I have all kinds of social engagements in the evening and it’s harder than you think to edit a recap drunk.
What was Good
Robin is back to looking CRAZY HOT
This is the first time Ted’s class has been used well. No stereotypes, no overacting. Just clever and fun. It was nice to see them all raise their hands when he asked “who wants to listen to me yap about bridges for an hour”. And the advice they gave him was good. I think they represented more or less Ted’s internal monologue and played a good role to get the point across that Ted otherwise would’ve had to just soliloquy on his own. Plus that one dude looks like John Mayer.
When Robin first sent Maggie home I was worried that that ending wasn’t good enough for me. Then when we met her guy-next-door I realized they weren’t going to disappoint. That story of the never-single girl finally getting back with her childhood boyfriend would be a great episode of the show I hope Bays and Thomas someday make that is independent weekly episodes like The Twilight Zone but with romantic themes instead of suspense. That’d be a good show, right?
What Was Bad
While I’m glad he was less cartoonish this week Marshall still doesn’t have much to do. The “I’m unhappy with my corporate job” plotline is getting tired. He and Lily need a full story with some conflict. They’ve been in the background for too long.
Favorite Moments
- I make the Sev7en reference all the time. When Robin first said “what’s in the box?” I started doing it in my head. Then she did it, which was sort of creepy but also awesome.
- Love the Christmas in NYC backdrop. It really is that pretty here.
- “He’s not saying hello he’s just telling you what he feeds his horsies”
- I love Robin’s “challenge accepted” adoption
- Young Marshall listening to Snow. Perfect.
- I love when Ted yells “I hate Barney Stinson” the woman answers “me too!” That dude is infamous.
- Time travel! Charlene!
Closing
Early on in this episode Barney says “I feel good tonight, tonight’s gonna be good.” And it was. It’s like they knew the show had fallen off lately and were winking at us now that they’re back to form. I don’t pretend to understand Bays and Thomas but I still trust them.
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High Hoper | December 13, 2009 @ 9:32 pm
As I said,
1) Robin’s a total slut
2) The ending was totally lame. Too sitcomy
3) about the episode: meh. It has some good elements and another worse, specially this “season 5 aura”. I feel this season is slowly buring the show.
If I wouldn’t have read spoilers, I’d believe end-of-episode-I-want-the-one-again Ted…
One thing good… As I don’t like Lily as she’s annoying, she’s pretty beautiful this season. More than Robin, really. Also, I do not know what the **** is doing Robin in the show, for me she would have dissapeared after breaking up with Ted. Can we get an episode where she goes with her old friends and we don’t see her? pleeeease
Liked your review, JD
High Hoper | December 13, 2009 @ 10:04 pm
BTW, although I will not comment any spoiler, I wanna say something.
There’s something coming along bout Marshall and Lily that could be interesting for the story, but I think they’ll wrap it up on the same episode and we’ll not hear from it anymore. It’s too bad that the writers cannot handle a situation like that for both, ‘coz it could be the saviour of the season. I think that in Season 1, drama as “nothing good ever happens after 2am” is excellent. Nowadays, the writers cannot make even closer an atmosphere with a bit of drama. It’s most of the time about stupid jokes.
I repeat: i love the series, but come on, am i the only one that wishes this season to be a lot better from here to the finale? It’s been not only the worst, even it can get a lot worse.
Toby | December 13, 2009 @ 11:17 pm
JD, I liked your recap a lot. I am in agreement about the cryptic call from the old women. That intrigued me right from the start. I also loved the I Hate Barney Stinson line.
The challenge accepted from Barney was totally predictable, but I liked it coming from Robin.
Purple Giraffe | December 13, 2009 @ 11:57 pm
So, this episode totally rocked my world! I liked seeing Ted back in wife seeking mode and he was just adorable when he was talking to his class about love and what not. Robin was hilarious with the se7en reference and when she dumped the wine on herself and was pretending to be a slut to help out Ted. Marshall’s story was a little predictable but I love any excuse the writers come up with to show teenage Marshall. His rat tail and overalls were hilarious and him listening to Snow was a thing of beauty. I love how he was such a nerd as a teenager and now he still has some nerdy tendencies but is totally awesome. If he weren’t a Vikings fan, I dare say he would be the perfect man. Lily was also good in this episode. I love how she talks Marshall through his doubts and concerns about himself in a way that is dirty and sweet at the same time. Barney didn’t have much to do in this episode but NPH is so good that he can make anything the writers throw his way work. Somebody give that man an Emmy already! Once again, fabulous episode.
dolf | December 14, 2009 @ 12:33 am
I agree with High Hoper. The show is just not performing as good as the first 2 seasons. The story line hasn’t been propelled properly since season 2, and I think what made How I Met your Mother wonderful was the huge overarching storylines. Now that they are gone, HIMYM is back into being yet another sitcom.
Jazzer | December 14, 2009 @ 6:45 am
Best episode so far. The Playbook was awesome, but it was somehow, Season 5. The Windows is soooo Season 1-4.
Fabio | December 14, 2009 @ 7:31 am
I think you’re being too rigorous for a High Hoper…
Jasper | December 14, 2009 @ 7:54 am
I posted this somewhere else too but thought it would fit on here as well.
Thought the episode was really great but did no one notice the giant clue towards the mother near the end of the episode? At least I thought it was a clue. Seems too obvious to not be one really.
When Ted and Barney are talking on the street. Ted says that he’s ready again (for a relationship). Picture switches to Barney and we see a dark haired woman in the back picking up a YELLOW magazine (remember yellow umbrella) from the stand.
It was pretty subtle, but still seemed obvious enough to me.
Fabio | December 14, 2009 @ 8:23 am
i’m gonna rewatch that scene again tonight… but i don’t know if that’d be some kind of clue and what it would mean. Seems to be too subtle.
David | December 14, 2009 @ 11:17 am
Just something to think about.
Ted mentions that Maggie’s relationship is the second most romantic story he’s heard. Assuming that Ted’s story is going to be the most romantic, can we say that Marshal and Lily’s is on third place??? \:|
Fabio | December 14, 2009 @ 11:34 am
hahahaha nice one!
BGeo | December 14, 2009 @ 1:57 pm
Really liked all of the elements of this episode, and it appears to me that this is kind of a shift in the episodes we have seen for a while, and more towards the mother
High Hoper | December 14, 2009 @ 10:27 pm
Just comment to tell I have watched tonight’s episode. As I hate a lot smoking (I’ve never done it and I will never do), I found the episode funny. Not season 1or2 funny. Just funny.
BGeo | December 14, 2009 @ 10:57 pm
I liked “Last Cigarette”, because it had some flashbacks, some foreshadowing, the kids and it did have a few funny moments
sydb | December 14, 2009 @ 11:13 pm
wow high hoper, i guess i dont agree with you on anything. i thought this episode was horrible, one of the worst of this season (i dont think anything can be worst than that fat suit). to me it it just wasn’t funny, it was so over the top… it felt as if i was watching any sitcom out there.
anyway, cigarette jokes are a bit old, arent they? i dont smoke, never did, but i thought there was moralistic tone in this episode, which i hate. if i wanted that i would watch 7th heaven.
also, don isnt funny or very charismatic, which i think is a problem for the future. or maybe its just the bad writing in this episode, since no one was funny in it.
i wish i could say something positive but this episode stank. too bad, after last weeks episode i was in high hopes that this season would take off. i am however, looking forward the next one, which will be the 100th, and from what i’ve read and photos i’ve seen, it looks good.
sydb | December 14, 2009 @ 11:17 pm
ooh, i sound a bit cranky. sorry about that.
anyway, i just noticed that i used “high hopes” there at the end. it wasnt intentional, it was probably there fresh in my mind so i used it, but it was no dig at high hoper. just wanted to let this clear.
Jenn- GCWOK Approved | December 14, 2009 @ 11:41 pm
I did not like “last cigarette” at all. And I don’t think there was a “moralistic” tone, as sydb said. In fact, I think it was the opposite. If characters everyone knows and loves are smoking, regardless of what they say, it makes it seem ok. I kept telling myself to get over it but they brought it up, obviously, every minute or two. I was surprised to see that kind of thing on tv nowadays. I kind of thought we had moved past that as a whole. I really couldn’t enjoy the episode because of the message it was sending- that these guy smoke.
Jenn- GCWOK Approved | December 14, 2009 @ 11:43 pm
To clarify, I know that they showed the bad things about smoking, too. But that doesn’t overpower the fact that they all chose to do it anyway.
On an upside, I would die for Robin’s coat. I spend a couple hours scouring the internet after the first time she wore it.
Toby | December 14, 2009 @ 11:53 pm
Woah, I feel like my woels is spinning off its axis. I never agree with High Hopper and I always agree with Jenn and today is the opposite.
I thought the show was pretty funny. and I loved the end. But I am sorry I don’t like where they are going with Don and Robin; it just really bothers me.
Toby | December 14, 2009 @ 11:54 pm
BTW I think it is weird that Robin and Barney both had dates when they stopped smoking, and MArshal, Lily, and Ted all had events.
Tash | December 14, 2009 @ 11:59 pm
Toby, I agee with you yet again. This whole Don thing just seems…forced. I don’t like where it’s going, and there’s just something about his character that I don’t like. I can’t quite put my finger on it though.
Also…Jenn, I completely LOVE the coat she’s wearing! I have something kind of similar in blue from this store called Costa Blanca. It’s actually affordable (unlike almost all of the clothes on the show)!
I had fallen in love with this dress Robin wears back in season 4- it was grey, white and yellow…was gorgeous! I ended up finding it at Neiman Marcus for over $1000! Too much for me :S
Anyways, here’s the costa blanca site if you’re looking for something like that:
http://www.costablanca.ca/site.html
Tash | December 15, 2009 @ 12:03 am
That’s a really good point Toby!
I wonder if that means anything??
BGeo | December 15, 2009 @ 12:20 am
A very very minor detail about the final scene on the roof.
The tin can they are using for an ashtray is a Tim Horton’s Coffee Can.
Being Canadian I noticed it instantly. Anyone else notice/care???
ev. mosby | December 15, 2009 @ 12:58 am
I think most of the time season 5 has left me pretty conflicted every episode. There were a few things I really liked about Last Cig, but also some things I really hated. Loveddd the fact that Marshall can time travel, when Barney screamed to find a cigarette burn on his tie, and the ending. Totally am not liking Don one bit (parading in his underwear? really?) and Lily’s sore throat. Was just too over the top and kinda annoying. I tend to enjoy watching episodes where the group is all together, but this smoking club thing didn’t work for me.
ev. mosby | December 15, 2009 @ 12:59 am
By the way, in case anyone was wondering, the song at the end is Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk by Rufus Wainwright. It’s a really cute song. =)
Leigh | December 15, 2009 @ 1:09 am
BGeo – I just logged on here to say the same thing! I LOVED that there is a Timmy Ho’s can on the roof. I guess the show put it there as a nod to Robyn’s Canadianity? Who knows. Love it.
sydb | December 15, 2009 @ 1:20 am
jenn, the reason why i think there was some kind of moral thing about it, was because they all smoked, but always the reaction to them smoking was shock – ted’s kids, or disapproval. and at the end, they get to smoke on screen, but the message is ‘but look guys it was wrong, so we stopped doing it’.
and this show has showed them doing so many “wrong” things, drinking a lot, smoking pot, going to strip clubs, but there was never any judgment on any of that, and i thought that in this episode there was some. and i didnt like it.
like i said, i dont smoke, never have, and i wish that all my friends wouldnt do it, but not because of their health but because of the smell, which i hate. i think my friends are all adults and they can choose what they want for themselves, even, to a certain degree obviously, if its harmful to them.
but i guess what rubbed me the wrong way was the plotline per se, because it has been done before, so why do it? we all have seen robin, lily, barney and marshall (?) smoke at least one cigarette on the show before, so it was not a big deal. what was strange was seeing them suddenly all chain smoking together, then they quit, then they start smoking again and then they quit, all at the same time… it was dumb. and there was this judgmental tone about it, at least to me.
Nolo | December 15, 2009 @ 2:32 am
I’m from South Africa and Season 4 hasn’t aired yet ( although i’ve seen it)let alone 5! feel sorry for me:(
Jenn- GCWOK Approved | December 15, 2009 @ 2:50 am
Nolo- I DO feel sorry for you! Cool name, though.
Sydb- I see your point.
Tash- Thank you for the link! Yeah, I’ve found a few things they wear as well as they are always insanely expensive!
Toby- Even as I was writing my opinion I knew it would be unpopular and thought “this could be one that Toby won’t agree with me on.” But I DO agree about Don! I’m guessing the writers thought that since they already told us they would be dating, that they could play with the story line? But seriously. Tighty whities at work and they expect me to believe Robin would hit that? I don’t think so!!