Season 5, Episode 4: The Sexless Innkeeper Discussion
Welcome! Gouda? No thanks, no Gouda for me.
One of my favorite episode setups is the morning after recap. When two groups out of the five go out, have their own adventures, then recap in the morning. It’s authentic, it’s easy to connect with, and it offers a perfect pace for story progression mixed with jokes. “Where Were We” is setup like this, as is “Pineapple Incident” and “Drumroll, Please”. All great episodes, no? This one had that, and it worked, for the short time we saw it. In general, I’m pretty conflicted.
What was Good
It’s somehow perfect that Lily does all this great cooking and Marshall is left to pick out cheese. And, the cheese he picks out is gouda. The food snob in me loves this. And Lily is the kind of home cook to use too much truffle oil.
So here it is, the first companion web site this season. And it’s a good one. I got to check out a preview of the song and video earlier today which was the only thing I knew about this episode coming into it tonight. Imagine my confusion. As someone who buys a lot of “awesome” domains while drunk, congrats to HIMYM for grabbing such a good one, I’m surprised that wasn’t taken.
I love how brazenly the women of NY on this show walk out of a one night stand once their paramour’s friends have all arrived and are discussing the previous night’s events. Also, I suppose, how brazen our heroes are in their ability to drink coffee triumphantly on the couch while their ladies shower or get dressed. Where’s the romance dudes?
It’s a great continuation of Marshall’s making-up-songs tendency that he creates these photo montages of mundane events. I always wondered why he would randomly build web sites, I guess he’s sort of a hipster, the “quirky new media” variety. This song was particularly awesome too.
What was Bad
Funny as some things were, this episode is kind of a hot mess. It’s all over the place. I’m glad they didn’t overstay the welcome of Ted’s bit, but the couple-dating stuff was stretched way too thin. It did give us an opportunity to see Barney in suit-top and sweatpants like he’s Joel McHale on Community.
The couples date stuff was too broad, and hammy on Hannigan’s part. It’s hard to complain because that’s part of her charm, and she’s still John fucking Malkovich compared to most any other sitcom actress, but it sticks out on this superior show.
The whole treating-a-relationship-like-a-romantic-one-for-comedy was already done in World’s Greatest Couple with Marshall and Brad. And it wasn’t lingered on for so long. The egg timers and meeting in the rain wasn’t funny so much as just creepy. This really didn’t do it for me. LAME are already close friends with Barney and Robin, all the false getting to know you stuff didn’t work because they already know each others’ stories.
For those of you crying “neutered Barney” his reveal at the end of tonight’s episode might lead you to believe he’s having your reservations himself.
I want to see Segel with something to do this season other than be lovably eccentric. He does that well, but we know it. I want some depth, something else. I want Peter Bretter!
Favorite Moments
- Ranjeet! And Mrs. Ranjeet!
- “It was like we were on a date with a sad chubby girl our mom made us call.”
- “We sucked down a couple tacos outside the subway.”
“PS. Not sitting great” - “She picked me up at the bar last night and then ended up falling asleep on the couch but, hey, that happens” I know a couple guys like this. It’s the opposite of bragging. Ah Ted, still can’t close.
- I like that for Barney, all poems take place in a Dickensian world of powder wigs, horse drawn carriages, and other Barnibus Stinson style anachronisms.
- “Usually it’s the innkeeper who offers turn-down service”
- “You’re a sturdy, cheese-bearing cracker” This is only funny to me because I’ve been doing this a lot lately. Namely, adding “you’re a” in front of whatever someone said.
Closing
They tricked us! The LAME couples date was presented as the A-plot, and by length of screen time it was, but the gem tonight was the Ted storyline. “The Sexless Innkeeper” as a concept is funnier than “Paratrooping” or “Banging for Roof”. This will be a HIMYMism I use with my friends. Who ever wrote this, I owe you a beer. I love it.
Barney’s poem and story? That came out of absolutely no where and was the greatest thing in the episode or this entire season so far. Holy crap. That was the best surprise the show has ever delivered. Watch the look on his face change as he’s shooting whiskey.
Ted’s poem is fantastic too. And Kudos to the casting, both of Ted’s girls in this episode are smoking.
Thanks to reader Jazzer for transcribing these poems:
Barney:
Twas the night before New Years, and the weather grew mean. Twas three in the morning and I was stranded in Queens! The tavern grew empty, the gas-lights grew dim. The horse drawn carriages were all but snowed in! Last call was approaching and my fortunes looked bleak. Then I turned to my left, and stifled a shriek!
She had a peach-fuzz beard and weighed 16 stone. She gobbled-up hot wings and swallowed the bones. I muffled a scream and threw up in my mouth. I asked ”Where do you live?”, and she said ”One block south.” I swallowed my pride and six shots of whiskey. I prayed to the Gods that she wasn’t too frisky.
Back in her cave she prepared us a snack. ‘Neath her mighty hooves the floorboards did crack! But when she returned she found a sound sleeper. And thus she became the Sexless Innkeeper.
Ted:
Twas the night before this one, and hours to kill. I sat in the tavern, grading parchments with quill! A busty young lassy flashed me a grin. Her garb said “classy”, but her eyes whispered sin.
She said ”You’re a teacher?”, I said ”Yes indeed!”, ”I must have you!!” she moaned, “I’m turned on by tweed!!” With haste we did scamper, to my chamber anon. We fell to the couch and bro, it was on! I unlaced her bodice, our passions grew deeper. And thus ends the tale of the Sexless Innkeeper.
With such a genius plot with hilarious writing as the titular plot, how did they fill in the rest with such mediocre filler? There was far too much high and low in this episode. I only watched it once and I’ll need to go through it again. I’ll check back in later this week if my mind is changed at all. I know episodes I haven’t loved in the past have grown on me, we’ll see about this.
PS. Anyone else notice the cold opens are getting longer and longer? It’s like those opening credits never come.
PPS. Also, what’s with the whack dates on this calendar?
Wait for it…
Subscribe to RSS
Become a Fan
2k08 | October 13, 2009 @ 1:34 am
Good rundown. There were moments of absolute hilarity- Segel’s photo montages were incredible, Barney’s poem was a brilliant surprise. Yet, the LAME/Bro double-date did seem a little thin at some points as you said.
Loving the teaming up of Bro on Ted as a sexless inkeeper…seeing those two high-five brings a tear to the eye.
daywalker | October 13, 2009 @ 1:51 am
I was happy with the wardrobe choices for lily. they sure did pick some clothes that showed off her baby feeding rack amazingly!
katie90 | October 13, 2009 @ 1:55 am
didn’t like the double dating stuff, just another example of lily and marshall becoming caricatures of themselves this season. they are way too..i’m missing a word here. but they don’t seem real and believable to me anymore, the show’s overdoing it on their little quirks so that they’re not funny, lovable or veliaveble anymore. that sucks.
for once, the robin/barney thing didn’t annoy me as much though. probably because they both fit that role of the person dumping someone over a lame date so well. when they started being sad it didn’t really fit, though i loved barney’s suit jacket/sweat pants combo. would’ve been better if they hadn’t mentioned it on the show, though, i love when they leave those things unmentioned and you can discover them on your own (sometimes on the second or third viewing which makes you have so much more fun when you’ve thought you’d already gotten all the jokes).
and i feel the same way about ted and the innkeeper thing. why was that the b plot, why was that cut so short? i would’ve liked to see more girls than just the one use him as her inn and him kind of wondering why that happened and barney then explaining it to him. to have just one girl to that and ted not even notice was kind of too little a base for barney and robin to start making of fun of him as the sexless innkeeper. plus, would’ve been fun to see ted trying to battle that. like, what would he come up with to finally get girls not only to stay over but to sleep with him? would he change something, would he lose the tweed? i mean, he’s usually not the one-night-stand kind of guy, as we’ve seen over the years, so he’d probably not be so good at picking up girls just for one night. why don’t they even show how he won over that girl at the end? it’s kind of lame that it was the professor thing, since they did the whole “ted mosby, architect” thing as a turnon for women.
well..i’m rambling. loved the first two episodes but these last..they don’t have the himym feel to them somehow. i feel like everybody overacts, the show that was once rather subtle in selling weird character traits is now totally exploiting those
frothy | October 13, 2009 @ 2:09 am
I don’t see the problem with the calender. Looks okay to me.
WT | October 13, 2009 @ 2:19 am
The calendar goes 10-15-14-13-14-15…
R | October 13, 2009 @ 2:20 am
@frothy:
It jumps from Saturday October 10th to Sunday October 15th.
I think I loved Ted’s delivery of his poem better than Barney’s. “I’m turned on by tweed!” was particularly amazing.
And yeah, rest of it was pretty lame. No pun intended!
Chelsea | October 13, 2009 @ 2:37 am
the calendar was probably an OOPS that they didn’t notice til the last second. Maybe I’m easy, but I didn’t see anything wrong with the episode….
komivo | October 13, 2009 @ 2:49 am
@frothy: it jumps from 10 to 15, then back and forth again…
Tove | October 13, 2009 @ 4:09 am
Katie90, I totally agree with you about Marshall and Lily being caricatures of themselves. It was all so… forced. I kind of think they need to have a baby, that would lead to so much more storylines. But then it wouldn’t be the same show with all of them sitting at the bar. Aaah I don’t know.
Marshalls montages was awesome and so Marshall though.
Broadband | October 13, 2009 @ 6:00 am
I just pray Barney is back. It’s been too long since single Ted AND Barney and it almost seems like Ted is really willing to try and put aside his overacting emotions every time he is dumped.
I better get ATLEAST 3 High-Fives, 1 Legandary and one Slap or this season is really forgetting what this show is about!
Feras | October 13, 2009 @ 6:20 am
at first im a huge fan of HIMYM since season 1..
”
I live in Syria and i’ve downloaded the first 4 seasons by dial up connection “usually it takes 12-14 hours til the episode got downloaded
anyways this episode wasn’t that awesome..it was an “assistant under secretary of only Okay”
but i want to see Ranjeet & Mrs Ranjeet much more in this season
about the calendar I guess Marshall meant that the whole week after Saturday night doesn’t mean anything to him he feels fuzzy and lost untill the next Saturday comes..when he and Lily meet Barney and Robin..but of course i am not sure if my explanation is right..
Ayah | October 13, 2009 @ 6:27 am
Funny how this episode really had ups and downs… But to me the “ups” were so fun that I’ll remember it as a pretty good one!
OK, LaMe were… well… quite lame, as the plot was really far-fetched, but it was saved by Marshall songs/slideshows or the GOUDA thing. I also liked the chemistry between Barney and Robin (in the begining of the episode).
I think this plot was this lousy in order to enhance the final twist with Barney… don’t you think? Marshall and Lilly have been so great with Barney and Robin (separately) during last season… so here they get carried away by this “couple” thing and that’s why the whole plot is disappointing and seems forced.
Otherwise I agree with you for the poems, it so comes from nowhere!… these writers are good with verses.
You’re right about Marshall, too! Let’s give him something better! I like what he did in the first part of season 2 (like in “the world’s greatest couple” you mentioned)
Westfall | October 13, 2009 @ 6:45 am
Not a bad episode but IMO, it is from the 4 that this season has given us the weakest. Still had a few good laughs. Highlights:
- Marshal’s emails, especially the 2 featuring the cat, ROFL;
- The Sexless Inkeeper poems;
And was it just me or was that cover of “All By Myself” sung by NPH+Cobbie Smulders?
Melinda | October 13, 2009 @ 7:19 am
My favorite line of this episode was definitely, “It’s after midnight! We can’t Tabooty call them!”
Thomas | October 13, 2009 @ 7:28 am
Some of the couples stuff was a little daft but I didn’t mind as when this episode was funny, it was really funny. Marshall’s montages were brilliant and Ted’s poem at the end especially was great, topped off by Barney’s reaction! Whenever I hear “All By Myself” I’m always reminded of the Friends episode when Chandler and Joey are living apart and are looking longingly into the ‘rain’. So fondness for that moment as much as anything made me laugh during that sequence.
I think there is a slight feeling of Marshall and Lily’s stuff as a couple being a little forced at the moment, there were certainly times during this episode where that felt the case. However I don’t think its a major problem (*salutes*) and to a certain extent it was tempered a little in their relationship with the other couple which seemed a bit more natural. It’s early days in the season and I think as it progresses we’ll start to see more to do with their own marriage stuff. And on a side note, wow, Alyson Hannigan looked hot in this episode!
Sara | October 13, 2009 @ 10:17 am
A few rhetorical questions:
1) Why didn’t Lily and Marshall invite Ted and Robin for a couple’s night when they were going out? They acted as if this was the first time any of their friends went out together. Or did they start the couples night thing after Ted and Robin broke up?
2) Why can’t Lily and Marshall just act like themselves on couples’ night? They are so cool and laid-back in the bar and in other situations, but during couples nights they have a whole new, annoying, personality.
I think this episode tried too hard to be funny. The humor felt forced in many ways.
eliza | October 13, 2009 @ 10:29 am
Lily and Marshall didn’t invite Ted and Robin because Lily didn’t think Ted and Robin should be together.
I actually really liked this episode though. They definitely could have done a little more with the sexless innkeeper though.
Did anyone else think that Robin and Barney should have been pouring beer in their ice cream? Lost connection opportunity.
Jazzer | October 13, 2009 @ 10:40 am
Hahah I loved the poems! They were EPIC! Both of ‘em. An amazing episode after all, deeply suprising.
And I loved the last few seconds of the ep – ” What have I done?!?” and it may lead to a lot of interesting things. =]
Anyway, awesome recap JD, keep it up. Can’t wait for more.
jen209 | October 13, 2009 @ 11:00 am
Okay, JD, you buy random domain names when you’re drunk? I call Dork with a capitol D.
My favorite line was also the Tabooty call.
RyanP | October 13, 2009 @ 11:13 am
This episode is by far the most thorough of this season, but I also thought the couple dating stuff was funny but they all know each other really well at this point. It was not believable and How I Met Your Mother has always been pretty believable and realistic comedy.
I am also getting a little tired of Barney and Robin together. Does anyone else think that they look bored together?
Over all, great episode.
Jazzer | October 13, 2009 @ 11:36 am
Twas the night before New Years, and the weather grew mean. Twas three in the mornin’, and I was stranded in Queens! The taburn grew empty, the gas-lights grew dim – The horse drawn carriages were all but snowed in! Last call was approaching, an…d my fortunes looked bleak. Then I turned to my left, and saw a Shriek!
She had a peach-fuzz beard, and weighed 16 stone – She gobbled-up hot wings, and swallowed the bones.I buffled a scream, and threw up in my mouth, I asked ”Where do You live?”, and she said ”One block south.”I swallowed my pride, and six shots of whisky.
I praid to the Gods, that she wasn’t too frisky.Back in her cave, she prepared us a snack, need her mighty hooves, the floorboards did crack!But, when she returned, she found a sound sleeper – and thus she became, the Sexless Innkeper.
=====================================================
Twas the night before this one, and hours to kill. I sat in the taburn, reading partchments with quill! A busty young lassy, flashed me a grin – her garb said classy, but her eyes whispered sin.
She said, ”You’re a teacher?”, I said ”Yes indeed!”, ”I must have you!!” she moaned, I’m turned on by tweed!! With haste we did scamper, to my chamber-non – We fell to the co…uch, and bro – it was on! I unlaced her bootace, our passions grew deaper, and thus ends the tail, of the Sexless Innkepper.
=====================================================
Kudos to myself for actually taking time to write this up. =]
ev. mosby | October 13, 2009 @ 11:38 am
JD, I totally understand what you mean by conflicted. On one hand the episode had some awesome scenes (like the poems and RoBarn’s wonderful chemistry) but I’m still not fond of the double-dating thing cos right now it seems like the only thing LaMe are capable of doing. And they don’t even do it well. I want to see more mash-ups and better combinations like Barney-Marshall or Robin-Lily etc instead of constantly pairing up the couples and leaving poor Ted alone!
But strangely unlike most of you I really enjoyed the elaborate reconciliation between the two couples plus the pouring rain and stuff. Got me laughing because it was just ridiculous.
Also wish they had developed on the Sexless Innkeeper plot. It would’ve been more interesting to see a montage of a whole bunch of girls falling asleep in the apartment and Ted just not getting it.
Quirky episode nonetheless!
BGeo | October 13, 2009 @ 12:10 pm
Good Recap JD. I too want to see Peter Bretter this season.
It wasn’t a bad episode, it just didn’t feel complete. Whether they needed to spend more time on the Sexless Innkeeper, or just tone down the LAME in Lily and Marshall, I’m not sure. There was a lot of comedy that was pretty well executed, such as the poems or Marshall’s montages. I hope the show gets back to Ted soon. The first two seasons were so successful because they were based on Ted’s quest for love, and it seems now he’s just content to nail young, hot girls (good for him though).
No offense what so ever to the actress playing Ms. Ranjit, but Barney was right with “a simple NO would have sufficed.”
PS. I see Josh Radnor has written, and is Directing a film in which he is also acting called “HappyThankYouMorePlease.” Pretty excited to his writing and directing talents.
JT | October 13, 2009 @ 12:34 pm
I just found this blog, and it feels good to find a place to discuss HIMYM!
But last night’s episode, although inconsistent, brought up a lot of improvements, such as finally seeing some of Marshall’s “non-shouting”, “not completely excited” side come out (I thought his character was unbalanced “loudly” in the last several episodes). I think that the whole RoBarn timeline is keeping us on the edge, especially with Barney’s last one-liner!
BGeo, I agree, I want to see where Ted’s moving… Gotta see the reaction shot of the kids during these random (to them) yet entertaining (to us) tangents!
However, the photo montages, the catchphrase and the website & the poems were timeless HIMYM randomness! IMHO, best episode to date in S5.
zephseven | October 13, 2009 @ 12:35 pm
There was one big thing that was slipped into the episode, this is the fist time we’ve seen either of lily’s parents. Although here it was in photo montage form.
Raiger | October 13, 2009 @ 12:53 pm
Wasn’t that Lily’s mom at the wedding letting her know that the florist was late?
I was happy with the episode. Loved the montages and poems, always glad to see Ranjit. The only thing that seemed awkward to me was the “Ding” in the rain moment. That was a Ted thing to do, not how Bro should be showing their affection.
JD | October 13, 2009 @ 1:05 pm
We met Lily’s mom, as well as more women from her family, during the Bachelor Party episode when Robin gave her the inappropriate gift.
Little Barney | October 13, 2009 @ 2:08 pm
All 4 episodes of this season have been about barney and robin. I think they are great together because of the chemistry they have but I always wanted barney to be the fun and cool guy from season 1. Anyway it is clear from the ending of the episode that Barney is having second thoughts about being in a relationship.
What is up with marshall, he was the funnniest guy ever, he still is funny with his singing, but he was funny as hell in season 1,2 and 3. Is this what marriage does to people?
I miss the robot dancing marshall, i hope we see more him this season and i have to agree with some guys that LAME are being over exaggerated that it is not funny anymore, they were over the top lovers that was very funny and yet realistic. (new years eve episode comes to mind)
BTW that lady at the end was smoking hot.
R2 Sweet Tooth | October 13, 2009 @ 4:12 pm
Great episode overall! To me, Marshall and Lily were really funny in these roles. I loved how Barney told the story as if it was from the 18th century or so, as he did when telling about the origin of the Bro Code.
The one and only thing I didn’t like was probably that wasn’t the actress for Lily’s mother that we had seen before? I hate it when they replace characters with new actors through a TV-show.
Casey R | October 13, 2009 @ 7:36 pm
I don’t usually comment on this blog, but man, do I diagree with the analysis this week!
To me this episode is the best so far of the season! I loved it. I was literally crying with laughter. It was all there. The poems, Marshall’s songs, Mr and Mrs Ranjeet, the Gouda, Ted being the sexless innkeeper but than banging a superfine chick at the end…..this episode had it all. LOVED IT! 10/10
Toby | October 13, 2009 @ 9:32 pm
I was pretty disappointed with this episode. I thought there were some cute Robin/Barney moments, and I LOVED the poems and Marshal’s song, but I thought it was a little ridiculous!
I also thought it was weird that LAME never had couple’s night with Robin and Barney, but it was pointed out to me that they were broken up for the first part of the season and planning a wedding for the second half so they probably never had the opportunity.
I am VERY VERY curious where they are taking that last line of Barney’s. I know it is just the end scene, but I think it was too significant to just be a joke.
Deerfield | October 13, 2009 @ 10:10 pm
This episode was a bit disappointing considering that I love me some LAME. The highlights were definitely the sexless innkeeper and the montages. And seriously, was that NPH and Cobie Smulders singing “All by Ourselves”?
BGeo | October 13, 2009 @ 11:31 pm
Lily and Marshall did have couples night with Ted and Robin, example Single’s Stamina. Also, Marshall and Lily are now married and may be looking for different things.
Is it me or did unreliable Ted say that Lily and Marshall were living in their new apartment in 2007?
Chris | October 14, 2009 @ 1:03 am
Both poems were by far the highlight of the episode. They exemplify what makes this show great, witty, irreverent, and insanely funny. Unlike most of the commenters, I don’t mind Robin and Barney together. (btw, I am henceforth referring to them as “Swarkles”) If the characters aren’t put into new situations what is the point of continuing the show? I’d much rather see Swarkles for long story arc than see Barney and Robin date separate people, ex. Abby. I do agree, the Marshall and Lily part of the show seemed forced. The way they acted didn’t really mesh with the characters. They didn’t have any trouble “couple dating” the people across the hall in the platinum rule, why all of a sudden are they over-bearing crazy people?
Ricardo | October 14, 2009 @ 1:34 am
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again..
I wish they would somehow come out with MP3′s of the scores they do for the show. One in particular in Season 4 Episode one when Barney is telling the waitress he’s in love with Robin and the one from last night’s episode when Marshmellow and Lilypad come out to see Barney and Robin. The music scores always end up being prettyu swell.
High Hoper | October 14, 2009 @ 3:30 am
Hi everyone!
I watched finally this last 2 episodes, and I gotta say I liked more 4th than 3th. The final line for Barney was totally awesome.
Until now, I liked a lot every episode of this season. Hope it goes this way.
I really liked almost everything about this episode. Funny poems, and couples double date is something I realized and find stranger even than regular dating. I liked the way they handled it.
Waiting for next week ep!
Major Buzzkill | October 14, 2009 @ 3:31 am
Sorry, JD. I usually think you hit the nail on the head but I totally disagree on this episode. I thought this was one of those most laugh-out-loud funny episodes of the season. They may have done the faux-dating thing with Brad, but this was far better, IMHO. The “all by ourselves” sequence? Come on!
Also, any chance for a website tie-in makes me happy. But I wish there were a website for Marshall’s other slideshows. “Cat sitting” and “cat funeral” had me practically rolling off the couch. Jason is a master of the wacky song.
I thought this was an episode where they actually did something with the Barney/Robin couple. It allowed them to be funny together, to show their chemistry, and without being in conflict.
I sincerely hope the show’s not planning on breaking them up any time soon. I thought this episode was proof that they just need to figure out the best way to utilize their awesome chemistry for laughs (the high-five after the turn-down service line rocked).
Maggie | October 14, 2009 @ 9:11 am
I think the first episode and this one are the best ones of this season so far. I like the way they recapped the ice-cream eating and crying Lily, but now with Marshall!
I don’t think they are stretching the thin, i think its called trying to build other themes, and not staying in the whole ted’s the silly guy who thinks he’ll find true love, barney’s the sex machine, robin is the girl who’s successfull and doesnt want a relationship, and marshall and lilly are the cute loveable couple cenario. I like how they’re changing the roles.
However, i liked the way we saw the old barney for two seconds. we miss that guy, but we also like the barney that loves robin. i don’t know, i’m torn
Thanks JD for giving us the poems
ncb | October 14, 2009 @ 10:00 am
so I only watched this once and I guess I’m just feeling forgetful this morning. what’s the final line that several people above referenced? barney’s line about what he’s gotten himself into? can someone remind me the context of this??
Frankqb | October 14, 2009 @ 10:03 am
Did anyone else feel like not only was this a rehash of the Marshall/Brad bromance story, but also rehashing Lily’s desire for double-dating which we got in the Season Premiere?
Thin. Broad. Mostly unfunny (except for Barney’s poem.)
Did HIMYM get a new show-runner or director? Something has been very off this year. I wonder if CBS started meddling. Maybe the execs came down and ordered some changes. Maybe HIMYM has been suited-up (and not in a good way.)
Tom Powell | October 15, 2009 @ 9:28 am
I don’t think anyone mentioned it yet, but the companion site video is an homage (i really can’t think of a less annoying sounding word) to Extreme’s More than Words. And they even got the guitarist from Extreme — who are still touring!
http://extreme-band.com/site/
anr | October 15, 2009 @ 2:25 pm
No one has mentioned my favorite moment yet! I loved when Robin fake “shot” herself in the head after the date with LAME, and Barney wiped his face. As if to wipe Robin’s brains/blood off his face? Oh, killed me!! Great chemistry/timing.
Clyde | October 16, 2009 @ 1:36 pm
This was easily the worst episode of the series. I didn’t think it was possible for the writers to conceive such a horrible plot but somehow they managed. The end with Ted and Barney was great, however it could not save the abortion the rest of the episode was.
Someone hit it on the head when they said that Lily and Marshall have become caracatures of themselves. Marshall especially with the barrel thing and now the horrible idea that he sends out emails with random photo montages complete with song. I sincerely hope this is the last season because the writing has already begun to decline.
SabreGirl | October 16, 2009 @ 1:50 pm
Or Clyde, you could just sincerely hope the writing gets better…rather than hope for the demise of a great show! Seriously, some of the best shows on TV have gone through some bad episodes (or even whole seasons) only to rebound to what they one were (West Wing, to name one) This might not have been the best episode, but eps 1 and 2 of the season give me hope that we will get back to S1 and S2 greatness!
Zig dog | October 16, 2009 @ 11:26 pm
Anr – you said exactly what I wanted to say. That fake gun shot and brain wipe was my favorite moment.
I still laugh harder for HIMYM than any other show, but I am beginning to check our wake for a shark we jumped. The LAME stories don’t really show them as awesome as they once were. Where’s Marshall’s confidence now? Have the writers run out of plots for them? Maybe it’s time for them to get pregnant to bring back some of their (in character) frenzy and sweetness.
Also, I’d like to see more of Swarkles (it’s going to be a thing) getting over their crappy coupling hang-ups. They are constantly lounging around now – let’s see them doing things right like when Robin and Barney hit the town in Season One or when breaking the Murtagh Rule. Barney needs to stop being lame and start being awesome.
And I like that Ted gets his toes curled every now and then. Just because he’s a romantic doesn’t mean he’s waiting for marriage.
And the cat videos were funny, but over the top and too staged.
I still laughed my ass off when the two couples were in the rain, but I was also saying “it’s so stupid” at the same time, I like when I think it’s funny and smart the best.
fatcat | October 17, 2009 @ 9:37 am
that was bad, i guess there were like 2 moments in this season, where i had to laugh.. no barney, no show. no real emotions from ted. robin leaves a very static impression. marshall is kinda crazy all the time, and thats not funny at all. and lilly overacting which doesnt work much, since thats the only thing which supposed to be funny.
season 1 was awsome, season 2 was boring, season 3 was good, 4 could have been better but still ok, season 5 is crap so far, thats sad… fortunately theres still family guy.
Jazzer | October 17, 2009 @ 12:17 pm
@fatcat: Aaaaand…. You call yourself a HIMYM fan (called) why? All seasons were epic, so stop saying crap like that. And why do people want original Barney back? I mean yes, he was legendary, but still. In every sitcom, the character evolves, and somehow I get the feeling they will bring him back, because of the last sentence he spokes in this ep: ”What have I done!” when seing single Ted scoring a hot chick, and he’s dating, the one biggest rule of the Bro Code, after Article No.1; Bro’s Before Ho’s.
Also, thanks JD for crediting. =] I know I made a few grammar errors.
Ryan | October 17, 2009 @ 5:30 pm
Was it Cobie and Neil singing “All by Ourselves?” It sounded like them for the most part.
JackAtak08 | October 17, 2009 @ 7:10 pm
Worst episode in the history of How I Met Your Mother. Even worse than the second episode Britney Spears was in.
Jenn | October 17, 2009 @ 7:37 pm
Ditto everything! I loved Ranjeet and I didn’t notice the calendar until you pointed it out- that’s hilarious!
It’s almost…. too bad, in a way, that the first episode was so great because it sets such high expectations for every episode, you know? Not that I’m complaining that the first episode was good….
Loved the poem. And that Ted played along with Barney’s expectations of a poem without question.
TheSteelBlade | October 18, 2009 @ 5:04 am
I wasn’t a huge fan of this episode. The Double Dating plot was kinda blah, but the Sexless Inkeeper plot was pretty cool. Although, I did love the very end, it was fantastic.
TED:
God, I love being single.
ROBIN:
Barney, you ready for Brunch with Lily and Marshall?
BARNEY:
What have I done?
Best Barney scene this season, IMHO.
Lucius | October 18, 2009 @ 8:53 am
i love those poems & i love marshalls songs & montages
I hope there’ll come more like that
AND i think the big reason for this episode is what comment 51 said
WHAT HAVE I DONE
Yazebe21 | October 19, 2009 @ 12:39 am
I thought that this episode was good as well. The part where Barney dressed in the olden days reminded me of him writing the bro code.
Ted was also funny when he read the poem to barney as he mimic what barney said to him when he questioned about the poem.
Oh, and the girl that Ted was sleeping with at the last part, she was hot.!!
You guys should focus on barney at that part, he was totally jelly like!!
haha.. oh and the ending was good as he ended up with “What have i done?”
nitz the bloody | October 19, 2009 @ 1:01 am
Wasn’t a big fan of the episode, as the humor was based entirely on beating the ” Double date = couple date ” joke into the ground. Some episodes of HIMYM have made this work, like the episode ” Sorry Bro “. But there they use the gimmick of HIMYM’s non-linear narration to play with expectations, instead of bringing up the same joke as is again and again.
A-face | October 20, 2009 @ 11:22 am
@daywalker’s comment about showing off Hannigan’s “baby feeding rack” – case in point.
farnz | October 23, 2009 @ 12:18 am
who was the girl that ted was with at the end of this episode? she is f*cking hot and i want to know who she is!!!
KBell | October 23, 2009 @ 2:36 pm
You remember the episode where Barney dated Wendy the waitress and everyone kept telling him Don’t kill the bar dude, we love this bar…. well that’s what I want to tell the writers of this show. I absolutely love HIMYM but it is absolutely being killed right now by relationship Barney I need to see him out on his escapades that was the brilliance of the show… please Barney and Robin break up, for the sake of the show, we love this show
Theodore | March 7, 2010 @ 2:04 am
didn’t like the double dating stuff, just another example of lily and marshall becoming caricatures of themselves this season. they are way too..i’m missing a word here. but they don’t seem real and believable to me anymore, the show’s overdoing it on their little quirks so that they’re not funny, lovable or veliaveble anymore. that sucks.
for once, the robin/barney thing didn’t annoy me as much though. probably because they both fit that role of the person dumping someone over a lame date so well. when they started being sad it didn’t really fit, though i loved barney’s suit jacket/sweat pants combo. would’ve been better if they hadn’t mentioned it on the show, though, i love when they leave those things unmentioned and you can discover them on your own (sometimes on the second or third viewing which makes you have so much more fun when you’ve thought you’d already gotten all the jokes).
and i feel the same way about ted and the innkeeper thing. why was that the b plot, why was that cut so short? i would’ve liked to see more girls than just the one use him as her inn and him kind of wondering why that happened and barney then explaining it to him. to have just one girl to that and ted not even notice was kind of too little a base for barney and robin to start making of fun of him as the sexless innkeeper. plus, would’ve been fun to see ted trying to battle that. like, what would he come up with to finally get girls not only to stay over but to sleep with him? would he change something, would he lose the tweed? i mean, he’s usually not the one-night-stand kind of guy, as we’ve seen over the years, so he’d probably not be so good at picking up girls just for one night. why don’t they even show how he won over that girl at the end? it’s kind of lame that it was the professor thing, since they did the whole “ted mosby, architect” thing as a turnon for women.
well..i’m rambling. loved the first two episodes but these last..they don’t have the himym feel to them somehow. i feel like everybody overacts, the show that was once rather subtle in selling weird character traits is now totally exploiting those