The How I Met Your Mother Blog

128 Comments to “Season 5, Episode 9: Slapsgiving 2: Revenge of the Slap Discussion”

1.  Neil Young Fan | November 24, 2009 @ 3:39 am

   JD!!! Welcome back!!! While I’m happy to have you back, and agree with you on Chris Elliot, I have to kindly disagree that this season has been lackluster. I posted once before that this season will still wind up fantastic. I feel slapsgiving 2 was timed perfectly to pay homage as a single story episode, and will probably be the last we see of Lily’s dad, and now we will probably see more of ted at school. Have faith!

   your follower from Vancouver!

2.  Keep | November 24, 2009 @ 3:45 am

   I’m really glad they went back to the Slapbet joke. This season has been weak, and it seems like they’re trying different genres of jokes that just haven’t worked. It was nice to see them reach back to a joke that everyone loves, and pull the gag out well. Barney in emotional torture pre-slap is always awesome, and I liked the little gag of transferring the slap.

   It was really nice to see an episode that felt more like Season 3 than Season 5. Season 5 has been disappointing so far, so I’m happy they went back to what works.

3.  Neil Young Fan | November 24, 2009 @ 3:47 am

   PS, a great Marshall episode tonight in my humble opinion. I love everything that the show does when it involves his family,

   predictions on the rest of the season:

   -allusion to Robin’s failed variety show around epiisode 20.
   -we’ve never met Robin’s mom, maybe that’ll be connected?
   -Ted losing his mind over student evaluations after his classes come to an end, leading to dating a colleague?
   -one more mega Vancouver reference, as well as some good old Canada Bashing as the 2010 Olympics will be in Robin’s hometown. I expect something along the lines of Superbowl. but with Hockey.

   that’s all I got for now…..

4.  Jazzer | November 24, 2009 @ 4:05 am

   Finally JD, finally. This was… Well… A really lame and weak episode. I didn’t laugh at all. It was very predictable, and I didn’t find any of the jokes funny.

   Did anyone actually think there will BE no slapping? I mean, I expected real Slapsgiving, but this was, weak.

   There were some good parts like the Lily Look, or the Barney parts. Marshall was awesome also.

   HIMYM is getting, different. I mean, there is no more Ted which is a bad thing, it’s just around RoBarn. It was either an awesome Barney story, an awesome Ted story, or both, combined into something, awesome.

   Don’t know what to expect. HIMYM is not fun anymore. It doesn’t have that something special it always had.

   “We’re just at the LE, we still got the GEN, the DA, the RY.”

5.  Purple Giraffe | November 24, 2009 @ 4:20 am

   I think that people are a little too harsh on this season of HIMYM. I do think that they need to focus more on Ted and make Marshall and Lily more like they were in past seasons. They have become too much of a “couply” couple where before they were very close and loving but not an annoying couple. But I do have faith that the writers will turn that aspect around. So far I give this season overall a B-. There is definitely room for improvement but it is still quite enjoyable for me.

6.  katie90 | November 24, 2009 @ 4:28 am

   wow, that was fast. JD, you’re really stepping up your review-game now awesome! i for one am happy with the discussion going on in the comments section, i don’t know why but forums always seem to bring out the worst in people (opinion bashers, trolls and “that’s what the search-button is for, you idiot”-people spring to mind )

   i had high hopes again after the playbook and i kind of thought slapsgiving 2 would make it all go away (for me, the show’s worst episodes all happened this season) but it didn’t. after slapsgiving 2 i’m seriously considering not watching anymore. how i met your mother is truly legendary and i don’t know if you know the feeling but many a sucky sequel has ruined a great original movie for me and it’s kind of the same with the show. i fear that they don’t recover from this and if they end up destroying this show and the once awesome characters, it might ruin the whole thing for me. and i totally can’t let that happen

   i rewatched season 1 recently and what can i say, it rocks. it had it all, the heart, the laughs, the great characters. it’s declining into sitcom hell right not, with one-dimensional characters (compare season 1-lily and -robin to those we got now) and just joke after joke after joke, none of whom are even that funny (come one, “lead-based paint from china”, anyone? that was painful).

   i need me some season 2, stat. have to recover from this.

7.  stefany | November 24, 2009 @ 5:09 am

   i agree with jd, C or even C- on this episode. this season is killing me. i haven’t liked anything since “Definitions” (Bagpipes and The Playbook were ok).

   this episode felt lazy to me. i would have loved to see them do an unique episode centered on the 4th slap but this just felt like recycling to me. its like the writers went on vacation or something…

   i did love the slapbet game at teh end with Marshall’s song playing.

8.  ev. mosby | November 24, 2009 @ 6:29 am

   I’m actually quite surprised alot of people didn’t like this episode. When I was done watching it I immediately thought of this forum and wanted to know if other people agreed with me – I thought it was good! Plenty of callbacks and I dunno, one episode with Barney not being the centre attention was nice because you get to see how funny Ted and Robin can be: “I really wanna slap him, ok??” made me LOL because his voice was just so whiny and desperate. Yeah, sure the plot about Lily and her dad was a little weak (don’t know, don’t care about who that guy is, urgh) but it was an episode where we got everyone together and I liked that =)

   Oh yeah JD glad you’re back!

9.  High Hoper | November 24, 2009 @ 7:07 am

   Just 2 things:

   1) Welcome back JD. It’s AWESOME to have you back! Really!
   2) This was not only the worst episode of this season, it was probably the worst episode of all series. Boring, lame, eery character not doin’ a thing.

   I said I’d quit watching Himym if Barney and Robin commitment went far, and it didn’t. And things have to get very hard for me to stop watching the series. But, if there are more episodes like the last night one, I seriously stop watching. And it’s bad, because I love Himym.

10.  Fabio | November 24, 2009 @ 7:20 am

    I’m Disappointed. That says it all.

    I mean, they created such high expectations with the slap countdown…that they could not live up to it….. it wasn’t even close!!! After watching yesterday’s episode I decided to rewatch the first slapsgiving episode…and I have to say….WOW, what a difference…

    I think they wasted a slap on a lame episode.

    On the other hand, Barney’s flinching bit was a masterpiece…i have to agree with JD, he should’ve won an emmy by now… this guy’s trying to save the show while the writers keep letting us down…

    Marshall’s conference dinner was just amazing hahahaha that was SO marshall… His face reminded me of the Night Night Tape he made for Lily right before their wedding day.

    Well, unlike Katie, i still haven’t quite given up on the show…I still think this is some kind of transition phase til they get back on track.

    Glad to see you back here JD! Looks like you’re really back!

    Fabio

11.  Little Barney | November 24, 2009 @ 7:35 am

    This episode is ok, nothing special. HIMYM needs to cut down with the CGI and only use when needed, the people exploding joke was not very funny and childish. I loved the playbook episode as it felt like the classic HIMYM episodes, I have to agree with some of the comments that I love season 1 and 2, I think the characters are cool, individual and original and most of all the writers weren’t trying too hard to make us laugh so hard with childish jokes.
    Its hard to believe that nine episodes of this season have been done, the only episode of this season i can clearly remember is the playbook. that is weak, i can remember every episode of season 1 & 2 because they were all awesome.

    Now that Barney and Ted are single, I want to see an episode about the two of them, similar to the sweet taste of liberty, which is my favourite episode.
    Ted and Barney need some quality bro time.

    BTW I really want the final slap to be done on the final episode of the whole show.

12.  Jazzer | November 24, 2009 @ 7:52 am

    ^ Worst… episode… ever.

    @katie: I agree, 100%, completely. The show is going downwards. I’m going to watch Season 1-4 again, for the fifth time.

    My God, why are they doing this???? Whyyy??!?!?

    The whole RoBarn thing was the biggest mistake ever. Not only did they make a mistake by doing that, but they made an even bigger one by breaking them up the wrong way.

    We need single Barney, the-real-Barney, we need more TED MOSBY, we need the remaining two doplegangers!!! =D

    Honestly, I miss single Marshall. Not that their marriage is a bad thing, it’s awesome, but I found it a biiiiiit better when they were appart.

13.  Fabio | November 24, 2009 @ 8:13 am

    @Little Barney

    Sweet Taste of Liberty really is an awesome episode!

    I miss Ted&Barney hanging out more in bars…meeting women…. Barney dragging Ted to places he doesn’t wanna go… the Have-You-Met-Ted?-Line…. not to mention: legen-wait for it-dary!

14.  ChF | November 24, 2009 @ 8:28 am

    WE MISSED YOU !

    I loved Lilly’s I-want-you-dead look, she SO looked like Willow in Buffy XD

15.  LiamG | November 24, 2009 @ 10:27 am

    I REALLY dont understand the harsh criticism of the 5th season from some of you. I think your expectations are waaaay too high. Of course Slapsgiving 2 is not as good as the first one. But it is still a very enjoyable episode. I loved how ted and robin fought about who gets to slap Barney. I loved how Barney feared the slaps again like the first time.
    Last week was one of the best episodes ever and there hasnt been a “The Stinsons” yet, which in my opinion was the worst show ever. And some of you say that they think about not watching anymore??? COME ON!!!

    But actually I am convinced that no one here will actually quit watching, because we are all addicted

16.  CourtneyE | November 24, 2009 @ 11:03 am

    I’m in the “good lord, calm down” contingent. Yes, this season hasn’t been up to par with the others, but you know what we have with the others? Completeness. We’ve seen the others and how they ended and how everything was wrapped up and how everything came to make sense. We don’t have that with this one, and so we’ve become pretty whiny fans who take their ball and threaten to go home and watch House instead.

    The writers messed up Barney and Robin and had to fix it. The two female leads are now balancing being new moms and doing a big TV show. One of the male leads is kind of a movie star now who’s filming at the same time, and another male lead has no doubt become the subject of many CBS memos demanding “MORE BARNEY NOW.” Things are different and they’re navigating that. But things will get better. Look at this season of The Office. It’s like a renaissance of awesome. Last season was being proclaimed by fans as the worst thing ever and I’m never watching again blah blah blah, and now it’s great again AND when you look back at last season, it was still good. That’s what we’ll no doubt have with this one.

17.  Star' | November 24, 2009 @ 11:09 am

    Come on, this episode was significantly better than the rest of the season.

    Barney has gone back to being awesome. Marshall is fun, but not nearly as fun as unmarried Marshall ever was. Ted, well, remember how he’s supposed to be a professor? Robin’s blah, but she’s always been that way. Lily has somehow gotten more annoying over time…

    But at least we have Barney back and that’s worth more than anything else. The season is at least getting better over time, not worse.

18.  Keep | November 24, 2009 @ 11:10 am

    I miss the random cut-aways to stories. If this episode was in season 2 or 3 it would have cut away to a hilarious story about how Ted and Robin actually went and got the turkey. Little things like that are missed.

19.  CourtneyE | November 24, 2009 @ 11:13 am

    Oh, and Dark Willow “Dead to Me” Glaring Lily. That is all.

20.  JoeyT | November 24, 2009 @ 11:48 am

    I’ve always thought the whole slap bet story-line seemed to be too unfair to Barney (and thus hated it), I mean, can you find anyone as biased as Lily? Sure Barney can be disgusting (or do I mean AWESOME), but he’s still one of their best friends. Somehow I just don’t see the humor in slapping a guy tied to a slapping throne, which BTW was the worst ending to an episode EVER. It just wasn’t as fulfilling as slapping robot Barney.
    Also I kinda agree with Marshall when he says family is a privilege; Lily’s dad is far too much of an a-hole to be forgiven.

    Overall, this episode turned out to be my least favorite episode.

21.  katie90 | November 24, 2009 @ 12:07 pm

    yes, our expectations are high, but come one. watch any episode of season 1 (“sweet taste of libeety”? “the limo”? “mary the paralegal”?) or 2 or for the most part 3, then watch “robin 101″, “rough patch” or – shudder – “slapsgiving 2″. notice anything? it’s not the same show anymore. “the playbook” was close to what it used to be, but this last one, i’m sorry, was crap

22.  Starney Binson | November 24, 2009 @ 12:29 pm

    JoeyT,
    Slap bets are how men work; it’s all out of fun and doesn’t actually cause physical pain. I hope you understand.

23.  LiamG | November 24, 2009 @ 12:46 pm

    I havent seen a single show in my life, which doesnt change over the years. And honestly, I dont want to see the same thing over and over again. I could watch 24 if I wanted that. I am happy how the show is progressing. To say the truth: I always thought that Barney in Season 1 was a little to onedimensional. He is a much more complex character now.

    I am not saying that Season 5 is going to be better than 1 or 2. But it is definitely not much worse than 3 or 4. So far, I like it better. I hated the whole Stella episodes. This year though, nothing had happened, that I really dislike. Even the slight problem with Teds not happening search for his future wife isnt bothering me. I kind of enjoy it, that the writers are not playing with us like “oh see, that student could be the mother” or something like “remember the yellow umbrella” which only lead to stella again (urgh).

    I am really looking forward to the next episodes and of course especially the 100th which isnt that far away.

24.  Jazzer | November 24, 2009 @ 1:06 pm

    Seasons 1-4 were badass. And Slap bets, are how men work. and it’s awesome. Unless it’s you who’s getting slapped. I got my own share of slaps…

25.  Fabio | November 24, 2009 @ 1:24 pm

    I agree with JoeyT..Lily’s decisions as slap bet comissioner are as biased as possible! Nevertheless, the slap bet is awesome. It’s not something that hurts…is just something for us guys to enjoy…

    @LiamG – i know what you mean by changing…. every show has to go through that… But what i wanna see happen to HIMYM is the show progressing over time, and not go round and round in stories that have nothng to do with the its premise… of course, every now and then we’re gonna have some random -awesome- stories, but i for one would like to see more of Ted’s endless search for the mother.

    Just my opinion

    Fabio

26.  Rachael | November 24, 2009 @ 1:24 pm

    CourtneyE, I have to respectfully disagree about The Office–I’d never heard anyone complain about the show’s quality until this season, including myself. (I’m referring to real life here–on the internet, everyone complains about every episode of every show.) It’s getting to the point where I dread watching it but my boyfriend is undeterred.

    Although I’ve liked a lot of things this season, I just feel like we’re no longer watching the same characters. It seems like everyone has become sitcomized. I also feel like the show is becoming gimmicky–revisiting its old jokes instead of coming up with new ones. The jokes about Canada, Barney’s increasingly elaborate and ridiculous schemes to get women, Robin Sparkles, and now Slapsgiving. The humor is becoming broader with little root in reality. One of the funniest episodes to me is “Okay Awesome” with the joke about being unable to hear people in a club. Then you have Lily’s dad making a board game called Tijuana Slumlord. Come on, show.

27.  Fabio | November 24, 2009 @ 1:26 pm

    i didn’t mean to sound whiny

28.  Kristen | November 24, 2009 @ 2:13 pm

    Must find out where Robin’s dress is from…FABULOUS!!!

29.  Toby | November 24, 2009 @ 2:46 pm

    Wow there is so much stuff to respond to right now!

    First of all Welcome back J.D!!! Second of all, I personally liked the show, but it is in no mean anywhere close to the original Slapsgiving. But when are sequels ever any good.

    I do agree this season hasn’t been the best and isn’t living up to HIMYM standards, and isn’t as strong as previous seasons, BUT it is still a strong show in comparison to other shows that are in their 5th season. I think we all have high expectations because the show is so Legen, wait for it….. but I also think we shouldn’t be so critical and want to jump ship! That being said I totally understand people’s feelings because I was ready to quit after the rough patch!!

    I do wish they would bring back suit up and some other Barnyism’s.

30.  katie90 | November 24, 2009 @ 3:09 pm

    Rachael – agree about the sitcomized characters and the humor!!
    I feel like in seasons 1 and 2, those were REAL people. Sure, they happened to stumble into a lot of weird stories and they happened to drink a LOT of alcohol for people who actually have jobs to go to but the felt so real. The “joke frequence” wasn’s as high, yet you laughed out lout every other second. I loved that show, I loved those people, I wanted to BE one of those people. I want that show back!

31.  brianB | November 24, 2009 @ 10:26 pm

    is it me or is allyson hannigan’s acting just got better this season?

32.  Mike | November 24, 2009 @ 11:16 pm

    I am in the crowd that says the show slipped after season 2. There are some good episodes especially compared with what else is out there. But when you compare HIMYM with itself, you see where it’s dropped. Truth be told, I heard comments of “worst episode ever” before I saw it and that probably helped me to actually enjoy it since the expectations were lowered. I’m hearing it’s nowhere near as good as the original slapsgiving. My point is, I didn’t think the original slapsgiving was all that good.

    More and more I hear Bays and Thomas setting up future episodes or stories like when they did slapbet countdown or the goat and now the reality series. They set the bar and expectations really high for those moments and thus far in my mind, they have failed to reach it. Whereas the original Slap Bet (among many other episodes), if you were not spoiled as to the story line was this crazy story with not just the mystery and the bet but a crazy reveal at the end. As opposed to coming up with great stories, they are writing themselves into corners with these hints and having a hard time getting the same quality shows from years past. Dropping a hint that Robin will live in the apartment the next season is interesting. It lets us all speculate what might happen. Dropping a hint of a reality series raises expectations and unfortunately, after the last few seasons, I’m not entirely optimistic. Which also makes me question how well will they eventually deliver on the mother storyline.

    In addition to the dvds, I have about 18 episodes on my ipod. Will I rewatch Slapsgiving 2? Probably not, but thank goodness for the Pilot, Okay Awesome, The Limo, The Pineapple Incident, Showdown and Slap Bet among others for a little entertainment.

33.  Toby | November 24, 2009 @ 11:48 pm

    I agree Mike. I don’t like hen they build up to something because they really screw it up. I was so shocked as to how stupid the goat was because they had built so much intrigue around it.

34.  saya | November 24, 2009 @ 11:53 pm

    sigh, i got fed up towards the end of the episode and almost switched it off. this is the worst episode of “how i met your mother” i have ever watched. sigh.

35.  KR | November 25, 2009 @ 1:44 am

    CourtneyE (comment 16): I have to disagree with your last paragraph. Yes, the writers royally screwed up B/R and yes, some of the actors have a lot of things to handle right now. But the problem with season 5 so far has been 100% about the writing, it has nothing to do with the actors. As far as I’m concerned, they’re all doing fine- although at times I feel they’re getting a litle hammy (ALL of them).

    Last season WAS the worst year of HIMYM, although it’s now been topped by what we’ve seen of S5. The biggest misstep Bays & Thomas have taken is making the show a series of standalone episodes, with the more continuous elements of the story being minimised.

    Another problem is what katie90 pointed out– these don’t seem like real people anymore. The characters used to seem like 5 people who were funny; now they’re just devices for increasingly lame jokes. Eg in the original Slapsgiving, all the slap puns– Slappetisers, slap o’clock– all came from Marshall, who’d clearly been thinking about them for a while. Here, EVERYONE is coming up with lameass ’slap’ puns (“poisoned slapple”) and they come one after another. Basically, the characters don’t say funny things anymore, they just tell jokes. That’s really the best way I can articlulate it right now, although apologies since it seems a little vague.

    And here’s why the actual “Slapsgiving 2″ thing fell flat for me: we’ve already seen an extended countdown to a slap, it’s not that funny the second time round. The best slaps have been the spontaneous ones (my fave is the one during Barney’s play).

    Anyway, I’ll stop here since the length of this comment is getting out of hand. But basically, this season isn’t doing it for me. Shows can’t stay the same forever, but that doesn’t mean I should just let it slide when something I used to love starts going down the crapper.

36.  Reginald | November 25, 2009 @ 2:25 am

    I think this was a fine stand-alone episode, which seems more disappointing in the light of the direction the show has taken lately. The show was originally sold as, and for a long time it was, a hopeless romantic’s pursuit of love. Barney’s misogyny, Robin’s unconventionality, Marhshall and Lily’s cute romance were all a good foil to Ted persistence to find ‘the one.’ And thats what hooked me on to the show that even though Ted was not my favorite character, his story and its premise really set the base for me to enjoy the other characters’ quirkiness. Lately, Ted’s story has taken a backseat on the show. Now, it is more of a sitcom about 5 different people, which is fine, except that now that makes it like numerous other shows. Without the sense of Ted moving forward in his find, all these character seem disparate and like caricatures. I think by putting the focus back on Ted’s story, the show can return to its original unique premise. If I were one of the kids listening to Ted’s stories in season 5, I would like “Can we just skip ot the part where you met mom?”

37.  Michl | November 25, 2009 @ 4:27 am

    Just rewatched both episodes (the newest one and Sweet Taste of Liberty) and now I can say: Lily’s parent’s basement is NOT the same set as Carla from Philadelphia’s basement from Sweet Taste of Liberty.

    LAME Episode btw, can’t remember that I had to laugh even once

38.  Stefan | November 25, 2009 @ 5:56 am

    Honestly I must say, that I really liked this episode.

    In my opinion the turnpoint for this season was the Playbook episode.
    The episodes with Barny and Robin being a couple did not work for me and it was predictable that they would split up soon.

    But with the Slapbook episode I feel the episodes being back to the way they were. One major step is Barney being single (and of course awesome) again.
    Sometimes I have the impression that it is actually not the “search for the mother” that keeps the series going, but Barney’s lifestyle. Of course the who is the mother question will be revealed at some point but I think it is not so important for this season as it was before.

    So to sum up I want to say the following: Go on HIMYM. You started to rock again!

    Seriously, I can not see how anyone disliked this episode. At least from my point of view it was awesome! Just remember all the great games presented by Lilli’s dad!

39.  Geri | November 25, 2009 @ 6:07 am

    It’s the little things I continue to love about HIMYM…..like the fact that I almost didn’t pay attention to the Slap Bet board game commercial because, for a split second, I thought we were still in real commercials.

    I want that game for Christmas – got that Santa?

40.  Fabio | November 25, 2009 @ 6:53 am

    @Mike

    Come on…u really think the writers slipped after season 2? Season 3 is fantastic and season 4 is pretty awesome (even though they had started it kind of badly)….

    

41.  KR | November 25, 2009 @ 7:38 am

    @Fabio: I think the show started slipping after season 2 as well. The Ted/Robin breakup led to a season of Robin having no storyline (S3), Marshall and Lily got increasingly caricaturish after they got married (the problem mostly starting in season 4-5 though, S3 was OK) and an overemphasis on Barney and his schemes/puppy love has also been a problem, IMO.

    Season 2 was wonderful; the Ted/Robin relationship was the highlight of the series so far, not because they were great together, but because the writers managed to show us why they WEREN’T that great together, or at least wouldn’t be in the long run. We got to slowly see their relationship implode because they were just too different, and the process itself was fairly subtle and stayed true to both characters.

    For me, Slap Bet was the high point of the series. It is the best episode that HIMYM has ever done– both the A and B stories were perfectly intertwined and hilarious, and all the characters had something to do. I don’t think they have done an episode as incredible as that since, and I don’t think they will again. (Whose jaw DIDN’T drop when that music video started?)

    The show was still great after that, till season 4, at which point it was still above average. But these past nine episodes have been disappointing, to say the least.

42.  High Hoper | November 25, 2009 @ 7:54 am

    The sequel is always worse than the original or first one, except “Terminator” and “Austin Powers”… and possibly Christopher Nolan’s “Batman”.

43.  katie90 | November 25, 2009 @ 8:48 am

    and Back To The Future Though the third one’s not as good as the other two

44.  Fabio | November 25, 2009 @ 9:09 am

    @KR

    Got you! Totally agree on Ted&Robin’s relationship being the highlight of the show thus far. Aside from looking great together, I think their chemistry was even better than RoBarn sometimes and the writers gave them time to develop a true and REAL relationship, with good and bad in it.

    After Lily&Marshall’s wedding, i was kind of expecting a small change in their characters, but that did not bother me at all in seasons 3 & 4….The good thing is that when you guys say that the writers slipped after season 2, it still manages to stay above average and stand out as a great show, since the quality of the first 2 seasons is absolutely off the charts.

    SLAP BET is definitely the most jaw-dropping episode and is also one of my favorites – as it is for many of you here! Every time i watch the robin sparkles video it cracks me up haahhahah EVERYTIME!!

    :)

45.  Fabio | November 25, 2009 @ 9:11 am

    @Katie90 – BACK TO THE FUTURE!!! one of my favorite movies of all time.

46.  Zig dog | November 25, 2009 @ 10:26 am

    I missed this Reality Show hint. Can someone clue me in?

    And this episode still got some little laughs from me, but I do long for the tears in my eyes, laughing later in retrospect episodes of yore.

    What worked for me -
    Lily’s declaration of how little she cared about Mr. Park in front of Mrs. Park
    Lily screaming about the coffee
    Lily’s dad with the sock on the doorknob – creepy Chris Elliott stuff always gets me
    Ted’s fake love declaration – awesome
    Marshall’s fake doll arms
    Barney’s lines as he dreaded each slap
    The slap coming after the sweetness – perfect Marshall
    The music a la Miller-Boyett Productions when each character passed on the slap
    Barney popping his head between Ted and Robin’s debate
    Kids slapping grandmas
    Set designers still do awesome work – love the art and robots in LAME’s bedroom

    What didn’t -
    The ridiculousness of Lily’s dad’s board games – too hammy
    Marshall and his turkey chase – so cheesy
    That turkey cooked in like five minutes – what kind of oven do they have?
    If you get lead paint on a turkey, I’d like to see it referred to again, even if it was hammy and lame.
    Liliy’s history with her dad would affect her big time – this type of thing makes for some character development that would affect how she sees men. Robin’s father issues make sense, knowing her character, but Lily’s don’t. Psychoanalysis done.
    Barney’s psychological torture of Robin – didn’t buy it, especially after their relationship
    Last week we dropped a hint about this guy who’d change Robin’s life – this week, nada. I like hints about the future, but I also like to see them carry through.

    Questions -
    Was that Lily’s revertigo friend as her bridesmaid?
    Again, where is everyone getting this reality show thing?

    And finally, as a high school teacher, it is hard to get my kids motivated to abandon their apathy to bring in cans for a food drive. So another teacher and I had a slap-bet over whose class would bring in more cans. I will be slapping him soon in front of my class, and education’s standards will continue to deteriorate.

47.  Toby | November 25, 2009 @ 10:56 am

    Zit Dog, at the end of episode 7 there was a reference to a Robin Sparkles Variety show, and Barney ran out the door chasing it down.

    I am excited to meet the other two Doppelgangers! I read someone posted they hope Doppelgangers Barney and Ted are a couple. That would be hilarious because Barney is a little bit in love with Ted

    I have been hearing (reading) a lot about how people think season 1 and 2 were the best and the rest has gone downhill. I have to disagree. I thought season 3 and 4 were also hilarious. I didn’t love season 2, but that had a lot to do with Robin and Ted as a couple because I was never a fan (probably because I knew they weren’t going to last so why get invested in them?)

    BTW whatever happened to Robin’s dogs? It is like they vanished? I thought she got them back after she and Ted decided not to live together. Maybe not?

48.  High Hoper | November 25, 2009 @ 11:25 am

    I was just wondering while havin’ lunch:

    Imagine Marshall has violated some rule of the Slap Bet at any point. Who would like to see Barney slapping Marshall? I am the first one!

49.  Toby | November 25, 2009 @ 11:34 am

    Barney slapped Marshal in the original Slapbet. BTW Someone’s spouse should never be allowed to be the Slapbet commissioner!

50.  SK | November 25, 2009 @ 11:57 am

    All this talk about “worst episode ever”, I don’t see it really. Season 4 with Stella was the low point. but so far, the S5 episodes, with the exception of the Rough Patch, have all been very funny. They might not all win the gold medal, but you’re bound to have a few mis-hits now and then. For example this week, the storyline with Lily and her dad was the weakest part, mostly because of reason already mentioned here, so I won’t repeat them. There were some subtle jokes on the slapbet-side of the episode though (like the simultaneous pushing away of Barney during the grouphug at the beginning, hilarious!).

    About dropping hints for future episodes, which someone referenced here and said that he/she didn’t like them: that’s one of the reasons I love HIMYM, it gives the writers goals for the narrative, and ultimately makes for a coherent storyline (like Robin moving into Teds apartment).

    On another note: welcome back JD. I’m mostly a quiet observer, not really the talker, but I’ve missed your recaps

51.  BGeo | November 25, 2009 @ 3:51 pm

    I would imagine a lot of the writers time was spent on the “100th” episode, so it is to be expected that there are weaker filler episodes leading up to the big one

52.  Dusse | November 25, 2009 @ 3:53 pm

    Hated the fact that Lily made up with her father. Would have been a lot more interesting if she hadn’t, and her father appears to be a real asshole, but I guess they didn’t have to guts to go with it. Marshall was right when he said that family is not a right but a privilege and Lily should never have forgiven her father..boo.

53.  Wumbo7 | November 25, 2009 @ 5:14 pm

    In season 5 there are less barneyisms. I want more suit ups, legen..wait for it… dary’s, awesome,*high pitched barney* etc. Also is it just me or do other characters from the show have some catchphrases. thank youuu from Ted for example.

54.  Francis | November 25, 2009 @ 5:40 pm

    Fantastic, an entire episode that focuses on Lily being a whiny bitch.

55.  katie90 | November 25, 2009 @ 6:33 pm

    Francis: hahaha, you’re so right! Seems like there’ve been a lot of those as of late, though :/

56.  TheMix | November 25, 2009 @ 7:08 pm

    Though I’m fairly disappointed with this episodes I have two things to say:

    1. Ted, as well as Josh Radnor, are click on all cylinders right now. The writing they’re doing for him (though sparse) is great, and the acting that accompanies it is spot on. The “because I’m still in love with you moment” was absolutely priceless. There’s no way it could have been pulled off any better.

    2. The reason I think the season is dragging a bit so far is that, well, it’s tough from a directional/creative standpoint.

    I think the creators, Carter and Craig want this to go maybe 7 seasons…..

    At this point, that makes it hard to have a lot of momentum, because they want to make sure it ends with that momentum in full swing. But that’s life, isn’t it? Sometimes it comes at you 90mph and you feel great (or terrible) about everything. Then, other times, it just is.

    ohhhh and lastly….my eyes got about 10x’s wider when the bridesmaid said that about Lily’s dress. NEVER mess with the bride. Ever.

    Mix

    I’m pretty much sure that the second half of the season will really start to build on things, but it may seem a bit disjointed, because the 3 main things that will most likely have to be resolved before the show ends is. 1. Robin finding someone, maybe getting married 2. Lily most likely getting pregnant and 3. Of course, Ted meeting and perhaps marrying the mother.

57.  katie90 | November 25, 2009 @ 7:18 pm

    agree on ted. totally haven’t noticed cause of all the bitching i’ve been doing but ted/josh really has been great with what little they’ve given him (in the playbook as well and in double date, though he actually had something to do in that episode). maybe it does ted/josh good not to be the center of the showniverse (whoa, bad pun..i’m getting tired, it’s midnight ) ? i sure miss ted-centric episodes (wanna see him teach already!!) but maybe the writers were just reacting to all the fans whining about how ted’s the main character but not nearly their favourite (have been reading that a lot lately, mainly on imdb, they hate that guy over there..then again, they hate everyone over there )

58.  Jenn- GCWOK Approved | November 25, 2009 @ 9:02 pm

    KR- Yes, it is the writing and not the actors. Definitely.
    Toby- I totally forgot about the Dopplegangers! That would be hilarious if they were a couple! I think the dogs are gone now because of the legistics- because Josh Radnor is very allergic to dogs and that creates a lot of rehearsing without them, breaks between takes, etc., not to mention just kind of miserable for Josh. I’m allergic to dogs, too- I would hate that.

    I forgot to say that my favorite part of this episode, apart from Marshall pulling out two random hands on the computer screen, was the music that played every time someone bequeathed a slap to someone else. The music in this show has always rocked.

59.  Jenn- GCWOK Approved | November 25, 2009 @ 9:57 pm

    Zig Dog- That is AWESOME that you are doing a slap bet for your HS students to see! They will love that! I would totally have brought cans for that! ….Or not, if I wanted to see my teacher slapped…. well, I would have brought them for the other class at least. Hope your students like you! j/k. Will you let us know, though? That’s so cool!

60.  Toby | November 25, 2009 @ 11:38 pm

    Yeah, Ted has been pretty funny this season. His plot was the only thing interesting about The Sexless Inkeeper.

    Jenn, I am allergic to dogs myself so I can imagine that would be unpleasant.

    Zitdog, that is really cool! I wish I could do that with my client’s but I imagine that would be some kind of ethical violation.

61.  SophiaVonMatterhorn | November 26, 2009 @ 1:40 am

    slap bet? in front of your students? really?

    well what i find weird about this is at the beginning and in the middle of season 4 everyone was raging about how baaad season 4 is and how the show is so going downhill i will never watch again blablablabla

    and now? ah season 1-4 rocked so much wooohoo and season 5 sucks bigtime

    notice something`? the writers will probably make it work and you all end up making your peace with the show and in season 6 youll all flip out again-

    kthxbye

62.  Reginald | November 26, 2009 @ 2:18 am

    Yeah. I think this is all a lull before the storm of the 100th episode. Since the writers have promised lots of mother action in that, it is only a matter of time before the show got more focused again. I can see this season go only uphill from there.

63.  katie90 | November 26, 2009 @ 3:16 am

    sophia, i don’t know. i for one have never bitched about season 4 (heck, i don’t even think the stinsons were bad). and while i must say that i didn’t love the one with ted’s assistant and old king clancy, it was all in all better. if you only compare the first nine episodes – i loved intervention, liked tha naked man, the fight, … the stella episodes were at least funny while i didn’t like her personally (the one in the basement with barney not getting high-fived? shelter island was good too). my problem with this is, while himym has had some not-so-great episodes, they were just that – not so great. you got over it quickly. with robin 101, the rough patch and slapsgiving 2, however, the really bad and forced (and “un-himym”) jokes are making my skin crawl. these eps are just plain bad. the writers can still do it, though (playbook, double date, parts of decisions and bagpipes, the totally neglected sexless innkeeper storyline), so i’m waiting for them to recover. and in season 4, they at least weren’t totally messing up the characters (except for slutty robin with that TJ guy). i miss lily!

    and i read on ausiello yesterday that barney’s relationship with robin will have a long-lasting effect on him. pleeeeease don’t. i don’t mind if they eventually get back together but i sure don’t want to see a changed barney

64.  Fabio | November 26, 2009 @ 8:21 am

    Never bitched about season 4…. not even once.

    

    Fabio

65.  katie90 | November 26, 2009 @ 8:44 am

    that’s cause it was a good one

66.  Floris | November 26, 2009 @ 9:57 am

    This episode was not as good as i expected it to be. The title of episode was good, but the story and the jokes were very poor. Slapsgiving (1) is one of my favorite episodes, and this one didn’t get near.
    Maybe my hopes were to high when i heard the title of the episode, because i thought there will be the 4th slap so, how can it be bad. But unfortunately it was bad. For me there was only one good thing about this episode and that was the end, the slap bet game.
    But we got to stay positive, the next episode probably will be better. And i can’t wait for the 100th episode, i think that one will be great.

67.  Toby | November 26, 2009 @ 10:16 am

    Honestly, the only issue I have with season 5 is how badly the f***ed up the Barney and Robin relationship. Yes, I didn’t love every episode, but I didn’t love every episode from the other seasons. Some I loved, some I didn’t. In fact I hated Woooooo and they were nominated for an emmy for it.

    KAtie, We have been through this its PJ!!!!!!!!

    Happy Thanksgiving to all you fellow Americans out there, and Happy Thursday to all you non Ameicans

68.  katie90 | November 26, 2009 @ 10:21 am

    hahaha, toby, when i wrote it i thought of you but then i thought his name was CJ…so i just wrote TJ again

69.  Toby | November 26, 2009 @ 10:54 am

    LOL. I was reading my email on my cell phone this am when I saw it, and I jumped up and said “KAtie, not TJ” and ran to my computer so I could comment. So thanks for giving me the push I needed to get up! Otherwise I could have slept for like 10 more hours because its a day off

    I read the aussilo thing as well, and I have to say I don’t know how I feel about it. I feel like I don’t trust the writers anymore after the B&R disaster. I did like him comparing it to the economic stimuls package because I still haven’t seen an improvement in the economy.

70.  Jenn- GCWOK Approved | November 26, 2009 @ 2:25 pm

    I agree with Toby that I don’t trust the writers anymore and also that I have loved every season in general but not every episode. Wooo sucked- I didn’t know they were nominated for that one!
    Random thing- I always thought it was Zitch Dog. Anyone know what it is officially?
    Happy Slapsgiving, everybody! Well, to everybody who is celebrating Thanksgiving anyway!

71.  Jenn- GCWOK Approved | November 26, 2009 @ 2:27 pm

    Somebody somewhere…. could have been on this website…. once said that when both the girls were pregnant they should have made a joke in hiding their stomachs behind things all the time, like outlandish funny things. They said that if any show could pull it off it would be HIMYM. I kept thinking about that today watching old episodes and how awesome that would have been!

72.  Toby | November 26, 2009 @ 2:39 pm

    Jenn, I think that it was pretty funny how they hid their pregnancies, but I also liked how they incoorporate them into the show. When Lily ate all those hot dogs and they showed her pregnant belly or the acknowledgment of the pregnancies in Right Place Right Time and the LEap when they both jokingly said they were pregnant.

    I am pretty sure that Wooo was what they were nominated for because that was the clip that they showed at the Emmy’s. The clip they showed I actually liked was when Barney and Marshal were having their ‘conference call’ on the roof and they made a Mad Men refrence.

    Jenn, do u live in NY? WE should hang out! We thinks o much alike (j/k)

73.  Toby | November 26, 2009 @ 3:09 pm

    I just took a facebook quiz on how well do you know how I met your mother, and I scored Legen.. wait for it… dairy, and was told that I am Barney. How fun is that!

74.  katie90 | November 26, 2009 @ 6:49 pm

    toby: great that i’m your alarm clock now, i’ll keep on writing wrong things so that you have a reason to get up in the morning

    i also think they built the pregnancies in in fun ways like marshall’s “i noticed you gained some weight lately” and stuff. or the ridiculous ways of hiding it.. we saw bellies behind a globe, behind a guitar, behind a basketball, behind ridiculously large handbags… loved that

    and while wooo wasn’t the best episode ever, you just gotta love it for ted’s whoo! ‘those poor girls…and ted’. gets me every time

    agree on zitch dog, imagine it’s spelled like that but have now idea what it’s supposed to mean. love it though. especially barney’s “dude…a dog!” in the fiero. one of the funniest “dude” moments ever and definitely my favourite episode

75.  Toby | November 26, 2009 @ 7:57 pm

    Thank you Katie!! I need an alarm clock . It is actually fun to read so many posts in the am because a lot of you guys are 6 hours or so ahead of me.

    Alright, what the hell is zitch dog? I never saw all of Arivedierchi Fiero so I don’t get those references. I as anxious to see what happened with ted and Robin so I skipped it, and I missed it when it played on lifetime (probably something having to do with my DVR).

    It was actually funny because I got pissed off over a guy situation yesterday and I thought “sometimes a girl has just got to woooooo.” or whatever it was that Robin said. My next thought was “is he really trying to get here as fast as he can.” My thoughts automatically just deviate to how I met your mother quotes for so many daily life things.

76.  Will | November 26, 2009 @ 8:30 pm

    I thought this episode was great, definately one of the best this season.
    Lilly making up with her father was always going to happen and i thought it made sence they way they did it.
    The way marshall prolonged the slap by offering it to ted and robin was brilliant as it makes it worse for barney because he knows its coming but not when or from who. Making him squirm and then telling him there would be no slap and then slapping him was hilarious. This is the HIMYM i love.
    Bring on EP100

77.  Jenn- GCWOK Approved | November 26, 2009 @ 10:31 pm

    Toby- It’s been a while since I saw the episode, but I believe you just yell Zitch Dog whenever you see a dog. The episode it hilarious, though, you would like it. Haha- I WISH I lived in NY because how awesome would it be to hang out with someone I met on a HIMYM blog! Legen-waitforitandihopeyou’renotlactoseintolerantbecause-DAIRY! I live in Denver. If I ever move out there, I’ll let you know!

    I know what you mean about the HIMYM quotes. I say them all the time to people that have no idea it’s a reference to the show and then laugh at myself. “I don’t care, I’m crazy like that.” (Ok, that was from Marshall going cannibal as a chicken to eat his own leg. Hard to convey that tone in text).

    I have a question for everyone- what shows do you watch to fill the void while you wait for Mondays? I need another funny one. The only other show I really really love is LOST which isn’t on for another month.

78.  Jenn- GCWOK Approved | November 26, 2009 @ 10:39 pm

    Oh, yeah, forgot to add that Barney learning to drive in Arrivederci Fiero is my all-time favorite moment in all of HIMYM. I have watched it over and over and over and over! “Make the L’s with your hands!”
    Here’s a link I just found to it:
    http://www.casttv.com/video/m9edt1/how-i-met-your-mother-how-i-met-your-mother-barney-learns-to-drive-video

79.  Toby | November 26, 2009 @ 10:43 pm

    I was kidding around, but yeah, definitly let me know if you are in New York. We can go to MacLarens (ok, it doesn’t exist, but whatever!)

    I couldn’t get into that episode, but I will give it another shot next time its on TV (I must buy the DVD’s)

    The only other show I currently love is Glee. I also like Project Runway,Scrubs and Family Guy, House, and Mad Men.

80.  Toby | November 26, 2009 @ 10:43 pm

    Sometimes I still catch Friends and Will and Grace Reruns but I am so sick of them!

81.  katie90 | November 27, 2009 @ 3:27 am

    yes, glee rocks! there’s also cougar town which, well, is kind of bla but enough to fill the void. gossip girl too. girl show but it’s soooo bitchy, unrealistic and glossy — i love it oh well, i watch a lot of things. know what you mean about himym quotes, jenn, i do that too it’s just really awkward because, well, i live in germany. people start looking at me weird when i mumble random english sentences toby, i also love how i can just get up in the morning and read so many things on here. i don’t know how many hours we’re apart exactly but it seems to be just enough for me to wake up just when you guys go to bed

82.  katie90 | November 27, 2009 @ 3:33 am

    on topic of random quotes: sometimes it’s the weirdest sentences that pop into my head, like, whenever i go somewhere (like a party or something) where there’s kind of a werid tension in the air or when i make a stupid joke and everyone looks at me funny, in my mind i go like “that’s what i get for skimming the e-vite” (barney on telling stuart du drink on his alcohol-intervention) it makes no sense in that moment and wasn’t even that great on the show but in retrospect i have to laugh everytime

    and whenever i can, i do “don’t worry..it comes around again” from arrividerci fiero. toby, you have GOT to watch that episode! ooor another one from intervention, when someone wears something ugly: “i do not like that stupid hat. i want to beat it with a bat” i always laugh at that one cause robin is, like, soo serious about it. ah yeah..good times. the only one i use from season 5, though, is “didn’t we meet on a yacht?”

83.  Reginald | November 27, 2009 @ 6:27 am

    Haha.. I know what you guys mean. I had committed some quotes from the show to my memory and was waiting to use them in a serious conversation. Then, yesterday, I was chatting with my friend about electronics shopping on Thanksgiving and I end up saying “Well, I am not telling you what to do, I am just telling you how most 1 TB hard disks are, even the good ones!” I think this is similar to what Ted says to Robin’s sister in season 2. And I cracked up after I said this, even more so because my friend thought I just made the most convincing argument. ANother benefit of watching himym- you get pre-scripted quotes for most occasions and they work.

84.  katie90 | November 27, 2009 @ 6:49 am

    Another one i’ve been dying to use but never got a chance to is “hanging up on you once wasn’t enough – *slam*”

85.  KR | November 27, 2009 @ 7:15 am

    “Not awkward unless we let it BE awkward” is one of my favourites that I use in real life (from season 1’s ‘Okay Awesome’).

86.  High Hoper | November 27, 2009 @ 7:34 am

    I have used the hanging twice!!!

87.  Toby | November 27, 2009 @ 8:59 am

    Katie, I tried Cougar town and it was just so painful to watch I couldn’t make it past the first episdoe! I heard good things about GG, but haven’t gotten in to it.

    Whenever something is crazy I call it insaneulous (from the possimpible). A lot of times after HIMYM airs I put some random quote on facebook and half of the ppl don’t know what I am talking about.

    I know I should really watch the fiero episode; maybe after I get the DVD Set. I don’t like watching it online anymore so I rely on the reruns on lifetime, but they only come on once a week. My birthday is coming up in a few weeks and I have been hinting that I want my friends to chip in and get me the 4 seasons on DVD .

88.  SophiaVonMatterhorn | November 27, 2009 @ 9:50 am

    ist 30 rock gut?

89.  Toby | November 27, 2009 @ 1:19 pm

    It beat HIMYM out for the Emmy so someone must like it . It is actually on my Netflix Que so when I finally get around to seeing it I will let you know.

    BTW Jenn a lot of ppl seem to like the Office.

90.  katie90 | November 27, 2009 @ 2:03 pm

    i know it’s supposed to be really funny, but i like neither alec baldwin nor tina fey. i started the first episode and i also didn’t like the way they shot it. can’t remenber, though. they have kind of a shaky cam, don’t they? sometime around last year or the year before that that kind of fake-handheld-cam style somehow got really popular in hollywood movies. everytime i went to the movies i came out of there with my head spinning. hated it. but i digress bottom line: don’t know 30 rock.

91.  Jenn- GCWOK Approved | November 27, 2009 @ 7:33 pm

    You guys are all hilarious! I’ve been cracking up at the random quotes. I’m glad I’m not the only one out there who looks like an idiot when they say things like that! I think Reginald’s on to something about making them into useful sayings. I completely forgot about the hanging up thing- I am accepting the challenge to do that this week!

    I love Glee, too, I just forgot to say that one! The musical numbers are great. I like Project Runway (loved Carol Hannah, hated Meanie Irinie), but I hadn’t seen Scrubs, House, or Mad Men. So I tried watching a couple episodes of Scrubs last night. It seems funny- thanks!

    Sophia, I have watched the latest season of 30 Rock and it is ok. There are a few funny parts, but if I miss episodes I don’t really care. And it’s not good enough for me to put forth effort and watch the older ones. It’s not like HIMYM or anything!

92.  SophiaVonMatterhorn | November 28, 2009 @ 4:18 am

    hmmm ok, what about mad men… heard so much about it, is it really good?? and whats it about

93.  KR | November 28, 2009 @ 6:04 am

    Mad Men is like the opposite of HIMYM– a very serious drama (which IMO also takes ITSELF too seriously). It’s set in the 60s at a NYC ad agency. I think it is fairly good– I’m only about halfway through season 2, though– but again, it’s very intense at times. One problem is that it’s very slow moving, but I think it’s worth trying. Also, it will make you want to smoke like all the time, even if you’re not a smoker, because the characters are constantly lighting up.

    It’s worth picking up season 1 and watching a few episodes to see if you like it. (But obviously don’t buy it first! See if you can netflix/borrow from a library/watch it online.)

    For the record, I love 30 Rock- haven’t seen most of this season yet, though- but I understand why it’s not everybody’s cup of tea.

94.  Johnny C | November 28, 2009 @ 7:52 am

    The end where the kids slap each other is so funny, definitely my biggest laugh of the season and it’s not really a HIMYM humor. Watching grandma getting slapped and the 1 kid slap 2 kid in a row…too funny.

    The basement reminds me of the basement from King of Queens.

    I actually thought a song is gonna breakout after Barney get’s slapped, but that didnt happen. The “ballad” from slapsgiving #1 was so funny I had it as my ringtone.

95.  Jenn- GCWOK Approved | November 28, 2009 @ 5:26 pm

    Ha- that’s exactly what I thought about the basement.
    I just saw that Joanna Garcia is going to be on the next episode. I liked her a lot in Reba. She’s so pretty- she and Ted would look good together!

96.  Toby | November 28, 2009 @ 6:40 pm

    Sophia, Mad Men is great, but I don’t love it. I got seasons 1 and 2 on netflix and DVR’d season 3, but haven’t watched it yet.

    Jenn, Total agreement about Carol Hannah and Irena! They are like total opposites of one another. I didn’t like Althea either or Christopher. He majorly overstayed his welcome. As did Logan (I didn’t even think he was so Hot, not really my look). I am glad you like scrubs, but start from the begining of season 1 because it got progressively less funny. I am in love with Dr. Cox.

    So my friend told me something so funny last night. He said whenever I see Random things on your facebook status that I don’t get I just assume it is from How I met Your Mother .

97.  Toby | November 28, 2009 @ 6:45 pm

    I liked JG as well, and am looking forward to her being on the show!

    Johnny, how did you get the Slapsgiving song as your ringtone. I have the HIMYM theme song, but it took me forever to find it. It is also poor quality.

98.  Toby | November 28, 2009 @ 7:14 pm

    Jenn, I just reread your posting from before, and I believe the correct term is Challenge Accepted

99.  Jenn- GCWOK Approved | November 29, 2009 @ 12:35 am

    I know!!!! I realized that as soon as I hit “Submit!” I told the story to someone yesterday and changed that small detail…. I was going to comment again but I felt kind of stupid. Thanks for keepin’ me on ma toes.
    That is hilarious about your facebook status!

100.  Toby | November 29, 2009 @ 3:22 am

     Whatever, its all good . I posted like 3 times because I don’t pay enough attention the first time around, so I keep forgetting things .

     My friend who I work with Monday nights tells me she has to watch HIMYM right away when she gets home on Monday because of my facebook statuses (statusi?). Although I try not to post spoilers.

101.  SophiaVonMatterhorn | November 29, 2009 @ 3:41 am

     thx vfot the info

102.  Rebecca | November 29, 2009 @ 11:07 pm

     Did anyone see The New Adventures of Old Christine last week? There was a reference to HIMYM at the end…

103.  Toby | November 29, 2009 @ 11:26 pm

     What did they say?

     I love when other shows reference HIMYM. Family Guy did two last year.

104.  High Hoper | November 30, 2009 @ 7:23 am

     No episode tonight. Rerun of “the fight”.

105.  High Hoper | November 30, 2009 @ 7:35 am

     I meant no new episode LOL

106.  katie90 | November 30, 2009 @ 10:06 am

     nooo! really? i hate those weeks why do they to that anyway?

107.  High Hoper | November 30, 2009 @ 10:42 am

     Here you can read a bit of it:

     http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460649/board/thread/150214034

108.  Toby | November 30, 2009 @ 11:31 am

     You think this is bad, wait until winter Hiatus!! At least HIMYM is coming back in Jnuary. Glee is going on Hiatus until April

109.  High Hoper | November 30, 2009 @ 12:35 pm

     So is V.

110.  katie90 | November 30, 2009 @ 12:59 pm

     yeah, i heard about glee. but i guess it’s ok since the last ep before hiatus is supposed to be their sectionals, so i guess we’ll at least get a bit of closure. and hopefully no mean cliffhanger! then again, without said mean cliffhanger, they might get problems drawing in their audience come april… and i heard it’ll be up against lost?! well that’s just a cancellation waiting to happen.
     ..to stay on topic: any idea as to what will be the next himym episode? and when i say ‘idea’ i don’t mean spoiler any guesses?

111.  katie90 | November 30, 2009 @ 1:01 pm

     btw, thanks high hoper for the link! i finally understood what november sweeps are they talk about ‘em on ew.com all the time and i’m always like..what?!

112.  Toby | November 30, 2009 @ 1:30 pm

     You think Lost would getter better ratings than Glee? Come on!!! It is so popular in the States!!!! I am sure there will be some crazy cliffhanger so I wouldn’t worry too much about it Katie.

113.  Starney Binson | November 30, 2009 @ 1:30 pm

     Winter Haitus is fine, because it’s college football bowl season. It’s the summer season that sucks.

114.  Anon9631 | November 30, 2009 @ 2:50 pm

     “I’m cuddly bitch, deal with it” – probably one of my fav HIMYM sayings (Marshall to Barney when arguing about which one of them Ted would have a sex dream).

     I can’t believe so many people hated “Woo” – that was one of my fav episodes!

115.  katie90 | November 30, 2009 @ 3:41 pm

     Sure, Glee is awesome and I love it but it’s Lost’s last season and isn’t it one of the most popular shows over there?

     I didn’t hate Woo, didn’t love it either. It was a standard good episode for me, I guess

116.  Toby | November 30, 2009 @ 4:12 pm

     KAtie, I don’t think Lost is that popular here. I am glad to hear that it is in its last season. Its funny that you know more about it than I do.

117.  High Hoper | November 30, 2009 @ 8:46 pm

     You’re welcome, Katie!

     JD, man, come here and chat a bit with us

118.  Jenn- GCWOK Approved | November 30, 2009 @ 8:54 pm

     Oh my gosh I have to disagree with Toby once- WHA?! I love Glee, too, but Lost is, well, LOST. I mean, really. It is awesome. I don’t think anything’s going to be able to compete with it this season.
     I am so bummed about the episode tonight! I didn’t realize till just now. I need advanced notice about these things! Just so I don’t spend all day working thinking “as my reward tonight I will watch HIMYM!” I’m going to go read the article now.

119.  Jenn- GCWOK Approved | November 30, 2009 @ 9:28 pm

     Huh. That was very educational. Thanks, High Hoper!

120.  Jenn- GCWOK Approved | November 30, 2009 @ 9:47 pm

     Sorry last thing on Lost- it’s actually pretty popular. The highest amount of viewers it’s ever had on one episode when it aired was 23.5 million, and the lowest was a flukey 9.037 million last season, which is still higher than many HIMYMs. I don’t know why HIMYM’s ratings aren’t higher- I’d think they’d get higher by the minute!
     Anyway, at the risk of sounding like a freak, I want to tell you all something. Last year when my little sister came to visit me, we laughed and laughed and laughed at Intervention when Barney yells “I am filled with a white hot raaaage!” and lights the banner on fire. We quote it all the time. So this year for Christmas the whole fam’s going to be together, and I got a magic trick that shoots out a fire ball. I’m going to pretend the present is in my parents’ backyard, which will be covered in snow and have a fire extinguisher handy. If I don’t die this Christmas will be LEGENDARY!

121.  Jenn- GCWOK Approved | November 30, 2009 @ 9:50 pm

     …Just to be clear, I’m not going to actually light anything on fire, just shoot a couple sparks. I’ve been practicing. ….Don’t judge me.

122.  cledrew | November 30, 2009 @ 10:29 pm

     I agree with both sides here, this season is nowhere near as good as past ones, but not horrible. I like the fact that we have seen more depth of person in Barney but we can’t loose his awesomeness. The show has to get back to Ted’s search for his future bride, this is the heart of the show Ted’s Romantic side was balance to Barney. I have faith in this show.

123.  Toby | December 1, 2009 @ 12:28 am

     Jenn, I can’t believe that we don’t agree ” Whaaaaaaaaat!! Thats Crazy talk”

     I just never got into lost. I tried once a couple of years ago because one of my best friends is into it, but I didn’t like it (although she tried watching HIMYM and it didn’t do it for her). But dropping that many ratings has to say something about the quality of the show.

     I think its cool you are doing magic, no judgment from me!

     BTW “because I’m cuddly bitch” is definitly a good line

124.  Richard | December 4, 2009 @ 12:08 pm

     Hey guys – while we’re waiting for Monday to come, CBS posted this HIMYM video – Frosty the Inappropriate Snowman 2009. It has some of Barney’s best lines.

     http://www.cbs.com/primetime/how_i_met_your_mother/video/?pid=vI5A4eB5fDzV_I7F_ZoodPbCCniUCRZU&play=true&vs=Default

     Enjoy!

125.  Zig dog | December 5, 2009 @ 10:30 pm

     Well, I educated America’s youth by performing four slaps for the conclusion of my slap bet. The other teacher’s class did not bring as many canned goods for the food drive, so I got to slap their teacher in front of two of his classes and two of mine. I’m not a violent person, and I usually keep my educating pretty, you know, educational, but performing an actual slap is something surreal. I didn’t want to hurt my friend, but the lure of that powerful slap noise is really something else. The first slap was substantial, but testing the waters. The next three were surprising to all involved. I did not mean to slap him so hard, but that noise is intoxicating. Again, I am not a violent man, but the power of that sharp crack and the thrill of the red mark on the cheek – it really is something special. I thank HIMYM for opening my eyes to this power, and I will now make all my bets slap bets.

     The slapped teacher and I now have a slap bet on the toy drive that concludes the 14th. I am pretty much guaranteed to be slapped. My classes already told me that they have seen me slap him, now they want me to get slapped. Needy kids apparently will stay needy, unless I can find a way to remotivate my students.

     By the way, I am buying my wife a slap bet commissioner shirt for Christmas. I also want one of those Robin Sparkles tour shirts, but haven’t tracked one down. Where’s a G-CWOK Approved shirt, or a von Matterhorn shirt? What other shirts should be out there?

126.  Toby | December 5, 2009 @ 10:48 pm

     Zit dog, the social worker part of me is just glad you didn’t hit a kid! However, I think that was a really good idea, and a healthy way to get out you “inner violent streak” because everyone has one, even the quiet non violent peeps!!

     Where do you get a slap bet commisioner tshirt?

     BTW I am glad people started posting; I was getting HYMT withdrawl!

127.  KR | December 6, 2009 @ 7:23 am

     Zig Dog, you can still buy Mall Tour t-shirts from glarkware.com:

     http://www.glarkware.com/adult/sparkles-mall-tour-1993

     The cheapest ones are $19. Happy shopping!

128.  Toby | December 7, 2009 @ 12:03 am

     FYi Ted’s daughter was on this week’s desperate housewives.

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