Season 5, Episode 19: Zoo or False Discussion

By JD

So I’m a bad person, I know. I never wrote about Say Cheese. In short, I didn’t love it. Robin and Lily were funny but there’s something about the episodes that take place primarily in Dowesetrepla that leave me wanting more. That and some crazy IRL stuff kept me from getting it done.

This week, I won’t be so absent. There’s a good chance the recap won’t be posted tonight, but it’ll be up soon. Until then, talk amongst yourselves!

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In Episode Discussion, Season 5, Show Analysis | Monday, April 12th, 2010 06:00 pm GMT -4 | By JD
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55 Comments to “Season 5, Episode 19: Zoo or False Discussion”

  1. High Hoper |  Monday, April 12th, 2010 06:22 pm GMT -4

    Hi JD! So good to hear from you!

    Hope everything’s OK! :)

    I’ll watch the episode tomorrow, I don’t stay up till late to watch it anymore, sleeping is better for me right now :P

    I’ll be commenting (and waiting your recap), yeah. I’ll be moving on a couple weeks from now to a new home, but I hope that doesn’t stop from commenting.

    I’ll write you this week about a few details concerning the finale and the song.

  2. Katie |  Monday, April 12th, 2010 09:23 pm GMT -4

    Decent episode, but spent the entire time thinking “um, monkey, great… subplot, please?”

  3. Katie |  Monday, April 12th, 2010 09:26 pm GMT -4

    Favourite moment- NEIL! NEIL! NEIL! NEIL! NEIL!
    why are you calling him Neil? His name’s not Neil!

  4. dexter |  Monday, April 12th, 2010 10:01 pm GMT -4

    great song choice : The Rolling stones, Monkey Man

  5. Zidge Dog |  Monday, April 12th, 2010 11:17 pm GMT -4

    That might be the worst episode. The whole thing seemed pointless and the resolution almost seemed to be as though the writers were just throwing up their hands. I remember when each show had characters growing and the story of their lives advancing. This one seemed to be all about a sub-plot. I’m okay with episodes that aren’t all heart so long as they’re funny. This one just really did nothing for me. I’m closer to admitting the show has jumped the shark, and it makes me sad.

  6. Spencer |  Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 12:05 am GMT -4

    Yes, this may have well been the jumping of the shark.

  7. Matt |  Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 12:45 am GMT -4

    I thought there were some entertaining moments but overall I’m completely baffled by this episode. i feel like i just kept waiting for some kind of resolution and there was none and there was no sub plot. I almost feel like there must be something coming up down the road that will be an extension of this episode. Hopefully thats the case because if not that was a really really really big letdown after a two week layoff. I can’t fathom how anyone could have possibly watched that episode and been satisfied.

  8. jons |  Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 03:52 am GMT -4

    It was a medium fun ep…I even laughed twice..the thing is, you wait 3 weeks to watch an ep and you expect more, the you get more…i want to se those ep towards the end of the season, for what i saw on imdb its gonna be good..

  9. Stelle |  Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 04:57 am GMT -4

    One thing I did notice/like:

    Barney doesn’t share his Slimy Pick-up Stories when Robin is around. Good continuity. (And also I still heart them so much.)

    Another win moment: We expect Robin to pull out some sleeping meds to help Lily rest more easily at night.. but she pulls out a HUGE SHINY GUN OH GOD.

    NPH’s reaction was the best.

  10. Poppy Fields |  Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 05:16 am GMT -4

    Cobie Smulders is hot in this episode! That’s all I can say :)

  11. Steve |  Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 05:23 am GMT -4

    Spencer: I think the show jumped the shark sometime earlier in the season (maybe even mid-last season), and these last two episodes are just proof of it.

  12. Matthew |  Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 07:44 am GMT -4

    Check out my full recap over at http://www.atomicpopcorn.net/04122010-how-i-met-your-mother-zoo-or-false/

  13. Buxton |  Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 08:42 am GMT -4

    I found the episode to be average. But I couldn’t stop laughing when Marshall punched Lily in the face.

    God how I love slapstick humour.

  14. Jazzer |  Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 10:30 am GMT -4

    DLed the episode, going to watch it. Does anyone know why an episode releases every tw-three weeks instead of an episode weekly? It’s making me really, really angry.

  15. anonymous |  Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 11:54 am GMT -4

    Sorry, I don’t like this episode so much either. It’s not that funny, and really seem pointless! And it gets worse comparing to the ‘Say Cheese’. Although, I still hope that the next episode would be better!

  16. sandyrivers |  Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 12:03 pm GMT -4

    wow…this episode to me was FUNNY!! i couldnt stop laughing, one of the best of the season for me.

    barney: “we made sweet love!…i got pic-chasss”

    “marshall there’s a cartoon of you on our coupons”

    xD

    and barney’s banana story… plus the continuity was nice.
    also loved to flashback to the pilot episode. classiccccc

  17. High Hoper |  Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 12:23 pm GMT -4

    It wasn’t the best ever, but it was fun.

  18. Toby |  Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 12:23 pm GMT -4

    This episode was so bad that it was painful to watch. It didn’t record on my DVR which made me thing that my DVR didn’t like it either!

    I liked the line “a lie is a great story which is ruined by the truth… Barney Stinson.”

  19. Thomas |  Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 12:56 pm GMT -4

    Didn’t enjoy this episode compared to the great run we’ve had post-Christmas, and it doesn’t fare too well with the first half of the season either. With that said it weren’t awful, Barney had some great lines, and I’ll let them off for it being a filler before the end of season finish.

  20. teo |  Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 12:57 pm GMT -4

    That episode was so disappointing. They had more time, the Say Cheese episode was not the best either and I was expecting something good. Instead of that I’m looking at this and I’m waiting for the show to really start, but it doesn’t. The episode was over without any real good himym action and even without much laughter…

  21. Colin |  Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 03:21 pm GMT -4

    The episode was okay for what it was. But what really downgraded it the most for me was the line about them never learning the truth about what happened. If they indicated the truth would be revealed later, than there’d at least be some hope that this entire episode had a purpose, other than being filler.

  22. Jazzer |  Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 03:25 pm GMT -4

    Not bad. In my opinion A LOT better then the Say Cheese episode, but not great either. It made me laugh multiple times, and that’s a huge factor when I watch the show.

    Barney’s jokes were awesome, as always, and the monkey themed ones were classic. What can I say, it was really enjoyable. Still can’t belive I need to wait two more weeks for a new episode, but still.

  23. BGeo |  Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 03:33 pm GMT -4

    After thinking about it for a day, I really didn’t like this episode. The plot seemed to be grasping at something that just wasn’t there. A couple of funny moments, but not the caliber that we’re used to from himym.

    Hopefully we end off the next 5 episodes with a bang!

  24. gisella |  Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 06:52 pm GMT -4

    I liked this episode.. what is wrong with me???
    I love HIMYM too much and I enjoyed every episode so much.. and as some of you mention.. I think this story will be continued

  25. Brody |  Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 07:28 pm GMT -4

    i liked this episode just fine, reminded me a lot of the cockamouse episode in terms of silliness. I’m not really sure why everyone’s hating so hard on it, it was funny! it even had hot, gun toting robin in it! I’m sure when season 5 is out on dvd/bluray and we can watch the whole season in one go, it won’t seem so bad.

  26. Who cares about King Kong |  Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 08:53 pm GMT -4

    I have to agree with Toby.

    “A lie is just a great story that someone ruined with the truth.”– great line

    The rest of the episode… um. I had to wait THREE WEEKS for this?

    What is going on with this show?

  27. stefany |  Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 11:15 pm GMT -4

    brody- i really hope you’re right. thats how i felt about season 4. when it was airing i thought it was total crap and then i got it on dvd, and it was like magic. it seemed completely different. but somehow i doubt season 5 will live up to it.

    i absolutely hated say cheese (so much so that i couldn’t even think of anything to say) so i thought this was a step up… but still far down on that ladder of himym expectations. i was glad to see gun-toting robin and pretentious architect ted, but i am getting really sick of lily & marshall’s pathetic subploty stories. Is it me or does Lily keep getting whinier and whinier?

    “Neil! Neil! Neil! Why are you calling him neil? his name’s not neil!”
    That was much funnier once i remembered he IS neil!!

  28. Fabio |  Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 07:52 am GMT -4

    what was up with robin in this episode? she was smoking hot! – not that she normally isn’t hehehehe

    as for the episode, it didnt do so much for me. i think it was the 3 weeks built in expectations that ruined it for me. i don’t know.

  29. lukeDK |  Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 08:48 am GMT -4

    I lol’d at the part where marshall slams the refrigerator door in lily’s face, it looks like he did it on purpose :P

  30. Toby |  Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 10:14 am GMT -4

    stefany, I am with you on the Neil thing. That was pretty funny. Still, the episode was so bad it was painful to watch, and that says a LOT because usually I might not love it, but it is still fun to watch.

  31. Kaveh |  Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 11:02 am GMT -4

    Yeah, this episode was the worst one this season for me. And I don’t even care about the mother and I even think those who still think this show is about the mother are a bit… well… stupid. This is a sitcom about friends, love and New York.

    So if a episode doesn’t bring the mother-plot forward I don’t care, but if an episode is boring, doesn’t make you interested or isn’t bringing any storylines at all (Robin and her new boyfriend, Teds work at school and isn’t it time for Lily and Marshall to get a real storyline?) forward then we have a problem and this problem has been present all season.

    It kind of feels like the writers got so hyped and cocky by their Emmy nomination that they’ve just been really, really, really lazy this season.

    And I just read about the ratings, last nights episode had the lowest ratings ever for this show.

    The writers better have trick up their sleeve for the finale or people will lose interest. Even more.

    Step your game up HIMYM!

  32. Fabio |  Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 12:21 pm GMT -4

    they always have something special for the season finales….

  33. KB |  Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 12:51 pm GMT -4

    I really liked this episode! I’m surprised to see soo many negative comments about it. I mean sure it doesn’t really advance the story but it was fun! I was laughing almost throughout, at Barney’s Neil Armstrong stuff, at his copying Marshall as rehearsal for when he tells the story to some woman, Robin’s big fat shiny gun, Ted acting out the the last scene of Sleepless in Seattle, all the monkey jokes, Ted staring into Marshall’s eyes trying to determine whether he’s lying or not, Marshall’s “oh his mate’s name is Milly??”. They were all awesome moments and HIMYM for me has always been a show that’s telling the story of these peoples’ lives in NYC, which is exactly what this episode was! I loved it. :)

  34. Ryan P. |  Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 03:37 pm GMT -4

    It was an alright episode. The the alternate marshall scenarios were goofy but not hilarious like we have come to expect from himym. All in all, there were funny parts but this episode is forgettable.

  35. Jonsi |  Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 04:08 pm GMT -4

    No offense, but being a huge fan a How I Met Your Mother, I think this was the worst episode I ever saw. I think it was made in a rush.

  36. aaron | be awesome instead |  Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 11:41 pm GMT -4

    I’m really surprised to see how many people hated this episode. I thought it was funny and felt like ending was pretty epic…though I felt like I should have seen it coming… Seriously. monkey, empire state building replica, and dolls… sheesh.

  37. David |  Thursday, April 15th, 2010 11:39 am GMT -4

    The episode was solid, funny… not great, not the best of this season, but entertaining

  38. NPH LookaLike |  Thursday, April 15th, 2010 11:52 am GMT -4

    This episode made me laugh. “Neil! Neil!” Very funny.
    I always laugh when I watch this show.

    Is it me? Or do these episodes seem to have nothing to do with the overall plot? I want more story, instead of just little anecdotes Ted is telling his kids. Maybe they’ll tie these all together somehow?

  39. PaKo89 |  Friday, April 16th, 2010 05:38 am GMT -4

    Pretty funny episode, loved all the injurys caused by Marshall.
    But i kept thinking where is Don?
    And storywise it seemed that the episode was built around that(awesome) final scene.
    And Jazzer i saw somewhere that there will be a new episode this Monday.

  40. katie90 |  Friday, April 16th, 2010 06:42 pm GMT -4

    dudes and dudettes!
    what is up with you people? heck, i’m the worst critic the show’s had this season and i thought this was ok. sure, it wasn’t great and it wasn’t season 1, 2 or 3 material (but we’re used to that by now, aren’t we?) but in my eyes there were MANY worse episodes than this one this season!

    yes, the group laughing (esp. lily at marshall being mugged by a monkey..she seemed very fake and mean) was overdone, some thing’s were predictable (listening to marshall launch into long explanations to justify his being mugged by a monkey only to have the typical sitcom moment of silence and lily then going “you got mugged by a monkey!!” or barney AGAIN sorting out a girl that’s 31 — it’s getting lame) or just plain boring (the puppet guy?) – but it had good parts, too. i laughed so hard at mrshall punching lily (at slapping her in bed too) and at barney’s versions of marshall, the monkey and the banana.

    i loved barney being sad, stopping being sad and being awesome instead when he admits the girls didn’t go for the threesome (with something like “well..my ending is more fun” :D ). ted and sleepless in seattle was kind of cool and so was ted trying to tell if marshall was saying the truth (the first time around at least). barney was pretty good throughout the whole thing and i liked robin. she looked more like herself somehow. however, lily was mainly her annoying season-5-self.

    oh and if you disregard the lines he has, ted was actually really, really great. the faces he made? radnor had a lot of fun, i think, and it showed. i like ted/radnor when he’s not the focus of the episode, he’s a lot cooler than, like somehow he doesn’t like having the responsibility of carrying the whole episode.

    and what about the ending! come on! i LOVE when ted changes the stories around for the kids (like when he and victoria were..ahem..doing awesome airkicks or when robin’s sister had five kids in a trailer and became an alcoholic just from having sex too early) and the king kong thing was just great. plus, him going “true story” just goes to show he’s still awesome and a goofball when he’s 50 and i like that.

    and the belt was back! how cool.

    it was not my favourite episode but my point is: if you truly hated this, go back and try episodes like the one where annoying lily joins ted and marshall on their road trip or slapsgiving 2, it will set you straight, kids ;)

    but i also tend to get more frustrated at not-so-great-episodes the good production people of himym have kept me waiting for for friggin’ three weeks. totally stupid schedule.

  41. katie90 |  Friday, April 16th, 2010 06:46 pm GMT -4

    and toby! i’m disappointed! usually you’re the one trying to remind me of all the good parts an otherwise mediocre episode had! you’re my eternal himym optimist, don’t cross over to the dark side (cause i need someone to get me back once i start being critical again ;) )

  42. Jenn- GCWOK Approved |  Friday, April 16th, 2010 11:18 pm GMT -4

    Katie- I bought the Robin coat today!! :)

  43. katie90 |  Saturday, April 17th, 2010 01:39 pm GMT -4

    oooh, jenn, i’m so jealous!! i’d totally forgotten about that.. what website was that on again? got a paycheck to throw out the window for that awesome coat ;)

  44. Jenn- GCWOK Approved |  Saturday, April 17th, 2010 05:23 pm GMT -4

    Haha. It’s at http://www.anthropologie.com. I think they only have a couple sizes left online so I went to the store and they had lots more. It’s so pretty! :)

  45. Toby |  Saturday, April 17th, 2010 09:46 pm GMT -4

    Katie, I am flattered and annoyed all at the same time!!! I am glad to be able to help u see the positive in this show, but this episode just did not do it for me.

    Jenn- I am jealous!! I want that coat :)

  46. Ari |  Sunday, April 18th, 2010 12:18 am GMT -4

    I have felt that the 5th season hasn’t compared with himym’s previous seasons. It’s as if the writers are unsure how to add character development to the script. Remember back in first/second seasons when all the characters were just so cool? I feel like instead of having the gang mature, they are becoming stupid: Ted was not as stupid/ditsy as he is now.

    I’d also really like to hear more of Barney’s legen- wait for it- dary, and more of his fun high fives! Where are the clever jokes?

  47. Buxton |  Sunday, April 18th, 2010 12:36 am GMT -4

    Has anyone realised that there is no recap yet and JD’s thoughts on the episode?

  48. katie90 |  Sunday, April 18th, 2010 12:29 pm GMT -4

    Toby, haha, didn’t want to annoy you. Go buy that coat, it’ll make you feel better.. ;)

    I wanted to order it, just now (thanks for the link again, Jenn), but they don’t have it on the website anymore. Too bad.. Why did I wait so long to order that thing?! Not living in the US sucks sometimes, I can’t just go to the store and get it.. oh well..

    Buxton: yes, that happens around here sometimes as real life tends to be more important than online stuff ;) We just go on talking amongst ourselves and practice some patience while waiting for JD’s much appreciated recaps :)

    Ari, I feel like I posted that exact same comment on here a couple of months ago – the characters were soo cool in the beginning..like people you really wanted to be friends with.. whereas now they’re mostly people sitting around telling jokes that most of the time aren’t that funny (instead of just ending up in these crazy situations and acting in a cool and funny way about it)

  49. danny |  Monday, April 19th, 2010 12:06 am GMT -4

    where is JD btw? cmon man, put up the recap..

    to be quick, i love the show, hate this episode..

    the only good this this episode brought to me is, its reminds me to watch again sleepless in seattle..

    still waiting for better storyline and the rest of the doppleganger to show up this season..

  50. Toby |  Monday, April 19th, 2010 08:36 am GMT -4

    Katie, it’s fine you didn’t annoy me!! I just felt like I am allowed to have a negative opinion of this show sometime… Yeah, I am not buying the coat; it is really expensive!!!! Although I have been complaining that I need an in between coat and there is an anthropology in my neighborhood………………….

    BTW, what did you think of Glee?

  51. katie90 |  Monday, April 19th, 2010 02:34 pm GMT -4

    Toby: I really don’t mind if you think an episode sucks once in a while. I was kind of glad, actually, that I liked this one more than some people (kind of proved to me I’m even still capable of liking a new episode and not complaining too much about it :) ) I liked Glee (especially since I’m a huge Idina Menzel fan and am SO rooting for her secretly being rachel’s mom because I think they look so much alike) and I loved the “Give You Hell” but the whole thing was kind of suffering of what I like to call (well, I just made it up but from now on I’m calling it that) second season-syndrome. Like when basically every drama show feels the need to “spice things up” immediately as they enter their second season. Mostly that happens by bringing new characters in (which, as I understand some spoilers, will happen, too), here it happened by ripping people apart that just got together before the hiatus. You know what I mean?

    Anyway, to justify my post (as I really hate it when people rightfully point out that I’m way off-topic and should probably better shut up) : I just rewatched parts of the episode and I cannot get over Marshall going “Ted….again?” after Robin tells them about Ted playing out Sleepless in Seattle. It’s kind of a standard sitcom joke, but I don’t know, I love the way he says it.

    On a different note: just saw Ted’s daughter in “Kick-Ass”. Movie sucked but she was fun. Though I almost didn’t recognize her, I forgot that the (almost) weekly shots we see of her are almost 6 years old ;)

    Also, JD, I started getting into True Blood, too, and remembered you posted something on here about Brad being on there. Can’t wait to see him as a werewolf, it’s bound to be fun, though I can’t really imagine him in anythings serious. I have him saying stuff like “that’s redonkilous” and “we can go halfsies on a gravy boat” in my head, it’ll be hard to get rid of that :D

  52. Toby |  Monday, April 19th, 2010 02:38 pm GMT -4

    Katie, Thanks!!! I feel a lot less pressure now :) . I also love Idina Menzel and I loved Give You Hell. But did not think it was the best opener. I am beyond psyched for the Madonna episode this week

    Totally, random but my friend met Josh Radnor at the premiere of his movie which is coming out in August.

  53. katie90 |  Monday, April 19th, 2010 05:11 pm GMT -4

    Yay, totally forgot about the Madonna episode. That’s gonna be awesome! That’s cool about Radnor. Is it that movie that sounds kind of like himym with some friends hanging out in New York? Come to think of it, I can’t see him in other roles than Ted. He’s kind of like, say, David Schwimmer or something, who’s just a really, really regular guy next door and probably won’t be cast in a lot of movies or at least in different roles. I mean, I wish him all the best, but he’s just plain ol’ Ted, isn’t he? He can’t really pull off really funny roles like NPH or Jason could, he’s just kind of..there. I don’t know. What do you guys think?!

  54. Rod |  Tuesday, April 20th, 2010 04:41 pm GMT -4

    photos from the finale ( Barney’s Doppleganger episode)

    http://seat42f.com/index.php/tv/tv-shows-mainmenu-241/cbs-mainmenu-43/ how-i-met-your-mother-mainmenu-94/6780-how-i-met-your-mother-season-5- episode-23-doppelgangers-promo-photos.html

  55. NigerianPrince |  Sunday, September 26th, 2010 04:57 pm GMT -4

    Cobie Smulders, Celeste Thorson, and Collette Wolfe looked sexy as hell this episode.

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