"How I Met Your Mother" Season Four Talkback (Spoilers)

[The Penguin]

We're back for an all-new season of How I Met Your Mother on CBS. Last May, Ted's taxi was hit by a car which caused him to rethink his life. At the end of the episode he asked Stella to marry him! Barney was hit by a bus trying to get to the hospital and when Marshall & Lily asked him what he thought of, he looked at Robin as she came back in to the room.


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/mother.jpg"Do I Know You?" - Season Premiere
Monday, September 22, 2008 @ 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 CT on CBS
In the all new season premiere episode, Ted realizes he knows shockingly little about his bride-to-be.

Season One talkback (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=150304)
Season Two talkback (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=174593)
Season Three talkback (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=197988)

CBS.com - How I Met Your Mother (http://www.cbs.com/primetime/how_i_met_your_mother/)

[JRP82190]

Great season opener Barney was great as usual and Marshall was funny as hell can't wait to see how the advance the Barney/Robin relationship

Does anyone think that Stella is his future wife

[HomeMoviesFan]

I remember this thread last season being always dumped upon, so I'm dedicating myself as a dedicated HIMYM fan to always make a comment after an episode this year.

God, Jason Segel is hysterical. The fact that he managed to outshine NPH this episode is an outstanding achievement.

Speaking of NPH, I'm not sure if I'm cool with "touchy-feely" Barney. But the Robin dynamic does add an interesting new layer onto the show.

And I have an incredibly strong feeling that Ted/Stella isn't going to last. Like, make that a 99% sure kind-of feeling...(her having another sitcom to star in has a lot to do with it)...

[Wonderwall]

And I have an incredibly strong feeling that Ted/Stella isn't going to last. Like, make that a 99% sure kind-of feeling...(her having another sitcom to star in has a lot to do with it)...

I like how the first show that Sarah is in that isn't Scrubs in 9 years, she's a doctor yet again:p.

[The Penguin]

"Okay if Stella doesn't like this movie I can't marry her."
"No you can't."
"Do you wanna watch it again?"
"Yes I do."
:lol:

Ted really doesn't know enough about Stella yet and Star Wars was a great test. I had a person on my staff this summer that had never seen Star Wars so Marshall's rant about how everyone had seen Star Wars except for the characters who lived it was great. :D

I like uncomfortably sensitive Barney. The show runners need to be careful with this, but he can't stay single forever. Robin & Barney connected because they got along so well and I like the idea of them eventually being together. Barney seems to have thrown Lily off the track for now.

[The Penguin]

Regis Philbin guest stars on tonight's new episode of How I Met Your Mother at 8:30 ET on CBS.


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/mother.jpg"The Best Burger in New York"
Monday, September 29, 2008 @ 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 CT on CBS
Regis Philbin and Marshall set out to find a legendary burger.

[The Penguin]

:shrug: No one (including me) commented last week?! I'll get to both episodes this week, but first...

Can Ted and the gang handle being in... Jersey?! :eek:


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/mother.jpg"I Heart NJ"
Monday, October 6, 2008 @ 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 CT on CBS
Ted convinces the group to hang out at Stella's place in New Jersey.

[The Penguin]

We've had a couple of really good episodes these past two weeks. But for different reasons...

"The Best Burger in New York"
This one was just hilarious! I loved the flashbacks to all the burger attempts, but I felt so sorry for Robin that she never got to eat anything.

Regis was terrific and I noticed Barney throw out a very subtle impression of him in I believe the gym. For those that don't know, NPH subs for Regis sometimes on "Live!" with Kelly.


"I Heart NJ"
Monday night, we had good humor of course with Barney and the attempted fist bump, but it got serious as well.

Like when Barney gave up the fight on the high-five after Robin said she was moving to Japan. I don't know what he is going to do. Can Robin really move?

More and more, I just have this feeling that Ted and Stella aren't going to make it. This New Jersey clash felt really big even if Ted eventually understood why it was important. Obviously we don't know where that couch in 2030 is located, but I'm starting to have trouble picturing them together. While it's been implied that Stella could have been at some of the places we've seen that yellow umbrella, but that doesn't mean it's her. I hope that doesn't sound negative, because I don't mean it to be, it's just where my line of thought is taking me.

[The Penguin]

So how have Ted's friends felt about Stella and their engagement? How will you feel about this episode, please stop by and share!


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/mother.jpg"Intervention"
Monday, October 13, 2008 @ 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 CT on CBS
Ted discovers that Marshall and Lily were going to stage an intervention.

[LazyReaper]

lmfao, how hilarious was this episode?! It feels like forever, but this episode reminded me of much I love Barney on this show. The old man bit is definitely the funniest thing Barney has done in this season so far.

I'm not sure how to react to everyone moving on the show though. I'm sad to see it happen, and can't believe the characters are actually moving off in different directions. It's too fast of a change, and Ted is making a big mistake. I don't think Stella is the one.

They did show that everyone gets back in touch next year, but is that just a one time thing? Are we just going to be following the characters along while they live on separately now? :(

[The Penguin]

This was a good episode. All the flashbacks to different interventions was hilarious, I liked it when they made reference to the "intervention intervention" about how they had been doing too many!

I agree that more and more I don't think Stella is the one. I found it interesting that only Marshall actually had a letter for Ted (or at least a complete one, after Barney's went "up in flames!" :lol: ).

"Old man Barney" was fantastic and perfect Barney. I loved his 'I'm here from the future' pick up line with the girl at the bar!


They did show that everyone gets back in touch next year, but is that just a one time thing? Are we just going to be following the characters along while they live on separately now? :(I'm not sure, I wasn't able to totally follow that part. I think we'll just have to see how the rest of this season plays out. If I do remember enough of it correctly, it wasn't really defined what anyone was up to, it was just them drinking the scotch. They could have held meeting a year later after events much different than what was expected.

[Edboy 13]

I'm starting to get into the show, and so far, I'm liking it! the September 29th episode where they were running around town trying to find a burger joint had me cracking up laughing! A very well written comedy! And I am loving Sarah Chalke's guest appearances as Stella! She is hot!

[RedNinja84]

I like the show and this was a good episode. The whole thing about moving on in life was good. But when you in them in a year, you can plainly see that Ted is not wearing a wedding ring and that he has moved back into the apartment. So I think we still have yet met the kid's mom.

[The Penguin]

I like the show and this was a good episode. The whole thing about moving on in life was good. But when you in them in a year, you can plainly see that Ted is not wearing a wedding ring and that he has moved back into the apartment. So I think we still have yet met the kid's mom.I didn't notice the lack of a ring, but I was surprised when Ted asked them if they wanted to go up to the apartment. I remember asking myself "did they just hold on to the apartment for some reason?"

[LazyReaper]

One thing I completely forgot to mention was how hilarious Robin was in this episode also. She's probably my least favourite character on the show, but that whole Canadian drunk flashback just had me crying from laughter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_PIixlTHfQ

"You're nuttier than a Tim Horton's Maple Lodge"

Hahahaha :p

[Mad Monkey 7]

Isn't Robin suppose to move in the apartment this year according to season 3? I wonder if Ted and Robin still have feelings for each other. hmmm.

[LazyReaper]

Isn't Robin suppose to move in the apartment this year according to season 3? I wonder if Ted and Robin still have feelings for each other. hmmm.

That's right, I forgot about that! Maybe Robin will change her mind about going to Japan, or maybe they won't work out, making her lose her apartment and forcing her to move in with Ted. It would make sense, now that Marshall and Lilly are really moving out on their own.

[The Penguin]

Ted and Stella are moving towards the altar and quickly! Will they actually tie the know? Is she the mother of his children?


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/mother.jpg"Shelter Island"
Monday, October 20, 2008 @ 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 CT on CBS
Ted and Stella get married with only a few days' notice.

[JRP82190]

well....Stella's a ***** for what she did thats all there is to say about this episode

[LazyReaper]

Stella's a *****! Ugh, I'm too pissed to even talk right now. I was right to not like her. :mad:

[Moto Pete]

i was rooting for robin all the time

[Shawn Hopkins]

Saw this one coming as soon as Ted decided to go back to the apartment to get whatshisname. Ted always seems to get so wrapped up in his own little world that he ignores what's going on inside of others and pretty much admits as much in this episode's narration. Also, I mean, it would have meant the end of the show so they had to get out of it some way.

[The Penguin]

Oddly I'm not angry. I had been getting the feeling more and more that Stella was not the one so this just feels right to me. Remember this entire series is a flashback full of life lessons and I feel like a valuable one was learned here. On Nov. 3 (the next new episode) I expect Ted will be very upset, but in this case I thought more about the reuniting of a family than the destruction of Ted's relationship.

I could tell that Robin's job was not what she expected; it certainly wasn't what I expected. I thought she was going to be a correspondent for the job she actually applied for, but this was much worse than her old job (although she may have liked working with that monkey better than that one co-anchor she had).

Poor Barney couldn't make it. It seems he had a great time, but Robin needed someone to talk to and he wasn't able to be there for her. He did get over there pretty quickly though. The guy needs to decide what he wants!

[Shawn Hopkins]

So, People has reported that Alyson Hannigan is pregnant. Good for her and Alexis. It could make for some interesting storylines for the next season of the show, too. Hopefully they'll chose to work it in.

[LazyReaper]

I can see the pregnancy easily being worked into the show. Lilly and Marshall have been anxious to start a family of their own for quite some time now, and with them finally moving into their own apartment, it can definitely be a possibility for them to start that storyline within this season and continue it onto the next.

The only thing I'm doubtful over is how the show will adapt when it will have to change the way the cast interacts with each other after that point. I see funny potentials with Barney being an uncle to the new baby, maybe even as a way to pick up some ladies. However, a baby coming into the mix will most likely completely change the normal bar scenes that they have in every episode.

[The Penguin]

After a week off, How I Met Your Mother is back tonight with a new episode. Ted probably needed that "week off" after Stella reunited with her daughter's father rather than marry Ted.


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/mother.jpg"Happily Ever After"
Monday, November 3, 2008 @ 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 CT on CBS
Ted deals with being left at the altar, guest starring Y&R's Eric Braeden.

[The Penguin]

"Kids, you may think your only choices are to swallow your anger or throw it in someone's face, but as a third option you can just let it go. And only when you do that is it really gone and you can move forward."

All the different flashes to the one person the gang wouldn't want to encounter was a lot of fun to watch. This show does that type of thing so well it's always a good time. I'd read it in advance of the episode that Robin was named for her father Robin, but the execution was much bigger, awesome and dare I say more legendary than I expected. I think we can look forward to seeing Robin Scherbatsky, Sr. in a future episode.

I hope everyone kept track of the week off and watched the episode from this week. If not, it's available for free on CBS.com New one tomorrow.

[The Penguin]

Ted is moving on from Stella and a new chapter of the story begins to unfold on How I Met Your Mother.


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/mother.jpg"Not a Father's Day"
Monday, November 10, 2008 @ 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 CT on CBS
Marshall and Lily consider whether or not they're ready to have a baby.

[The Penguin]

Come on, folks. Don't me talk to myself this week.

The stuff Barney introduces are usually comedy gold and while I don't think the "look closer" flash is among the top, I like the concept of The Cheerleader Effect (or the Bridesmaid Paradox, the Sorority Girl Syndrome "...and for a brief window in the mid-90s, the Spice Girls Conspiracy. Scary Spice indeed." :lol: )

By far my favorite part of the episode was the flashes to the "evidence" that Ted is already a lame dad is most ways. It just fits him so well and says a lot about the kind of husband and father he will be.

I could see the parallels to a baby with all the trouble drunk Lily was causing Marshall in the lead-up to and during his big presentation. Thankfully it seems the dad from the Wonder Years didn't take it out on him or anything. I guess Mr. Lee must have been happy with the end result.

[Shawn Hopkins]

Come on, folks. Don't me talk to myself this week.



Just so you don't have to talk to yourself, I thought it was a pretty good episode. I really liked the drunk-baby Lily antics. Barney was good up until he started bringing other, less funny guys into his "not a father's day" holiday. And Ted is totally the lame dad sometimes. Heck, he's so girly and touchy-feely that sometimes he's almost the mom.

And, sheesh, Robin is pretty crazy, huh? I always felt her character was the least developed and interesting one of the bunch. They seem to compensate for that with a lot of weird quirks, like this being afraid of babies thing, Robin Sparkles and the gunplay. I do think they've recently given her something to work with with being unemployed, though. I liked how bitterly sarcastic she was when she told Marshall and Lily about her new job as lead anchor for CNN and her gold condo.

But the big shocker was Marshall and Lily deciding not to have a baby. Which is weird because Alyson Hannigan is having one. Are they deciding to buck reality, or is this just a very predictable set up to the baby being more unexpected instead of planned? I wonder if Marshall got in trouble at his job? I don't really like sitcoms that show people do things that should get them fired or arrested or in lots of trouble and then move on to next week and act like nothing happened.

Hey, you watch this show. How often do you think these characters smoke pot? They seem to handle it more realistically than other shows that always have to have an anti-drug message to go along with any implication the characters do or have in the past used recreational drugs. Lily did have the wife of a pot dealer over to her apartment in the latest episode. I see it as something they did a lot of in college, but have mostly grown out of except for the occasional nostalgic toke. I was a little puzzled by the scene in the second season wedding episode, for example, when Lily is so calmed by the prospect of smoking cigarettes with Robin. Since we've only seen the girls smoke cigars once I doubt it was just comfortable nicotine fix.

They are probably the drinkingest group on television. Seriously, their livers will give out in their 40s.

Oh, and how old are the characters? If they're the same age and one has just turned 30, as mentioned in this episode, then that means Marshall didn't finish law school until he was about 28, which is kind of odd. And if they are over 30 now Ted wanting to get married doesn't seem like rushing things, it seems just about right.

[The Penguin]

I forgot to mention that this episode confirmed Robin living in Ted's apartment as mentioned in Future Ted's narration a while back.



But the big shocker was Marshall and Lily deciding not to have a baby. Which is weird because Alyson Hannigan is having one. Are they deciding to buck reality, or is this just a very predictable set up to the baby being more unexpected instead of planned?Based on the timeline, I think this episode was completed before she announced she was pregnant (unless she told the show people earlier). I guess we'll have to see.


How often do you think these characters smoke pot? They seem to handle it more realistically than other shows that always have to have an anti-drug message to go along with any implication the characters do or have in the past used recreational drugs. Lily did have the wife of a pot dealer over to her apartment in the latest episode. I see it as something they did a lot of in college, but have mostly grown out of except for the occasional nostalgic toke. I was a little puzzled by the scene in the second season wedding episode, for example, when Lily is so calmed by the prospect of smoking cigarettes with Robin. Since we've only seen the girls smoke cigars once I doubt it was just comfortable nicotine fix.I can't recall anything that implies to any great degree that the adults smoke pot. It's a big part of any college flashback, but it seems to be something they grew out of. This isn't a stoner sitcom. Lily had that woman over because she was their neighbor, I think the pot dealer thing was just a throw away joke.


Oh, and how old are the characters? If they're the same age and one has just turned 30, as mentioned in this episode, then that means Marshall didn't finish law school until he was about 28, which is kind of odd. And if they are over 30 now Ted wanting to get married doesn't seem like rushing things, it seems just about right.I believe they are all about the same age. If you want to trust the characters' Wikipedia entries Ted, Marshall and Lily are all 30, Barney is 33 and Robin is 26. I think Marshall just took his sweet time getting through law school or maybe didn't start right away. I think the key thing about Ted wanting to find his soulmate and get married was how Marshall and Lily getting engaged was the trigger for it. The exchange he had with Robin in the pilot lays it out pretty well.

Ted: "You know what? I'm done being single, I'm not good at it. Look, obviously you can't tell a woman you just met that you love her, but it sucks that you can't. I'll tell you something though, if a woman, not you, just some hypothetical woman, were to bear with me through all this, I think I'd make a damn good husband, because that's the stuff I'd be good at. Stuff like making her laugh and being a good father and walking her five hypothetical dogs. Being a good kisser..."
Robin: "Everyone thinks they're a good kisser."
Ted: "Oh, I've got references."

[The Penguin]

Meadow Soprano herself, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, guest stars on tonight's all-new episode.


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/mother.jpg"Woooo!"
Monday, November 17, 2008 @ 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 CT on CBS
Barney has to decide whether friendship or business is more important.

[Shawn Hopkins]

This was not one of the better episodes, but it was still an enjoyable way to spend half an hour. I think the conflicts were simply kind of strained and resolved way too easily. When the conflict is that one character is acting like a jerk for some stupid reason and the resolution is, "that character stops acting like a jerK" there's not much to the story. Lily's story was even weaker, she just got mildly jealous of Robin and then Robin buttered her up with compliments and she got over it.

But I did like the bit with the subtitles showing what the "whooos" really mean. Especially the lesbian crush because there was a really funny payoff in the tag. "Hey, you know what would be wild and crazy? A threesome!" Followed pretty quickly by, "but if we can't find him..." It was also funny how all the girls called each other rude names but Lily couldn't do it right, and I wish I could do "conference calls" at work.

[The Penguin]

My favorite part of this episode was Barney explaining the possible devastating cycle of events if there were no Wooo girls. :D Robin bonding with the Wooo girls and Lily failing at trying to be one was fun, but clearly the side story for this week. I also enjoyed the "Woooo!" translations and the one girl's "threesome plan" and Barney's inability to take advantage. :p

The Sven presentation was funny, but I can agree that this was not one of the show's stronger episode (but that doesn't make it bad!). I don't know if Goliath National Bank is going to hold out (everything Barney's company does seems at least a bit shady), but I'm excited for Ted about the building. I was hoping we could see if in the future NYC skyline, but perhaps later on.

[The Penguin]

Not sure if you want to see this, but you can tonight at 8:30 on CBS.


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/mother.jpg"The Naked Man"
Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 CT on CBS
Ted discovers "The Naked Man": A risky first-date move to get laid.

[Katsumara]

The episode tonight was pretty darned hilarious.

[RedNinja84]

Good episode tonight. And another reference to the goat on Ted's future birthday.

[The Penguin]

The show is a repeat this Monday, but if you missed (or just loved) the hilarious “The Bracket” (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?p=2822376#post2822376) episode from last season, you need to check it out.

I don’t think I’ll be trying ‘The Naked Man’ any time soon. 2 out of 3 times isn’t good enough odds for me (among many, many other reasons). :p I loved how at the end Ted had that dramatic voiceover of what a hero Mitch was. The shadows vs. actual events going into the night was great.

CBS.com has an image of the napkin Lily was making her list on. I really enjoy it when the show does things like this…

http://wwwimage.cbs.com/primetime/how_i_met_your_mother/images/content/50_reasons.jpg


Good episode tonight. And another reference to the goat on Ted's future birthday.I noticed that too!! Provided we are still under real time (which we should be), that date was May 9?, 2009 so we should see that yet this season!! :cool:

[The Penguin]

Are Ted and Barney ready to rumble?


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/mother.jpg"The Fight"
Monday, December 8, 2008 @ 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 CT on CBS
Ted and Barney decide to get into their first fight for their table at MacLaren's.

[The Penguin]

I hope some of you out there watched this episode. The Christmas episode and final one of 2008 is tomorrow.

Will Sasso was great as Doug, the "other" bartender and I liked how they snuck him into the background of several previous scenes. It makes perfect sense because the only reason he didn't appear was because Older Ted had forgotten to mention him. It's moments like that that really remind you that all of this has already happened and someone is recounting the events. Bravo.

[The Penguin]

Tonight, we meet an biological aunt to Ted's two future children.


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/mother.jpg"Little Minnesota"
Monday, December 15, 2008 @ 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 CT on CBS
Ted’s younger sister comes to visit and decides to move there.

[The Penguin]

Even if no one joins me, I have to comment on this episode! (But it would be nice if you did. :sad: )

While I am not from Minnesota, I loved the Walleye Salon!! Being a Vikings fan from South Dakota I just loved seeing all those purple jerseys and while I am not a drinker, I very much remember that 1999 NFC Championship game and knew the kicker was Gary Anderson before Marshall used it to "out" Robin as a Canadian. I hope we see Marshall there again some day. :) The joke got better when he took Robin to a Canadian bar to make her feel better and then took advantage of karaoke night to sing "Let's Go To The Mall." :lol:

Has Heather ever been mentioned before? I was surprised to learn that Ted had a sister. Based on what we knew about her before Ted saw her again, I don't think I would have really wanted to co-sign her lease either. The test she and Barney came up with seemed rather unnecessary, but I guess she has grown up.

[Shawn Hopkins]

I watched this one. It was rather good, actually. I liked Barney's dirty songs but I wasn't paying attention when the first one came on and didn't really catch it. The others were based on "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and I think "The Dreidel Song." Anybody have the tune and lyrics from the first one?

I think they're adding Ted's sister as a semi-recurring character. Hey, maybe she's the mother?:) It's kind of too bad, though, because I didn't find her that appealing really.

This is another episode that shows that it must be difficult for the writers sometimes to figure out exactly what to do with Barney.

He's supposed to be a jerk who might do unexpectedly awful things so he keeps their characters on their toes. But he can't actually be a jerk who does unexpectedly awful things all the time because then the audience would hate him. So there usually turns out to be some kind of warped benevolence behind even his most reprehensible actions towards his friends, like when he kept taking girls from Marshall in the second season but it turned out he was just doing it to make sure Marshall and Lilly got back together.

It's only television convention, then, that keeps the characters from catching on and realizing that, hey, maybe Barney isn't actually betraying me here. And the few times he's actually done that in a serious way, like sleeping with Robin and wanting the Swedes to design the Goliath building instead of Ted because their version was more awesome.

I liked the Marshal and Robin subplot but, really, it's just another episode where a character is really mean to another one for selfish reasons and then there's a too pat and too easy forgiveness/makeup scene before the final commercial so things can go back to the status quo. Sitcoms are rotten with those. But the themed bars were fun anyway and I liked the bizarre Canadian stereotype they came up with. Afraid of the dark? Well nobody -likes- the dark. Robin Sparkles Karaoke was awesome, too, especially the fact that everyone knew the words.

[The Penguin]

I watched this one. It was rather good, actually. I liked Barney's dirty songs but I wasn't paying attention when the first one came on and didn't really catch it. The others were based on "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and I think "The Dreidel Song." Anybody have the tune and lyrics from the first one?The first one was "Jingle Bells." I forgot to mention Barney's "odes to the Mosby Christmas card" that part was pretty funny.

[The Penguin]

How I Met Your Mother returns in the new year with an all-new episode tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 CT on CBS.


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/mother.jpg"Benefits"
Monday, January 12, 2009 @ 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 CT on CBS
Robin and Ted navigate being exes who are now roommates.

[The Penguin]

"My cuteness interferes with my message."

This was a really good episode. It pretty much kept all the characters together and focused them on one story. Marshall's need to "read a magazine" was a fun distraction and still played into the main story because without it, the secret never would have gotten out. The cameos from the people one might find on a "Them Weekly" cover worked perfectly. I was concerned when the news of Heidi & Spencer appearing was first reported, but this was really fun.

The strongest part of this episode was Barney reacting to being given credit for Ted and Robin's "arrangement" and then having to listen to all of Ted's stories. Seeing him smash the TVs behind the dumpster (the bar must have upgraded to HD) and then buying new ones to smash was hilarious.

"Are you in love with Robin?"

Barney pretty much tipped his hand when he went over to Ted's and started cleaning, but it was heart-breaking/warming to see how much it was getting to him. Marshall seemed to really inspire Barney to go after what he wanted, but Barney was clearly more ready to tell Ted than he was Robin. Ted watching Barney look at Robin as he was telling his kids that Barney was the one being hurt was a poignant moment.

[The Penguin]

The National Weather Service is calling for a "big blizzard thing!"


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/mother.jpg"Three Days of Snow"
Monday, January 19, 2009 @ 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 CT on CBS
Lily and Marshall retire another ritual, forcing them to reflect.

[RedNinja84]

I liked tonight's story. It was cool to see the one story was actually took over three days and flowed together well. The season has been interesting so far.

[The Penguin]

I really enjoyed this past episode too. I often applaud the story-telling and this one as great with the jumbling of days so we don't follow the story too early which works doubly well because as I think we sometimes forget, the entire show is a flashback and Ted is telling a story to his kids.

Ted & Barney fulfilling the Cocktail dream everyone their age has was a lot of fun and of course didn't work out as planned. ;)

Starting right now is a repeat of the hilarious "The Best Burger in New York" (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?p=3004057#post3004057) from earlier this season. Next week will be now.

[All Star Blitz]

I like this show except for the "hook" of the "this is what happened back in the day" narration being tacked on to the beginning and end. The whole "this is what happened back in 2009" premise doesn't seem to mesh with the rest of the show in my opinion.

[The Penguin]

Robin needs a job and fast!!


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/mother.jpg"The Possimpible"
Monday, February 2, 2009 @ 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 CT on CBS
Robin discovers that she only has four days to find work.

*TVGuide.com list the title of this episode as "Barney Stinson: That Guy's Awesome".

[HomeMoviesFan]

This isn't good. HIMYM is being pre-empted tonight (there was going to be a new episode) by the Presidential Address, which would be fine and dandy IF CBS didn't decide to get greedy and air new episodes of "The Big Bang Theory" and "Two and a Half Men" at nine. And according to sources, CBS is unwilling to schedule "The Stinsons" (the episode that was supposed to ar tonight) until...

...wait for it...

...no it's not legendary...

...far from it...

...MARCH 2ND. Though it guarantees new episodes nearly every week through May (the season order is 24 episodes), this is still troubling. If the new airdate is correct, that is exactly one month between episodes, which could seriously throw a wrench into HIMYM's recent robust ratings. (alliteration!) It's sad, because the show was JUST beginning to find an audience, and it's all because CBS just couldn't hold off the other two shows until next week. Thank god for the syndication deal or the show really could be toast...

[Shawn Hopkins]

I don't get why they don't just show the new episode at 8:30 instead of showing "Little Boys" again.

[HomeMoviesFan]

I don't get why they don't just show the new episode at 8:30 instead of showing "Little Boys" again.

In some states, specifically the east coast, there's a chance for preemption...

[Shawn Hopkins]

In some states, specifically the east coast, there's a chance for preemption...

That makes sense, then.

[The Penguin]

And indeed there is preemption. President Obama is still answering questions. With just five minutes left in the hour, tonight's repeat won't even be joined in progress.

I really enjoyed this last new episode. Barney's video resume (on-line here! (http://www.barneysvideoresume.com/)) was hilarious and I guess making one for Robin helped her get a job. It was sweet seeing him get so excited about telling her that she had gotten a job and the build to it. I loved the smile on his face and how excited he clearly was.

Robin trying to become a lotto girl was great! :D

[The Penguin]

The moving of this episode made for a line on The Daily Show the next day (http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/index.jhtml?episodeId=218354), "...President Obama headed back to Washington for a nationally televised press conference where he would face his toughest challenge yet—enraged preempted How I Met Your Mother fans..." :p

You can finally see a new episode of How I Met Your Mother tonight!


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/mother.jpg"The Stinsons"
Monday, March 2, 2009 @ 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 CT on CBS
After some elusive behavior from Barney, the gang starts to suspect that he may have found a girlfriend.

[Shawn Hopkins]

The moving of this episode made for a line on The Daily Show the next day (http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/index.jhtml?episodeId=218354), "...President Obama headed back to Washington for a nationally televised press conference where he would face his toughest challenge yet—enraged preempted How I Met Your Mother fans..." :p

You can finally see a new episode of How I Met Your Mother tonight!


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/mother.jpg"The Stinsons"
Monday, March 2, 2009 @ 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 CT on CBS
After some elusive behavior from Barney, the gang starts to suspect that he may have found a girlfriend.


Good episode. Barney's latest scheme was quite outrageous. Another easy resolution where someone apologizes and all is instantly forgiven, which kind of happens too much on this show except for when Ted didn't forgive Barney for sleeping with Robin. Speaking of, there's some more knowing glances to push that ship forward.

Alyson Hannigan is getting fat. It just makes her look cuter, for some reason. But her pregnancy is starting to show. I think not building it into the storyline earlier was a mistake, because it's going to get obvious pretty quick.

[The Penguin]

Barney crafting an elaborate plan to convince his mother Loretta that he was married with a child seems like something he would do. It's actually kind of sweet because he did it out of love for his mother.

Who know what will happen after that, but Barney has to be getting close to telling Robin how he feels. I'm excited to see that moment.

So Ted doesn't have a future as an actor, but I would say neither does the actress Barney found to play his wife. Watching that "scene" play out in the kitchen was painful.

Kudos for mentioning Barney's father going off to host The Price Is Right. :p


Alyson Hannigan is getting fat. It just makes her look cuter, for some reason. But her pregnancy is starting to show. I think not building it into the storyline earlier was a mistake, because it's going to get obvious pretty quick.At this point, it would be such a horrible idea for Marshall and Lily to have a kid. They aren't ready and the show's not ready. Throwing a baby into this circle would just mess with the formula so much.

[Shawn Hopkins]

Kudos for mentioning Barney's father going off to host The Price Is Right. :p




I liked that part. Right at the end of the chorus of agreement you can hear Marshall say "Bob Barker *is* your father." It shows they are an affectionate group despite each others' quirks, which is a breath of fresh air compared to sitcoms that are pretty much all snark.

There's a callback to Marshall's giant family, too, when he says his mom took extra care of him because he was "only" six-foot-four.

I agree that it might not be the best time for Marshall and Lily to have a baby, but sometimes babies come at unexpected times and it would be interesting to see them deal with it. Also, unless they want to have Alyson Hannigan start hiding behind potted plants and things, pretty soon it's going to be hard to avoid the issue.

[The Penguin]

I agree that it might not be the best time for Marshall and Lily to have a baby, but sometimes babies come at unexpected times and it would be interesting to see them deal with it. Also, unless they want to have Alyson Hannigan start hiding behind potted plants and things, pretty soon it's going to be hard to avoid the issue.TV shows have done that sort of things for years and I'm confident they will manage it here. Babies can come at unexpected times, but can you really see this show trying to balance a baby? Some threads around here have people asserting that no one knows what "Jump the Shark" means anymore, but a baby where one doesn't fit is one of the very definitions.

I read in the new issue of TV Guide that Cobie Smulders is actually pregnant too. So they are doing double-duty on HIMYM.

[Shawn Hopkins]

I don't feel that a baby would hurt the show. Not every show has "jumped the shark" when a baby was introduced, for example I Love Lucy only really took off when they introduced Little Ricky. It would be a slightly different show, but I don't think it would be a bad show. It doesn't have to be a cheap ratings grab and I get the feeling it's something the creators would probably get around to eventually.

And it makes sense. Marshall and Lily have been married for more than a year now. Most married couples will have a kid within the first couple of years. The show is about the gradual maturation of people entering their 30s and this could play an important role.

[The Penguin]

I don't feel that a baby would hurt the show. Not every show has "jumped the shark" when a baby was introduced, for example I Love Lucy only really took off when they introduced Little Ricky. It would be a slightly different show, but I don't think it would be a bad show. It doesn't have to be a cheap ratings grab and I get the feeling it's something the creators would probably get around to eventually.

And it makes sense. Marshall and Lily have been married for more than a year now. Most married couples will have a kid within the first couple of years. The show is about the gradual maturation of people entering their 30s and this could play an important role.Agree to disagree I guess. With the way the show is right now with the gang of five meeting at the bar and occasionally going on wacky adventures, I think a baby would make Marshall and Lily the worst parents ever when it comes to relying on a babysitter or the two would be taken out of the equation quite often. That would be a significant change to the dynamic.

If we look at this in the context of them growing up, let's remember that the show is officially about Ted growing up. Marshall & Lily getting engaged and married was what made Ted want to find the one. Another step in their evolution (a child) should move Ted up another rung perhaps to marriage and he's not there yet.

[Shawn Hopkins]

Agree to disagree I guess. With the way the show is right now with the gang of five meeting at the bar and occasionally going on wacky adventures, I think a baby would make Marshall and Lily the worst parents ever when it comes to relying on a babysitter or the two would be taken out of the equation quite often. That would be a significant change to the dynamic.

If we look at this in the context of them growing up, let's remember that the show is officially about Ted growing up. Marshall & Lily getting engaged and married was what made Ted want to find the one. Another step in their evolution (a child) should move Ted up another rung perhaps to marriage and he's not there yet.

Sure. I'm not trying to start pointless Internet fight #3,444,552,333,122,112 here, we just have different takes on it.

I think it has to happen eventually. Marshall and Lily either start a family and take on more adult responsibilities or they start to look like sad, childless barflies. I'd rather see the show move the characters forward in their maturity even if that meant it didn't last as long. A lot of shows fall too heavily into character stasis just to keep a popular formula going.

The show may be officially about Ted growing up, but if you consider what has actually happened, Marshall and Lily have had more personal development. They've gotten married and came to terms with their careers and creative aspirations as well as tried to make an adult home for themselves. Ted is just barely above the manchild level he was when the show started. Heck, he's backslid at times, although he did get closer to being a mature person when he met Stella.

[The Penguin]

And I do agree that if this show lives a full life, we will see Marshall and Lily with a baby, I just feel like now is not the time. It will be an important step in their own evolution, just for me it can't be yet.

[The Penguin]

Could someone from Ted's past be the mother of his future children?


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/mother.jpg"Sorry, Bro"
Monday, March 9, 2009 @ 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 CT on CBS
Lily and Marshall can't stand Ted's college girlfriend, Karen (Laura Prepon), who just moved to NYC.

[RedNinja84]

Ultimate Warrior Marshall FTW

[Shawn Hopkins]

Good episode. Ted still resolutely refuses to grow as a person. The fact that Marshall and Barney's hilarious story was only really hilarious to Barney was, oddly, even more hilarious. I also liked his, let's say open-minded, reaction when he misunderstood what Lily wanted to do. And Robin's "Don't worry I won't tell Marshall" when she thought she saw Ted and Lily making out.

So, does this mean the return of mega-Massengill college Ted for a while? I really, really doubt Laura Prepon is the mother, but since she doesn't seem to have a whole lot of projects going on I think she might stick around for a while.

[The Penguin]

Maybe he's still recovering from Stella, but Ted does seem to be making a very poor decision by seeing Karen again. She's pretentious, rude and changed supposedly for the better 10 minutes ago. I have to agree with Shawn, Ted needs to grow up.

Barney took a lot of the humor out of the Marshall story when he revealed that he was the reason Marshall had to go through the meeting with shredded pants. Not cool, bro.


Ultimate Warrior Marshall FTWThat. Was. Awesome.

The American flag didn't make sense, but I think Lily was supposed to be "Macho King" Randy Savage (even though in the late 90s he was "Macho Man" again). I suppose she also could have been Hacksaw Jim Duggan as king, but that was even before Savage.

[Shawn Hopkins]

Maybe he's still recovering from Stella, but Ted does seem to be making a very poor decision by seeing Karen again. She's pretentious, rude and changed supposedly for the better 10 minutes ago. I have to agree with Shawn, Ted needs to grow up.

Barney took a lot of the humor out of the Marshall story when he revealed that he was the reason Marshall had to go through the meeting with shredded pants. Not cool, bro.

That. Was. Awesome.

The American flag didn't make sense, but I think Lily was supposed to be "Macho King" Randy Savage (even though in the late 90s he was "Macho Man" again). I suppose she also could have been Hacksaw Jim Duggan as king, but that was even before Savage.

Wasn't Lily carrying a 2X4? At least I thought she was. That's Hacksaw all the way.

[The Penguin]

Wasn't Lily carrying a 2X4? At least I thought she was. That's Hacksaw all the way.I went back and looked and indeed she was, making her Hacksaw. The crown just messed with me because that puts it back in 1990 (which is too long ago) and I swear they said 1998 at some point. I guess Lily loved it when Hacksaw was king. ;)

[The Penguin]

The gang is not excited about Karen being back in Ted's life. How will they respond?


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/mother.jpg"The Front Porch"
Monday, March 16, 2009 @ 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 CT on CBS
When Karen finds one of Robin's earrings in Ted's bed, she accuses him of cheating on her.

[The Penguin]

I will not miss Karen. Lily was right about her and it was great to see Ted finally realize that. It was nice to hear that Lily didn't mess with the relationships we have seen Ted have on the show; most of those have seemed pretty strong until something got in the way.

I think Lily was somewhat right to "convince" Ted and Robin to have that conversation. I'll grant that I'm invested in Barney and Robin now, but Ted and Robin have wanted different things from pretty much the start. It was good for them to have that conversation fully after Ted kicked Karen to the curb. I think some good development happened in this episode.

That and I learned more about nightshirts than I ever wanted to know. ;)

[The Penguin]

Tonight's episode airs at a special time. Catch the new episode at 8 p.m. ET/7 CT and a repeat of the hilarious NCAA-themed "The Bracket" (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?p=2822376#post2822376) from season three at 8:30 ET.


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/mother.jpg"Old King Clancy"
Monday, March 23, 2009 @ 8 p.m. ET/7 CT on CBS
Marshall and Barney decide to keep Ted in the dark about changed development plans with (GNB).

[Shawn Hopkins]

Wow. That was a great episode. Well, the Ted part wasn't that great. Ted usually annoys the piss out of me, honestly. Sometimes I wish I could reach into the TV and smack some sense into him. With the suggestions he was making he didn't even deserve the job, his suggestions for the firing room were ridiculous. Another sort of pat ending, too, where even though people screw each other and something bad happens they're all happy at the end because they've learned a lesson. That happens too often on this show.

But the Robin part was really good. The names of the Canadian sex acts were hilarious, as well as the celebrities people were suggesting. They should have thrown Alan Thicke in there, unless they did and I missed it, because he was in one of Robin's videos. I especially like Lily's enthusiasm for the whole thing and the revelation about the Old King Clancy at the end. This is one time where it's definitely worth watching the tag.

Both pregnant actresses are looking kind of puffy. And I noticed that we've got a whole episode here where Lily sits behind a table. Looks like they are going for the standard hiding the pregnancy thing. There'll probably be some ferns and stuff for them to hide behind in future episodes.

[The Penguin]

I hope everyone caught the earlier time. Next week the time is scheduled to return to normal.

Ted forgave Barney and Marshall so quickly because what they did (while elaborate and stupid) helped him realize what he really wanted. He wasn't hurt by being fired because he decided it was for the best. From a TV show perspective I guess you can call that convenient, but I don't think this is tremendously unrealistic.

Some of Ted's ideas might be a bit unrealistic, but that's beside the point. ;) I was shocked when it seemed like Bilson actually liked Ted's idea, but taking him into the room to fire him was great.

Robin's story that led to us to The Frozen Snowshoe was pretty funny. It was even more entertaining with the gang letdown and the flashback.


There'll probably be some ferns and stuff for them to hide behind in future episodes.No doubt. I'm mad at myself for never remembering this at the time and then I don't watch for it. Maybe next week.

[The Penguin]

How I Met Your Mother returns to its normal time tonight, so we'll see you at 8:30 ET.


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/mother.jpg"Murtaugh"
Monday, March 30, 2009 @ 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 CT on CBS
Ted has made a list of things he feels his gang is too old to do. Barney attempts to complete every task.

[Shawn Hopkins]

Wow, that scarf and black shirt thing Lily is wearing isn't hiding her pregnancy at all. Neither is that yellow blouse Robin is wearing. I guess you just have to use your imagination. They've got them hiding behind basketballs and carts and laundry baskets, too, but it's not lampshaded, it's just there. Still funny, though.

I know you think it's too soon, Penguin, but they seem to be hinting around at a Marshall and Lily baby again.

Anyway, great Lethal Weapon riff. Barney's "cop movie" interactions with the guy at the Laser Tag center were hilarious, as well as all the references to Murtaugh and Robin's Canadian version with "evil Americans" as the villains. We get to see Ted act like a giant d-bag trying to fill out his old man list. I mean, he does that a lot but I thought the old man element was funny. He was very eager to yell at the neighbor kids. And I loved how Barney's efforts to be young nearly killed him. Robin seems really eager to go along with that stuff, which further advances that ship.

The final basketball game was hilarious. I kind of wish they hadn't spoiled the Teen Wolf with commercials. A guy actually told me a story like that game story that Marshall told once, about playing in a junior high football game against a player who was six feet tall, had a mustache and got in a car and drove away at the end of the game.

Oh, I almost forgot one of the funniest gags in the episode. Barney telling Ted he wanted to buy his "finest suit" and then offering him $30, as long as he threw in the shoes. I liked all the descriptions they came up with for Barney's infected ear, too, and Ted's revelation about the Lethal Weapon movies.

[Shawn Hopkins]

Actually, I guess hiding behind things won't be necessary for Hannigan any longer.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20268972,00.html

Alyson Hannigan and Alexis Denisof have a daughter, and they named her Satyana.

You'd think that was Russian because of Denisof's background, but it's apparently not. There's a Satyana Institute, a non-profit humanitarian organization, and their page says the word is based on Sanskrit and "means a vehicle for action aligned with the grace of spirit."

It's interesting, but kinda like naming your kid UNICEF if that is the origin of the name.

Whatever, though, I'm happy for them!

[The Penguin]

“I’m getting’ too old for this…”

Oh, this episode was hilarious!! It was just a lot of fun and kept getting better. Barney and Ted going through their lists was just a lot of fun to watch. This is one time where Ted telling the story came into play with everyone staying “stuff” in reference to Roger Murtaugh. Of course, the kicker for me was the cop movie cliches in Barney’s various conversations with McCracken, the laser tag manager. I couldn’t get enough of that. It’s a shame he has been banned for life.

“…Stuff. He said stuff.”


I know you think it's too soon, Penguin, but they seem to be hinting around at a Marshall and Lily baby again.I don’t know that I’d call it a hint. It just means Lily is starting to think about it. I did say that I fully expect it to happen if this show continues for years, but I can’t see it in the immediate future.

[The Penguin]

Ted is getting back on his feet by using his firing as an opportunity to go off on his own.


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/mother.jpg"Mosbius Designs"
Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 CT on CBS
When Ted decides to form his own architecture firm, he hires an intern to help out.

[HomeMoviesFan]

Wow. Twentieth Century Fox really wants us to know "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" is coming out this May...

[The Penguin]

Well, that was an inventive way to eliminate Lily as Alyson Hannigan has her baby. Is Barney going to tell Robin a horrible joke too? :p

Ted putting off actually accomplishing anything even after taking the step to start his own company seemed rather typical. He tends to overthink things which is something I can relate to at times. I don't know what he was paying P.J. with, but Robin came up with a thing or two. :D

Barney trying to turn Marshall into "a guy" was hilarious. I enjoyed the rundown of all the different "guys" in the office and how it made them more important to GNB. Marshall hiring P.J. and then making him do his sports guy work did seem like something Lily would think of. The closing scene with the ninja who was not a "guy" of any kind was great.

[The Penguin]

All My Children's Rebecca Budig guest stars on an all-new episode.


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/mother.jpg"The Three Days Rule"
Monday, April 27, 2009 @ 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 CT on CBS
Barney and Marshall play a cruel joke on Ted by pretending to be a girl who he's "texting."

[Shawn Hopkins]

Great episode. There was really no b story in this one so it was all tightly focused on one quite funny gag. And then Ted learns a sanctimonious lesson that wasn't even true, at least in this case.

The best part was Barney's explanation of why you don't call a girl for three days, though. The lengths he went to to argue that "Jesus would have wanted it that way" were hilarious. I liked Robin trying to force her lame ideas on people, the weird way Marshall and Barney kept going back to sex with Ted and how they fought about who would be most likely to be in Ted's gay dream and the new friend Marshall and Barney met out of the blue and developed immediate crushes on.

As far as I could tell they didn't even try to explain Lily's absence in this one. I liked the way they wrote her out temporarily in the last episode, though. I thought that was clever without being too elaborate.

[The Penguin]

It's another life lesson from Ted to his kids as tells them the story of how he met their mother.


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/mother.jpg"Right Place Right Time"
Monday, May 4, 2009 @ 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 CT on CBS
Ted talks to his future kids at the importance of being in the right place at the right time.

[The Penguin]

My apologies for being behind on my comments, please expect some after I watch tonight's new episode.


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/mother.jpg"As Fast As She Can"
Monday, May 11, 2009 @ 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 CT on CBS
Barney tries to prove he can talk his way out a speeding ticket.

[Shawn Hopkins]

Ted is like, I mean, he's a nice guy but he can also be such a doormat. For a moment sometimes it looks like he's going to stand up for himself and be a jerk about something, but then someone makes puppy eyes and he gives in no matter how ridiculous the request or how much the other person has betrayed or hurt him. He would make a good friend, but being him would be very difficult. I'm not saying he even did the wrong thing in this episode, it was clearly the right thing, but it's the kind of thing that would be incredibly difficult to do.

When Barney started getting the tickets I knew it would end with him in jail. He obviously hadn't thought his cunning plan all the way through. It was funny how he was terrified of the taggers in the cell with him.

Stella said she had Lucy when she was 19, but I figure Stella is at least as old as Ted, probably a couple of years older, and Lucy doesn't look that old to me.

Ted's ringtone is "Let's Go To The Mall." That's pretty funny. Or maybe it was "Sandcastles in The Sand," one of those, I just remember it being a Robin Sparkles song.

The thing with the murder house, especially how the gang at McClaren's were freaking out about it, was hilarious. I like to believe Ted reported the murder house guy and got him arrested, because it would be hard to swallow that he's saintly and self-sacrificing in his personal relationships but can live with knowing about an operating murder house. I think he did, because Tony, who was oblivious, said "Sorry about that murder house thing." This is also evidence that it really was a murder house, which is kind of disturbing.

It was very clever how they set this one up, overall. Make you think at the end of the last one that Ted and Stella might get back together, then pan over to Tony at the beginning of this one. Stella no longer had doubts, which was a better way to handle it. Oh, and it's probable that she and Tony will be back next season, because if I read his movie poster right the movie about how he screwed over Ted will come out in 2010. That seems like a pretty quick turnaround for a movie from a guy who just went out to Hollywood to try his hand at being a screenwriter, but hey, it's TV.

Lily came back. For one minute, but it was still funny. If anyone knows the peanut butter and jam joke that upset her, if it is a real joke, please PM it to me. Edit: NVM, I think I found it. It is funny, and it is "boy funny," but it's far from the dirtiest joke I've ever heard. Would be a bad thing to say directly to a woman, though.

[RD!]

How I Met Your Mother is probably the funniest show on television now, even if it's never as witty or clever as say 30 Rock or Arrested Development was I can watch reruns of the show 10 times before I might watch a rerun of either of those (This is sadly true and sadly pathetic considering how many times I HAVE watched 30 Rock and AD reruns--figure how much a HIMYM junkie I am).

I think I finally pinpointed the reason - the cast and the jokes. There's actual jokes, it's not just Barney or Marshall saying something ridiculous and we laugh at it. It's Barney or Marshall saying something ridiculous and the cast laughing at it. Most of the show's comedy is each character trying to make another laugh and its incredibly inviting to see the people hearing the jokes genuinely laughing at them. I mean Arrested Development is clever as anything, but that's all visual jokes and wordplay and a clever continuity - does anyone ever laugh in that show? Imagine Barney's speech from the 3 Days Rule episode delivered on another sitcom - would it be as hilarious if everyone else wasn't cracking up as it was delivered?

In a way it works as its own laugh track (which granted the show does have) I mean, it's hard not to laugh at a character's joke when everyone else including the other actors are. It creates this wonderfully inviting atmosphere and I can just keep watching these episodes forever.

[RedNinja84]

Well the Stella arc is finally done and we can put that behind us.(or until May 2010) Ted did stand up for himself but he also had to set things right with Stella and her family after he had his rejection talk with Tony. I can also emphacize with Ted about wanting to find love when he sees others around him in love. That's why I like the show, it's goofy and stupid at some times but it has heart and tries to connect with the audience. With the season finale next week, rumors are flying that the mother might be on it. We'll see next week.

[The Penguin]

"The Three Days Rule"
I don't have a lot of thoughts on this one so late, but I agree that it was a very tight episode story-wise which is of course a good thing. I think Lily's absence has allowed them to keep the four remaining characters in one place.


The best part was Barney's explanation of why you don't call a girl for three days, though. The lengths he went to to argue that "Jesus would have wanted it that way" were hilarious.I loved that part too. Barney pulls out some great stuff and this is among the tops. Sounds like a good argument in favor of waiting three days.


As far as I could tell they didn't even try to explain Lily's absence in this one. I liked the way they wrote her out temporarily in the last episode, though.In the episode where Barney told the joke, Ted said 'we didn't see her for four-six weeks' or something like that.


"Right Place Right Time"
"Kids, I've been telling you the story of how I met your mother. And while there's many things to learn from this story, this may be the biggest. The great moments of your life won't necessarily be the things you do, they'll also be the things that happen to you. Now I'm not saying you can't take action to effect that outcome of your life—you have to take action, and you will. But never forget, that on any day, you could step out the front door and your whole life can change forever. You see, the universe has a plan, kids, and that plan is always in motion. A butterfly flaps its wings... and it starts to rain. It's a scary thought, but it's also kind of wonderful, all these little parts of the machine constantly working, making sure that you end up exactly where you're supposed to be, exactly when you're supposed to be there. The right place, at the right time."

As soon as Ted was told he needed an umbrella, I was begging him to take the yellow one and sure enough he did. I'm a big believer in everything happens for a reason and every decision we make, effects who we are and that was on full display in this episode. I liked how he went back and explain how each event effected when he arrived at the stop light.

At the end I did a double take and had to rewind my tape to confirm that was Stella Ted had bumped into on the corner. I was expecting someone saying that was her umbrella.


"As Fast As She Can"
I didn't think Ted was going to end up with Stella again, but I wasn't expecting Tony to be right behind her either.

This certainly was an interesting series of events with Tony trying to make things up to Ted and being rejected at every turn (seems to me you could teach architecture and still do designing). I don't want to know how that one guy does laundry. :eek:

Barney was acting like he was locked up with that guy when he was in that New Jersey jail for all his speeding tickets. I think he'll let this challenge go.

Ted may have been more forgiving that some of us could have been, but he did a pretty good thing for Stella after he accidentally convinced Tony to dump her. This brought the overall arc of the show back into focus which we sometimes lose sight of (although I don't mean that in a negative way). I'm interested to see how this effects the course of Ted's life. Stella had some great advice for him, but you would think it would be more than just that.

"I know you're tired of waiting, and you may have to wait a little while more, but she's on her way, Ted. And she's getting her as fast as she can."

[TMC1982]

Is Ted Mosby's "fundamental blankness" the secret to "HIMYM's" success? (http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/la-ca-monitor17-2009may17,0,2421117.story)
http://www.tvtattle.com/images/mother.radnor.jpgHe's a simpleton, an emotional naif of undistinguished career and moderate attractiveness, says Jon Caramanica. And that's probably why, he says, "How I Met Your Mother" is so popular. "It's just enough to give the series propulsion and structure but not enough to overwhelm it," he says. "Without his fundamental blankness, his supporting cast would actually be forced to play supporting roles. Instead, they're free to be robust."

[Shawn Hopkins]

Is Ted Mosby's "fundamental blankness" the secret to "HIMYM's" success? (http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/la-ca-monitor17-2009may17,0,2421117.story)
http://www.tvtattle.com/images/mother.radnor.jpgHe's a simpleton, an emotional naif of undistinguished career and moderate attractiveness, says Jon Caramanica. And that's probably why, he says, "How I Met Your Mother" is so popular. "It's just enough to give the series propulsion and structure but not enough to overwhelm it," he says. "Without his fundamental blankness, his supporting cast would actually be forced to play supporting roles. Instead, they're free to be robust."

No, I don't agree with that. If Ted was a blank he wouldn't annoy me so much sometimes. I think they've found a balance where no character really completely overpowers the others, but despite being sort of the straight man Ted still has his own well-defined characteristics, being kind of a pretentious Massengill sometimes, a dreamer and emotionally reckless.

[The Penguin]

Season four of How I Met Your Mother wraps up tonight and it seems Ted is in for a surprise.


http://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/cbs1.jpghttp://library.toonzone.net/talkbacks/mother.jpg"The Leap" - Season Finale
Monday, May 18, 2009 @ 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 CT on CBS
When Ted pull an all-nighter, Marshall lures him to the roof for a surprise.

[Shawn Hopkins]

Great season finale. The big scene with the jumping at the end could have been hokey, but the emotions felt honest so it still mostly worked. HIMYM, for all its witty wordplay and sex jokes, is at its heart a show that encourages you to turn off your cynicism just a little bit at times.

So, we'll get strung along on who the mother is to the end of the show, I guess, but there are other mileposts along the way and this was a big one. Robin and Barney didn't exactly get together, but they've stopped hiding their feelings about one another. I liked that "to Mosby" someone has become part of the vernacular. It was really hilarious when they were going back and forth with separating their feelings from the Mosby effect, ranging from "Let's be friends" to "Let's Get Married." The early scene where Barney explains his feelings to Ted using a suit metaphor was actually kind of sweet, I really liked how he had no confidence that Ted was getting his completely unsubtle analogy. It's nice to see that Ted has come to terms with Barney and Robin, too.

I was hoping we would get a Marshal and Lily baby for a moment there, but it was just a winking fourth-wall joke. I also entertained the notion that they might write Jason Segel out of the series by having him fall to his death and then push Lily and Ted together, but that wouldn't match with future flash forwards and would probably be the most depressing thing that ever happened in a sitcom.

And then there was the goat. It didn't go down the way I expected because when they introduced the idea of the goat last season Ted strongly implied that whatever it did, it did it in the bathroom. I thought the obvious thing would be it eating Ted's hat restaurant plans, but having him be beat up by a girl goat was way funnier. Seeing who actually got the contract to make the hat restaurant was great, too.

Did Cobie Smulders have her baby? She looked skinnier.

[RedNinja84]

Wow, what a finale. Ted quits being a architect, Marshall makes the jump and Barney and Robin got together. And we learn Ted becomes a teacher and meets their mother at college. By the way, has the show been renewed?

[brooks]

Lily vs. Robin, which one is the prettiest & which one would you ask on a date ?

[HomeMoviesFan]

Did Cobie Smulders have her baby? She looked skinnier.

This was filmed months ago to ensure Cobie and Alyson can participate.

Hilarious and great season ender. It's nice to see some optimism here, some other boards are filled with curmudgeons saying that the quality's gone downhill, mostly because they are fed up and want to see the mother already. I, for one, recognize that HIMYM doesn't have that "new show smell" anymore, but I personally think it's remained rather fresh. Okay, this season wasn't as good as season two, but I'm still enjoying the characters and the story laid out.

One thing bothered me: Robin and Barney have a HUGE scene in the hospital room, only to totally forget about it. That would normally be fine, but the show went on for another five to ten minutes! And all we got was Barney "leaping" to Robin I guess. I know that they wanted to make some sort of cliffhanger out of all of this, but realistically there would be more acknowledgment.

Besides that, I anxiously await season five...

[The Penguin]

I had forgotten about the goat until it showed up. I liked how Older Ted recalled the story again and then jumped back into the action. That was a pretty prominent hoof mark Ted had on his face after all that. :p

Barney's suit analogy was heart-warming in a way and I liked how Ted told him to "wear the suit." :) Barney and Robin Mosby-ing each was a fun exchange and I'm excited to see what happens from here. I think they could be great together.

I really liked the leap moment. It was a great way to bring the season to a close with overcoming challenges and all that. And there was the evidence of how Ted was in "The right place, at the right time." when he bumped into Stella and Tony. If all those events hadn't taken place where he then bumped into them, Tony wouldn't have offered that teaching job and Ted would never have considered it, and he never would have met the mother of his children.


By the way, has the show been renewed?Yes and it is moving back to 8 ET on Mondays, kicking of the night for CBS.

[Shawn Hopkins]

How I Met Your Mother reminds me of a gag from the Drew Carey Show, where people are talking about their first sexual experience and Lewis starts telling a story from when he was a teenager.


Lewis: Remember Joanie McCormick?


Kate: Yeah.
Lewis: Well one day we were at her house by the pool and it was summer and it was real hot.
Drew: So it was Joanie.
Lewis: No. Joanie had to go to field hockey practice but her sister comes over.
Kate: You slept with her sister?
Lewis: No. We chatted for for a while then she had to leave but her brother comes in. So we open a couple beers.
Oswald: Lewis, no.
Lewis: What? No! No! Her brother had to leave and I'm all alone until the dog comes in.
All: Eww!
Lewis: But the dog goes.
Drew: (interrupting) Lewis, who did you sleep with?!
Lewis: Six years later. Some girl in a bar. I don't know.



Ted tells stories that way.