So I’m on vacation this week and next, but my good friend and twitter talker extraordinaire @TalkingTV decided to help me out with a review of tonight’s HIMYM. I’ll add the music when I get to watch the show, but for now enjoy and remember to follow @TalkingTV & @bawesomeinstead on twitter:
This week’s episode of HIMYM felt like the old days. It’s been a while since I watched an episode of HIMYM and really laughed at every punch line, but this came pretty close.
The primary storyline revolved around Barney asking Ted to design the Goliath National Bank building…again. You may remember that Ted was asked to do it once before but was fired from the project. But now it was back and it was Ted’s for the taking. But Ted moved on from designing buildings to teaching others how to do it. So that left Barney no choice but to put the moves on Ted just like he puts the moves on women. .
We’ve seen Barney’s modus operandi before, whether through the lens of the Bro Code or the Playbook. But until this point, we never got to really see how he picked up a woman through the entire process. Even when he was going out with Robin it was more of a gradual buildup than anything else. So it was nice to see a more detailed view of what goes on inside Barney’s brain, even if the target was Ted.
Meanwhile, Robin had the unfortunate luck of coming across Don’s newscast in Chicago due to some fluke of cable (don’t ask, it has something to do with satellites). She claimed that she felt nothing and moved on, but Lily was smarter than that and managed to ferret out that Robin had make a number of drunk calls to Don that ran along a common theme of murder. I really can’t do the scenes justice; Cobie Smulders did a great job of playing a crazy drunk ex.
Lily tried to get Robin to delete Don from her phone but Robin was unwilling to admit that that part of her life was over. She tried to turn the tables on Lily, discovering a number for a dojo that Lily went to once and had her butt kicked by an eight year old. Marshall got dragged into the conversation as well when Robin found the number of a former “bandmate” of Marshall’s that he refused to delete. The running theme was that these were all parts of like they were unwilling to give up despite the reality that it would never happen. All of the flashbacks we saw were perfectly structured and quite hilarious. If you haven’t seen them, make sure you do.
And in the end, Ted realized that while he may be happy teaching, he couldn’t bear to see his dream of building a part of the New York skyline die so easily. He went back to Barney and gave him a yes. I think it’s sweet that over the course of the episode we saw Ted go from a complacent teacher to an excited working architect. Remember, we’ve seen how excited Ted was when he became chief architect in his old firm and had others like his building. Realizing that dreams don’t always need to go unfinished is a message of the show as a whole (as we all dream we’ll finally meet the mother) and was carried off quite successfully in this episode.
The Re-Return:
Oh, and that end tag? Lily steps back into the dojo and faces the kid that beat her up those years ago. But before anyone can land a punch, the screen goes to black.
Legendary Lines:
There really are a ton of great quotes in this episode, but I don’t have the clips in front of me right now to transcribe them. I’ll do the best I can.
“Where’s the poop, Robin?” – Lily, not believing that Robin didn’t call Don
“Barney Stinson aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalways gets the yes” – Barney
“I admire your loyalty, Ted. You’ve had the same haircut forever, even though it’s been co-opted by the lesbians. To Ted!” – Barney (admittedly paraphrased)
“How do you plead? Funky.” – Marshall and his band, “Funk, The Whole Funk, and Nothing But the Funk”
Also, all of Robin’s messages for Don were amazing. There’s also a great discussion about shoddy contractor work on the Death Star. And finally, watch the scenes from the dojo where Lily gets beaten up and then the end tag for the final showdown.
Add your thought and let us know what you liked…Basically, what did you think?
“i don’t care how big it was, it’s not the same as giving birth”
I forgot that one! Thanks!
I also love the line Marshall says in the office and then says “That’s a song!” and proceeds to write something down. I was hoping that we would hear a Marshall song but no such luck. Great episode overall.
Building the indestructible ventless Death Star (even though it was the contractors fault) was great. I love how Star Wars is real. Reminded me of one of my all time favorite lines … “Everyone knows Light Saber technology is 3-5 years away .. You just watch 3-5 years I’ll be carvin the turkey with old green”
Marshall songs rock.
It was a valid discussion. Still, My favorite Star Wars moment in the show was when you hear Marshall’s Chewbacca impression.
If anybody is looking for the music, here it is:
Music at the beginning of Ted’s speech:
F. Schubert – Symphony No. 7 in B minor “Unfinished”
When Ted realizes about him leaving his dream “Unfinished” and decides to say the thing that Barney Stinson aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalways gets, the “Yes”:
Real Estate – Beach Comber
I just love how the show combines laughter and real-life lessons into one of the greatest sitcoms ever made !!
HIMYM rocks !
Ted’s speech was amazing, had to share it with all,
“Unfinished, Gaudi, to his credit, never gave up on his dream, but that’s not usually how it goes, i mean usually it ins’t the speeding bus that keeps the brown pointy wierd church from getting built. Most of the time its just too difficullt or too expensive or too scary, its only once youve stopped, that you realize how hard it is to start again. So you force yourself not want it, but its always there, until you finish it will always be…”
Ted’s Speech’s are always amazing.
My all time favourite is the one before his first date with Stella.”Doesn’t mean I’m not going to try” I use that in life alot, but this one is great too.
which episode was that?
I think that’s from Ten Sessions…it’s like Season 3, Episode 13 I think.
definitely love this one..can totally relate
I love the symbolism of the show; especially at the end of Ted’s speech, where he narrowly avoids getting hit by a bus. It’s always very endearing.