If it’s a choice between mystery and history, I want mystery.
—Ted Mosby
I’ve been pretty sick all day…but fortunately for you when I get sick, I stop being sick and be awesome instead. True Story. However, I really am hoping that you all will pick up the the slack for me. You see normally, I mix writing this with alcohol, however tonight I’m already pretty heavily medicated, so I’ll try to keep my thoughts coherent.
Now that my apology is out of the way, tonight was definitely one of those “stand alone” eps. Or what I might call funny filler that advances very little. Feel free to disagree, I mean we did get more information on team baby and Kevin was around more…but I would wager that if you take this episode away, all you’ll miss is a few laughs.
Let me back up my claim a bit.Some things I thought went poorly:
- the yellow paint. just horrible. I feel like this definitely slanted my view of the show…I do wonder who will try to push this with a yellow umbrella moment theory though.
- The internet searching. I get it, it’s an information age. And that bit was a little funny. Not a lot funny….unless Janet was pulling a Lorenzo Von Matterhorn.
- the baby. I’d like to say I’m excited and intrigued about everything that happens with ‘team baby’ however, I just don’t care. Not sure what it will take to make me care about it. But I don’t.
I hate to be negative though, so let’s get to the more positive side that we all enjoy.
How I Met Your Mother Music
- Murder Train by The Foreskins (the HIMYM go to violence song. pure awesome.)
- Groove Song (plays during the informational moments about Ted’s date)
Moments of Awesomeness
- Does your dog have a facebook profile? I did love the pet info on the initial walk scene. That was a good laugh.
- the 4th wall. Yet again this season we catch the cast breaking the 4th wall and talking to the camera. It’s definitely funny…but I wonder if there is any significance to that?
- Murder Train. This song is always well placed and awesome. True Story
- Robin in the Wild. Happy Birthday Son!
- Barney’s presentation. The baby in the burlap sack was awesome.
- Kevin & the freeze frame denial shots. I love that he was being honest with everyone. I’d love to have a list of all their diagnosis…hint.
- It’s awesome that Barney even wears a suit to paint.
- I love how the Mosby still makes an appearance. After 6 minutes they expect Ted to tell the girl he loves her. fun.
Legendary Lines
Marshall: Girls can play football, the Green Bay packers have been trying it for a long time
Ted: So…How was the traffic getting here?
Janet: You picked me up at my apartment
Ted: I certainly did…
Barney: Thanks Canada!
Ted: If you guys respect me as a friend you will stop looking.
Ted: I could actually hear the sound of her vagina being boarded up.
The Re-Return
Robin get’s picked up after 3 days in the wild. Good Stuff.
Lingering Questions
- Do you thing the 4th walls we’ve seen this season are just new comedic elements the show is using or should we read something into it?
- How long will Kevin be around? Is the fact that he is too honest with them his dooming factor?
- Mystery or History?
What you think about Mystery vs. History? Sound off in the comments!
Is it just me or does anyone else find Kevin’s constant sweater wearing really annoying? Otherwise, great episode. The texting about the bathroom was gross.
loved the muder train “gang violence” throwback montage! ~Jenniac
haha you’re right! that is really annoying 🙂
What was the thing called when Marshmallow and Lilly Pad were being punny? I know they touched noses but was it “Punny snugs”? I though that was funny and classic for Lily and Marshall
I don’t know why, but I really loved this episode – even the stupid bathroom humour.
Maybe it’s because Annie Hall is my favourite movie that this episode struck a chord with me. Or maybe it’s because it mentioned the hometown of a really good friend (Smithers, BC), maybe it’s because Ted is dating again, maybe it’s because we advanced the plot of team baby a bit, but I really thought it was great.
I typically don’t linke bathroom humour, but Robin’s “either Ted is swearing at me or got a terrible case of food poisoning” line killed me.
Oh I forgot to add that this didn’t really feel like a “stand-alone” episode to me. Kevin is now a regular part of the crew, the baby storyline is advancing (in clichéd ways, admittedly) and the psychoanalysis of the group by Kevin plays a huge part in pointing out to the group what Victoria said about Robin and the guys being a problem.
I give this episode a solid 8.
I vote mystery. Its like Barney said in Slap Bet. The more you know about someone the more of a chance you’ll hit that “Oh moment”, that moment when you find out that one detail about someone that is a dealbreaker.
Murder Train always makes me happy… it used to be my ringtone, but I found myself getting to angry anytime someone would call.
I’ll agree with the bathroom humor part. I usually despise that stuff, but the context here was good for a laugh.
Amazing episode as always, yet there was a moment in this episode that made you think, or was that just me? 😉
Anyways, the point is this episode indeed was a mystery. Apart from thatm,Using the Internet to find out about people is a real deal breaker. IF ONLY TED didnt open the link who knows what wouldve happend! Turns out Lily and Marshall are gonna have a boy! YES! Has anyone noticed that Lily stilld doesnt have a pregers belly? I mean, she should have a bump right?
All in all, amazing episode. A very simple yet “makes you think” kinda episode.
Can anyone tell me the other 4th wall moments this season? I can’t remember them.
YES! All I could think that WHOLE first scene was WHAT is up with Kumar’s cardigan?!?!?!
This whole episode bugged me. I missed the first 4th wall break so this one caught me off guard and it wigged me out. I don’t think Kevin fits with the group dynamic at all. He stuck out like a sore thumb and I felt like all interactions with him were forced. I’m with you Aaron, I don’t feel attached to this whole baby story line either. All in all this one fell flat with me. Bummer.
Hey guys, I love the new characters this season, especially Garrison Kootz and Kevin. Just wondering, which one do you guys like more. I used to prefer Kootz, but now I’m leaning more toward Kevin. What are your thoughts?
It definitely would have been funny if Janet was pulling a Lorenzo Von Matterhorn. Don’t really know what to think about Kevin though.
I do like Kevin, but I’m hoping they can just get on with it. The whole thing has moved really fast, true. But I’m so dying to get into the Robin-Barney parts of this season. Even if they don’t end up together (and I’m 99% sure they do.) I would at least like some closure. And maybe this has to go really fast so they can get there. Also, I just think it’s weird that Robin is over Barney so fast, and that Kevin hangs out with him and doesn’t find it weird.
I LOVE that idea about Janet pulling a Lorenzo Von Matterhorn. It kinda seems like it, huh?
Can somebody tell me who sings the song that is played in the end?
thanks
sorry bro… it was Throwing Stones by the Shout Out Louds I’ll update the music page in a few.
I was really hoping it was a playbook play preformed by a chick… oh well.
The other one I remember this season was in the dance sequence during the Best Man… it happens when Barney & Robin look to and count for the camera.
The closest thing I think we’ve ever seen in HIMYM before is when Barney winks for the camera. This episode was a bit more significant…so I do wonder if we are to take anything from it.
I should say, I do really wanna like the baby story line…I just can’t convince myself to care… It’s nice to know I”m not alone in this one.
I think Kootz so far…but that’s probably a lot more to do with Mystery than History… bad pun…sorry.
Thank You! I looked everywhere but couldnt found it.
Depending on your definition, HIMYM has been breaking the 4th wall since season 1, episode 2.
I really think this case was simply a good gag and tribute to Woody Allen. Nothing more.
So, near the end of The Naked Man, there was a flash forward of Marshall drunk and playing Xíng háishì bùxíng (can’t wait! btw) and wearing a shirt that reads “Marshall & Steph 4eva”. After that, I thought that Marshall and Lilly were going to have a girl and name her Stephanie. But, now that it is revealed that they will have a boy, I don’t know what to think. Does the shirt not refer to their child? Is Steph short for Stephen? Does their child actually turn out to be a girl? What do you guys think?
But part of the Lorenzo Von Matterhorn is to make sure that the victim err… I mean target views all the fake websites, so she wouldn’t have been as inclined to agree to the “no research” pact.
Did anyone else notice the cover of the magazine in “The Naked Truth” where on the top it
said “Mystery or History: Is it better not to know?” I think that was a
great easter egg to put in there. Also, below that is a headline which
says “By George! Is Van Smoot Van Smitten?” So, hopefully that means
that George Van Smoot (The Captain) will return and, possibly, have a love interest. Next to that is another headline of “Plus
Willem… Dafoe”. That is obviously a reference to Marshall’s frog and
bird joke in Robots vs Wrestlers. I’m not sure if that is a spoiler or
simply an old joke. I hope that that is not the end of the magazine
cover. Let me know what you guys all think. Thanks!
thanks for the post
we already knew that they were having a baby. im rewatching season 5 right now, and at the end of episode 11, ted tells his kids, when everyone from the crew had his/her last cigarette. marshall’s was when his son was born.
I’m just learning of this and I am from Smithers too!
Thanks for the song’s name =)
I’m sorry but the packers were super bowl champions when this episode was released