HIMYM – The top shelf cocktail, and the cheap well drink

Parts of this week’s How I Met Your Mother was spot-on funny. The writers of this show crafted a hilarious running joke, and had that joke drive the A story. When you’ve got the talent to make that work? Awesome. When you fill the rest of the episode with cliché? Disappointing.

I absolutely loved Lily and Robin’s flashback review of how alcohol affected each member of the gang. From Ted’s beat-boxing prowess (or, you know, imagined beat-boxing prowess), Marshall’s myriad mirror problems, and Lily’s martini … “issues,” it was classic HIMYM.  However, nothing tops Barney’s kissy greetings, Richard Dawson style. Plus, the connection between different drinks, and their ability to dictate different types of “drunk?” Totally, totally true. Or so someone told me once. Or I read it in a book … or something.

More important is how the running joke was so integrated into the plot of the episode. The flashbacks were one thing, but the lady’s ability to “control” Barney and Marshall into fighting and making up? Legendary. When a run of jokes becomes the plot of an episode, pushing the plot along while not getting stagnant, that is damn good comedy writing.

On the other hand, Ted and Zoey’s night in the Arcadia seemed like one heck of a boring B story. The critters that scattered, the “chocolate” on the pillow, even the “noise” from the neighbors … every joke was the definition of cliché. Then, suddenly the return of the cockamouse! Who doesn’t love a little continuity, right?

Awesome callbacks to seasons past couldn’t save the whole story though. Because cute, cuddly “I Love You” Ted and Zoey are only a prelude to what we now know is inevitable … the World War III “I Hate Your Living Guts” couple that Future Ted told Future Wendy about. This is the type of problem that can evolve from the non-linear storytelling that How I Met Your Mother often employees (and I usually love). Now that we know they end so miserably, the moments of happiness just seam so artificial.

I can’t believe the utter betrayal of Carl the bartender. The gang has been rocking it at their favorite booth now for just under six seasons, where’s the loyalty? I get asking the guys to leave kicking the guys out, but Lily and Robin too? At this point, they’ve funded Carl’s college fund for his hypothetical children! They went to Mike’s funeral for crying out loud!

Notes & Quotes

• “We fired him when we caught him clubbing a seal in his office, with an even cuter seal.” – Hobbs
• Hobbs’ blocking Marshall ‘s job search was a dick movie.
• “Look Lily, I think this girl wants our seat. Should we leave, or stay here Lionel Ritchie Style: ‘All Night Long?’” – Robin
  “Excuse me waitress, I’ll have a mojito, [to the annoying seat girl] and you’ll have-a no seat, ho.” – Lily
• Marshall’s run at blocking Barney’s efforts was epic, but damn … Barney sure did go from 200 to 283 in a hurry.
• “Show me chicken wings!” – Barney
• “Look I can handle you trying to prevent me from fulfilling a lifelong dream … That’s called being in a relationship.” – Ted
• I might just hate Zoey at this point, despite her very sweet and real reasons for wanting to protect the Arcadia.
• Of course beer … Duh, Lily and Robin!

Clacked by Ivey West
on May 02, 2011 @ 22:02 EST5EDT