CBS
(Season 4, Episode 4)
After last night’s episode, am I the only one who thinks we need to have an intervention with the writers of this show? OK, maybe that’s a bit harsh, but methinks HIMYM has lost some of its comic luster from seasons past.
So I’ve divided this episode into funny versus not-funny. Let’s see what wins the title from last night’s episode.
Funny
- The intervention flashbacks with the gang. From Lily’s British accent, to Marshall’s hat, Robin’s spray tan and Barney’s magic, they hit a home run each time.
- Barney’s elaborate scheme “a la” Back to the Future, to get a dumb bar chick to sleep with him. Kudos, Barney, I can’t believe this one worked.
- The riotous things they cherished. Robot cookie jar? Flail? Yep, the flail definitely takes it.
- Lily mixing up the intervention letter with the note to one of her student’s parents. Gotta love that Gilbert!
Not funny
- The first intervention of their unknown friend. Barney making an ass of himself in that context just didn’t win me over.
- Everyone getting cold feet about moving on with their lives. Immaturity doesn’t inspire huge guffaws in me, and we know these people are immature, but seeing them move on with grace would be more satisfying, since it’s not like they are fresh out of college.
- Old man Barney making out with the French chick. Yuck. Old people aren’t necessarily gross (bad stereotype!), but old man Barney? Again with the yuck.
- The intervention about Stella. Not their business, whether they are right or not, and it just didn’t make for funny TV.
So we’re at a tie. The main problem, though, maybe doesn’t lie in the fact that some of the situations aren’t funny as much as that all of the situations used to be, and then they’d be taken to a new level.
Take the Fiero episode. Not only was the premise of the episode hilarious (yeah, I had a car I was way too attached to once also … 280ZX … little dream …), but they writers built upon that premise and made layers of funny that furthered the premise along. The same goes for “Slap Bet” and the like. It was tight writing that made it stand out from other sitcoms.
Now? It’s just a sitcom.
Some posts that may be related to this:
Correction for you: the “Unknown Friend” is someone we have seen before. IIRC There was some issue of Ted breaking up his wedding. Also, this guy was present at Marshall’s bachelor party that Barney arranged.
I felt this episode was great and actually brought back HIMYM to it’s superior roots compared to most episodes this new season (the burger episode being the only other exception)
Yes, it was a shout out to all of the fans of the show that look for the little things that they do better than any show out there continuity-wise.
You are so wrong on two points:
1) The show has been awesome all season.
2) All old people are gross.
*POST AUTHOR*
I am not saying I don’t generally enjoy it, just that even though some things are funny, they are not of the same caliber as the funniness of past seasons. Now, they are one-liners, not situations that build in a clever way. As much. Still probably the best sitcom on TV, unless you count According to Jim…. ;-)
I’m with Bob. Other than Stella (Whom, admittedly, has been a big part of the season (Exception: The Star Wars stuff.. Not because of Stella, but just because I’ve basically lived it… Twice)), I think this season has been on it so far.
This was easily the funniest episode this season for me. It’d have to be in my top five among Slap Bet!
Great to see Clique Clack reviewing this show.
Sad to see its a kind of negative review on what I regarded (and others, both there and TVS) as such a great episode.
Debbie,
Thanks for the review but I gotta disagree. I was with you on the Fringe STUPID floating letters thing, but HIMYM rocked this week. Any old Barney was funny.
*POST AUTHOR*
OK, maybe I’m the one who needs an intervention! ;-) I just miss the way they used to build on things, because it added a whole other level to the funniness; made it much more clever and smart.
Debbie, this episode brought up good situations to build upon. The hat thing with Marshall, Lily said “It’s been two weeks”, two weeks since what? One might ask…
I think the cellphone thingy at the end might be something to build on too. And the 2009 photo? I’m 99% certain that Robin and Barney are together at that point.
The last sentence when they’re at McLaren’s “somethings changed, but a lot stayed the same” may be a prelude for the rest of the season.
This episode is the return of the good old (got it? old :P) HIMYM.