I've been rewatching the first season thanks to Christmas, and going through it all again, I'm just amazed at the character development in the show. Looking at the characters from then and going back to right now, there's a giant leap forward for each of them.
Barney is still the funniest character on the show, but I think the other four are great, too. Ted's character arc is very well-done, Marshall and Lily are great together and by themselves, and Robin has her moments when she can outshine even Barney. I couldn't do without any of them.
Am I the only fan on this site?
Just bumping this topic for no reason to inform you fine people that I've now seen this show in Arabic. It's kinda strange really, it's one of the very few American programs that wasn't in English, even if most of the others had Arabic subtitles. I watched movies like The Fast and the Furious and Chasing Amy this way, and even localized versions of channels like MTV and Cartoon Network, but for some reason HIMYM was in Arabic, with no English subtitles even.
Yes they have CN out here in Bahrain. Before you ask, most of the programming I saw consisted of shows that the US CN has aired in the last five years or so, and the oldest shows I saw were some of the Cartoon Cartoons, like EEnE, Cow and Chicken, and PPG.
That sounds legend, wait for it...
dary
Who has two thumbs and continues to be the biggest snub in the history of the Emmys?
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi957.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fae51%2Fpastrycream%2Fdailyhowimet%2F139.png&hash=e945f573e1c6f62ae1b80748826f14b8a96c806f)
This guy. Fuck you for continually giving Barney the shaft, Emmys. Either NPH gets nominated with no chance of winning, or, like this year, doesn't even get that far. There isn't a better actor or character on TV now, and he never gets recognized.
I'm not the biggest fan of this show at all, but he is the best part of it by far. I'm not sure why he doesn't get his due for it.
Hollywood loves The Big Bang Theory too much. And Modern Family. And Glee. Annnnnd... need I go on?
I don't agree, but it is what it is.
Can I just say that the Emmys play absolutely no part or influence in what I watch?
Quote from: Kiddington on July 16, 2011, 01:57:26 AM
Hollywood loves The Big Bang Theory too much. And Modern Family. And Glee. Annnnnd... need I go on?
I don't agree, but it is what it is.
Eh, out of these, Modern Family is worth watching. And Ed O'Neill didn't even get nominated last year. He is now, though.
Overall, awards are meaningless, but they're nice to have regardless, and NPH deserves hundreds. Especially for Barney.
This season in particular had him go through a lot. We finally get to meet his dad, delve into his abandonment issues a lot, and see him mature a bit more when it comes to women. There's a cute subplot with him and a woman that he's interested in, as well as development between him and Robin. Not to mention that he still has tons of great lines.
Oh no, I agree with you; I think he should have won at least one award by now.
I was just saying; it's clear that Hollywood has their own personal favorites when it comes to award nominees. And honestly, since it was brought up, I think Modern Family is one of the most grossly overrated shows ever. It's funny, and definitely watchable... but the idea that this is the be all, end all of television sitcoms is bull, IMO. Ed O'Neill is the best part of the whole thing, and he hardly ever gets any credit (he is up this year, yes, but as a whole). I still don't see the appeal to Eric Stonestreet; people love this guy, but I just don't see it.
...anyway, don't want to derail this too much. Haven't seen a ton of HIMYM episodes yet (just started getting into about a month or two ago), but one of my favorites so far is easily "The Perfect Week". I wish I could find some clips of the scenes with Barney and Jim Nantz; his reactions over everyone saying things like "there's no such thing as a jinx" and such are great.
That's a pretty good one. "Never open an e-mail from Phil Simms in front of your children."
My favorite episode might have actually came from this season. "Glitter". There's nothing like a song about how beavers are adorable. I've loved the other two Robin Sparkles episodes, but this one was a great character episode for Ms. Scherbatsky. It gets into the core of just why she hates children, and even explains a little why it has taken her so long to even think about settling down. It's also really nice for Lily, and the guys get good stuff in there as well.
As for Modern Family, I think it's a genuinely funny show that families can actually watch, kids can find humor in, and adults don't feel like their brain cells are dying while watching it. There haven't been too many sitcoms like that, even in the past, and seeing a show like that today is a blessing. But I don't know if it's the best show on TV.
And my favorite character is Phil Dunphy.
I just found out that in the episode when Marshall finds out that his father died (oh no, spoilers!), Jason Segal didn't know that Lily was going to come out and tell him this at the ending. I think Alyson was just given her lines before she came out, as well. It was done in one take, with him totally not expecting what she was going to say.
If you've seen the episode and scene in question, you'll know how they reacted. If not, let me just say, this only furthers my love for the show.
And don't think I'm forgetting about this series return in lieu of Sunny and Archer.
This scene is one of my favorite from season 6. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awrXsuVqXM0)
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The perfect way to get pumped for the new season. This Monday, one hour. Cannot wait.
Huh. Didn't realize the Avengers was taking that much of a toll on Joss's hair.
Season premiere was tonight, and boy was it eventful.
The first episode is your classic HIMYM premiere. It continues and concludes some events from last season, and preps us up for the new seasons, meanwhile giving us plenty of time for each of the main cast. If they just aired this episode, that would have been good enough.
But the second really nailed it. This is going to be a very big year for the gang. Especially Ted. Holy shit, that ending. Something's going to go down soon.
I recently took it to myself to rewatch the entire Victoria arc last night. These six episodes are among the best episodes of the show, and shockingly influential to the course of the series.
I mean, while Ted and Victoria were dating, Marshall took his job at GNB, while trying to accept that he's selling out his beliefs by doing so, Lily's doubts towards getting married were starting to rise, Robin started to confess her feelings for Ted, and, oh yeah, the very first signs of Barney and Robin's relationship were present. Barney even nails why they're perfect for each other. All of this gets delved into later on in the show, and some of it is still being worked out on now. Crazy.
I also think this is when the show really started to become something special. "Drumroll, Please", the first ep with her, especially is proof of that. Only someone as dopey Ted would think that having a one-off night with no sex or even kissing would make for a great romantic experience, and thankfully everyone else makes fun of that for us. It's a great character examination for Ted, builds Victoria up to be one of his most likable exes, and has a really dynamite ending.
And I'm also making a playlist out of songs used and/or referenced in the show, started up by hearing "Groove is in the Heart" in the premiere. I think my obsession with this series is back in full swing.
I know I've stated that I'm not really a fan of the show, but I would really like to talk about this for a bit here.
How I Met Your Mother is a success because as a sitcom, it does everything right. Every character is distinct and avoids being a cliche, the show has it's own sense of style and identity, and it never forgets that it's a traditional sitcom.
What most sitcoms seem to miss nowadays is the point of it. Sitcoms succeed because they take the mundane and simple and blow them up to cartoonish or grand proportions almost like a stage play (which is what the sitcom basically is) which this show frequently does. The ones that don't succeed are the ones that try to be "real" and "in touch" with current trends. See; all the Friends clones that poured out that missed the key reason Friends succeeded (another show I'm not into, but it succeeded because it never forgot what it was supposed to be) and pretty much every sitcom that has come out in recent years. Every character is either a stereotype, boring, and the plot always features some kind of a hip couple living in the city featuring the same things over and over.
This show doesn't really do any of that stuff. The reason I don't care for it (I don't dislike it, I just don't care for it) is purely because it doesn't really hook me, but what I do like about it is that it is one of the few current shows to get the medium. Unlike Chuck Lorre shows that pretty much feature repetitive jokes and character beat downs every episode with little of anything in the way of story.
I know that was a weird rant thing, it was just something that was floating in my head and I figured I might as well put it out there.
That's fair. I think the show is best appreciated when viewed in order, but nothing's for everyone.
As for me, I love HIMYM because it's rare to have a sitcom with a continuity as rich and rewarding as it, but won't bite you in the ass if you don't watch every single episode again and again on a regular basis like Venture Brothers. It has it's deeper moments, but at the same time loves to make fun of itself at its more pretentious moments, particularly when Ted is involved. And there's a lot of heart in the cast and humor, but there's enough spite and teeth in the show so it's not overly sanitized.
It's how I want more sitcoms today to be like, but aren't able to pull off anymore without going too far along one of these paths. It could probably fit in with most of the other 90's greats, but is proudly a 21st century product. I just really like it.
Yeah, it's a sitcom obviously made in the 21st Century and it's very modern, but it manages to understand how the single camera sitcom is supposed to work.
You can lose with NPH either.
And I might as well take this gush to talk about the new episode.
I had a feeling that this was going to be the closure that Ted and Victoria deserved, but never really got. And I'm happy that it ended as it did, with the two getting a chance to talk about everything. You can see that there's still some sparks between the two, and there always will be, but at the same time, Ted's too hotheaded and Victoria is too chill for the other.
I was not, however, expecting the bombshell at the end. I have no idea how the season is going to turn out, but rest assured, it will be a big year for Ted, Barney and especially Robin.
Meanwhile, the subplot was great. Who doesn't want to see Lily's boobs?
I've been watching some of the syndication runs lately. They do keep in most of the good stuff, but a lot of great bits still get cut out.The missing of this scene especially saddens me. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIGSOvjYec)
Anyway, new episode tonight!
Episodes like last nights really make regret not making a point to catch this show every week. Ted's "fantasies" about what was wrong with Janet were classic.
Also; HERMAPHRODITIC BURLAP SACK
"I lied; I only kind of liked Annie Hall"
Deal. Breaker.
T'was a good one. I'm not liking the therapist as Robin's boyfriend (although I tend to not like most of the character's significant others. However, Victoria was an exception, and while I want Barney and Robin to just go out already, I am liking Nora for the most part), but I liked how he called out the gang for their insanity, especially Barney. They really needed a shot like that.
I'm also not surprised that Marshall and Lily are having a boy. Somehow, I was expecting that all along.
Shit, tonight's ep.
Totally called it. Everyone did.
Despite the fact that this week's episode is easily one of the saddest, it gets major points for having one of the funniest moments in the show's history. (http://closer2theclouds.tumblr.com/post/12917484321)
But seriously, this show is such a fucking cock block. And tearjerker. Saying that it's both sounds kind of weird, in hindsight.
To clear up a rumor: Canada was NOT like 1986 in 1993. As someone who was around for both years (well, I actually remember 1993, anyway) I can confirm that we were not behind the US culturally. We were behind in getting TV shows, videogames, and sometimes appliances, but music and fashion was not that far behind otherwise "Brian Wilson" by the Barenaked Ladies would not have been a hit up here while you all were bopping to Bananarama. :P
I will retreat back into the shadows.
So according to tonight's episode, Ted will definitely be married and have at least his first kid by 2015. Meaning that it isn't going to last forever, considering how tight the writers are with its continuity.
Also, loved the Rear Window parody in the beginning and the end.
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In other news, holy shit, this season has been eventful. The finale's gonna be BIG.
Why didn't Barney go in to meet her parents? He clearly wanted to.
Nora's? He did, but left shortly after.
Quote from: Brak's Dad on May 07, 2012, 08:10:28 PM
Nora's? He did, but left shortly after.
I thought he imagine going in, but didn't actually go through with it.
Unless he did later, I was watching a rerun.
I haven't seen the episode since it aired, so I could be wrong.
Nonetheless, it was a sad moment. And it was a pretty good episode.
The season finale airs tonight. Besides the little Erikson being born and Barney finally revealing to us who he's marrying (c'mon, Canada Day!), apparently we'll also get to see one of Ted's exes again, who'll set up the pieces for next season.
Y'no, I honestly dislike all of Ted's exes on the show, aside from Victoria. Even she I know isn't right for him though. Just look at their interaction when she tells him that she's going to Germany to study culinary arts. Intellectually and emotionally, they're on the same wavelengths, which is both a good, but ultimately, a bad thing. Ted needs a more Type-B person to balance his pretentiousness and immaturity when it comes to situations like these.
Stella is the next-most remembered ex of Ted, mostly since they almost got married. And while there were some very sweet moments, like the 2 minute date ("Thirteen" for the ultimate win), she really spat on Ted but good. When he asked her to move to the city from New Jersey, Stella laughed and gave her a list of reasons why this wouldn't happen. But after leaving Ted at the altar for her ex, she gladly moves to Staten Island for her man with no qualms at all. Then she comes to Ted to ask Tony to come back to her after he rightfully left her. And to top all of that off, Tony wrote a script for a romcom based off of his story... and makes Ted look like the Sheldrake to Tony and Stella's Baxter and Kubelik.
Then you have Zoey, his most recent long-term ex. Who was kinda always a bitch to begin with. You knew it wasn't going to work out, since she was out to stop Ted from completing his dream job, but even then, the whole thing was just stupid.
And Karen. Well, we were supposed to hate Karen in the first place. But still, for a first girlfriend, she's an awful choice. Sorry, bro.
As for all of his other exes? I barely remember any of them. Well, I remember Rachel Bilson, but not her character's name. I just remember cause, hey, Rachel Bilson's boobs. And also because her roommate will be the mother.
How tonight's going to turn out is beyond me, but I can tell that it will be a very curious event.
Also, a cute little nod to continuity that I adore from the show occurred in the previous episode. According to an earlier ep back in season 5, the last time Marshall ever smoked a cigarette was on the night his first son was born. We already know that this is going to be a boy, and look at what's Marshall's hand while he's still in Atlantic City with Barney. ;)
I think I promised a post about the season after the finale aired, but I never delivered. I'm in the mood to do one now, so let me.
Season 7 of HIMYM proves that the writers still got it, but there are signs of weariness dripping in. I'd argue that the previous season was better, if only for the beaver song, but 7 does get points for giving 5 more purpose in its building up to the Barney and Robin relationship. Before it was probably the least substantial season overall.
I'll post some of my highlights from 7 plus the couple of things that irk me about it. But first, let's focus on some of the highlights.
-This was a very solid year for character development and growth within the cast. Marshall and Lily spent the season prepping up for their baby, while still trying to find time for their friends. It lead to them moving out of Manhattan, getting Lily's dad to stay with them for a while, and have the two decide what's important in life and what isn't as much. Meanwhile, we're getting closer to Barney and Robin's wedding day, as they spread out their wild oats before they realize that they are meant to be together. The brief fling they have midway through the season is bound to come back later. And Ted learns that giving up hope sucks, as he spends the season mostly by himself.
-GREAT drama. HIMYM has always been able to add some sincerely heartbreaking moments inbetween the laughs and romance, and this year is no exception. Nothing broke my heart more than Ted blasting "Highway to Hell" with a shitload of Christmas lights set up to please Robin after learning some news he may never find out about.
Nearly as heartbreaking is later on in the season, you hear Robin say that she lost dreams she didn't know she had. Damn.
-High Ted and Marshall. Hilarious stuff. I gotta get me a sandwich like theirs. :blush:
-The ducky tie. Tell me that you don't want one.
-Barney hooking up as the Terminator.
-"The Burning Beekeeper" might just make the overall top 10 funniest episodes. It's a laugh riot from start to finish.
-This (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNN4dz02tvA) and [urhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtAogFfnBpc&feature=related]this[/url].
-Best. Middle. Name. Ever.
And here's what I don't like.
-Single Ted. I think this might've been the first season where Ted isn't in a remotely serious relationship all season (I'm not counting the Slutty Pumpkin since hell, they probably don't count their fling themselves). A couple of flings aside, he's been single all year long, which would be fine, but I think considering the development that the other 4 characters had this year, Ted was the most pointless character of the show at this point. Since he is the main character and narrator, that is not a good thing. I'll chalk up Ted's period of isolation to be build-up before he meets the mother, but it's still kind of irritating to think about.
-That said, I also REALLY don't like how they brought back Ted's feelings towards Robin. They dated, they broke up, they became friends with benefits then gave up on that so Barney could date Robin, then those two broke up, and now they're finally cool... until one convo with Victoria makes Ted change his mind. We all know that AUNT Robin isn't going to be the mother, and their friendship spilt was largely pointless, so why it still happened is beyond me.
-Kevin was a dick.
"WILL YOU MARRY ME?"
"I love you, but idk, it's a bit sudden."
"Okay, we can w... WILL YOU MARRY ME?"
"I love you, but I can't have children."
"Okay... WILL YOU MARRY ME? WE CAN ADOPT!"
"Yes, but I don't want children. Period. I can't have them, and I don't want them."
"WILL YOU MARRY ME?"
"Kevin, I will marry you, but only if you can tell me that you'll be happy living a life without children to carry on your name."
*walks out on Robin*
-I think this will be more of a problem for next year, but since Quinn is going to star in the creators' new show on Fox, she won't have much time to appear on HIMYM. I know she'll appear in the season premiere, which takes place right after the finale, but I'm afraid that they'll rush into breaking her and Barney up as soon as they can before shooting the show, or we'll go for a long period of time without Quinn so we can't explore the relationship between them and get to their breakup. But eh, the writers have been able to surprise me before, so this might just be a needless nitpick for now.
So yeah, this happened. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn96a2uLouw)
I'm bumping tis again, because I just want to talk about how awesome Robin Scherbatsky is.
I rewatched "Symphony of Illumination" the other day, which is easily the best episode of this recent season. It's by all rights a perfect episode. The sneak attack at the end is a little obvious, but I don't think it ruins the rest of the episode and Robin's narration. Marshall's sideplot actually adds a lot to his and Lily's storyline this season, as well as the further aging of his character. Barney and Ted added a lot to the episode in terms of subtle comic and story moments. And the dramatic elements are done perfectly.
I especially think it's rewarding to see how far Robin's character has grown from the first few times we've seen her all the way up to this point. Obviously, the same relationship-avoiding, baby-scared Scherbatsky isn't as reserved as she used to be, but this episode shows that not only is she thinking differently than she has been for ages, but that she's willing to fully change her tune. Robin has second thoughts about raising kids at a point in this episode, and later in the season, she even reveals that she's lost dreams that she didn't even know she had. It's a depressing storyline that wraps itself up as quietly and neatly as it should be.
We also get to see how Ted and Barney have changed her over the years in this very season. With Ted, Robin had what was probably her first serious relationship and revealed shades of herself that no one else knew up to that point. Even today, they still hold (or held, since they lose touch at a certain part of the season) a strong bond together. As for Barney, it seems like Robin's been able to understand and even tolerate certain quirks about her significant others that she normally wouldn't be able to before, and have found certain sparks in each other that only they're able to discover. While their first attempt at a relationship was a bit of disaster, I think they needed some time apart before they're ready to be with each other. The few attempts this season prove that they still definitely have sparks, but still need more time to discover themselves before getting together.
Barney has already found himself over the years, and much has been spoken about his development. With Robin, she still has daddy issues to take care of and some relationship quirks to null over before she's fully ready to commit. But she's had the most career changes of all the characters, worked hard to get where she is and keep her visa, and has already started to make a name for herself in journalism. She's been fighting over her resentment towards how her father raised her, and while she has become increasingly and rightfully feminine since her hockey days, Robin still has her occasional guilty pleasure passions, like gun shooting, a nice cigar and scotch, and yes, the odd game of hockey or two. And she's far beyond her Robin Sparkles days, as much as Barney tries to pull her back in. We've been able to learn why she's had such a strong resentment towards babies, see her have a chance to be a good mom (or aunt), and even hold her cool during childbirth. On television, no less!
In short, Robin kicks ass, and I think she's as well-developed as Barney and equal in terms of character. I also think that this most recent season belonged to her, despite Marshall furthering the advancement of his life goals, he and Lily setting goals for their future, and Barney's settling down. And there's still room for even more for the character, which will continue to prove my belief.
Yet another bump to this thread.
But this time I come saying that this show seriously has one of the best pilots of all time. You get so many great scenes in the first episode, a lot more than you'd get in most other pilots, and as an introduction to the core 5 characters, it's very strong. I just watched it and was surprised at how strong it still is.
Did anyone else watch tonight?
Cause we just met the mother.
Please tell me someone watched it tonight.
So does this mean the series is over? Forgive my ignorance, as I've only ever seen 1 episode of HIMYM, but isn't the main shtick on the show the mystery of who the kids' mom is?
This just got added to Netflix here.
Quote from: Silverstar on December 17, 2012, 08:38:20 PM
So does this mean the series is over? Forgive my ignorance, as I've only ever seen 1 episode of HIMYM, but isn't the main shtick on the show the mystery of who the kids' mom is?
Oh, what I mentioned earlier?
Well, we did see the mother in the season premiere. As in, everything but her face, including her bass and the fabled yellow umbrella, and Ted didn't get to meet her either. The scene was pretty much just setting up for the meeting which will happen at the end of the season, regardless if it's the last or not.
Well then. (http://www.avclub.com/articles/cbs-renews-how-i-met-your-mother-for-ninth-season,90205/)
I'm really surprised this has been on so long.
But then I look at the other comedies on the channel and it makes total sense. They have nothing else.
Yeah, TBBT does too well to move back again, Men will probably be dropped this year, 2BG is too raunchy to move to 8, and none of the other comedies, on or in development, are big enough to take the show's place. They kind of have no other choice but to keep the show around.
But still, even at its worse, HIMYM is far better than anything Chuck Lorre or Whitney Cummings can come up with.
And season 9 is officially the last. (http://www.avclub.com/articles/how-i-met-your-mothers-ninth-season-will-be-its-la,91791/)
Legend.
Truly the modern day Odyssey. ;)
Dary.
BEST EPISODE EVER
Want more proof that last night's episode was amazing?
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F25.media.tumblr.com%2F2e1e198ef8940baf9f45ef7f4493f74c%2Ftumblr_mhrwyu7LJa1qfs6zoo1_500.png&hash=09cabee01aaa17322ee5c9d0e27682810f18e2a0)
This is legit. After only one night.
Well, it was probably a tie in, but that's a smart idea nonetheless.
In Canada people won't think twice about running you over to get to Tim Hortons. True story.
Can you remember which Tim Hortons you were at and which donut you were eating when you saw Robin Daggers' performance?
I think I've almost been run over near every Tim Hortons in the area. People seriously lose all self-control when they smell coffee and timbits.
God I wish we had a Tim Hortons out here.
Times like these make me miss living in Michigan so much. :shit:
(https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/426040_474225285964460_878993167_n.jpg)
So yeah, enough people voted for Robin Daggers to make this top 10 grunge acts list.
(https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/602191_482872078433114_1691753993_n.png)
I should make a contest to see who can name as many moments/episodes referenced in this one pic. But yeah, awesome stuff.
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F25.media.tumblr.com%2Ff51f9657b09186afea7ba61448aebd3a%2Ftumblr_mii313fyH71qd2vhko1_500.jpg&hash=69b7173f60efcd618c3ddb66506b22515505122f)
Also leaving this here to remind myself that the creators do know that Ted and Robin are not meant to be. The ending to the most recent episode really got on my nerves, since they keep on going back to that well. It's been almost 7 years since they broke up. Let it die.
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww3.pictures.zimbio.com%2Fgi%2FCristin%2BMilioti%2B78th%2BAnnual%2BDrama%2BLeague%2BAwards%2BW8CNK8l9cucl.jpg&hash=f78adc20286a02b3f82ca83d4c264de4cd223a4c)
Here's the mother, folks.
That's not Cobie Smulders. :srs:
Well Robin's the one barren area in Manhattan, so of course it isn't.
what
If you can handle the Shins. (http://babarsuhail.tumblr.com/post/50395432115/the-scene-where-the-mother-is-revealed)
Really though, season 9 sounds interesting. (http://tvline.com/2013/05/15/how-i-met-your-mother-season-9-spoilers-wedding-weekend-mother-introductions/)
http://www.cbs.com/shows/how_i_met_your_mother/video/3061A7E6-E7A7-5861-665E-F93CBD0DFEB2/how-i-met-your-mother-ted-s-kids-like-you-ve-never-seen-them/
wow.
I got the EW issue with the big article on the show, and they went so far to rank the best episodes of the show from each respective season.
S1- The Pineapple Incident
S2- Slap Bet
S3- The Bracket
S4- Three Days of Snow
S5- Girls vs Suits
S6- Last Words
S7- Symphony of Illumination
S8- The Final Page, parts I & II
What does anyone on here think? There's a lot of overlap with my personal choices on here, but not everything.
Fuck it, I'm doing it for HIMYM anyway.
Season 1
7/10
There's some really good stuff in here, from very strong pilot to a finale with an ending that you know becomes a happy one by the end, but is still crushing. But it still has that stench of first season roughness. I'd argue that it gets better as it goes along though, as the show's penchant for flashbacks becomes integrated more seamlessly while Barney slowly grows from a funny side character to a serious persona who holds some damn fine A plots. There's also the first couple of Victoria episodes, which contains not just some of the show's best writing, but arguably Ted's bet non-Mother/Robin girl to date. Still, the first season is merely a taste of better things to come.
Season 2
9/10
A step up in just about every conceivable way. The only real complaint that I can come up with is that the opening stretch of episodes where Marshall and Lily remain separated drag, but I think they were supposed to drag, plus there were still some good episodes in that mix. Ted and Robin's relationship was well-done, as it allowed the audience to feel more for both characters and, ultimately, realize why she just isn't The One. The show's formula wasn't completely perfected yet, but there's still enough great moments that make this season worth sticking out for, leading up to Marshall and Lily's wedding, which, in HIMYM, was completely satisfying but not in the way you'd expect. Also in HIMYM fashion, it's the aftermath of the event that really matters, as you get in the finale.
Season 3
7/10
I was going to give this an 8, but honestly, this year doesn't stick out for me a whole lot. The writer's strike seemed to affect the show in a couple of ways, besides just the episode count. Some storylines seemed to go nowhere or came out forced, like Lily's bankruptcy thing, or went a little faster than it probably should've, like Stella. But the formula was really starting to grow into its own around this point, making for a couple of bona-fide classics. But then there's also Britney Spears, who was fine in her first episode, not so much her second.
Season 4
10/10
Pretty much perfect. There's a reason that the critics and the public started to come around to the show at this point. By now, its blend of varied comedy, tough heartache, and insights into life were blended like the dream cocktail, with a lot of storylines here would build up how the rest of the show would turn out, from Barney and Marshall joining GLB to Barney's love for Robin becoming painfully present to Ted's saddest moment. You also have Karen's return, Marshall's gift to Lily, the gang's constant interventions, and the holiness of the naked man. Such a strong year, and to many fans, it was the show's peak.
Season 5
6/10
Man, there are some REALLY good episodes here. If you don't love the show's gala 100th episode, you're doing life wrong. Another classic is "The Wedding Bride", where we learn a little more about baggage than we need to. But if you ask just about anyone involved with the show, they'll tell you what was up with this season quick- they were just padding for syndication at this point. The show was just becoming a big hit and was getting into syndication numbers, which helped the show's fanbase to grow even more, so the creators decided to cut back on overlapping storylines and make more arcs that could be finished quickly. I don't think this is more apparent than in "Robots Versus Wrestlers", where after Robin told the gang that she's taking a break in the previous episode, she COMES RIGHT BACK AT THE END OF THIS ONE WITH NO EXPLANATION LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED. Super cheap.
The season also messed up Barney and Robin's first crack at a relationship in its start. But to be fair, Bays and Thomas have admitted that if they knew just how strong Neil and Cobie's chemistry would be, they would've had these episodes turn out differently.
Season 6
10/10
Bays and Thomas caught onto how off the last season was, so they quickly set things up for this year to come out differently, and boy, does it show. Everybody has tight development this season! Lily's resent towards how she and Marshall have been growing up and changing too fast becomes a big issue early on, which becomes temporarily resolved but comes back as the show goes along. Meanwhile, Marshall deals with his own issues after losing his father, which makes for some of the show's saddest contrast. Robin gets a step closer towards her dream job, Barney meets his real dad, and Ted... well, to be honest, the one weak link of the season comes from Ted- Zooey sucks. Her actress was fine, but it became very apparent very fast that their relationship was doomed and that she was only a step in the way from the Mother. But I gave the season a 10 anyway because she was responsible for the Captain. You can't go wrong with Kyle McLaughlin. And even Katy Perry was fine in her episode!
Season 7
7/10
Not one of the show's better years, but it still pulls out its A-game this late on, which is commendable. While Marshall and Lily are prepping for their first born, Barney and Robin get the most development here, as they handle separate relationships as well as rekindling the flame. I also have to say that both Nora and Quinn were quite likable, although moreso Nora (Barney and Quinn fought too much for my liking- her actress was cute, but it never felt like they would really last, even with the proposal). She had good chemistry with Neil and was able to match wits with him, enough so that I could safely say that if it wasn't becoming more obvious that Barney belongs with Robin, I would have been rooting for them. Kevin... not so much.
Ted got on my nerves this year, however, as he just really didn't seem to do anything. It seems as if it was intentional for Ted to have a slow couple of years before he meets Her, but the show still boarded on padding when we came back to him doing nothing.
Season 8
7/10
I'm not so sure about this season. It had a very off start, which makes sense since there were 3 relationships that had to be sabotaged in a short amount of time. While I feel that Barney and Quinn's break-up was done well enough, Nick never felt like a real character, as the idea that he was just... very stupid came off as lazy to me. And Victoria! What the hell happened to her? I don't get why they decided to make her such a slob when she's a chef, who should have to adhere to some standards of decency. Her ultimatum also came off as fake, and as some have pointed out, too familiar to a particular plotline in Friends. I'm also annoyed that the show just keeps on coming back to Ted's unrequited love for Robin, when it's also tried to make it very clear that it just won't work out. I get it, Ted swears that Robin is The One. They have a lot in common. But she isn't right for you, bro. It just happens, and I'm sorry.
But when it's good, the show can really knock it out of the park. Barney's play to win Robin back basically summed up the show in a few episodes. Every little thing in the scheme turned out far better than it should, which is just too true to the series. Lily also had some incredible development, her mixed feelings towards being a mother in particularly being a killer. There's no doubt that she loves Marvin, but it's been clear for a while that her life isn't where it's supposed to be just yet, and by the end of the season, there's hope that it will be. There's also a genuine classic in "The Time Travelers", as well as that wonderful final scene of the season.
It seems like HIMYM has Star Trek syndrome with its run, having every even season being stronger than its previous odd one, although the most recent one seems to be the show's Nemesis if anything. I'm really excited to see how the last one turns out
Hmm... I'd agree with those rankings myself, except I would give season 5 a 7 since it was still a pretty decent season, and season 7 a 9 because I thought it was fairly strong myself. I haven't finished season 8, but the episodes I watched from it were okay but not some of the best the show has done, so it is firmly in 7 territory for me.
I only own the first 6 seasons, so 7 is actually the rustiest for me. I usually get 2 seasons for Christmas, so I'll get the most recent 2 then and I'll give 7 another go. I do remember liking it, but not as much as most of the earlier years.
Season premiere was last night.
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F31.media.tumblr.com%2Fe1ff90c2089e9e46f5587109ea140ffd%2Ftumblr_mtm1rmJt5l1qm2l53o4_250.gif&hash=57b8abca2edfe1d60378311d32840512e5655403)
And she's fitting in well.
I hope you don't mind me bumping the thread (not like I ever needed to apologize before), but I do think that I'd bump season 5 up to a 7. As a narrative, it was not that strong, but we're still talking about a sitcom, and there are plenty of funny episodes.
I've also been rewatching 7 and 8, which I got for Christmas, and I'm sticking to my rankings for them. Season 7 has its own great moments, but it's at this point that the humor started becoming broader. There's still enough of the show' killer insight which is a big part of what makes it appeal to me, but more weak poop jokes are making it into their scripts, among others. Eight meanwhile has easily the worst bath of episodes with the first handful (although I'd argue that the premiere is fine and I have a soft spot for "Nannies"). The show becomes a little more fun again when Robin and Nick break up, and especially when it gets to "The Final Page", but yikes, those early episodes kill it for me.
As for season 9, I don't think that it has hit the worst that the show is capable of so far, but the best episodes are clearly the ones where the Mother shows up, some are possibly among the show's finest. Maybe it's because the writers know that they have to pull out their A-game for her appearances, or Cristin Milioti just gives the show an extra batch of energy that has been missing lately, but the episodes without her range from above okay to just there. Personally I hope this last stretch of episodes just tries to give the series some closure and bring the fun back. With Marshall back with the gang and next week's episode promising to be the return of the slap, I think it's doable.
Here we learn a little about the spin-off[.url]
I think it's cool that we're getting a gay couple in the main cast, but so far the characters sound a little too similar to the main ones on HIMYM itself. I just hope that I'm wrong here and it turns out charming though. (http://tvline.com/2014/01/31/how-i-met-your-dad-spinoff-cast-gay-couple/)
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpixel.nymag.com%2Fimgs%2Fdaily%2Fvulture%2F2014%2F03%2F31%2FHIMYM-Infographics%2F31-himyminfographics9.o.png%2Fa_560x0.png&hash=f47435cbd8f5aa6fd060e616c6c470e22304e454)
Guess what tonight is! I'll probably make a bigger post later.
So.... I'm going to go out on a limb and say the finale to this show is a bit of a touchy subject?
I just read on what happened.
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi3.kym-cdn.com%2Fphotos%2Fimages%2Fnewsfeed%2F000%2F599%2F900%2Fc3c.gif&hash=67fa6df95f176b7a4249f68826842c50cada9d44)
Truly a great finale on the scale of Newhart and Seinfeld. So many feels...
*Cough*
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on April 01, 2014, 11:59:26 AM
*Cough*
*Rubs back of neck like Hank Hill*
So... uh... why wasn't Future Ted Bob Sagat again?
This is how the show ended. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0caCEG1nH3E)
Nope, nothing else happened. Nope. :oo:
There was a pretty good comment I read about it:
QuoteCreators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas had a plan from the beginning, a plan they couldn't deviate from, which led to misdirection, says Alan Sepinwall. "The problem is that at a certain point the misdirection became vastly more entertaining than the illusion it was designed to facilitate, and as a result we just wind up feeling tricked, and annoyed, and wondering why we went along with all of it, when we should have known from the very first episode ? from the Aunt Robin joke that got us into this gigantic mess ? that this was a show that would not hesitate to make us feel tricked. And once upon a time, when we and 'HIMYM' were younger, that was fun, but at a certain point, like the idea of Barney Stinson still having a Playbook in his 40s, it's just sad." PLUS: The finale bailed on the entire show, the finale turned the entire series into an elaborate con job, what a hackney last-minute plot twist, this was the worst possible ending, and it should've been called "How I Settled For Your Mother."
Basically, the ending should have changed as the characters grew. Keeping it the same makes most of the series inconsequential and pointless.
Why couldn't they just have kept it simple and to the point instead of concocting
that?
I still love this show and I still love these characters. Even Robin. Even Ted. Even Tracy, and I truly wish Cristin Milioti the best. She was fantastic and deserved better than this.
But this isn't what How I Met Your Mother was leading to. Not at all. If the show ended 7 or even 5 years ago, maybe it could have worked. But the Ted Mosby and Robin Scherbatsky of this point should know better.
I don't think I can overlook how years of character development for Ted, Robin, and Barney were utterly destroyed in a single hour.
It'll be on the back of my mind whenever I watch reruns of the show. I don't think I can just...forget that all this time, all that build up and character development, all of it was for naught for an antiquated ending that did not fit what the show and these characters had become. Character regression is the single biggest thing that infuriates me in a story. While I loved this show so much, this ending has done a lot to damage exactly what I loved about it. I guess I'll have to see how much entertainment I can still draw from the show on re-watches, but I don't think I can be a fan of it anymore.
I actually did try out a couple of episodes earlier today, and somehow the finale is already removed enough from my mind for them to still entertain.
I might get into another rant later anyway, but I'm not sure. It's still...
I never understand finales like this or Seinfeld or Newhart. People don't want to be "surprised" by finales, I thought that was well known. They just want the logical progression to reach its normal end.
Just, like, end it. How hard can it be?
It was a killing spree ending, wasn't it? NPH finally realized he was a better actor than the others, and just blew them all away, didn't he?
The only person who died was the mother.
The whole point of the show.
Then it's revealed that he told this story to his kids because he still held a torch for Robin after all those years (which kind of shits all over the "This will never work." angle they've been doing with those 2), wanted a booty call from her and wanted their blessing. I don't know... if I was one of their kids, I would consider therapy after this.
From what I can gather, this is like their version of One More Day for HIMYM fans.
EDIT: Finally watched it in it's full "glory" It pretty much took a giant shit on the years of development and spoiler alert, I'm pretty much the guy that just catches the occasional rerun on networks like My Network and FX. Still felt like a middle finger to me.
To even add to my OMD comparison, I'm also throwing in the controversy surrounding Mass Effect 3 ending into the ring as well. Never have I seen so much nerd rage thrown around than those 2 things.
I would have been fine with the mother being dead.
I would have been fine with Barney and Robin divorcing.
I would have been fine with Ted and Robin getting back together (kind of).
But wow, did this not work out. Like, at all.
The idea of the mother being dead has been around since the show began, but especially came up in discussion after this speech (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9Q-rW433l0) (which is somehow still one of my favorite moments in the show) from last season, and were all but confirmed here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sJeI9RuSls), just a few episodes prior. I know that no matter how you'd spin it, a decent amount of the fanbase would not like this concept at all. Whatever amount of defense I could have given it, though, was thrown out of the window when Ted barely reflects on it. Yes, the kids know that their mom isn't with them anymore, and they probably have heard why a million times over and have seen Ted grieve in the 6 years since, but you know what? We haven't. And especially after she was added as a character this season, portrayed by somebody who had given so much life to her, it's insulting that we don't even get to know what disease she suffered from, and not even a minute after revealing to the audience that she's dead, her husband goes and tries to win back his ex. Again, I understand that a different amount of time has passed on the show for them as it has for us, but that is wrong.
As for Barney and Robin, it's no secret that I love them, both together and separately. I was really rooting for them, even though there were obvious signs present about their demise over this season. But any black cloud has a silver lining, and they were able to patch up most of them before they said "I do". You know what wasn't a problem, though? Robin's future as a world-traveling news anchor. But you know what? Even though the idea that Barney wasn't happy with Robin constantly being out of the state or country was something just brought up later, I can believe it. I wouldn't exactly be chipper about my wife being away most of the time, although I'm not so sure that I'd want a divorce because of it.
I don't buy, and certainly don't like, that after the divorce, this is basically it for the couple. They barely interact after telling the gang about it, and the only hint that either one still has feelings in that way about the other is Robin's annoyance at Barney getting a random woman's number. Is it too much to wish that one still held a candle for the other? Or did constantly being away from one another completely terminate their passion for each other?
And while we're at it, part of me understands why Barney reverted back to his old ways right after the divorce. It happened when he and Robin broke up the first time, and like many a recovering addict after a bad ordeal, he relapsed. Yet I can't tell what's more gross- the fact that a man in his 40's wrote an entirely new Playbook to hit on random women, or that Barney's wonderful oath to Robin that he wouldn't lie to her (which, as far as we know, he did keep) wasn't enough of a sign of true love for him, since the only way he can fine happiness is from the birth of a kid by a woman whose name we only know as #31? Which, now that I think about it, is absolutely disgusting.
And yes, Ted and Robin did love each other. I think they kind of never stopped, as many times as Ted said that he did. But why on earth would Robin want to get back with a guy who forced her to get rid of her dogs? Whose ideas of forced romance did little but bug her over the years? Who, just like Barney, did not like the idea of her traveling around the world? And for that matter, why did Ted attempt to tell his kids such a bloated story, promising to tell them about their mother but barely does, just for approval to bate their "aunt"? That's just gross.
Not to mention that we've been told before that "aunt" Robin was supposed to be close to Ted's kids, yet the first time his daughter sees her in a speaking role, she calls Robin "bus lady"?
It's just... wrong. I didn't talk about Marshall and Lily, because I actually kind of like how their arc went. It would have been too fantastical for Lily to succeed in the art industry, as everyone else got to have their dreams come true. Especially since it's been proven before that she isn't a particularly good artist, and that the person she helped find pieces for was constantly proven to be an unstable man. It's kind of dark that she ended up becoming a housewife and mother of three, while Marshall got to work for the senate, but that's the kind of "realism" that I think turned out fine.
For a show that teaches us about the importance of the little things in life, there's a lot of little things that do not work here, and as a fan, I'm not sure if I can ever forgive Bays and Thomas for it. I'll keep my DVDs and will buy the last season, but I don't think I can watch the finale again, or if I do, it'll be a much shorter experience.
Nice impressions. Though I'm not a big fan like you, I certainly was disappointed with it for the same reasons as you. I didn't have any problems with Marshall and Lily because it was fairly realistic as it goes and not anything out of left field. It was a logical end point. The problem was the rest of the mess.
The worst part is the implication that he was only telling his kids this story so he could get permission to date Robin.
Way to undercut everything about the show.
Not to mention that it makes the entire season a waste since Barney and Robin, whose wedding day weekend was the whole of this final season, broke up not even 20 minutes into the finale.
I've said before, and have seen others also say, that instead of dedicating basically this entire season on their wedding, they should have cut that arc in half and spend the rest of the season up to the finale going over the developments that occurred there. A lot of these ideas could have worked with more time, not to mention that there was a LOT of fat in this season that could've easily gone away.
A final episode where Ted sits with Tracy on her deathbed, says his goodbyes, and then gets to see the gang before Ted finishes his story would have made for a better ending in my mind.
Your posts reflect my own personal sentiments exactly. I don't mind that the mother died or Barney and Robin divorced, but it was the how, why, and aftermath that bothers me so much. And Ted and Robin being together still doesn't make sense since nothing has changed to help make their relationship work this time. Plus, fixating the entire season on Barney and Robin's wedding, while leaving 16 years of the characters' lives to be seen in just one hour of episodes, was a terrible direction. The season should have been split half on the wedding, half on everything that happened here. That way they could've built up, and made the stuff that happened here work a little better and more naturally, though the ultimate ending of Ted and Robin being together still needs serious revision, imo. I think there were a lot of good ideas here, but this was a really poorly executed finale, and it ended up damaging and portraying Ted, Robin, and Barney's characters in a quite dislikable light, which annoys and saddens me.
Quote from: Avaitor on April 02, 2014, 08:29:07 PM
A final episode where Ted sits with Tracy on her deathbed, says his goodbyes, and then gets to see the gang before Ted finishes his story would have made for a better ending in my mind.
Now that's an ending I can get behind.
The tears to this finale never end. (http://bookgeekconfessions.tumblr.com/post/81420831640/an-open-letter-to-the-creators-of-how-i-met-your)
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I'm giving this thing a month before all the rage dies down to a reasonable level, and by reasonable.... I mean it's mostly the diehard fans that won't let it go.
Turns out there's an alternate ending to the series that will be included in the 9th season dvd set. (http://www.deadline.com/2014/04/how-i-met-your-mother-himym-ending-dvd-series-finale-happy/) It's just a different editing of the footage we saw in the episode, but apparently it's more of a "happy ending." Well, I doubt it'll solve every problem I had with the finale, but it gets rid of that whole Ted-Robin get together stuff, then I'd probably like it better than the current one. We'll have to see when the set hits the shelves.
The ending is the very worst thing about the finale, IMO, so I'd be okay with the alternate depending on how it goes.
This is a pretty interesting theory. (http://www.eonline.com/news/535245/mind-blowing-meg-ryan-theory-the-how-i-met-your-mother-spinoff-is-actually-when-harry-met-sally)
I'm still deciding whether or not I should give this show a chance. I'll probably end up watching the pilot at least.
Wow. It'd be crazy if that actually turns out to be true.
I also will probably check out the pilot. I'll decide whether or not I'll watch the series based on how much I like it.
And apparently, they did plan a scene for Tracy's funeral, but that was cut out for being "too heart-wrenching".
Well I don't know about you, but if she had to die, I would have liked to have seen that.
CBS rejects pilot for a spinoff. (http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/05/14/how-i-met-your-mother-spinoff-didnt-work-out)
Well, they're free to shop it around to other networks it seems, so it might still get made. I'd rather it never does, though. Just don't see it turning out well.
There's always Netflix, too. The show does pretty well on there.
But really, Thomas and Bays should just accept that sometimes they don't know what's right for their project and change things if that's what needs to be done. There had to be people telling them that the show's endgame was terrible.
Even though I'm still sore about the finale
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I couldn't say no to finishing the collection. Although I won't get to watching any of season 9 again for a while. Because I'm actually watching the show from the very beginning again (http://avaitorsblog.blogspot.com/search/label/HIMYM), at a pretty slow pace. I honestly made this blog so I could work on my writing style, so these reviews are for myself more than anyone, but it's been nice going over every single thing about the show again and reflecting on what does and doesn't work. I won't bother updating you guys on the reviews, but I'll keep on going as much as I can.
I started reading your blog a week or so ago but I keep forgetting to comment on your blog posts. I've been enjoying your write-ups so far, and think you've been pretty spot-on for most of the episodes. I feel the series was really finding it's footing early on in the first season and doesn't really start hitting a groove until the middle of it, imo. But the gradual evolution of the show is still interesting to see in those early episodes, and you've touched on some good aspects on that front. Keep up the good work!
Now that I hit this point in my reviews, here's a fun fact I just learned- around 2011, the producers of the show made a poll where they determined which of Ted's exes the fans preferred. Victoria won over Robin.
If that doesn't tell you how little people were holding out on them making it back together, I don't know what does.
Also, if anyone cares, my top 10 episodes would likely look like this
10- Arrivederci, Fiero
9- The Time Travelers
8- Last Words
7- Drumroll, Please
6- Natural History
5- Symphony of Illumination
4- Slap Bet
3- Intervention
2- How Your Mother Met Me
1- The Final Page