A quick note: Like some hot yet unattainable substitute teacher, I'm stepping in for the vacationing Josh to cover this week's How I Met Your Mother.

One of the great things about Mother is that it remembers its history. In the case of tonight's episode, Barney flashes back to his pre-suit grunge days. That's thanks to Ted, who suggests the gang join a gym to offset all the beer they drink. Barney runs into a former neighbor there, Rhonda "the Manmaker."

See, just after his ex left Grunge-Barney for the man in the Armani suit, brother James (Wayne Brady, again hilarious in the part) suggested virginal Barney rebound with the Manmaker. Her supposed post-coital enthusiasm resurrected our favorite lecher like, in his words, a phoenix from a menthol-laden pyre. In the present, though, Rhonda doesn't at all remember Barney, and thus is his self-image called into question.

How better to regain it than a night with Victoria's Secret models? Alas, our boy is reduced to pathetic pick-ups, even blanking mid-"legen..."

As for the rest of the gang, their plots were thin: Marshall got a diminutive dictator for a trainer; Robin touted her beauty and then turned uber-masculine while working out; Ted, who suggested the gym plan, never actually worked out. Oh, and Barney? Rest assured, by episode's end he was back in form.

Wayne Brady's cameo as James, not yet recognizing his homosexuality, was packed with laughs. The models weren't called on to do much heavy lifting, though Heidi Klum was amusing in her role as a mini-hamburger-obsessed sympathetic ear. Any German-speakers want to tell us whether her phrase for "the yips" was real?

Biggest Laugh of the Night: "Do you smell that? Smells like there's a little bitch in my gym. Are you being a little bitch in my gym?" This from tiny personal trainer Trish to Marshall.

Comments

Grade-A episode. Loved Marshall's dictator of gym-instructor.

Dan | Nov 26, 2007 8:01:45 PM | #

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I couldn't make all of it out, but what I heard was.

First time: "Auch du meine gutte gar nichts klapt mehr so eine ..." (the last few words didn't make any sense to me. Could be my german, could be that it was too mumbled).

Second time: "Auch du meine gutte gar nichts klap mehr überhaupt nicht ..."

So it changes the second time.

What I did understand means "Oh my goodness nothing works any more ..."

Second time it's like "Oh my goodness absolutely nothing works any more ..."

Jabon | Nov 26, 2007 10:09:16 PM | #

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Another great HIMYM epi. Did I miss how Wayne Brady is Barney's brother or has that not been explained yet?
"Ledgen-wait-for-it..."

mike | Nov 26, 2007 11:16:25 PM | #

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Yes Mike you did miss how Wayne Brady is Barney's brother and I can't remember enough of it to explain it to you. It was explained in an episode last season though when Robyn was still dating Ted when James came to visit and was Barney's wingman when he messed up with picking up women but he was caught texting his boyfriend and had to admit to Barney that he no longer went out on the prowl because he was in love. I think the upshot was that neither Barney nor James knew who their Father was because it was never discussed but they did have the same Mother.
Anyway, I was impressed that Robyn actually went the whole mile and looked as rough as most of us after spending time in the gym unlike Lily who didn't even look as if she needed to be there - perky and glamorous!
Where was Marshall during the Victoria's Secret debacle? He arrived with Ted and Barney and then promptly disappeared and was not seen again...
Even though they didn't have to do much - the VS models looked great, Lily should have been around to steal their clothes!
Wayne Brady was fantastic - he even looked cute with coke can headphones on and he showed what a loyal brother he was by taking one for the team with Rhonda!

Sirius | Nov 27, 2007 1:07:31 AM | #

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Great ep, but nothing made me happier than seeing Marshall wearing an Oklahoma A & M (that's old school OSU) t-shirt!

Alyx | Nov 27, 2007 6:18:48 AM | #

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Blah - another unfunny episode. Guess I'll watch what may be their final ep with the strike and it not going to be renewed for next year.

John | Nov 27, 2007 6:57:33 AM | #

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I'm starting to worry that this show peaked last season. This season's episodes have been sort of funny, but so far nothing has lived up to last year's Slap Bet episode (or the Ted Mosby-Architect episode or even the multiple wedding episodes). And last night's jokes were on the wrong side of the raunchy line. In the past, this show has done a great job with innuendo - the jokes made me laugh, but I wasn't embarrassed to watch with my mother - but there is no way I would want to watch last night's episode with my family in the room. Hopefully the next episode will be better. If this show doesn't get renewed (which I hope isn't true), I want it to go out on a high note.

AD | Nov 27, 2007 8:19:41 AM | #

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AD, I agree. This is an 8:00 pm show, and I couldn't believe the way they handled the topic. They seem to be going for the easy, obvious jokes more...which makes HIMYM just another comedy in the long line of blah comedies. I sure hope it finds the charm it once had.

I did enjoy Robin and Ted's little B-plot. And I'd love to see more of Wayne Brady--maybe not every week, but a more regular guest.

Tree | Nov 27, 2007 10:15:38 AM | #

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Thanks, Jabon. I thought that German was just gibberish. And, yes, Sirius, Marshall did disappear at the party. Maybe the writers just had nothing for him to do--or maybe it's fodder for a future episode?

meggins | Nov 27, 2007 3:44:09 PM | #

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Wow! Quick. Concise. Decidedly readable. I could get used to this. I hope the regular teacher is on maternity leave.

And it is nice that we've gone a few weeks now without a flavor-of-the-week woman for Ted.

Goph | Nov 27, 2007 7:08:33 PM | #

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I thought it was really funny. I had one of those shirts that Barney wore in his "grunge" days, except with us, it was the Grateful Dead crowd. I thing Meggins is on to something - Marshall at the Victoria's Secret party will turn up in a later episode. I agree that the show should be on later - if only because, personally, it makes it easier for me to watch at a later hour. Hate 8:00 shows - that the witching hour for people with grade school kids.

Sue | Nov 28, 2007 12:56:52 PM | #

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Toward the end of the show, when they're all sitting at the pub, Marshall is wearing a blue striped, polo style shirt with some sort of a crest for the logo. Can anyone tell me what brand this is?

Thanks.

LaurenKU | Nov 28, 2007 1:18:08 PM | #

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Yeah Mike, Barney and Wayne Brady's character are half-brothers, having the same mother, but neither knowing their father.
I was also thinking Marshall at the after party will come up later, because there was too much potential, but not much played out in regards to the party.

Mandy | Nov 28, 2007 2:56:01 PM | #

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Laruen KU the shirt is Fred Perry, used to be a tennis player now a brand http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Perry

Chris uk | Jul 8, 2008 12:48:19 PM | #

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