'How I Met Your Mother': Revertigo!
Sometimes a television episode is oh-so-close to being excellent that I end up feeling more distressed at the small failing moments than I should. These moments end up overshadowing the rest of the wonderfulness that I witnessed. Such, I fear, is the case with tonight's How I Met Your Mother.
This week's episode began, after a brief recap of Robin's life (and a clip of Robin Sparkles), with the gang at the bar where Ted interrupted a story in order to comment on Robin's breasts. As it turned out, they were looking extra nice because an ex-boyfriend of Robin's, Simon (played by that Dawson kid who, once upon a time, had a thing for Tom Cruise's wife), was in town and she wanted to impress him (Simon, not Tom Cruise). There was really no impressing necessary as Simon had gotten fat, bald, and spent his life spacing out kids who wanted to go down a waterslide.
What made Simon impressive to me though is that he starred in a Robin Sparkles video... and not "Let's go to the Mall." That's right, there's another Robin Sparkles video out there, and if you didn't instantly pause your TiVo and Google it, you're inhuman. Either that, or you don't have a TiVo (I don't know which is worse). That aside, Simon was pretty much a zero, but Robin was still completely infatuated, and actually agreed to go out with him again.
Marshall and Ted understood Robin's problem -- revertigo (Ted would disagree with the word, but not the notion behind it). Revertigo is the process by which when people see someone from their distant past they end up reverting to how they acted when they were friends with said individual. As we saw, Lily acts completely different around her high school friend Michelle than she does when she is with Marshall, Ted, and company. The same is true of the way Ted acts around his friend, Punchy, when said Punchy is in town.
But I digress. Robin was back in love with Simon and agreed to play a demo for his band, The Foreskins (yup, The Foreskins), on the news. The only way she could fit the song in was to play a track, "Murder Train," over a piece about adopting puppies. And yet, despite that, Simon dumped Robin right after his next show for the same girl he dumped her for 10 years ago.
After all of her other friends did their best to cheer Robin up, it was Barney, showing up late after not being able to find Robin Sparkles' other video, who saved the day. Barney made Robin realize just how lame she used to be, and how awesome she is now. Then, as a show of good faith, Robin brought Barney back to her place.
There, she revealed herself to him. There, she gave Barney a copy of her "Sandcastles in the Sand" video. They watched it over, and over, and over again... and then *spoiler alert* they made out.
Okay, I think we can all admit it, we're dying to have a great episode of this show. Tonight almost, sort of, practically delivered. The jokes were spot on, the story intriguing, and Robin Sparkles made another appearance. However, I can't help feeling a little empty inside after watching the "Sandcastles in the Sand" video. I get that it was supposed to be an "artistic follow-up" to "Let's go to the Mall," but, even as a bad music video, it didn't quite measure up to that previous effort. Plus, Simon said that he was in "the other one," which might just mean that there are no more Robin Sparkles videos out there. And that I'm not sure I can take.
Thoughts, maybe a quote, and a question:
- Maybe I'm wrong, but hasn't it already been hypothesized (among viewers, if not the show) that Robin and Barney get together? I'm not sure that they do become a couple, but I feel like it was inevitable that they would hook up, so I wasn't terribly impressed there. This may be more the case because Old Ted's slow-paced voiceover made the kissing a foregone conclusion.
- Okay, it's not a quote, but I hereby nominate for best moment tonight, Robin and Dawson doing the Canadian accents early in the episode.
- In the end, unfortunately, the music video came right at the end of the episode (excluding the kiss), and so it's what I walked away from the show with. But, I'm curious to know, did the video ruin it for you too?
- Don't bother wasting your time googling it, here's the "Sandcastles in the Sand" video. And, just so you have it, a link to The TV and Film Guy's Reviews too.
I think this was one of the funniest episodes in a long time. I called a Barney/Robin relationship since the "wingman" episode in season 1. I loved it.
CBS has the full music video available now online! I have to agree that the ending of this episode wasn't surprising. The only thing inhuman is that CBS still have not renewed this show!
The show jumped the shark tonight in my opinion. Barney, while a sleezebag, is a good friend. Remember all the good he did to help Marshall and Lily? Well he wouldn't make out with Robin, his so called Best Friend's Ex, without talking with Ted.
I really enjoyed this show, but if this is where it is going, I think it is time to say good bye and let us remember the really great shows.
I have yet to watch an episode of this show I did not like. Suffice to say that I disagree with any minor quibbles you others have--it's still in the top 4 funniest shows on TV, easily.
I thought that most of the disappointment I felt from the video was overcome by the interesting twist at the end (even if the fakeout rightt before the video hadn't defeated my su****ions). So with Stella, the umbrella (maybe?), Barney's stalker, and now this big development, I feel that there is alot to cover before the season ends.
And next episode is Goat, which I ***ume pays off Ted's 30th birthday story that he hinted to in season one.
I too have seen the relationship between Barney and Robin forthcoming (the Scherbatsky doormat anyone?) and couldn't have been happier at the ending to last night's ep.
And "Sandcastles in the Sand" has not stopped running though my head.
I kind of agree that Sandcastles in the Sand was kind of a disappointment but, in a way, it needed to be. Robin even said that that single was a failure so it was supposed to be not as good as Let's Go to the Mall....right? I do admit, however, that the song is pretty catchy. Sandcastles in the Saaaaaaaaannnnd.
But the disappointment that was SitS was only temporary because the Robin/Barney hookup was awesome. I hope Robin and Barney can work up a non-typical relationship that works for both of them.
Hello! Tiffany was in her video. TIFFANY!!! :)
This was the best episode since the writers strike. I really enjoyed it. No, it wasn't the best episode ever, but it was strong. The whole re-vertigo was fun, not as strong as it would normally be, but this episode had a purpose. To get Robin & Barney together and to give us a new Robin Sparkles video. I thought the video was great, with Tiffany and the dude from Growing Pains in it was priceless. It was a very good cross between a Debbie Gibson and Belinda Carlisle video.
I think most of us were waiting, even rooting for Barney and Robin to get together. The question is, will they try to hide it like they did on Friends, or if they'll work the story as Barney trying to be in a committed relationship. Which honestly, could be funny as anything they've ever done this show. What would be even funnier, would be if in the season finale, Robin "Lemon Laws" Barney:)
Argh! I'll have to stream this over the weekend (lack of TiVo, DVR... and even a blank VHS) because I only caught the end of the show (Sandcastles in the Sand).
And two things kept repeating in my head as I tried to deduce the premise of the episode: "It's still the Canadian 80's so Robin could be on The Pill," and "Is that Alan Thicke?"
Even the last few moments, Barney making out with Robin? Will this be like the time he slept with Lily, or will it be long and painful?