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'How I Met Your Mother' ends global warming
It's kind of a saying, okay, it's totally a saying – the more things change the more they stay the same. Tonight's episode of How I Met Your Mother provided a great illustration of just that. Though it ended pretty much how it began, each of the characters changed in some way over the course of the episode.
The biggest change of all tonight was Barney getting old, very old. The start of the show featured Barney showing up at the bar dressed as an 83 year-old man. He was there to convince a poor young thing, Cindy, that she just had to sleep with young Barney Stinson or the world would be destroyed. Old Barney explained to Cindy that if she didn't sleep with young Barney, he'd never be able to stop global warming. Old Barney even proved that he was from the future by noting that a girl (Robin) was going to slap a guy (Ted) in four seconds, and, sure enough, after he gave a little throat clearing, Robin slapped Ted. In a word – a word Barney would use – it was awesome. Plus, Cindy bought it hook, line, and sinker, and once old Barney disappeared and young Barney showed up, she was ready to go. Awesome.
The rest of the episode featured the gang packing up the apartment (Ted to move to Jersey and Marshall and Lily to go to their new place) and reminiscing about the "good" times that they'd had there. There were great stories about the various ways they destroyed the apartment, all of which had to be recounted in order to determine who cost Ted and Marshall their deposit.
First among the stories was Ted ruining a wall with his encyclopædia – true to form, he said encyclopædia, not encyclopedia and explained why – and an archway with his flail. It was funny, though not quite as funny as Robin getting drunk off of Molson, putting on a hockey outfit, saying Canadian things in a Canadian accent, and almost having a fight with Lily, the premature ending of which caused Barney to put his fist through a wall.
Things did get a little more serious though when the story of the scorch mark on the fireplace came up. It seems as though they had all attended an intervention for a friend of theirs who was abusing alcohol, and once that went well they decided to hold interventions for each other at pretty much the drop of a hat. In fact, they actually held one for Marshall who wouldn't drop wearing a ridiculous, Dr. Seuss-esque, hat. There was also one for Lily who had spent time talking in an annoying British accent, one for Robin who had been obsessed at one point with spray-on tanning, and one for Barney who had been doing magic tricks with fire (which led to the aforementioned scorch mark).
The "serious" came into it when Ted learned that the group had planned an intervention for him, and had even gotten a new intervention sign, the previous one having been scorched. They decided not to hold the intervention, but there was a moment when everyone felt as though Ted was moving too quickly with Stella. Robin, Marshall, and Lily told Ted that they no longer felt that way about the relationship, but Ted still wanted to hear their fears, he was clearly getting cold feet about the relationship. Ted tried to get them to read their letters, but to little avail. Barney sent his up in flames before he got to anything but marriage being bad, Lily's got mailed home to a student of hers in place of a progress report, and Robin didn't write one figuring that she was his ex- and that nothing she said would mean anything (plus, as she rightly pointed out, she's hotter than Stella anyway, so what did she care).
It took Marshall to explain to Ted that they were just worried that he was moving too fast, and that it was a fear they didn't have anymore. Even so, it got Ted to thinking about how much he liked the apartment, about all the good times that had taken place there. It all made such perfect sense to him; everyone in the group's life was awesome when Ted, Marshall, and Lily lived in that apartment, there was no reason to move on.
Thus, Ted, began to unpack. And then Marshall thought about it and began to unpack too. And then Lily jumped on board. And then Robin opted to back out of her trip to Japan. They all wanted their lives to continue unchanged forever.
Barney wasn't present for this madness as he had accepted a never really offered bet from Marshall about how Barney wouldn't be able to pick up a twenty-two year-old woman in his old man makeup. As the gang witnessed when they went back down to the bar to celebrate their newfound love of their old lives, Barney was successful and making out with a young lady. Watching the spectacle was more than a little disgusting however, particularly as Barney was terribly excited by the prospect that he would never have to grow up, that he could keep hooking up with young unsuspecting women when he was 83.
Ted, Marshall, Lily, and Robin quickly did another about face and decided to move on with their lives, and also agreed that they'd meet at the bar in exactly one year, drink a horrifically overpriced bottle of scotch, and reminisce. The show informed us that they didn't in fact do that, after which they retired to the apartment upstairs, the apartment they had just agreed in the present to vacate.
But who was living there? And why? And how? That, kids, is another tale.
Thoughts, quotes, and questions:
- Old Barney was awesome, everything he said was magical, but as I'm only going to choose one quote, how about this one, uttered when he was talking to Cindy about young Barney - "In order to save the planet you need to sleep with him."
- Okay, here's the question, and you probably know what it is without my saying it, but I'll do it anyway – what's your guess on who is living in the apartment and why? What changes?
The TV and Film Guy's Reviews – haaaave you met awesome?
I'm pretty sure it's Ted and Robin living in the apartment. Future Ted did say that he and Robin would be living together on his 31st birthday. So I'm guessing things don't work out with Stella (not much of a guess as being very obvious) and things don't work out for Robin in Japan and she returns home with no apartment and moves in with Ted.
Jyoti | Oct 14, 2008 6:36:49 AM | #Did anyone else notice that Lily didn't drink any of the scotch in 2009? In television world, that can only mean she's pregnant!
Allison | Oct 14, 2008 7:00:30 AM | #Yay! Fantastic episode. I've been enjoying Big Bang Theory more lately, but HIMYM was funnier then Big Bang tonight. I haven't laughed outloud to the show in awhile - but last night I did. I loved the ending bit with Old Barney Intervention and him not hearing them.
Wags | Oct 14, 2008 7:32:57 AM | #This episode was Awe... (wait for it) Some!
Classic HIMYM: From the future Barney intro, to the apartment's ding history, to the interventions. Hilarious!
"Dear Marshall,
I do not like that stupid hat.
I want to beat it with a bat,
Or maybe stab it with a fork.
It makes you look like such a dork."
*lol*
BTW, great make-up and acting to create old Barney!
quisquilian | Oct 14, 2008 8:11:52 AM | #Funny episode, I liked the Old Barney bit. One question though:
Didn't their friend Stuart (I think that's his name) marry that annoying blonde woman in season 1? B/c in last nights episode, there was a different woman talking about Stuart being the man she loves at the alcohol intervention.
Chris | Oct 14, 2008 8:17:27 AM | #I knew it was coming, but it's still disappointing to know, at least, the way it's being made out to look like right now, that Ted and Stella don't live together.
I imagine it's Ted and Robin living upstairs as well.
Tony | Oct 14, 2008 8:33:07 AM | #Btw, I really want them to revisit Barbatsky again. Or Scherson or whatever you want to call it. Potentially awesome couple and they've just dropped that a bit (granted, to figure out more "core" storylines).
Tony | Oct 14, 2008 8:46:50 AM | #I also noticed that Lily next year didn't drink the Scotch and figured she must be pregnant, but she didn't mention it out so she hadn't told people, possibly including Marshall.
Also, no wedding ring for Ted in that scene, so am assuming no wedding with Stella.
st | Oct 14, 2008 9:02:12 AM | #When they were drinking the scotch at the end of the ep, Ted wasn't wearing a wedding ring. So, obviously, things don't work out with Stella.
Tommy | Oct 14, 2008 9:10:05 AM | #Definitely one of the stronger episodes... old Barney was awesome (can't think of a better word).
The one joke I didn't like was the one at the end when Barney scores as an old man and Robin says it doesn't count because she's French and that's like playing tennis with the net down. No one likes to bash the French more than me, but that didn't even make sense. Was she implying the French have an old people fetish?
AC | Oct 14, 2008 9:34:30 AM | #AC, I think the implication was that anyone can score with a French person.
Jen | Oct 14, 2008 10:17:36 AM | #AC - she was implying that french girls are easy. Just like playing tennis without a net to get in the way is easy.
MJ | Oct 14, 2008 10:25:27 AM | #I also noticed Lily didn't drink the scotch. I see that Ted and Robin could be living together as well but did anyone notice the interaction between Barney and Robin? I felt as though they seemed really close and he acted as they were dating. It also was Barney and Robin sitting on one side together when I feel as though Barney is usually on the end by himself. Something to think about??
Dom | Oct 14, 2008 11:48:13 AM | #Dom, I also noticed the Barney / Robin connection (but then I was looking for it as I like these 2 together). The way they positioned themselves for the picture, and the way he got up, waiting for her.
lee-ann | Oct 14, 2008 12:09:23 PM | #HIMYM started to get back on track last night. Robin playing hockey may have been the hottest thing on TV.
I'm not a huge Barney/Robin fan, so I think people are reading too much into their closeness at the end of the episode. I'm pretty sure they've shared seats in the booth way before they hooked up. As for the picture, they were taking a group shot, you're supposed to get in close. I think the whole Barney/Robin subplot is just to distract people for the time being.
It wasn't a perfect episode, but way better than that stupid hamburger one.
MC | Oct 14, 2008 1:18:05 PM | #I also noticed Lilly not drinking, so I bet she is pregnant. And I would think one year from then would be not long after Ted's 31st birthday so Robin and Ted should be living in the apartment. I would think Ted and Stella won't work out and then when things crash and burn in Japan for Robin, she will have to move in with Ted.
Though, to note, this show isn't the most accurate when it comes to episodes being in chronological order, so it could be a little misleading.
I think it's Barney & Robin.
He loves her.
ScribbledPink | Oct 14, 2008 5:28:57 PM | #After watching The Biggest Loser tonight, I think that if they ever want to do a biopic about the phenom of the reality show's success, then Bob and Jillian should be played by Neil and Cobie.
Kat | Oct 14, 2008 7:11:46 PM | #What Canadian accent??!?! No one in Canada speaks like that!!
That is the same actress playing Stuart's wife - her hair is just a different colour.
Loved this episode - especially old Barney at the end. NPH is awesome!
Canuck girl | Oct 15, 2008 9:01:50 AM | #Thanks, canuck girl! It's more like a weird Scotish accent. We don't talk like that! But Cobie Smulders is Canadian, so I think she's in on the joke ;)
Awesome episode! Ted and/or Robin live upstairs (I bet) and Lily was definitely preggers. They showed that on purpose for sure. Marshall is going to be a hilarious father!
s | Oct 15, 2008 11:30:18 AM | #what's the name of the episode?
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