(S02E11) First of all, I need to apologize to you folks... I've been spelling Alyson Hannigan's character's name wrong this whole season, and I didn't realize it until I saw the title to this episode. Lily... with two "l's" instead of three. Who knew? Considering no one called me out on it in the comments (and believe me, people do that), I guess you all were fooled, too.Anyway... so whaddaya think that word is that Ted said about Lily in the old answering machine message? You know... the one for which the writers so kindly thought to substitute the word "Grinch". At first I thought it was a word that started with "b" and sort of rhymed with "Grinch," but shows say that word all the time, even at 8 PM. Could it have possibly been the c-word? Really? I mean, Lily did rip Marhsall's heart out over the summer, but even that didn't merit the dreaded c-word.
I almost want it to be the c-word, though, just so I can imagine the kids of Ted's super-religious cousin screaming that word over and over.
Isn't it refreshing, by the way, how pretty much every relationship is being examined this year except Ted and Robin's? We've looked at Marshall and Lily, Marshal without Lily, Lily and Barney, Barney and Barney, and Barney and his black gay brother. Now it's all about Lily and Ted. They're in one of those situations where they're close friends, not just friends-by-association. Those are rare, but they happen. So, its understandable that Ted was still a little pissed at Lily for taking off to San Fran in the summer, almost as much as what it did to him as what it did to Marshall. You'd think, though, that he wouldn't carry that grudge for six months, considering Lily and Marshall are engaged and everything.
Oh, well; it did give us another chance to see Lily's tiny Bronx apartment, where she took the Winter Wonderland after she found out Ted called her a "Grinch." Does she even use the place anymore now that she and Marshall are engaged? Maybe it'll become a Chinese restaurant like the last one did.
Back to the relationships thing... the reason why I like how this year has played out is because we're not spending it going round and round with the Ted and Robin "will they or won't they" schtick, which weighed the show down last season. Without that albatross around their necks, Carter and Craig now have the room to do silly things like show Marshall helping an ersatz UPS man deliver all his presents on Christmas Eve, or show what Barney's like when he gets sick.
Which leads me to this week's Best Barneyism: "My nose is just overflowing with awesome, and I had to get some of it out." Ewww. But a babyish Barney ("ouchie in my mouth!"), making Robin feed him soup as he lay in Ted's bed wearing elastic-waist fleece pants was priceless, as was his falling asleep in the middle of a "legend... wait for it... dary." Thank god Robin spiked his echinecia tea with codene. Have I told you how much I like her?
Other stuff:
- Bringing a mug of beer as a peace offering: sweet. I should try that sometime.
- "Ted Vivian Moseby!" That's not his middle name. It's the more manly "Evelyn."
- "Merry Christmas, Marshall." I like his gift to himself: diving into the dough of Lily's Christmas cookies.
- We all know that running down a friend's ex-girlfriend is the best way to help him get over her... right?
- "Merry Christmas, assface."
- Nice little cameo by Ted's parents, including his mom's new boyfriend (but I liked the line "I could spend the holiday with dad and his new girlfriend... microbrewing."
- What the hell was Robin screaming when she was extinguishing the burning cookies?
- We discovered a new comedic situation: what happens when you voice dial someone by mistake. I'll find that out with my new phone...
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
12-11-2006 @ 10:49PM
bluekidcory said...
The "Grinch" word has to be the b word cause you can't forget he used "fudge" just moments later and he is telling this story to his kids. Besides, the humour of putting together whether it was the real Grinch or the other Grinch made it ten times better. I loved seeing Barney when he was sick too, even his sickness brought classic Barney-isms to life.
TOODLES
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12-11-2006 @ 10:55PM
ladi said...
It had to be the c-word. And I think that running down your friends x-boyfriend or x-girlfriend is what friends do for each other. When you're heartbroken it's nice to hear bad things about the one that broke your heart.
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12-11-2006 @ 10:57PM
David said...
I was thinking c-word the whole episode...Bi--h just isnt that big of a deal and doesn't compare...great show, great episode...another great line - after Robin said she spiked Barney's tea, Ted's response that "you'll be a great mother" was awesome
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12-11-2006 @ 11:06PM
jake said...
This is the funniest episode of the season -- more people should be watching this show!
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12-11-2006 @ 11:45PM
Cody said...
I am thinking it was the c-word. I think the writers left a hidden clue in the name of Ted's Mom's new boyfriend, Clint. Type that name in all capital letters and squint at it and see what happens.
Or maybe I am reading waay too into it.
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12-12-2006 @ 12:09AM
FAP said...
It had to be the C word. No other word can piss off a girl so completely and unforgivably as that word. I don't know why but it does, trust me.
Oh and I bought the girl I lived with in college an easy bake oven because she always wanted one as a kid. She never did make me that brownie, freakin Grinch.
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12-12-2006 @ 12:10AM
purpleslog said...
It had to be the C-word. With a "!" after it.
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12-12-2006 @ 12:47AM
jOHN! said...
C
U
Next
Tuesday
Um... Shouldn't Ted's mother's new boyfriend be familiar to Lily? Didn't he play a certain mayor of Sunnyvale?
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12-12-2006 @ 12:51AM
Dorv said...
The Weadon connection on this show continues. First there's Alyson, then her husband Alexis, Amy Acker, Morena Baccarin, Tom Lenk, and now Harry Groener plays Clint.
If I didn't already love this show, I would just for the casting.
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12-12-2006 @ 1:26AM
nukethewhalesagain said...
It was definitely the C-word. The B-word would not have sparked that kind of anger from Ted's mom and sister. And as for whether Lily deserved it, I think she did over the summer. Marshall is Ted's best friend and when someone absolutely destroys your friend like that, you will call her every word you can think of. I thought this episode was great but a little late. Ever since Lily came back in the second episode of the season, I have been wondering how Ted could just welcome her back as easily as he did. It did not make any sense for him to be mad this late, but still it was a great episode.
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12-12-2006 @ 1:47AM
Chester said...
Think the word was C'face, as Lily did call him assface.
The Grinch reference I think backed up the C'face as the hairy face of the grinch.............!!!!
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12-12-2006 @ 1:49AM
Andy said...
Incredibly sweet episode. If I didn't already know it was impossible, I'd be rooting for Lily to be the mother.
Gotta love Barney babying it up on Robin. That was priceless and caught me completely off guard.
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12-12-2006 @ 2:32AM
Bill said...
Favorite scene: Lily and Ted toking up, I just broke down and laughed uncontrollably when I saw that for some reason. (Not that I wasn't laughing hysterically through the entire episode, one of the funniest yet.)
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12-12-2006 @ 2:59AM
Urgh said...
The best part was Barney in the hall. Sneezes himself against the wall. The does the crazy coughing fit and falls down. It's been a long time since I've seen non-annoying slapstick.
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12-12-2006 @ 6:14AM
Bernd said...
Did anybody else just LOVE the part where Marshall and Barney start singing "Silent Night"? It was very funny but also it sounded so great and lovely! Wish I could have that version as mp3 :-)
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12-12-2006 @ 7:58AM
Alicia said...
I was wondering why she was getting all upset about the "B" word, but now that you have opened my eyes and said the "C" word, oh yeah.... it all fits!
It was a really really nice episode!
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12-12-2006 @ 8:04AM
mat said...
It was the B-word. Even though it's common on tv, they obviously didn't want to use it every time they said grinch--they would have used it 25 times. They were making an effor to be humorous, which it was, and not be offensive.
The c-word is not funny.
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12-12-2006 @ 8:43AM
Kerry said...
For those who asked, Robin screamed: Sweet Mother Of God! as she was extinguishing the cookie fire. Definately one of the best episodes so far. Lily and Ted 1998 flashback was killer! This show rocks!
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12-12-2006 @ 9:20AM
OnlyRumors said...
Mos def the C word
And wasn't that Moon Zappa playing Ted's sister/cousin?
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12-12-2006 @ 9:26AM
Porchland said...
I didn't think it was an all-time classic as others here have said, but this show is building a huge stable of very good episodes this season.
This show reminds me of so many classic sitcoms. It has the silliness of "Three's Company" or "Mork and Minday"; occasional surreal moments that remind me of "Ally McBeal" and "Dream On"; great ensemble stories that let different characters shine in different contexts each week like "Just Shoot Me" and "NewsRadio"; buddy bits straight out of "Laverne and Shirley"; and the style of humor definitely owes a lot to "Friends" and "Will and Grace."
I really hope this show will gain viewers in the spring and guarantee a pick-up for a third season.
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