(S04E14) This week we got a bit of a stealthy episode. There were two overt storylines -- Robin's efforts to get a job and stay in the country and why three of the gang still have "weak-ass crap" on their resumes -- but the real storyline was simmering just underneath.It all had to do with Barney and his feelings for Robin. And the fun of Barney's video resume is only a small part of what you really saw, if you looked hard enough.
Oh, and we got two new websites out of Bays and Thomas this week. But you know that with those two guys at the helm of a show, anything is possimpible ...
The two new websites are a site that contains Barney's video resume, complete with a video for "Barney Stinson: That Guy's Awesome," sung by Barney himself (though he'd deny it ... barely). On the video he showed the gang, it's less obvious that it's Barney singing, mainly because NPH does a good job singing a little differently than we're used to hearing from him. But it didn't seem to get past Ted, probably because of Barney's more-obvious narration using a suspiciously various British/Scottish accent. Only Barney can create excitement out of the attribute "Punctual."
The other website is Ted's 1998-era website for his "secret" radio identity, Dr. X. There you can hear the Doctor's takes on the Jockrocracy, the Ivy League, and sweatshops. I'd listen to all of them, but both sites got slammed after the episode aired; the folks at the show assure me that they'll be getting some more bandwidth for the sites sometime this evening. Anyway, it's typical of Ted's college toolishness that a) he thought he was being profound with his campaigns like "Meal Plan = Racism" and that b) anyone was listening to him. Even Marshall and Lily, who knew who he was, called him a "douche" and a "tool" when he was on the air.
Back to the video resume. As most of you probably noticed, when Marshall speculated that Robin could marry to stay in the country, we saw Barney in the background get up and get down on one knee, only to sit back down when Marshall dismissed the notion. Anyone who's been watching the show over the last year knows how far Barney will go for Robin. So he suggests she make the video; he still makes it after she bails on him; he completes it and sends it; he turns down jobs and negotiates raises for her. We all know why he's going the extra mile; having Robin up in the supposed "worst place in the world" would break his heart. It was a nice subtle way to extend the Barney/Robin storyline without creaming us over the head with it.
More fun stuff:
- Lily's forays into competitive hot dog eating was a good excuse for Alyson Hannigan to show her pregnant belly ... twice. It even took me a second to make the connection after she did it the second time around.
- The jokes about Marshall and his dancer's hip were priceless. Though the better line is when he soberly tells Lily that "I dance more than you know." Looks like 'Nilla Thunder didn't injure the hip making any of those rim-bending dunks of his, did he?
- Though the video was good, Barney's fake words were the Best Barneyism of the week. My favorites were "possimpible" and "visitivity."
- One of these days, an anchor will have "wear a condom" as his or her killer sign-off line.
- The ribbing on Canada continues; no one knows where Alberta is, for instance.
It was an interesting episode, with funny moments and a nice push of the storyline, something we haven't seen as often this season. The standalone-ish episodes Bays/Thomas have been writing this year have tended to venture into Sitcomland cliche more than in past years, but when the underlying story between the members of the gang is there, things work well. This episode had elements of both. It could have been better, but it wasn't bad.
How I Met Your Mother' Photos
Actor Neil Patrick Harris arrives in an Audi to the Entertainment Tonight Emmy Party at the Disney Concert Hall on September 21, 2008 in Los Angeles.
Kevin Parry/WireImage.com
Presenters Kristin Chenoweth and Neil Patrick Harris on stage at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards held at the NOKIA Theatre on September 21, 2008 in Los Angeles, California.
Mathew Imaging/WireImage.com
Presenters Kristin Chenoweth and Neil Patrick Harris on stage at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards held at the NOKIA Theatre on September 21, 2008 in Los Angeles, California.
Mathew Imaging/WireImage.com
LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 21: Presenters Kristin Chenoweth and Neil Patrick Harris speak onstage during the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards held at Nokia Theatre on September 21, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kristin Chenoweth;Neil Patrick Harris
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LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 21: Actor Neil Patrick Harris (R) and David Burtka arrive at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards held at Nokia Theatre on September 21, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** David Burtka;Neil Patrick Harris
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Actor Jason Segel attends CBS Comedies
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Actress Cobie Smulders attends CBS Comedies
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Actress Cobie Smulders attends CBS Comedies
Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic.com
Actor Neil Patrick Harris attends CBS Comedies
Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic.com
Actress Alyson Hannigan (R) and her husband, actor Alexis Denisof attend CBS Comedies
Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic.com
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
2-03-2009 @ 12:12AM
sww said...
Loved, loved, loved this episode. This is one of those classic episodes that almost everyone (especially in this economic climate!) can relate to as they look for work -- what do you put on your resume? The storyline felt like it was being forwarded, Canada jokes abounded, and each of the characters had to develop a little bit more, something I feel like season 4, thus far, has been lacking. It made me really like these characters all over again and that's why I say -- definitely best episode of the season, thus far!
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2-03-2009 @ 12:57AM
StillBash said...
Boring boring boring boring boring.
Boring.
Laughed at the gyno joke and "insanulous".
Sorry but how is it acceptable that these supposedly intelligent people have total rubbish on their CVs? I mean Marshal is a lawyer for god's sake how on earth would somebody like that have "I can dunk and I'm from Minnesota" on there? What is this? "Worst week"? This show is getting so god damn dumbed down it hurts. The last scene was hurting me physically. Why is nobody coming to my rallys. I mean the guy looks like he's in his mid-30s and they pretend he's in college. God.
And then the plot devices. Since when would it be impossible for Barney to marry Robin to make her stay in the US? And since when does somebody have to find a job "in her field" and since when is pulling numbers out of a box once a week for 3 minutes considered a legitimate job? And why the hell would a letter from Immigration be sent to her workplace anyway?
And then all the greenscreens.
I mean you can love this episode, sure, but it's like loving Sunday's episode of "The Office". This isn't what I signed up for. This is the exact same crap they pulled on "Scrubs" for four years and now they got their act together for their final season and show us that they can do better - and on "The Office" and HIMYM they are now producing stupid filler, aiming for the lowest common denominator to get cheap laughs and basically phoning it in following the same formula but dumbed down so much it hurts.
This show was once lovable. It isn't anymore. "Friends" at least managed to continue with Monica and Chandler and later on with the irksome Joey and Rachel as well as a couple of nice gueststars like Brad Pitt and Ross' funny College girlfriend with her father Bruce Willis.
But this here... god dammit really. How can it be that Britney Spears as a guest-star actually was better than what's going on here?
You could easily eliminate Marshal and Lily from the show and nobody would even notice anymore. It's Barney or bust. Ted's so bland you could eat dinner from him without even noticing. I feel betrayed. This isn't the great show I loved the last couple of seasons. This is phony. This is boring.
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2-03-2009 @ 1:11AM
Ryan said...
Wow. Tell us how you REALLY feel. Please.
2-03-2009 @ 1:20AM
etana said...
Wow...that was a long post (ie. a lot of time and effort) considering how much you hated it.
2-03-2009 @ 7:31AM
Alicia R. said...
Actually, Marshall said that the marriage wouldn't be proccessed in time. Not that it wouldn't work.
2-03-2009 @ 8:03AM
StillBash said...
Not really. I touch type. Thought about what I wanted to write during the episode and simply hammered it into the comment box in two or three minutes.
I mean honestly where in this episode was there any plot development? Nothing changed at all. Barney got a hug that's it and he bent one knee and stopped because of a bogus reason why marrying would not work within 7 days.
So Robin would've had to leave the country for what? A day or two until the papers were final? Sorry but that was the straw that broke my camel's back.
2-03-2009 @ 8:43AM
Wintermute said...
StillBash said... "And since when does somebody have to find a job 'in her field'..."
Since that's the way work visas work. A buddy of mine is here on work visa, and if he loses his job, not only does a new job have to be in his field, but is has to be close enough in job description and function to satisfy the folks at INS.
'mute
2-03-2009 @ 9:28AM
Kristen said...
And then the plot devices. Since when would it be impossible for Barney to marry Robin to make her stay in the US? And since when does somebody have to find a job "in her field" and since when is pulling numbers out of a box once a week for 3 minutes considered a legitimate job? And why the hell would a letter from Immigration be sent to her workplace anyway?
I'm an immigration attorney and Robin would most likely have come over on a work visa which is actually based on employment with a specific employer. Once she is no longer with that employer, she has to find a new employer or she will be considered out of status - a valid reason for deportation. If we're going to be really nit picky (which is stupid since this is a TV SHOW afterall) without valid employment, Robin would not be able to come back to the US after her stint in Japan. But why focus on all of this? This isn't immigration law, it's HIMYM.
Similarly, she would not just be able to get married to someone, apply for a greencard, go on an interview and get and approval within 7 days. First off, I don't know where you come from, but NOTHING in the US is that efficient. Secondly, they'd have a hard time proving that the marriage was legit. I have clients that are actually married to their spouse and STILL get hassled about the true purpose of their marriage.
That being said, I thought that this episode was really REALLY funny and enjoyed it immensely.
2-03-2009 @ 11:32AM
Joe said...
I really couldn't disagree with you more. True, Barney is the best part of HIMYM, but only in doses. Too much Barney ruins him. Kind of like Kramer on Seinfeld, too much is a bad thing.
http://www.joeonthetube.com
2-03-2009 @ 1:33PM
What Happened? said...
I'm with you, man.
I didn't really find anything about this episode funny (except for Robin's "recycle" tag).
Barney as the main character is throwing the whole concept of the show out-of-whack and the show is suffering.
2-03-2009 @ 3:33AM
Brian said...
Not a terrible episode, but it is funny how the reviewer said this was a change of pace from the "sitcomland" episodes when, in reality, this was about as sitcom as it gets.
Nothing about this episode was the least bit "universal." I laughed at a lot of it and enjoyed watching it, but it was a complete detour from what the show's about. It's supposed to be a slice of life, but this was a slice of your average multicam sitcom.
Something like "Naked Man," yeah, it's absurd, but it's more authentic for this type of show. "How I Met Your Mother" is about a commentary on life; the best sources of comedy on the show are the ones that take on the Seinfeld-esque policy of creating "rules" for how to live life (Lemon Law, Mendoza Diagonal/Gillespie Zone, Have you met......, etc). While you'd never really try the Naked Man, at least it makes you think - someone who had the balls to pull that move PROBABLY would get laid more often. I like ones that try to make the How I Met Your Mother characters and "world" relatable to the average viewer. The resume thing is a funny concept, but it was a poor plot device for the whole "growing up" motif.
Aside from "Benefits," the best episodes this season HAVE been the sitcom-y ones (Intervention, The Fight, Naked Man). The ones that, in the mind of some people, 'further the plot' have been weak because they're not really furthering any plot we care about (The Best Burger episode did further Marshall's job plot, but after re-watching it last week, I can conclude it was one of the worst in the history of the show).
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2-03-2009 @ 4:08AM
WhoElseButME said...
This episode was 'totally~awesome'.
Checked out the website. Nothing beats Ted being the tool he was (sometimes still is) as Dr.X
Nice touch, as has come to be expected of this show.
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2-03-2009 @ 5:24AM
Paul said...
I don't live in the worst place in the world. :( Winnipeg rocks. Damnit, you're so awesome, Barney Stinson. But you hurt me so much.
Also... blizzard in August?! Okay, that was kind of funny. :P
I enjoyed the episode. As for the unrealistic nature of the resumés and crap... this is a SITCOM, PEOPLE! My God.
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2-03-2009 @ 7:32AM
Alicia R. said...
I rather enjoied this episode. Barney dropping the letter was the best.
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2-03-2009 @ 9:27AM
Martin said...
You missed out on the other lame things on their resumes that they showed at the end when they were deleting the talked about ones. Loved Marshall's achievement of Camper of the Year being on there right after Dunkmaster...
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2-03-2009 @ 11:03AM
Martin said...
And Ted's lifegaurd job stayed on as well.. Very relevant to being Ted the Architect. Wonder how many girls Barney can score saying he is Ted the Lifegaurd!
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2-03-2009 @ 11:34AM
Joe said...
I thought it was a good episode. How much did you love Barney's Resume? And I'm always a fan of college Ted.
http://www.joeonthetube.com
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2-03-2009 @ 1:10PM
Brian said...
I think this episode would be even funnier to all of you once you watch the actual video resume that this episode was based on. Yes this is an actual video resume...
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/268703/impossible_is_nothing/
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2-03-2009 @ 2:50PM
Bobby said...
Haha...as soon as Barney mentioned his video resume, I was hoping it would spoof the "impossible is nothing" video. It did not disappoint.
2-04-2009 @ 1:59PM
Usama said...
Wait, I don't think the joke about not knowing what city/state Robin did her first reporting was solely one to poke fun at Canada. Couldn't it also be interpreted as simple American ignorance?
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