(S05E05) Sometimes an episode of HIMYM is full of "mythology" advancement. Sometimes it explores the romantic relationships between the characters. Sometimes there's a goofy website or video to accompany the episode. But sometimes, HIMYM just tells one or two semi-isolated stories. Last year, many of those episodes weren't all that great. But this season is different; everything's been funny, including the mostly silly episode we got tonight.
Which reminds me... I have to figure out where to get a hold of some Tantrum. That stuff is more powerful than 12-Hour Sudafed.
There's really not much to talk about, story-wise: Barney tries to squeeze all the Canadian out of Robin so she can truly become an American; Marshall and Ted drive to Chicago to eat some bad pizza like they did in college, except now Lily and her tiny bladder are along for the ride.
The situations that were created to get these plots going were a bit on the absurd side. Even though Robin thinks she might get deported because a guy she had a "disagreement" with at the Hoser Hut was going to file charges, the subject never comes back up. And reliving the college road trip is always a fun thing to do, but it's never fully explained why Marshall decided to invite Lily despite the fact that this was a traditional "bros" trip with Ted.
Ted decrying the "glob" that Marshall and Lily have become seems weirdly out of place, considering the two of them have been married for over two years and together for over a decade. Didn't they go from "I" to "We" quite a long time ago?
Even with the contrivances, there was still a lot of fun to be had in this episode:
- Barney's condescending speech to what he thinks is all of Canada -- a gathering of folks at a Toronto Tim Horton's -- was the Best Barneyism of the week in a week full of good Barney anti-Canada material. For instance, he said he "flew across the Atlantic" to find Robin in Toronto.
- Thankfully, Robin let Barney get the snot beat out of him for his speech, and she took a couple of shots, too. Any girlfriend of Barney's really needs to be ready to pop him one at a moment's notice.
- That Bryan Adams / Rich Little double bill must have been killer... or maybe not.
- TANTRUM! It's so strong it gives you the strength to tear a phone book in half, and in Lily's case, ride on the top of Ted's car.
- I think I stayed at a B&B similar to Crumpet Manor last month. No cornmeal facials, though, but some good breakfasts. Never would have thought of staying there when I was single, though.
- Love the flashback scenes in the Fiero, complete with the cassingle to "I Would Walk 500 Miles" stuck in the tape deck. Go back to season two if you don't know what I mean.
- Barney's "real" American citizenship quiz, culminating in Robin insisting a picture of Jim Varney was actually Jeff Foxworthy, didn't come off as funny as you would think, even though Bays and Thomas hit on a pretty good set of belligerent American stereotypes.
- Then again, Robin does now have a little bit of both American and Canadian in her, doesn't she? So the dual citizenship should work. Nice of Canada to allow that. But then again, they're nice over there.
- The guys snuck in a comment on the Canadian health care system: Barney wasn't billed for his hospital visit after his doughnut shop beatdown. "Suckers," he said.
- That really sounded like Kenny Rogers reading "Good-bye Sparky." The best line was how he described Sparky getting "splattered like a watermelon at one of them Gallagher shows."
- Barney to Robin before her test: "I'm gonna drill you, then we're going to study." He also used "cramming" and "bone up."
- By the way, is this the end of the rich vein of Canada jokes mined by Bays and Thomas? I hope not. The Canada jokes never get old.
- I tended to go on college road trips to get good food (Rutt's Hut, anyone?). But there's something to be said for a place that makes bad food and also gives you epic food poisoning. Of couse, it could have been the many cans of TANTRUM! that Ted and Marshall drank.
- Being pampered into a stupor is a good thing. Especially when it's your girlfriend/wife who's in that stupor.
- Queen Elizabeth... Elton John... they're the same person, right, Barney?
- Why do women have such tiny bladders?
[Watch clips and free episodes of HIMYM at SlashControl.]
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. on 'Faces of America' and the Beer Summit
Six Reasons Why '24' Has Jumped the You-Know-What
The Super Bowl Commercials: The Best
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-20-2009 @ 12:22AM
Ryan said...
Oh no no no. The Canada jokes shall never end. They are an inherent part of this show.
Yeah, this was a bit of a throwaway episode, but as you said, this season has been so strong and funny that even throwaway episodes like this seem better. And I don't know why but for the life of me I didn't understand why I laughed so hard at all the TANTRUM!!!! stuff. And then seeing Lily on top of the car? Just killed me.
Reply
10-20-2009 @ 2:38AM
Steve said...
I thought this was a pretty funny episode.
Can someone remind me what happened to SLAP BET...?
Reply
10-20-2009 @ 8:32AM
KenMo said...
Ya know. I watch shows like this to decompress after hearing the idiots argue all day about healthcare and Pig Flu and all of the other ridiculous stuff in the news these days.
Can't we get through a Prime Time show (especially a comedy) without a reference to it, or "...these bad economic times"?
Reply
10-20-2009 @ 12:17PM
Sancty said...
This is a shot about Canada, not about Obama and his healthcare bill... give your head a shake
10-20-2009 @ 8:57AM
Don-Don said...
I work by Rutt's Hutt, and being so close doesn't help for me. I just feel a layer of dirt and grime walking inside there, and the food is just okay (I prefer Crif Dogs in NYC for ridiculous hot dogs).
It's definitely the long journey that makes food like that worth it.
Reply
10-20-2009 @ 9:33AM
Karen said...
It was Kenny Rogers... So, yes, it did sound a lot like him, lol.
Fun fact: Gino's East in Chicago does have a cornmeal crust, so it was a good reference point!
Steve: We've had three slaps (initial, Barney's play, Slapsgiving). We're still waiting on 4 & 5, which can come anywhere, anytime...
Reply
10-20-2009 @ 11:09AM
MJL said...
Was Tantrum a reference to Surge, the citrus soft drink from Coca-Cola that debuted in 1996?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surge_%28soft_drink%29
Reply
10-20-2009 @ 11:20AM
Dave said...
It had to be. Man that stuff was good. Ah the 90's...
10-20-2009 @ 7:12PM
Atheist_101 said...
I love the Canadian jokes (I'm from Alberta, Canada!!), they're hilarious!
Reply
10-20-2009 @ 12:56PM
MacGuffin said...
Such a funny show. Wonderfully creative.
Kenny Rogers doing the book audio was really funny, too.
Reply
10-20-2009 @ 2:01PM
Davide said...
Question 1
Do you wanna be canadian?
Question 2
Really??
That joke really made me fall from my chair.. :D
Reply
10-20-2009 @ 3:42PM
Mr. Guilt said...
How can you not have "SHRIMP. FRIED. RICE!" as the best Barneyism?
Reply
10-20-2009 @ 3:46PM
Sarah said...
My favorite Barneyisms were anything he said about (aboot) Canadian money.
Reply
10-21-2009 @ 12:57AM
Owloo said...
God Save the Queen of Canada EIIR
one of Her Majesty's loyal Canadian subjects here
Reply
10-21-2009 @ 12:59PM
Lyn2 said...
Loved this episode even with the contrivances. The only problem I had with it is that Chicago is known for it's awesome pizza. To have them go to Chicago for bad pizza wasn't believeable. If they wanted lousy pizza they should gone to any small town in the Midwest. Monocals Pizza anyone? And Karen's right, Gino's East in Chicago does use cornmeal and beer in their famous crust. Maybe it was a reference or a dig to Gino's East. Oh, and I always love Barney's jokes about Canadian money. It does look like board game money!
Reply