74 replies to this topic

[cjl]

Yes, I'm starting a Lily thread. Could that possibly be a surprise? I started the old HIMYM thread over two years ago for one reason only: because Alyson Hannigan, my mad crush on BUFFY, was going to play Lily.

Still, I have to admit, it took awhile for me to adjust to Lily. The adorable-ness quotient wasn't quite as high as it was for Willow, and Lily worked far better as a team-up with Marshall than she did on her own. Two episodes, though, completely turned me around on Lily: "Belly Full of Turkey," when she nearly throws up while comtemplating shooting out one of those huuuuuuuuuuge Eriksen babies, and "World's Greatest Couple," when she teamed up with Barney.

I do like the fact that Lily has an enormous character flaw: she tends to treat the entire world as her classroom--mainly, like five-year-olds--when things don't go her way. She CAN be the "b" word at times...or is that the "C" word?

Edited by cjl, Sep 18, 2007 @ 12:40 PM.

[kavan30013]

So I have to shout out my love for this thread title. This will totally be deadLily’s epitaph. She needs customized business cards “Kindergarten teacher by day, slap bet commissioner by night”

And I love, love, love Marshmallow and Lilypad but uh ever since World’s Greatest Couple I have a huge soft spot for Barney/Lily. AH and NPH are legendary together!

[spentcigarette]

I have to be honest, Lily is probably my least favorite of the main five. I love her relationship with Marshall, but two seasons in and I still can't warm up to the character on its own. I think it's because Alyson's acting just bugs me; it always has, ever since S1 of BTVS. Her tics and 'cutsie' mannerisms drive me insane, and as a result I just don't feel Lily the way I do Robin, Marshall, Barney and Ted.

[ladyrott]

I tuned in for the pilot of this show simply because "Willow" was playing Lily, but it didnt take long for Lily to grow on me as a character all on her own. Her tendency to try and control the behavior of adults by treating them like kindergarteners aside, I do love Lily. I think she and Marshall's relationship is one of the best I've seen on TV. Yes, they are silly in love, but they are also great friends, which is really nice to see.

[Erratic]

Still, I have to admit, it took awhile for me to adjust to Lily. The adorable-ness quotient wasn't quite as high as it was for Willow

I have to say, that I started watching this show for AH, and Lily has never grown on me. She is my least favourite of the cast, and I think that it is mostly because she isn't given any depth of character. Robin and Barney are meant to be the tertiary characters but they have proven awesome and therefore get more meat. Lily is just 'there'.

I hope that Season Three will change my view of her.

[Llamaface]

I go back and forth on Lily. She's the only one of the five that annoys me occasionally. She has some moments that I just adore her (see: World's Greatest Couple), but when she gets over-the-top crazy like when she stole Ted's boss's baseball or in Swarley, she gets on my nerves. The disparity between the two extremes just seems a bit much. Lily in Belly Full of Turkey, I want to be friends with; Lily who cancels her wedding to run off to SF to find herself in painting, bugs.

[Katz]

Love the title...

I like Lily. She's not my favorite character but she has her moments especially with Marshall.

[cagewench]

I *floved* her in Swarley... "Turn around, Chloe! Turn around!"

[queenofdenile]

I'm happy to say that all of the cutesy mannerisms that bugged me about Willow are almost gone in AH's performance as Lily. Lily comes across as a real adult, much more than Willow ever did. I was hesitant about seeing AH on the show, but she sold me in "Belly Full of Turkey": "And we grew to normal sizes and then we stopped!" Heh.

[Trini Girl]

I know Lily's a Kindergarten teacher, but at the end of Season 1, she went off to study in an Art program, right? Was she studying art in college also?

[ladyrott]

I wasnt crazy about Lily's hair last night. Didnt like the cut OR the color...and I usually like her a little dark. I think the cut made me dislike the color. Anyone else liking or disliking it?

[surfsup79]

Member Lily in The Duel you said "yeah, the bangs were a mistake". Well they still are.

[Ella Ollivander]

Agreed! I spent the whole episode wishing she would just get those bangs out of her eyes. It feels like she loses half her face.

[Llamaface]

Much better without, I agree. I was watching the honeymoon videos yesterday, and in a couple she had the same bangs, but brushed over to the side. It looked *so* much better. Come, on Lily! Fix the hair!

[Canton Hero]

And I love, love, love Marshmallow and Lilypad but uh ever since World’s Greatest Couple I have a huge soft spot for Barney/Lily. AH and NPH are legendary together!

I thought they had great chemistry, too; I hope an episode will show them interacting with each other one-on-one again like that again. But I am somewhat new to HIMYM, so I was wondering if Barney and Lily are actually friends, or do they just put up with each other because of their closeness to the same people?

[Harrison Fjord]

I think they are actually friends. Lily does have a "Barney limit", but he hasn't pushed that since the pilot. And for Barney's part, he'd never admit it, but I believe flying to San Francisco was as much for her as for Marshall.

[big chicken]

You don't give people thousands of dollars worth of furniture if you don't like them. Barney could have just returned all that stuff or donated it to a charity run by a really hot woman instead of letting Lily take all of it.

I like their friendship. I like how Barney is willing to challenge Lily when she makes an absolute statement.

[ladyrott]

I really dont know why they are trying to make me hate Lily this year. I couldn't get past her behavior last night. I refuse to believe that my beloved Lily would lie to Marshall about the debt, try to make him feel guilty about his law school student loans and then pull that lame "let me tell you first" crap AFTER she was caught. *sigh* Bring back my sweet, funny Lily please. This imposter is giving me a headache.

[kathrynann]

Word, ladyrott. Why would the writers choose a storyline that makes Lily so unlikeable? I'm still reeling from that stupid shot of her writhing in a pile of shoes last week. Gag.

[interestingname]

Oh, Lily. Things were looking pretty bleak for a few episodes there, and your bangs are still stressing me out. But my love for you is now as strong as it ever was, because of one line that was just overflowing with awesome:

"Nope, this sucks. Eat up and leave!"

As she gnaws on a turkey leg like a savage. Love love love.

[Matinee]

I've been really waffling on my feelings about Lily, but they tilted back towards dislike upon rewatching the Christmas episode. Not only was Ted completely right in calling her what I can only figure was "bitch", but she was almost going to punish Marshall, with all his Christmas joy, as a result (by taking the decorations away - Ted seemed far more concerned about the effect on Marshall, which Lily didn't even think about).

She handled the "summer break-up" horribly (the lies about applying for the scholarship, not to mention getting Ted involved in the secret), and everyone was relatively nice and accepting considering. Even in the episode where she and Marshall recounciled, she made it clear that she didn't even give a thought in leaving as to the wedding plans - he was left to take care of it all. She should accept being called bitch after that (or the other, if it was the c-word), especially since it was said during the break, after, as Ted pointed out, she failed to contact any of them.

Edited by Matinee, Nov 24, 2007 @ 6:09 PM.

[Featherhat]

I too have always yo-yoed on Lily. I like her ok through most of season 1 but I hated the way she handled the break up/art programme. Ted was right, if she was only interested in learning more about art and if she was any good there were hundreds of great courses she could have done in the cultural centre of America, which she must have known on some level. Now I get the freaking out over only dating 1 guy for 10 years and is he truely what you want? etc, etc. But not talking to Marshall about her worries and actively lying about it and then getting pissed when he rightly asks if she even wants to come back after the fellowship is finished.

Though I think I'm more annoyed by this than others might be because a good friend did almost exactly the same thing in the same circumstances (not art though) regretted it but had to watch her ex fiance waltz off with another girl after getting tired of waiting. Lily is incredibly lucky Marshall forgave her so quick and almost never said a word about how hard it was to call up his entire family and friends to tell them he'd been dumped. Which is why though understandable, I hated the "Lily wants to get married in Atlantic City at all costs" until the end when she decides its worth it.

Add to that her behaviour this season and even little things like "I wish I didn't have to wear this ring the whole time" from early season 1 and the character is certainly not my favourite. Though she does make up for it at times, which is why I can't actively hate her or anything.

(or the other, if it was the c-word), especially since it was said during the break, after, as Ted pointed out, she failed to contact any of them.

I think it was supposed to be the C word. I can't see everyone getting so het up about it and I think they've used "bitch" on the show before now. I don't blame Ted for using it though since Marshall was a basket case, Ted was doing the best friend thing and well Lily was behaving horribly.

Not to mention on a totally superficial note her hair has been looking like crap recently. If you don't want to use that gorgeous red Alyson, at least go back to the season 2 colour and please get rid of that fringe.

Edited by Featherhat, Nov 27, 2007 @ 4:27 AM.

[ladyrott]

Lily, Lily, Lily... We're friends, right? As a friend, I just have to say....What in the name of Miss Clairol have you done to your hair?! The style was bad enough, but then you had to go and add that horrific color on top of it. What were you thinking?! I completely understand if you are tired of the red, but seriously, could you go just a few shades lighter then the nightmare that is currently on top of your head.

[appledown]

I have liked her hair this season but last night was decidedly bad even by me. Yikes.

[jkalderash]

In the weecap, Omar seemed to think last night's hair was a wig. Is that so? In that case, are we going to see better hair soon? (By soon I mean who knows when.)

[LilMissCabbie]

I think Lily's hair looked especially bad last night partly because she had it that way to go to the gym! I know there was supposed to be a contrast between Robin's practical approach to working out and Lily's cute outfits and styled hair -- but c'mon, who wears their hair down and their bangs over their forehead to work out? Even if it is just stretching with someone who's not at all affiliated with the gym. ;)

[Canton Hero]

It just occurred to me last night that her current hairstyle is a return to the Gothic Lily hair. And I agree heartily with all of you. It's a terrible look on her.

[Pain Train]

why is her hair look like a wig this season?

[bookwrm74]

I'm a newbie to HIMYM and, despite my general aversion to sitcoms, am totally in love with it. One major reason why is that I find all of the characters interesting/entertaining (Barney) and/or highly likable and relatable (Marshall, Ted, Robin).

Sadly, Lily is the one exception to this 'adore every character' rule, so I came here for a better understanding of the character in hopes that I can start to feel the love!

I was relieved to see that AH has dropped some of the cutesy stammering that I associate with her role as Willow on BtVS, but based on the episodes I've seen (a couple from S1 and one each from S3 and S4), she seems either 1) uncomfortably like the annoyingly sex-crazed character she played in American Pie (this seems especially true of the S1 episodes I've seen) or 2) just kind of the generic 'sitcom female' without any salient characteristics.

I'm eager to revise my opinion of her, as I want to continue falling in love with every aspect of this show without reservation ;) I'm eager to hear others' thoughts on what you think makes her a unique/likable/whatever character.

[nowisthetime]

Well, I do find Lily an overall likable person, and I don't think that she's simply a one-dimensional character. That being said, I do think that she (like all of the other characters, which is one of the things that to me makes this show so good) has very large flaws. She can be an incredibly selfish person, and she often thinks that her way is the only way to go. In that regard, she can be pretty inflexible and unyielding if people don't agree with her. Whenever she gets into a disagreement with Marshall, Ted, or Barney (and I suppose Robin, but I can't think of any major disagreements that they've had), she is often unwilling to compromise, which is frustrating to me. However, when she does realize that she's messed up, I think that gives her some of her best character moments. She's particularly likable in Swarley and The Chain of Screaming, where she's at her most vulnerable.