50 replies to this topic

[Majipoor]

There was no thread for the episode so I made one... Here you go..

After Robin asks Barney to sell his bachelor pad so they can build a home together, Barney is reluctant and drives away potential buyers. Meanwhile, Lily’s commitment to her job as The Captain’s art consultant strains her relationship with Marshall.

[Petunia13]

I thought this was one of the funnier episodes this season.

[Astor]

Barney's apartment isn't that bad. No clue why the couple were so intent on tearing it down.

Everything involving Barney's apartment just felt like a stupid cartoon. The bed on tracks, the emergency slide, the floating head, the changing windows. It was way too much, especially for this show.

Robin makes no sense to me. First she didn't want Barney's apartment because it was sleazy and gross. Then she decided she liked the sleazy and gross things about Barney. Make up your mind.

Lily, Marshall and Ted's plot was okay.

I actually did laugh at some of the jokes though, so it wasn't completely awful. Stupid and contrived at parts, and I hated how there was a glimmer of the story moving somewhere even if it was a tiny direction only to have The Powers That Be change their mind at the last second.

[vienibenmio]

Are the writers trying to make me hate Robin/Barney even more than I already do? Because it's working. The "Ho-Be-Gone"? Really? Because every woman who sleeps with Barney is of course a whore! And who knows where those poor women end up, they could be dead for all he cares. And, ha ha ha, more "no fat chicks" jokes.

If Robin were real and I were her friend, I would stage an intervention for her not to marry this misogynistic jerk.

Edited by vienibenmio, Mar 18, 2013 @ 9:58 PM.

[randomchance]

I would love to have that window-view technology. It was even animated.

[hjohnson]

Barney is a terrible human being. The scale under the welcome mat? I used to love Robin. Watching old episodes makes me cry thinking of who she used to be. Now she's accepting this terrible, sexist, horrific human being who is never going to change, and not even willing to give up his creepy apartment. Good luck in that marriage.

[HickoryColt]

The gadgets in his place are weird, but Barney's apartment as a whole seems small but pretty nice.

Obvious Downton Abbey reference with that show.

I thought Ted didn't date anyone else before he met his wife after the last crazy chick?

[Utica]

I thought Ted didn't date anyone else before he met his wife after the last crazy chick?

Ted did go out on a date with the dark haired-beauty he met. Ted probably won't actively date her. Then again some of what he's said can be twisted to leave the possibility still open that Robin is the mother.

[mbd]

Meh. I got a few chuckles. The Jor-El head thing was funny, as was Barney saying, "TED. For once in your life, can you just be cool?"

I feel like they're going somewhere with all of Barney's gross plays and inventions, especially with Robin pointing out how "genius" the inventions were. Maybe he'll found some dating service or something in the future.

The Lily plot was predictable.

Robin has really got no self-respect left, has she?

I felt embarrassed for Jason Segal when he was doing the "gay guy" act, and I also couldn't help wondering what NPH thought of that subplot.

So, Ted IS still dating? What happened to wanting to settle down, and Jeanette being the final girl he dated before The Mother? We're just ignoring that plot point now, I guess?

And when Ted said that he'd already predicted that plot point on the online forum for the show, I wondered if it was a subtle shout-out/criticism of these boards or any other HIMYM boards (are there any others that are this active? I found this one when I wanted to discuss the show and my Google search brought up this one as the most active).

Edited by mbd, Mar 18, 2013 @ 10:55 PM.

[ScriptLover]

Barney and Robin are so selfish, so self-involved, so ready-to-forget-the-real-issues-as-long-as-sex-is-good kind of people that it only seems fair for them to end up with each other and not ruin other's lives.

Lily's storyline was been-there-done-that types.

Robin with self-respect must be a fossil by now!

Ted, meet the mother already!

[Brian C]

It was often difficult to accept the fact that these people were friends with Barney with all the messed up stuff he has done over the years, but now we're supposed to be happy that Robin is marrying him?

It really borders on offensive.

"Ho-B-Gone"?!? Fuck the heck?!?!

[karra]

....wasn't "The Time Travelers" supposed to air this week? What the hay.

[Zap Rowsdower]

I find it rather sad that Barney has essentially become a live-action version of Quagmire from Family Guy. An episode that aired last month actually contained a gag in which Quagmire's home was rigged with a train track-based contraption to eject women who overstayed their welcome.

How long before How I Met Your Monther's writers slip in some jokes about date rape and necrophilia? At this point, those are about the only things separating the two characters.

[Helena Dax]

I loved it. The jokes about the fake Downton Abbey were hilarious because those are really the kind of plots that DA has. And I liked the part where Marshall and Ted were pretending to be a gay couple; since they weren't acting differently or mocking gay people, I can't see what's wrong with that.

I also loved the Captain and his bizarre artists.

I'm perfectly fine with Robin and Barney too. I've always liked Barney because he was a crazy sexist pig with a heart of gold. And since they're characters in a sitcom and not people in real life, I like that Robin loves that side of him, too. I like that she isn't trying to change him because I don't want a respecteful and mature Barney. In my opinion, the writers are doing a good job with this couple this time and they only need to remember that Robin knows how to have fun too, that she also has a wild streak.

[havok1980]

I completely agree with Helena Dax.

It's not like Barney suddenly became a selfish misogynist. This is a man whole slept with 200 women just to get back at a kid from junior high school. This is a man who invited Robin to Ted's wedding against Stella's wishes (which indirectly led to the end of said wedding) just so he could bang Robin one more time. Moreover, Robin has been aware of this since day one. The first time they slept together, she lamented how she was now the poor sad kind of girl who sleeps with Barney. Heck, Robin's been an active participant in Barney's tricks. The time Barney first tried to tell Robin how he felt, she convinced a woman Barney played for the Yankees so Barney could nail her.

While I agree that season 1 and season 2 Robins are awesome chicks, I don't think it's fair to criticize Robin for falling for Barney. Given that Barney has consistently been there for her in ways Ted never has (see Sand Castles in the Sand), it makes sense they are together. But if it's going to work, she has to accept him as he is. Barney is not going to change.

As far as how NPH felt about Marshall and Ted, I would guess he thought it was funny. Making a gay joke doesn't make you homophobic. Claiming homosexuals are less than human is homophobic. You can joke about race, religion, and sexual orientation without being a bigot.

Ted said Abby Elliot was the last woman he dated before the Mother. Tricking some poor girl into sleeping with you is not dating...

Honestly I thought the episode was pretty funny. I just wish the show was ending this year not next. I don't want to see them stretch it out unless we meet the Mother in the season finale this year and we spend next year getting to know her.

Edited by havok1980, Mar 19, 2013 @ 8:55 AM.

[clear]

I thought Ted didn't date anyone else before he met his wife after the last crazy chick?

Ted did go out on a date with the dark haired-beauty he met. Ted probably won't actively date her. Then again some of what he's said can be twisted to leave the possibility still open that Robin is the mother.

Abby Elliott was his last girlfriend before he met the mother, not the last woman he went on a date with. I don't think the woman in this episode was a girlfriend, just a one night stand.

And ROBIN IS NOT THE MOTHER.

I liked this one. It was full of jokes, which is supposed to e the point of a sitcom. It was the funniest episode in a long time. And it wasn't homophobic at all - they never implied gay relationships were less than straight ones. And they didn't do that thing where Ted and Marshall are disgusted or uncomfortable that someone thinks they're gay.

And as for Barney, this is how he's been the whole show. Having some redemption moment where he learns women are people too would feel false and preachy. Not to mention I don't see how it's worse for Robin to marry him than to just be his close friend.

[EolivetB]

The jokes about the fake Downton Abbey were hilarious because those are really the kind of plots that DA has.

Those are the kinds of plots DA used to have in S1 only, and it actually struck me as brilliant satire because S1 was the most critically acclaimed season. It was only when stuff started actually happening that DA went downhill in critical esteem. Ted, Marshall and Lily would probably hate the show once the plots revolved around things of greater significance than stolen gooseberries and overwatered roses.

To me, the most important part of the Barney/Robin subplot was that ultimately, Barney did agree to give up his apartment. Robin just changed her mind about wanting to keep it. It was his decision to give it up, and her decision to keep it, which I appreciated. It somehow gave both of them agency in the decision.

[HickoryColt]

Abby Elliott was his last girlfriend before he met the mother, not the last woman he went on a date with. I don't think the woman in this episode was a girlfriend, just a one night stand.

The girl in this episode though he met at the apartment open house and then he was with her the next day it seemed in the bar. Maybe it was the same day or later that night. Impression I got was more than just a one night stand though

[mbd]

Abby Elliott was his last girlfriend before he met the mother, not the last woman he went on a date with. I don't think the woman in this episode was a girlfriend, just a one night stand.

The girl in this episode though he met at the apartment open house and then he was with her the next day it seemed in the bar. Maybe it was the same day or later that night. Impression I got was more than just a one night stand though

Wasn't she still under the impression that he was gay?

I just don't get why the show would make it a point to say, TWICE, that "Jeanette was the last girl I dated before your mother" ... just to show Ted going out with a girl in the very next episode. I get that the best way to give Ted's character something to do is to show him on dates or trying to score a date (or, lately, just score), but then don't pound it into our heads that there's nobody else between Jeanette and The Mother!

It feels like "Weekend at Barney's" was the last episode written before TBTB knew for sure that there will be a Season 9. And from "The Fortress" on, it's going to be, "Well, shit, we have to string this along for another 14 months. Let's just show Ted on more dates and at some point we'll think up a lame way to explain away what we said about him not dating anymore."

[braggtastic]

This show is so crazy unrealistic that when there is a moment of realism, I really notice it. So bravo for having Robin sleep in a tank top and no bra. I'm so sick of people on TV in matching pj sets and more often than not it's obvious the women are wearing bras to bed, which for someone as unendowed as Robin is not a thing.

[CapsChick]

I don't know, guys, this episode was pretty laugh-free for me once again. I guess I've always most enjoyed shows that have relatable characters whom I can care about. I think HIMYM was once that way, but it's hard to remember given what it has devolved into the past few seasons. It's always sad to see a once-decent show clinging for life and resorting to OTT camp. Characters have become caricatures. I'm not rooting for any of them, so it's time for me to stop watching.

Edited by CapsChick, Mar 19, 2013 @ 11:43 AM.

[mwitter2003]

It's seems clear that the definition of dating is different for each person. I think Ted hooking up with a women thinking he's never been with a women is clearly not dating. It was clearly about sex if she followed him into a closet minutes after meeting him.

I think the show is doing a better job showing Barney and Robin as a couple. Both were shown to "give and take" which alot of relationships do. Before it was Robin trying to act like Barney which didn't fit her character.

I will continue to state no one knows who the mother is and it could be Robin. How many people have stated the show has "dragged on" and it "should be over?" A lot. TV shows are about making money. That's why a lot are canceled. For the writers to tip there cards and telling us Robin could be the mother could effect the popularity/money of the show. It's seems clear there is a possiblity of them writing themselves out of anything they say. The storys mother has changed due to possible early endings.

Edited by TWoP Howard, Mar 20, 2013 @ 1:48 AM.
Added paragraph breaks

[cryyhavoc]

It's not like Barney suddenly became a selfish misogynist. This is a man whole slept with 200 women just to get back at a kid from junior high school.

This in no way makes it any better for Robin to end up with this STD ridden asshole. It just makes Robin look worse.

Moreover, Robin has been aware of this since day one. The first time they slept together, she lamented how she was now the poor sad kind of girl who sleeps with Barney. Heck, Robin's been an active participant in Barney's tricks.

Again, you are making my arguements for me, this just makes Robin so pathetic to end up with Barney, suicide for Robin would be a better alternative.

While I agree that season 1 and season 2 Robins are awesome chicks, I don't think it's fair to criticize Robin for falling for Barney. Given that Barney has consistently been there for her in ways Ted never has (see Sand Castles in the Sand), it makes sense they are together. But if it's going to work, she has to accept him as he is.

I do think it's fair to criticize Robin, S1 and S2 Robin would kick this Robin's ass for stooping so low as to marry a disgusting pig like Barney. That Robin would never cry under a desk for the world's biggest tool. She doesn't have to change him, she just needs to get as far away as possible from him.

That episode was awful, period.

[havok1980]

And as for Barney, this is how he's been the whole show. Having some redemption moment where he learns women are people too would feel false and preachy. Not to mention I don't see how it's worse for Robin to marry him than to just be his close friend.

cryyhavoc, I understand what you're saying. No self respecting woman should marry someone like Barney. But why is it OK for Ted, Lily, Marshall, and Robin to be friends with Barney? If he is an "STD ridden asshole" why even have him as a friend?

From the beginning, Barney has been a misogynist with a heart of gold. He was raised by a single mother who paraded her conquests in and out of his life. His father abandoned him at a young age. Obviously he has issues with women and intimacy. But Robin knows all of this, and chooses to love him anyway. Don't forget that she's pretty damaged as well (daddy issues, teen stardom, fear of intimacy). If they can support each other and accept each other, I don't see why they are a bad couple.

Season 1 Robin would kick Season 7 Robin's ass for marrying anyone. Remember the reason Robin and Ted broke up is they wanted different things out of life. Season 1 Robin would object to Season 7 Robin marrying anyone.

I will continue to state no one knows who the mother is and it COULD be Robin.

While I still secretly hope Robin is the Mother, we've seen conclusive evidence she is not. Ted's kids clearly know and love "Aunt Robin" (see the episode where Robin finds out she's infertile). Ted told us he met the mother at a wedding. He met Robin at McClaren's. The mother plays bass guitar. Robin does not. The mother was in Ted's first class. Robin was not. The mother lived with Rachel Bilson. Robin did not. The mother was in the bar the night Ted and Barney lived with no rules. Robin was not. And I've never scene Robin carry a yellow umbrella. That's just off the top of my head, but I could go on. Unless the show has been blatantly lying since the first episode, Robin is not the mother of Ted's kids.

[mansfolly]

I thought this episode was very funny.

Not so much the Barney apartment storyline (some of it was pretty good (the body fat scale, Oz head, the window "Wow! You took me Las Vegas!"), but mostly the Woodworthy Manor (DA) satire. I laughed out loud several times. They got me with the first joke of Ted yelling at the TV about about the show's plot line and the Forum (ahem, TWOP) he writes on.

I also like the Captain much better now after seeing Kyle McL. on Portlandia. I wonder if Lily and Marshall are headed for a separation?

I do think it's fair to criticize Robin, S1 and S2 Robin would kick this Robin's ass for stooping so low as to marry a disgusting pig like Barney. That Robin would never cry under a desk for the world's biggest tool.

S1 & 2 Robin was new to NY, if you recall. If you look back at how she was raised by her father, it makes sense that she would act like "a tough guy" as self-preservation. Her character could have been overcompensating for her feeling insecure in a new, big city -- and the insecure, loser Robin we've seen in the past several seasons is the true Robin -- her father's upbringing surely messed her up. She's actually drawn to Barney's self-assured persona.

[mwitter2003]

I like the opening scene when Barney and Robin were talking about adoption and when Barney asked for permission from Robin to hug Ted for hooking up with the women using a "play."

While I still secretly hope Robin is the Mother, we've seen conclusive evidence she is not. Ted's kids clearly know and love "Aunt Robin" (see the episode where Robin finds out she's infertile). Ted told us he met the mother at a wedding. He met Robin at McClaren's. The mother plays bass guitar. Robin does not. The mother was in Ted's first class. Robin was not. The mother lived with Rachel Bilson. Robin did not. The mother was in the bar the night Ted and Barney lived with no rules. Robin was not.

All this has been agrued a million times already so people have explained how it could still be Robin.

And I've never scene Robin carry a yellow umbrella.

If she ever used a yellow umbrella it would be a clear give away. But she was wearing a yellow rain coat in "disaster averted."

[havok1980]

If you read interviews with the writers, Victoria was the Mother if the show only lasted one season. Then Stella was a potential mother. But Robin was never intended to be the mother.

Granted the writers could be lying, and Ted is an unreliable narrator. But the only way for Robin to be the mother is if the show has been lying since episode one. That's fine, but lying to your fan base hurts the popularity of a show more than tipping your hand too soon.

If she ever used a yellow umbrella it would be a clear give away. But she was wearing a yellow rain coat in "disaster averted."

Barney wore the ducky tie. Ducks like the rain but they don't need rain coats or umbrellas cuz they don't have hands. Rubber duckies are yellow. MAYBE BARNEY IS THE MOTHER!!!

Edited by havok1980, Mar 19, 2013 @ 2:06 PM.

[mwitter2003]

But the only way for Robin to be the mother is if the show has been lying since episode one. That's fine, but lying to your fan base hurts the popularity of a show more than tipping your hand too soon.

When they show the mother the show will be over. Why would popularity matter at that point? They got the viewers to watch and made the money. Money is another reason Robin would make the most sense because the viewers already like her and it would probably be the best opinion trying to please the viewers. If the writers tipped their hand and revealed who the mother is Robin or not, they lose alot of viewers. Many watch for that reason alone. Read some of the previous posts of other episodes.

Barney wore the ducky tie. Ducks like the rain but they don't need rain coats or umbrellas cuz they don't have hands. Rubber duckies are yellow. MAYBE BARNEY IS THE MOTHER!!!

Sure. I think thats a long stretch. Even longer than someone having a matching coat and umbrella, which you can buy as a set. Also the black buttoms on Robins coat and the black handle and pin strips on the umbrella in the picture of the mother standing at the train station make them match.

[havok1980]

When they show the mother the show will be over. Why would popularity matter at that point? They got the viewers to watch and made the money. Money is another reason Robin would make the most sense because the viewers already like her and it would probably be the best opinion trying to please the viewers. If the writers tipped their hand and revealed who the mother is Robin or not, they lose alot of viewers. Many watch for that reason alone. Read some of the previous posts of other episodes.

DVD sales and syndication rights. That's where shows make money. If you piss off the fans by lying to them, they won't buy the DVDs and they won't watch the reruns. Imagine how Friends fans would have reacted if Ross and Rachel didn't end up together. The writers actually thought about keeping them apart, but they were afraid of the backlash.

Like I said, I would love Robin to be the mother. I liked Ted best when he was with her. But it just isn't in the cards. He still has feelings for her, but she doesn't love him.

Also the show doesn't have to end with meeting the mother. He could meet the mother at the end of this season, then they could spend the final season let us and the gang get to know her. The show could end with Ted and the Mother's wedding.

As far as the train scene, I guess we'll know in a month and a half. If Robin goes through with the wedding, she won't be at the train station. But I have a feeling that some fans will insist Robin is the mother even after Ted marries the real mother.

Edited by havok1980, Mar 19, 2013 @ 2:48 PM.

[mbd]

Maybe Robin and The Mother switched bodies.

Maybe The Mother was wearing a Robin mask.

Maybe Robin went into a restaurant and ate everything in the restaurant and then they had to close the restaurant.