Just a few quick bullets….
-Cristin Milioti once again kills it as the Mother. Sure, it’s a little farfetched that she’d so accurately gauge Barney’s situation, but it’s a fantastic scene that works on so many character levels. Barney really needs this. Someone for once has the confidence not just to approach him and call him out, but to spur him on to look for that stable relationship. She’s in a similar situation here, but she doesn’t need a bunch of transient relationships just to get through the day. The fact that she understands that that is what Barney’s going through, as well as her willingness to listen and help, already makes her a great fit for the group and for Ted.
-I’m happy we get to see the group back at MacLaren’s, in their element. It’s a refreshing change from the plodding pace over at Farhampton.
-The Ted/Robin stuff actually doesn’t really bother me much in this episode. It’s much better handled here than in recent episodes; a major part of that is how inherently depressing Ted’s situation is. The only consolation is that we know he’ll meet the Mother; in fact, the whole storyline with Barney is almost a foreshadowing of what’s to come with Ted.
-If Ted was on Breaking Bad, Heisenberg could’ve been stopped early on…
Walt: I am the one who knocks!
Ted: …no.
Walt: Okay, okay, but if someone else were to knock, try and think of me, okay?
-Cranston is fantastic here, though. He’s channeling Heisenberg a bit; it’s amazing how he can switch between comedic and dramatic sides.
-“You’re waiting for a movie star…is it Clooney? DiCaprio? Zabka? Ryan…Reyn..Phill..Seac…Gosling!”
-It’s enjoyable watching Barney try to pick up the girls using dolphin sounds and unable to use “e”s. CHALLNG ACCPTD.
-Also, the girl waiting for Ryan Gosling (Stephanie Lynn) is insanely gorgeous. I have a thing for redheads.
-Final thought: Having the Mother emulate Ted’s characteristics a bit is a much better and more nuanced way of crafting the her character. Instead of making every moment a Ted-Mother moment or having them be separate all the time, we should see some of Ted’s personality traits in her. Each is essential to the other, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they have to be around each other for us to recognize their compatibility as a couple.
GRADE: B+
Credit to CBS and How I Met Your Mother for all pictures. I own nothing.
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