By Mike Frey
Synopsis: Two big events are taking place as we catch up with the HIMYM gang: Ted’s first day of school and “the talk.” Well, the first one’s happening. After dating all summer, Barney and Robin tried to have the talk but the talk sucks. While they’re fine with putting it off, Lily isn’t. She tries everything she can to force them into defining their relationship.
When even a date between Robin and Brad — and a Kiss Cam punch by a jealous and very overmatched Barney — fails to do the trick, she locks them in a room together. In the end, they decide to lie about being boyfriend and girlfriend in exchange for their freedom, but Lily gets the last laugh when it becomes obvious that they’re only lying to themselves. It looks like Barnman and Robin are officially a couple.
Then there’s Ted, who can’t make up his mind about which type of professor (or is it proffessor?) he wants to be. Authoritative? Laid back? Strict? T-Dog? How about all of the above? His schizophrenic teaching style would have been embarrassing, if he had been in the right classroom. Instead, teaching Architecture 101 to students of Economics 305 is super embarrassing. Things go a little better, once he gets to the right class and doesn’t have time to overthink his approach. It’s a good thing because, as we know, his kids’ future mother is in the right class.
What We Liked
• The use of “Oxford Comma” by Vampire Weekend. Seems like appropriate first-day-of-school music
• The fact that Barney has a whip guy
• The use of bacon as a means of conflict resolution. Is there anything bacon can’t do?
• Marshall’s back-to-school gift to Ted of a fedora and a whip. We want to be Indiana Jones, too.
What We Didn’t Like
• Hearing about Brad’s “stuff below the belt.” We really didn’t need to know that he was born a little different.
• The fact that Ted needed to ask if brunch is cool? Brunch is always cool, but brinner is way cooler.
• The use of “flugelhorn” as a safe word
• That we didn’t get to hear how the movie Predator relates to picking the right tie
Barneyisms
• “Awe-quite-a-bit” and “awe-whole-darn-lot.” Because Robin in more than just awesome.
• “Come on. That’s my thing. I’m always punching guys. Girls. I’ll punch a baby. I don’t care.”
• The rules for gremlins/girls. 1. Never get them wet. (Never let them take a shower at your place.) 2. Keep them away from sunlight. (Don’t ever see them during the day.) 3. Never feed them after midnight. (She doesn’t sleep over and you don’t have breakfast with her. Ever.)
Photo: Eric McCandless/FOX ©2009 Fox Television. All Rights Reserved.
The “awe-quite-a-bit” lines were great. I was jealous I hadn’t thought of that one, first.