Who would have thought that the only thing it would take to get me really into a Lily/Marshall storyline was the injection of a little Ranjit? The group’s favorite driver has always been one of How I Met Your Mother’s fan-favorite recurring characters, and his appearance here was perfect. Less than perfect was Robin’s emergency helicopter landing, but in this case, passable was still incredible. And it was enough of a moment to unfreeze a little ice between her and Ted.
The folks that frequent my reviews of HIMYM should be familiar with my unhappiness with the vast majority of Lily and Marshall’s storylines over the years. When the couple finally got pregnant, I had hoped that visiting some of the TV-pregnancy tropes, including the fear of being good parents, would finally attract me more to their storylines. This week’s arc nailed what I was hoping for by completely upending what I was expecting. There was just something so … Marshall about Marshall’s confidence in being a good father. When the emotional core/punch line of a episode-long joke works that well, it raises my appreciation of the entire story.
Robin’s arc was also pitch-perfect. I love that even when she thinks she’s finally made it, things don’t necessarily come to her the way she expected. It took an incredible act before she was finally recognized, even by her co-workers. I love these kinds of moments; those shared experiences that bring a family together. While this experience wasn’t enough to completely put things right between Robin and Ted, it was enough of a moment to remind them both how much they truly care for each other.
I hate to admit it, but I can identify with where Ted’s at in his “Love, Loss, Hope, Repeat” cycle, though I think we all can. There’s that moment when we’re in the “loss” stage where we embrace being single just a little too much. It sucks, but you eventually get through it and are able to move on to bigger and better things – hence the “Hope and Repeat” cycles. There’s quite a bit of comedy to mine from that, and the writers did an excellent contrasting it with Barney’s unhappiness that can show just how deeply one falls in love with another.
And, again … RANJIT!
Ted and Barney’s Legendary Nights
Notes & Quotes
“When the couple finally got pregnant, I had hoped that visiting some of the TV-pregnancy tropes, including the fear of being good parents, would finally attract me more to their storylines.”
Wait, you WANT them to visit very cliched pregnant parents TV tropes??