For the three of you out there (possibly four now) who care, it is time for another round of GCWOK approved Tuesday Morning How I Met Your Mother. So out of pure curiosity I checked out lilyandmarshallselltheirstuff.com (for no other reason to see if Ted's red cowboy boots were for sale) but the sight seems to be crashed at the time of this writing. Apparently with another Britney appearance people were watching.
First the good news - How I Met Your Mother has been renewed for a fourth season!!! The bad news is this might have been my least favorite episode of the season, and possibly the entire series. In fact I think I laughed out loud more often (twice) during Rules of Engagement than I did tonight during HIMYM (once). The first time Britney Spears appeared on the show a few weeks ago her role was small and the writing was very sharp. In fact that was the same episode Barney lied to Ted about his doctor, who he had a crush on, having a disease where she was only attracted to men with mustaches. A flashback to a year earlier shows Barney announcing a bet - that Ted eagerly accepts - that he could get Ted to grow a mustache.
Unfortunately tonight Spears' role was much more central to the plot. I appreciate the fact that her presence will draw viewrs to a show I love that has time stuggled in the ratings; the sad fact though is Britney. Can't. Act.
I am not trying to dump on someone while they have had a rough few months. It is just unfortunate that all of her scenes were opposite Neal Patrick Harris who is so charming and beams with personality; the contrast was distracting. A few weeks ago we find out someone has been sabotaging Barney as he tries to pick up girls, we now know it was the Britney Spears character and we also know that she is in love with Ted so this means - for better or worse - we are sure to see her again.
The whole subplot involving Barney (NPH) and Abby (Spears) conspiring together that they are in love to show Ted how pathetic he looks when he has a girlfriend made absolutely no sense. Was there any hint that she loved Ted in the first episode she was in? Barney going into McLarens (fun fact - is based on McGee's Pup on 55th street) and putting on this act in front of a friend that "dumped" him was pathetic. I mean Barney has played so many more elaborate schemes on Ted in the past, what was the point of this again? It just seemed so forced and weak.
The plot of Marshall and Lily selling her clothes to pay for the contract work on their new apartment (prompting the real life charity website listed above) and later trying to sell her paintings was... well it was a little boring. The only saving grace was Robin mentioning Ted has items in his closet he never wears prompting Ted to bust out his red cowboy boots for the rest of the episode (prompting me to produce my before mentioned one laugh). Let me get this straight - Lily can not sell her art but after the gay couple without kids (GCWOK) buy a painting and throw it away after learning they only wanted the frame, a veterinarian finds it and hangs it in his office only to discover her painting has a soothing effect on angry dogs. Then he purchases three more paintings without even testing them to see if they have the same calming effect the first one did?!?! Lily paints for veterinarians now full time?!?!
Last week the writers of Two and a Half Men and CSI traded shows. I am only hoping it is announced that the writers of the usually fantastic How I Met Your Mother traded places for this episode with the ones from According to Jim. Then someone will have to tell me when According to Jim is on so I can watch, what will be this week, a well written show.
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