"How I Met Your Mother" spoilers coming up just as soon as I cancel my trip to Lisbon..."Robin wasn't living here on my 30th birthday? When did this happen? Oh, wait, the goat was there on my 31st birthday. Sorry, I totally got that wrong."
Wait... what what what?
Are we to take Future Ted's closing lines of the episode as Bays and Thomas just trying to duck having to come up with a payoff to the goat joke (which was set up a long, long time ago in a previous reference to Ted's 30th) because they knew nothing they had could live up to the anticipation? Or will Robin and Ted be living together in time for his 31st birthday? Will they be roommates, or could the whole "Aunt Robin" thing be yet something else that Future Ted totally got wrong? Will Robin somehow be living there but Ted won't? Or have I put a lot more thought into that narration than Bays and Thomas did?
Why are they messing with my head like this?
Up until they wimped out and/or tore apart the show's space-time continuum at the end there, "The Goat" was another superb episode in this wonderful post-strike stretch. There are still those moments of creeping sitcom-ism (Lily buying the goat from Farmer Frank could have been handled better), but the overall intelligence remains at the forefront, and the writers stay true to the characters.
After we all jumped the gun and assumed that the end of "Sandcastles in the Sand" meant Robin and Barney would become some kind of couple, "The Goat" quickly throws out that idea (for now; I still believe we'll see more of them in the future) to deal with a more pressing problem: how will Ted react to this news?
While I've objected in the past to episodes that seemed to defang Barney (notably "The Yips"), Barney's guilt here was different, because it flowed with everything we know about him, instead of going against the grain. Barney may be a player and a cad and a jerk, but if there's one thing he holds sacred, it's his friendship with Ted (and with Marshall and Lily), and his obsession with inventing and following new rules for society. By having sex with the chick from Metro News 1, Barney betrayed both Ted and his own rules. Why wouldn't he freak out about that?
I also liked the way Barney's guilt manifested itself, with impulse purchases from Sky Mall. I've always wondered who actually shops from those overpriced catalogs; now I know. And Barney's own panic in turn gave us Marshall's panic at not wanting to hear the secret -- after being locked into Barney's office -- and the priceless bit of physical comedy where Barney threw the vase (or whatever that was) at Marshall to get Marshall to uncover his ears, followed by the timely popping of the hot dogs.
And I especially like that Ted didn't let Barney off the hook about this. We know this is something Ted will eventually forgive -- Future Ted refers to him as "Uncle Barney," and the producers aren't dumb enough to get rid of Neil Patrick Harris -- but this is something that should take some time to heal, and no doubt many funny things will happen as Barney tries (or doesn't try) to get back into Ted's good graces.
Some other thoughts:
- The writers need to make a decision on Robin's ability to lie and stick with it. In "Slap Bet," she was able to totally snow Ted on the idea that she was once married, and here she was doing much better than Barney at pretending their tryst never happened, but a few weeks back we were told she can't lie without giggling. What's up with that?
- Ranjit! Every episode is at least 5 percent better with Ranjit!
- "Barney, you want my X-Box?" "Ted, she has a name!" Shades of Michael on "Arrested Development" telling Gob to get rid of The C-Word, and Lucille telling them both that she'll leave when she's good and ready.
- Was that Mr. Pitt from "Seinfeld" as Ben Franklin? And is it wrong that I found George Washington referring to our capitol as "Me, D.C." hilarious?
- I like that both Robin (Canadian) and Marshall (Minnesotan) can automatically identify goat droppings (though Robin the Canadian briefly thought it might be from a musk-ox).
53 comments:
I just spent way too long trying to read the tiny, tiny text underneath Barney's "AWESOMENESS" poster. I think it's
"When I get sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead. True story." -- Barney Stimson
I don't remember if that's dialog from the past.
Just a great, great episode. And the faux resolution of the goat didn't bother me at all. (When was the goat story first alluded to, anyway?)
I thought it was a very good episode. NPH always, always makes me laugh, but mostly, I really liked the very believable Barney version of regret that we saw. Frankly, I thought Ted's original response -- "We broke up a year ago, so it's kind of weird, but it's not really my business" -- was so sensible that I was a little bit disappointed to see him change gears and throw such a hissy fit. I will have little patience for Ted pouting for very long or taking very long to "heal," as you say, because THEY BROKE UP A YEAR AGO, and these things happen, and as long as Robin isn't someone who brutally mistreated him and made him feel bad, such that there's more of a loyalty issue involved, I don't understand the whole "can't touch anybody your friend has touched" principle. I know a lot of people abide by it, and of course it's painful and awkward when that happens, but you don't get to tell other people they can't sleep together because it will make you feel weird, if that's your best argument.
Alan,
I was referred here from Tim Goodman's blog during the Sopranos and The Wire runs...have been reading you for a while now. Love your write-ups.
Donboy,
It is dialog from the past, but I can't remember in which episode he said it.
I really liked the episode a lot. What's great about this sitcom, is that they handle the drama aspect oh so well. That and the comedy is very clever. the X-box joke was phenomenal.
I thought this was a second brilliant bait and switch in the span of as many weeks. All last week, B&T knew we'd be waiting on the video, predicting the awesomeness of the video, then they pulled out the bro-mance. This week, as we were all watching the culmination of years-long buildup, wondering whether they could possibly come up with something funny enough for the goat (and what might happen with Barney and Ted,) they pulled the rug out and let us know that Robin would be in the apartment next year.
Genius. No one who currently has a show on television* toys with expectations like B&T except maybe Ron Moore.
*Obviously Joss is the master of this sort of misdirection and twisting of the audience's hearts, but Dollhouse isn't on the air yet.
The only thing that would have improved the Barnabas Stinson bit would have been having Tom Wilkinson and David Morse play Franklin and Washington (and yes, I think that was Mr. Pitt as Franklin).
It's hard to put much value into Ted's relationship with his new girlfriend when they don't even have her in the episode. I understand that Sarah Chalke may only have been hired for a few episodes... but now that they're (possibly) messing with the entire timeline, it would be nice to know how she fits into Ted's emotional life. When he said in the limo "I have a girlfriend now," it didn't really sound as if he was talking about anyone in particular.
Loved it.
* AWESOME poster.
* The little Bible-like ribbon bookmark sewn into the Bro Code book.
* Hot Dog Maker.
* Barney shredding his iPhone.
* "Whatever you've done to the Lisbon sewer system."
I totally LOLed at the Xbox joke. I can't believe the censors let that through.
I can't wait to find out why Robin lives there next year.
Awesome episode. Truly.
That Barney poster was included in the Season 2 DVD set.
Even though I know at some point, Ted and Barney will make up, I felt sad for Barney when Ted bailed out of the limo. He looked defeated. I don't like seeing Barney look defeated.
The Ted and Barney break up scene was probably one of the most heart breaking parts of the show. I felt more in that scene than when we learned Ted and Robin broke up last year. NPH played the hell out of that scene, even after he was punched in the groin.
The goat was a nice misdirection, but they really will have to tell this story eventually.
On the one hand, the poster was brilliant.
On the other hand, iPhones don't make that beep when you hang them up, and the "button" for hanging up is on the bottom, not the top.
Oh my gosh, I am a huge dork.
Heh, so much for my theory that we wouldn't see the fallout for several episodes! The "Robin's washcloth ... wait, Robin wasn't living there on my 30th birthday" thing threw me for a loop. I hope Ted and Robin are just going to be roommates and that they're not going to get back together. I did like Ted and Robin as a couple, but the show has already established that a) they don't end up together and b) they're clearly not right for each other. Having them date for the second time around would feel a bit like stalling to me.
Lily's Q&A with Robin on the rooftop was hilarious.
If they cancel HIMYM after a string of such great episodes I'm going to be completely crushed.
Ted punching Barney in the groin had me hollering out loud (and I'm a girl!). Totally unexpected.
And I loved Lilly's questions about Barney in bed. She was flying her freak flag, lol.
Just an amazing episode. I didn't mind them putting off the goat story at all.
The ending bothered me-- I don't think that the payoff for the goat needs to be all that big. Just the fact that Ted had a goat in the bathroom on his 30th birthday is funny, and the mechanics for getting it there were believable. Misdirection about Ted and Robin ina year? This episode didn't need that-- and now the payoff for the goat is being built up to be bigger (and ultimately, probably very disappointing.) Instead of capping what was already a very good episode, the tag in this one just left us with confused Future Ted and some kind of misdirection on Ted/Robin's relationship, instead of, say, bringing back the funny by, say, revisiting Barnabus Stinson and the origin of a Bro Code rule on Bro remedies.
Lilly's questions about sex with Barney (who WOULDN'T be curious?) were definitely right up there with the X-Box joke. And everything that comes out of Barney's mouth. Sometimes I wonder if I would love the show as much as I do if NPH weren't on it. (Who has clearly bulked up some since his Doogie days...)
I imagined that Robin's presence in the apartment indicates the way they deal with Lilly & Marshall's departure for the DoWiSeTr[..] co-op. Tho' why Robin would want to give up her own very nice apartment is beyond me.
A great episode. I wasn't so invested in the goat incident, so I didn't mind it didn't have a payoff. Bays and Thomas are the Kontinuity Kings, so I don't feel too woried that, if it needs a payoff, it will have one now.
I agree with Linda that I thought Ted's original reaction made more sense under the circumstances (despite it not being in line with the Bro Code), but having it set up that line about his mother coming to town made the whole thing worth it.
Andrew said...
The ending bothered me-- I don't think that the payoff for the goat needs to be all that big. Just the fact that Ted had a goat in the bathroom on his 30th birthday is funny, and the mechanics for getting it there were believable.
Yeah, I'm of the belief the original goat reference was just a throwaway joke, and there is no pre-planned goat story. I was glad Thomas and Bays mentioned it, but I doubt there is anything that could merit the two year build-up the fans have given it.
Instead they could have just have the story fall completely and totally flat, and Future Ted, realizing his kids aren't laughing, giving up with a "I guess you had to be there." Kind-of an anti-comedy thing you'd expect from ex-Letterman writers.
I am sure Robin will be there as a roommate, not a GF but it does raise the problem of all the dogs....
My only complaint regarding Stella isn't that we don't see her...it's that we are supposed to take a leap of faith with them that somehow Stella went from being 100% unavailable (I only have two minutes for lunch) to finding all this time to be in a serious relationship...hopefully they will get back to explaining that at some point, and knowing this show, they will.
Also it JUST occurred to me - if B Spears is coming back, and supposedly to be dating Barney, I am sure it will be something Barney is doing to get closer to Ted since she works w/ Stella.
Wondering if I'm the only one who had this thought: Would it have worked if Marshall said, "You slept with Robin?!" and Barney replied, "And I want to do it again." Can't he really care for her?
So brilliant I had to watch it again this morning.
I love the furtive look Washington and Franklin give each other after Barney announcing the "devil's threesome" rule. Hilarious!
I also loved "freak flag" Lily. "Did he have devices?" "Is he all smooth down there?"
There were so many great beats that I didn't mind them punting on the goat story. And I'm intrigued by the line about Robin living in the apartment. Clearly it is not as Ted's girlfriend so is she just roommates with Ted? Marshall and Lily? I think that'll be fun to reveal.
Alan, I agree it's a bit hazy on whether or not Robin is a good liar, though here she basically just acting as if nothing happened rather than actively lying. (Though she was able to actively lie about the being-married thing.)
Also, if CBS doesn't bring back HIMYM, is there any way another network could pick it up? It's a 20th Century Fox show, right?
More shirtless NPH please!
Also, whenever Marshall was on screen, I couldn't stop thinking "I know what your penis looks like".
The Robin twist on the goat story was big, but the fact that Ted confused when that happened raised some other questions. Did the goat actually attend Ted's 30th birthday party and then is still around to attend and wreak havoc at his 31st party? Or is this entire episode taking place a year later than the show's storyline suggested? If it's the latter, that may explain how Stella seemingly made an instantaneous transition from 2-minute date to full-time girlfriend. Of course, it could be just that the goat story is out of place, but Ted wove the goat into so many parts of his story it strains belief to suggest that the goat was not around at the time this story takes place.
Anon brings up a good point. Perhaps by his 31st birthday, Ted will have been with Stella long enough that it constitutes a committed relationship, and so his "I have a serious girlfriend" reaction to Barney's confession makes more sense. But it's unlikely that anyone would have been able to keep that secret safe for a year, if we're to assume that Barney and Robin bumped uglies before Ted's 30th. How much of last night's story (the confession, perhaps) can we assume took place when he turned 30 and how much (serious relationship, goat) might have happened at his 31st?
"Ted wove the goat into so many parts of his story it strains belief to suggest that the goat was not around at the time this story takes place."
I have the same uncertainty. Just one example, how could Ted have so easily conflated Marshall coming home freaked out about Barney with the goat poop incident, if the goat poop incident actually happened a year after Barney/Robin, especially given that the whole Barney/Robin business would have to be vividly cemented in Ted's mind grapes as a defining moment in his life? Are we just supposed to roll with it, or is something else going on here?
I don't think they're setting up Robin and ted back together. I think they're setting up Marshall and Lily moving out and Robin becoming Ted's roommate. This could lead to a lot of hilarity - Robin is, after all, more guy-like than Ted is, and they had a lot of difficulty living together when they WERE together. This could lead to a few episodes of really fabulous flipped gender roles.
I loved the episode. I have no idea how they get away with running this show in the family hour.
Oh, man. Awesome ep. When are they going to announce if they've picked it up or not!? It's driving me nuts!
Maybe I'm just being hopelessly optimistic, but I took the postponement of the goat story as a sign that they got picked up for another season. They know this is a story that everyone is waiting for, and so by not telling it now, maybe they are saying they'll be around to tell it next year.
But I did have the same questions about how much the goat is tied into the story, and how Stella could have all this time to date now if just a few episodes ago she only had 2 minutes for lunch. I know a lot of people hope that Sarah Chalke is the mother, but it seems like the way they've woven in that relationship would make her being the mother totally anti-climactic.
I'll agree with the overall assessment of the awesomeness of this episode, but one thing bothers me: didn't anybody else hang out with a huge group of friends in their 20s where -- how can I put this delicately -- everybody slept with each other? And as long as it wasn't cheating at the time and/or the friend were the very next person to sleep with the ex, it was basically OK?
I know that HIMYM skirts this issue with the married couple in the middle of the group (just as Friends did with a brother/sister pairing), but Ted's anger, funny as it was, felt a little false.
I am not sure what to think. I hate to say it but the reveal at the end may be the jump the shark moment for HIMYM. It depends so much on a timeline and callbacks that blowing up the timeline like that leaves scars. For instance, if Lilly got the goat before Ted's 31st and did not live in that apt anymore, why would she bring the goat there in the first place? Does this mean that Lilly and Marshall now have a pet goat? So Ross' monkey can have a someone to hang out with in Lame Random Sitcom Pet Land? I also have a hard time giving Ted the "Stella could be serious if it was before his 31st" while completely ignoring that he said that he and Robin had dated a year ago in the same conversation.
Yeah the "wow I did not see that coming" was awesome but now that I have sat down to consider the implications it could very easily suck.
I hate to say it but the reveal at the end may be the jump the shark moment for HIMYM.
Don't worry about it so much: HIMYM has been doing this kind of "how can they possibly make that work?" twist at the end of episodes since their very one.
I am sure Robin will be there as a roommate, not a GF but it does raise the problem of all the dogs....
No, it doesn't, Amy. All five of Robin's dogs were sent up north in "Stuff" (the ep where Ted's lamp, pillow, etc. turned into his exes and her dogs turned into hers).
It was indeed Ian Abercrombie as Ben Franklin. Abercrombie is one of the great "Hey It's That Guy"s of American TV.
Anon
telling Gob to get rid of The C-Word,
Michael told Gob to get rid of "the Seaward," the boat he bought. The joke was Lucille hearing it as "the C-word," and giving the classic response.
I believe in a later AD episode it was revealed that the boat was actually named "The C-Word"... I'm sure Alan would know for sure.
As for HIMYM, I loved it and I think they've really stepped it up post strike.
Pretty sure there were two boats in AD...first was the "Seaward" which Gob blew up or sunk during his Spring Break magic show. Then the boat at the end of the series was the "C-word".
For instance, if Lilly got the goat before Ted's 31st and did not live in that apt anymore, why would she bring the goat there in the first place?
I had the same thought for a moment, but I dismissed it. After all, if you ended up with a goat, wouldn't you rather keep it in your friend's apartment than yours? Or perhaps take it with you instead of leaving it at home -- to eat all of your husband's wash cloths in the bathroom -- when you went over to your friend's for his surprise 31st birthday party.
It looks like you took a widescreen screen shot and stretched it upwards and downwards.
The X-box joke had me laughing for a good 2 minutes.
Okay. Just like many others, I may be reading way too much into all of this or over-predicting, but the goat mistake could be explained away next year as "Since 'Uncle Barney' and I weren't bro's anymore for my 30th birthday, Lilly and everyone wanted to 're-celebrate' my birthday the way it was originally planned for what was now my 31st birthday...Yada Yada Yada." I know...It's reaching, but otherwise it does kinda have a jump the shark type moment. One of the best episodes of season 3 though. Right up there with Slap-Bet, and Game-Night for me.
I generally get frustrated by people trying to determine in real-time whether a show has "jumped the shark" because if you're watching it live you can't even tell by seeing a guy in a leather jacket water skiing; however, I'm finding myself more confused than annoyed by where some people have taken this thread.
Am I to understand that if B&T can't find a way to
a) tell the greatest goat story ever and/or
b) explain the 30th vs. 31st/goat there vs. not-there situation
that many of you will consider HIMYM to have jumped the shark? Even though this was a hilarious and emotionally satisfying episode?
Have we come to expect so much continuity wanking from B&T that they can't even play around with it as a joke???
And is it just HIMYM, or would everyone be as upset with any great sitcom ignoring/twisting its history like that? Did Frasier jump the shark during its pilot when we found out Martin was not dead?
Sorry for being snarky about this, but I'm really not clear what people are complaining about. If someone didn't like the episode, I could understand that (vehemently disagree, but understand,) but it seems to me more like many people are just trying to be the first to pick the moment of this show's demise rather than enjoying it while we've still got it. It seems the equivalent of "I liked their early, experimental stuff, before they got super-popular" or being first to comment on a thread.
r.a porter - (Steps up on Soapbox) the entire term "Jump the Shark" has been taken and turned into the single most awful phrase in the human language. (It makes me angry, and you wouldn't like me when I'm angry!)
People need to quit using it. Every week someone says some show has jumped the shark. Just enjoy the tv and see where it goes, it's not the end of the world if a tv series makes one misstep, and it's not jumping the shark.
I'm pretty sure if you look back at Happy Days the series took a series of missteps which cumulated in the Jump the Shark episode.
It's not like it was a great show for years week in and week out and then one episodes Fonzie jumped a shark and the show was suddenly bad. It took time to get to that moment.
So for the love of all that is holy, will people STOP using this God Forsaken phrase?!?!?!?
(Steps down off soapbox)
Alan I'm sorry for hijacking your post, good day.
Also I loved the episode even if the goat left me a bit confused. But my faith in The boys at HIMYM does not waiver.
cinemaniac: dude! You scuffed my shoe when you stepped up on the soapbox with me. And P. Diddy wears these.
I didn't have a problem with Year 2030 Ted getting confused about whether the goat was there on his 30th or 31st birthday -- it actually seemed fairly realistic in the context of "2030 Ted tells his kids about stuff that happened 20 years ago." No one else has ever gotten a few details wrong or mixed up some dates when telling a story?
The fundamental hook of this show -- even more so than who the mother is -- is story construction. It's so much fun to see how they intricately construct their stories (and in fact, a lot of good TV today, like Lost, is as much about how the story is told as what the story is). And so when something doesn't seem to quite lock into place, it stands out as problematic. So yes, if Ted is trying to remember what he ate for lunch 20 years ago or Marshall's exact comments about something, he'll likely run into confusion. But remembering the major events immediately surrounding a defining moment in his life shouldn't be quite as hard. That said, this certainly isn't a shark-jumping moment, and I agree that that phrase needs to go away yesterday. But we can't love a show for the experience of its continuity details and then simply not notice or care when one of them seems a little hinky, right? They've trained us to do this. They've brought this on themselves!! :-)
I assumed that Ted getting the year wrong on the goat story means that Lily didn't get it from the farmer either yet. She will get it from the farmer, just in another year.
Great episode! I love Barney, and thought his office was great - especially the posters.
Stella can't be the mother, right? Since she already has a daughter, wouldn't Future Ted's kids know if she's their mom based on whether or not they have an older half-sister? So they'd either be able to eliminate her as their mom (if they don't have an older half-sibling) or keep her in the running (if they do have an older half-sibling).
Why is this such a point of contention? Lily bought the goat just before Ted's 30th birthday. on his 31st birthday, it ate one of Robin's towels. They will keep it in the apartment as a pet for the next year at least, during which time Robin will become a roommate. Whether Lily and Marshall are still there or in Dowistrepla remains to be seen, but Bays and Thomas have never given us such an incongruous question before, and there is no reason to believe they would get so obtuse now.
The kids know their mother's name. They will know it is her as soon as future ted says it. It is not a question of what clues he gives, or hints as to her identity. it is not a mystery for the kids to figure out like that awful-looking Ryan Reynolds/Abigail Breslin movie.
The phrase "jump the shark" needs to be banned. Anytime someone doesn't like an episode, they say it had its JTS moment. Thats not what the phrase even means. Jumping the Shark was originally coined to refer to the moment in the show where the writers/producers were creatively exhausted and had to rely on stunts, like having babies, getting married, a charachter dying, or casting Paula Marshall/Rena Sofer. Jump the Shark Moments are very specific points in a show's history, where they are clearly trying to shore up a sinking ship with scotch tape.
You don't think having a goat as a recurring character qualifies as a stunt?
It will certainly bring in some viewers... I am sure the beastialiy blogs are all atwitter (not that I would know), but they are a surprisingly disenfranchised demographic.
Personally, I found the whole confusion over the goat to be a bit strained. I find it difficult to believe that Ted could get what happened on what birthday confused - especially since one was a milestone 30th, and what else happened on that day (wouldn't he remember it as an "all that other stuff, and now I have to deal with this goat as well" situation?) Although I do find Brad's whole second-30th-party idea quite appealing.
In any case, I quite like the idea, simply because it firmly establishes SagetTed as an unreliable narrator. Which allows a bit of leeway for some of the contradictions (for instance, could Barney's fear of driving actually have taken place in seas on1's timeline, and SagetTed just got confused? Then Barney gets lessons, and overcomes his fear by the time we see him driving in other episodes?)
In any case, an excellent episode. The whole episode was weighed with real emotion (I rewatched season 1 on DVD last week, and the special features talked about trying to create a comedy with heart - this episode really showed that), yet they didn't forget the comedy. Barney throwing the football at Marshall. Lily asking about the Barney experience, especially "Did he have toys?" The Devils' Threesome rule (especially with the flashbacks to George Washington). In fact, any scene about the Bro Code, both the rules themselves, and Ted's following of the rules - "Da." More non-revelations about Barney's work, and his need for a super-shredder. "X-Box". The whole pushing-the-barrier jokes felt strained to me, until Lily mentioned she wanted clowns, and that just made it funny. And Ranjit has never not been funny - "Hit him Ted!"
It's been years since I saw The Graduate, and I can't even remember the context of the scene where the toast pops up unexpectedly, but the hot dogs popping up right after Barney reveals events to Marshall really reminded me of The Graduate. Anyone else? (Especially anyone who can remember what that scene was about?)
My only complaint regarding Stella isn't that we don't see her...it's that we are supposed to take a leap of faith with them that somehow Stella went from being 100% unavailable (I only have two minutes for lunch) to finding all this time to be in a serious relationship...hopefully they will get back to explaining that at some point, and knowing this show, they will.
That bothered me initially, but I don't think it's that mysterious. She is busy, certainly, and the daughter does complicate dating, but it wasn't impossible. I think the truth is she was probably using it as an excuse to avoid dating - it's a hassle,an inconvenience, and not worth it for something that probably won't go anywhere. Ted's 2-minute date broke down her defences and made it worth taking the effort.
It's a little disturbing to have a show reference things happening to the water in Portugal three days after you return home with food poisoning from Lisbon. True story.
"Pete said...
You don't think having a goat as a recurring character qualifies as a stunt?"
Aww, Britney wasn't that bad...
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