How I Met Your Mother: As Fast As She Can
By fred | May 12, 2009
(S04E23) I’m not sure exactly how everybody feels about the “mystery” of the identity of the mother of Ted’s children, but as I’ve said many times in the past, as far as I’m concerned it’s one of the least interesting thing there is. You know how we say that what counts is the journey? Well same thing here, we don’t care that much about the mother’s identity, what matters is the journey.
Or, here, all the other things Ted will “tell” us while eventually, one day, getting to the point of meeting the mother of his children. But the good parts, what’s interesting and, let’s not forget, what’s actually funny, is about everything else, everything that comes before it. Which is why I personally couldn’t care less about the who the mother is, and while it might be fun to have a clue here or a hint there, who cares?!
I have said it before, but to me the identity of the mother should be revealed, very simply, in the series finale, ending by future Ted announcing it. Nothing else. But before we get to that point, we want funny stories, we want to hear about the slap bet, find out what happens once Barney “caught” feelings for Robin or what the Hell was that goat doing in Ted and Robin’s apartment!
Last week was a set up for the mother, some clue or something about who she is and/or how Ted will meet her. And this week, pretty much the same. But then again, as I said, it’s not something I care for, at all, and while last week managed to be funny, this week didn’t work as well.
Sure, a few things were funny, I loved Robin and Marshall’s reaction to the murder house, or Barney unable to get out of a ticket outside of his own fantasy/porn world. But overall, and while the return of Stella (and Tony) wasn’t anywhere near as bad as it could have been, it also wasn’t funny, and felt to me like yet another set up for the “big” season finale coming up, except that they keep wasting time on this instead of focusing on things we really care for (e.g. Barney being in love with Robin), and that while I love set up, I do when they’re about what the show really is/should be about, which isn’t the mother, but being funny.
It should make us laugh, it’s still a sitcom, and the goat is one mystery I can’t wait to find more about, not because it’s in the title of the show or some irrelevant crap like that, but because it has potential to be hilarious, especially the way it was mentioned so far and what we know they can do with such a thing when they work an episode that is full HIMYM style.
But a lot of mystery about the owner of the yellow umbrella isn’t getting me waiting/excited for something that promises to be a riot of laughs, just answer a question I’m not really asking myself regarding the title of the show, and it just doesn’t do the same. So while I watched this episode and thought it was okay, it was just that. And it’s a shame, because the show used to be a lot more than just okay. Of course by then, it wasn’t about who the mother is, but everything else!
At least they ended on a good note, with Lily finally returning, and Barney’s latest hilariously evil plan to get laid…
But right now, while I really hope the finale will be good, given how they keep hinting that it’s about the mother and not the goat, given how they’re treated/ignored Barney being in love with Robin and everybody (but Robin) knowing this, I can’t help but feel that I should seriously lower my expectations, because it will be disappointing… Hopefully I’ll be proven wrong.
What did everybody else think?
Posted in Reviews
Shows: How I Met Your Mother
100% with you on the identity of the mother. I could care less who she is and don’t give two hoots if we don’t met her until the last 30 seconds of the series finale. Right now the only romance on the show I’m interested in is the one they are doing NOTHING about: Barney and Robin. This whole season has been really frustrating. It feels like its been written by two different groups of writers, one group who really likes the Barney and Robin idea and is trying to move it forward and the other group who is terrified to change Barney from the character from the pilot episode. Last week ended with Barney reaching his goal of 200 women and wondering what next then glancing across the bar at Robin. So LOGICALLY this week there should have been some traction on the whole Barney/Robin thing but no, instead Barney is stuck in a lame traffic ticket subplot with NO mention what so ever of his feelings for Robin to anyone. And then what the heck about the fact that Ted KNOWS Barney is in love with Robin???? They haven’t done anything about that!!! There is only one episode left in this season and its looking like it’ll be focused on the ‘mother’. *yawn* The writers really need to get their act together and fix this Barney and Robin fiasco or they need to retcon Barney back to season one episode one and leave it at that. Also can I just say thank god they have an actor like NPH playing Barney? In the hands of a lesser actor this season could have been an absolute disaster.
I agree, but.
I agree that the identity of the mom is a moot point but it is the active search of that identity that moves the story on. With Lilly not being there I’m kinda glad that they haven’t moved on with the Robin/Barney story, and I’d prefer that story line to start/continue at the beginning of the fifth season rather than the end of the forth one. I like the direction that Barney’s going in; because he’s still Barney – I don’t want to see him turn into Ted (going from being awesome to having a girlfriend? Really?) That being said I do want to see a Ted like journey for Barney and Robin (which means it would take a while [around 8.3 episodes])
The murder house thing was hilarious and at least we know now that Barney has gotten over his fear of driving. As far as the goat is concerned… wow. The hype is high, I hope they don’t drop the ball.