How I Met Your Mother: Do I Know You? [season premiere]
By fred | September 23, 2008
(S04E01) Finally, got to sit and watch the return of man himself, the only person on this planet to hold a PhD in horribleness Awesomeness, Barney Stinson! Last season ended with two main stories left hanging right up there in the air, both involving a couple. First, we had of course Barney himself, severely injured and then realizing he might actually care for Robin a little but more then he first thought he did.
How would he handle this ? Could he even admit it to anyone, starting with himself ? How would this change him ?
And then, we have Ted. Ted who did nothing less than propose to Stella the last time we saw them, and then nothing. So let’s start off right right there, with Ted facing what we’ve all been dying to find out for all those months : will she say “yes” ? Could that make her The mother ?
Now, she did say “yes” and they might actually go on with the wedding, but I’m not buying that Stella is indeed the mother one second. It’s not that I don’t like her, cause I do, but it simply wouldn’t work, it wouldn’t make any sense, for so many reasons we’ve already covered many times before.
So let’s focus on what Ted come to realize this week what may very well be the problem that will end his relationship, or wedding, with Stella in the end, and/or this plot : we don’t know her. It’s not just Ted who doesn’t know Stella, neither do we. Maybe it was the strike that rushed everything, but the result is the same : those two are getting married, but we barely even know Stella.
I didn’t think she would say yes, just because it’s way too soon. And the fact that Ted doesn’t know that she’s allergic to peanuts, what’s her favorite color, or even the color of her eyes, all that are signs that this can’t last. Especially with Ted. Ted is no Barney, he’s a romantic guy, and while the quick first date in less than two minutes didn’t leave much time for them to get to know each other, there’s no way he can be fine marrying someone while only knowing so little about her.
I don’t think Ted really wants this, he acted that way because he almost felt obligated to do so at the time, and of course because he loves Stella, but in love, already ? And getting married ? Something just feels wrong, and it’s that Marshall hiding right next to them. No, something’s missing. And if the chemistry was there between her and Ted when it was about getting to know each other and discovering one another, adding a ring to the mix somehow messed things up a bit. How could he not see she was obviously lying about Star Wars ?
Not to say I didn’t like this episode, or even this plot, because I really did. I think this was a nice way for the writers to show that things had been moving to quick, and for them to address this, as now the characters are in the same situation as we are. And in the end, thanks to the help of a Marshall hidden behind the sofa, there were plenty of laughs.
But the real issue, what probably captivated us even more than the marriage proposal, was Barney’s acceptance that he had feelings. Or, as he phrased it, he “caught feelings”. Because as he put it himself in his blog, “the 83 major and minor bone fractures were not the most serious injuries [he] suffered“. Oh no, he was battling a “far more insidious and debilitating condition. Feelings.”
After an uncomfortable bar moment where Barney was clearly not himself, he asked Lily to come by his place to confess his problems. Of course, Lily was pretty excited about this new Barney showing up, but as the dinner with Robin later on clearly indicated, this new Barney, as nice as he may be, simply isn’t good for the show. Because while the time Barney and Lily were discussing this were absolutely hilarious, from Barney saying how he wants to hold Robin’s hand or hear about her day, to how he always thinks of Robin, even when sleeping with “this chick”, to him trying to call Robin only to leave a voice mail.
Or, as Lily noticed, “You left a voice, but it wasn’t male.” All of that, or the personal question barney came up with (”At what age did you first get your period ?“), or the cameras that, of course, he actually had all over his apartment, all of this was hilarious. Barney wasn’t his true self, but he was still a funny guy.
But seeing him “normal”, just caring and concerned about Robin, being a gentleman for once, Barney only trying to have a real conversation with Robin, now that was not just different, that was also “wrong”. Barney wasn’t only not himself, at all, he also wasn’t funny (”It’s simply de.. wait for it.. lightful! Delightful!“). Now there, something was broken.
Which is probably why in the end, Barney expressed his love for Bimbos, to the regret of Lily. But it was obvious this was a lie, he was only trying to let this go, convince her, and himself, that this was the truth. We all know this isn’t the case, but at the same time we also know that Barney needs to be Barney for the show to work. We need him sleeping with everything that moves, sending question marks every night to a different girl, leaving notes he signs by the name of Ted Mosby.
The truth comes from Barney’s blog, where he explains that suffering from “Feelings” is a life-threatening situation that only knows one treatment : “a multi-week course in Other Women. If symptoms persist, repeat course at a higher dosage.” And that’s exactly what he’s doing now, and will keep doing for as long as he can, and the (vain) hope that he will get over Robin…
Posted in Reviews
Shows: How I Met Your Mother
