The nine reasons How I Met Your Mother’s Barney and Robin worked tonight
“That must be that tantric bagpiping that Sting is into … shut the bagpipes up.” – Ted to Robin, about the noisy “bagpiping” neighbors upstairs
What? A How I Met Your Mother episode that was centered around Robin and Barney being a couple, and Marshall and Lily’s domestic issues? I guess that’s not so weird this season, but what is weird is that I actually liked the way both situations were handled, and I laughed.
I’ve been lukewarm about Barney and Robin being together this season. At first, I was really open-minded and on-board, trusting the writers. But then, as they became just a typical couple, I felt disappointed, let down by Bays and Thomas and the entire writing team that I trust to deliver such greatness as “Slap Bet” and “Naked Man.”
Tonight, it worked. I enjoyed Robin and Barney together on several levels, and here’s why it worked:
Quick thoughts on sitcoms – CliqueClack behind the scenes
Thought you had enough of behind the scenes at CliqueClack, after reading our diatribes on Reaper’s fate and the top 100 sci-fi shows, didn’t you? Well, maybe in another life you’ll be so lucky, but today you get graced with another installment. This time, Julia started it, innocently enough.
C’mon, read it. It’s actually pretty relevant considering all of the new sitcoms the networks are trying this season.
JULIA: Any Arrested Development virgins around here? Because if I were, I would offer to do a Diary, but I am pathetically, helplessly in love with this show. But I’m just suggesting, it’s worth getting into. And I will happily aid and abet anyone interested in getting addicted.
BOB: Funniest show to ever be on TV.
[and now begins the controversy...]
Durham County; House; How I Met Your Mother – In that order
Here are my picks, once again, for what I felt were the three best shows of the night:
Durham County — ION is currently airing the final couple of episodes of season one, but I decided to go ahead and finish up season two last night. Wow. Simply WOW. Brutal and disturbing, yet filled with great performances from the entire cast. It also set things up for what promises to be a crazy ride of a third season. Once that’s airing again, you can bet I’ll be posting about it more regularly here.
In any case, every episode of season one of Durham County was awesome, so episode four of that season (which is what aired on ION last night) would certainly rank up there as number one here.
How I Met Your Mother season four – CliqueClack Giveaway
Last season of How I Met Your Mother had some definite highlights. Remember The Naked Man? How about The Stinsons? Intervention? All classics in my book. So, how’d you like to own all of those on DVD? Because we’ve got one sitting here, ready to find a new home.
Two giveaways in one day?! Too good to be true? Nope!
All you need to do is tell us your favorite moment from How I Met Your Mother. How much easier can it be than that?
Blowing the Hatch: How I Met Your Mother’s Robin Sparkles settles a slap bet
Blowing the Hatch: When a good show turns great. How I Met Your Mother started well in its first season. We got to know the gang: Ted is the romantic, Barney is The Man, Lily is the sweetheart, Robin is the Canadian (Thanks Andrea!), and Marshall is the dreamer. There were embarrassing admissions of love, sword fights, pineapples, Cupcakes, break ups, and make ups. We were also introduced to HIMYM’s unique non-linear storytelling style that I love. It was nine episodes into the second season, however, when Robin had a secret, and Barney made a bet.
There was so much awesomeness in this episode, that I believe most fans forget that we saw Lily become Slap Bet Commissioner the same night we met Robin Sparkles. The group discovered that Robin had some deep dark mall-related secret when she was too scared to join them on a Barney-funded shopping spree. Ted pries, as Ted does. Marshall thinks it’s marriage, as Marshall does. Barney think its porn, because, you know, he’s Barney.
HIMYM – What’s the difference between peanut butter and jam?
Actually, before we get to that joke’s punchline, I wanted to mention that this episode goes down as both the worst and the best examples of hiding pregnancies on a TV show ever. The worst because Robin clearly looked very pregnant throughout the episode, with no real humor thrown in to make it laughable (like Lily overeating, for example). The best because of the peanut butter/jam joke being so vile that it caused Lily to conveniently disappear for four weeks.
As to the punchline to the aforementioned joke? Wait for it …
Don’t Lie to Me, Starbuck; SNL is too long – The Week in Clack
Week of January 18 to January 24
Clever, insolent, creative, irreverent; even a little twisted. I speak of the writers here at CliqueClack, and the unique posts they churn out day after day. How could we let seven days go by without highlighting some of the week’s gems?
(If you’d like to receive this in a weekly email, subscribe at the bottom of this post)
Ah, the new programming gradually trickles in and we have more premieres and previews to love:
- Burn Notice is back, and Mike is one pissed off spy, Scott notices.
- Lost is back, Sun is vengeful, and apparently we find the island, or something like that, according to Bob.
- Lie to Me debuts to decent numbers and a general warm fuzzy feeling — Jen loves it.
- Rich has high hopes for TNT’s Trust Me.
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