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How I Met Your Mother’s fifth season began on Thursday night. Oddly enough, only a week after the fourth one ended. I’m not quite sure what the logic behind showing the two seasons so close together is, but I do hope that E4 are aiming to get a bit more synchrony between the UK and US airdates.
Thankfully, it’s an episode that is a lot better than the disappointing end to the last season. Significantly helping HIMYM get back on track is the fact that the focus has been taken off Ted for the moment. Personally, I’m hoping there’s a little less of him throughout the season. Although I do get why people might warm to Josh Radnor’s character, I tend to find the hopeless romantic to be the least compelling of the group. In fact, Ted seems to be better off with fewer scenes; his mix-up in the classroom on his first day of teaching was his most genuinely funny scene for a while.
The episode is called “Definitions” - the gist of the plot is that Barney and Robin have been together for the whole summer without “defining” their relationship, and Lilly does not approve. Lilly is probably my favourite of the HIMYM cast (I’ve pretty much always loved Alyson Hannigan) - and it’s great to see her show her manipulative streak in this episode. She orchestrates a situation in which the two of them have to have “the talk” - eventually forcing them to lie and say that they are boyfriend and girlfriend (even though they’re obviously not actually lying!)
I can’t help but wonder if the diversion into this potential Barney and Robin relationship just shows HIMYM’s startlingly evident need for an end-date. This is a show where the conclusion will really count for a lot; after all, it’s How I MET Your Mother. Anyway, switching the focus to Barney and Robin isn’t a bad thing; they’re two of the most interesting and amusing characters on the show.
It is certainly a risk to turn the two almost-permanently-single characters on the show into a couple, and could have very easily been unconvincing. Taking risks isn’t something that’s typical of HIMYM - so I must applaud the creators for being a little bit bolder – even if it isn’t a relationship that I see working for very long.
The jokes here are a lot better than they were towards the end of last season, with some great Barney-isms (notably his comparison between girls and gremlins in a flashback to “Tuxedo Night”) and a ton of Indiana Jones jokes when Ted becomes a professor. I also enjoyed the appearance from Brad, possibly the most amusing character who isn’t from the main group.
Even though we’re no closer to finding out who the mother is, this episode gives HIMYM’s stronger characters a chance to shine and it feels like the plot took a big step forward. It’s a really promising start to the new season.
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