How I Met Your Mother shouts-out to itself

“Where’s the D-bag taking you? Aw, that’s not a good nickname for Don, I’ll think of another one.” – Marshall to Robin

We know we all love the non-linear storytelling of How I Met Your Mother, which we got tonight in all its glory. I loved the very first line of this episode, the way they made us think a corpse was pulled from the river, when in fact we later learn it was just a sexually frustrated Barney. But for me, the best part of tonight’s episode is the way HIMYM shouted-out to itself.

When they showed a clip of Robin’s show, with her interviewing Jennifer Lopez‘s character, Anita, Robin started off with her signature “But um….” When that little quirk of Robin’s was highlighted in “Jenkins” back in January, it was definitely the funniest part of that episode. When they bring back the great stuff, it reminds me of why I still watch HIMYM in the first place. Sometimes it’s worth suffering through the weakness of this season for the little moments like this.

I’ve got to say that I’m also really enjoying Mike the cameraman. The dude reminds me of Kenneth from 30 Rock with his eagerness to please, but watching him go from Robin’s laundry slave to waiting hand and foot on Anita, both in the studio and back at her apartment was pretty awesome. I hope they keep bringing Mike in for these little gems when appropriate … he’s great.

They also reminded us of just how comforting Robin finds her firearms, something that hasn’t come up in a while but is always so funny to me. She’s a quirky one, and when they play that up, it almost always works.

What didn’t work for me was pretty much the rest of the episode, in no particular order:

• Am I the only one that remembers how socially deviant Don was, from working in his underwear to, well, trying to date Robin in his underwear? Nice to see him in clothes, but don’t know how he went from sociopath to awesome.
• I didn’t need Lily and Marshall singing the Bang Bang song in bed together. I just don’t find them cute.
• The Super Date song doesn’t hold a candle to “Nothing Suits Me Like a Suit” — if you can’t match it or top it, don’t try the same thing twice.
• I suppose it’s realistic that Robin would mourn Barney, and it’s nice that he sent her and Don on the Super Date, but I just didn’t find it believable … more contrived for the content of this episode.
• The jury’s still out on Of Course You’re Still Single, Take a Look at Yourself You Dumb Slut. Too much?

I leave you to ponder the answer to this question: Does the set of HIMYM have really excellent lighting, or has J Lo had way too much work done? On the one hand, she really can’t even change her facial expressions, there’s so much Botox pumping up the lines in her face and forehead. Then again, the whole time I was watching “Jenkins,” I thought I was looking at a really young look-alike of Amanda Peet. So what’s the answer — Botox or good lighting?

Clacked by Debbie McDuffee
on Mar 08, 2010 @ 21:46 EST5EDT