How I Met Your Mother Duel Citizenship (S05E05)
CBS
5 seasons in, HIMYM continually ranks among the best comedies on TV. This epsiode was filled with hilarious Canadian jokes (which seem to be an endless well of gags for the writing team) and a great Marshall & Ted b-story. After last week’s lacklustre episode, it was great to get a classic. Who doesn’t have stories of crazy roadtrips with friends. And believe it or not, I had one with a friend who had to hit the bathroom every 5 minutes just like Lily. It had me in hysterics. Plus, we saw the return of the Hoser Hut, which is always ripe with inside jokes.
Speaking of the Hoser Hut, I was wondering if there was a Canadian affialiated Pub/Bar in New York City…A lot of places say no. But, they’d be wrong. There’s even a Canadian Association of NYC. This week in the Hoser Hut, we spotted a framed Paul Shaffer picture on the wall, The Queen behind the bar, and lots of Labbats Blue promotion everywhere.
Of course, despite the fact that it was Tim Hortons recent venture into New York certainly that brought upon its inclusion in the epsiode, it was written in so well that it didn’t feel like overt advertising. At least I don’t have to hear about a Toyota Barneyism. Product placement isn’t anything new, but finding creative and seamless ways to tie the product into the show is crucial.
It seems the new trend in TV these days is not to prolong the growth of characters too long. Whether it’s on a show like The Office which developed the Pam & Jim story relatively early on in the show’s lifecycle to Scrubs’ complete shift from its previous 8 seasons, How I Met Your Mother is following a more realistic (and welcome) trend in TV. It’s nice to see the characters evolve and grow into their 30s more naturally. Sure they have their crazy adventures, but they seem rooted in their new circumstances.
- Robin and Barney in a committed relationship
- Ted as a professor
- Marshall becoming a “We”
The group is always changing their dynamic and I think that bodes well for the show’s prospects. It’s much easier to write 20+ episodes a year when you have constantly changing relationships and character devlopment.
Spoonfuls (Thoughts in Smaller Portions):
1. Canadian Research
From Bryan Adams, to Canadian Curling uniforms, and even hockey rivalries, the crack staff at HIMYM are always on top of things. It’s also nice to see that colourful currency on TV. Barney says it best, when seeing the kids playing hockey on the back of the five dollar bill (which is real btw), “It’s like you want us to make fun of you!”
2. Barney Grows Up..a little
“You don’t want her, I’m planting my flag in her.” So Barney shows he cares and is hilarious.
3. Ted is the Dog
When Marshall and Ted makeup, the scene they are listening to compares Ted to the dog in the family. I guess right now he kinda fits that role.
Any great moments we missed? Let your voice be heard in the comments and check back again next week for another insallment.
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