Kids... I hope you brought your notebooks, because the story of how I met your mother is a lot longer than you might think...
You get the feeling with each passing season that Ted Mosby's "story" is not so much about how he met his wife, but a cleverly disguised series of lessons for his adolescent kids as they enter young adulthood. That's not to say his quest for "the one" is actually just a footnote in the story, though. Many of the things Ted learned along the way were directly connected to his search for the elusive Mrs. Mosby. It just so happens that after five seasons, information has leaked regarding the wife's identity, but we've still yet to "meet" her. I know CBS has a good thing going with this show, but I'm wondering how much longer the writers can stall this inevitable meeting without the story becoming completely absurd.
**Possible Spoilers in Next Section**
For HIMYM fans who are drawn in by Ted Mosby's journey to find his soul mate, Season 5 may come as a mild disappointment. The 100th episode was monumental, not just for the show itself, but for fans thirsting for details on the future Mrs. Mosby. However, outside of that episode there was very little advancement made in the whole "meeting your mother" facet of the show. Now for fans who might be more indifferent to the sentimentality of the show, or just have no problem with the stall for the sake of prolonging the series, this is a fantastic season. S5 more than any was centered around Barney Stinson, whose story ranged from serious relationships to sexual escapades more unique and insane than ever before, "The Playbook" (ep.8) and "The Perfect Week" (ep.14) in particular. As simple as it seems, my favorite single moment of the entire series came in the first episode of this season when Ted is teaching his first college class and is panicking because he doesn't know if "professor" has one "f" or two.
The first seven episodes focused mainly on the evolving relationship between Barney and Robin, a real leap of faith taken by the writers given the fact that Barney's "womanizer" status had always been a major theme of the show. Daring as it was, it didn't disrupt the flow of the show and the aftermath made for some hilarious episodes and epic moments.
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High Points of the Season:
- Barney Stinson's song & dance number in "Girls Versus Suits" (ep.12) (also the 100th episode)
- "The Window" (ep.10) - We all know that one person who is never single
- New York Yankee outfielder Nick Swisher's guest appearance in "The Perfect Week"
- Ted's literal "double" date in "Double Date" (ep.2) displays some of his most endearing... and annoying mannerisms
- "Last Cigarette Ever" (ep.11) for its realistic portrayal of the difficulty in quitting
- Ted makes an impulse purchase in "Home Wreckers" (ep.20)
- We get a full dose of Ted's intellectual side in "Robots Versus Wrestlers" (ep.22)
- The introduction of the doppelgangers and the impact it has over the course of the season
- The yellow umbrella (we assume) makes its way back to its rightful owner in the 100th episode
- The fourth slap in "Slapsgiving 2: Revenge of the Slap" (ep.9)
- Robin's path to U.S. citizenship in "Duel Citizenship" (ep.5)
One of the things I like most about the show is their tendency to bring past themes back to the present. For example, the famous "naked man" routine makes a surprise appearance in Season 5. There are still consistent references to Ted's ex-fiance Stella and even her beau, Tony, makes an unexpected contribution to one episode. Lily can't seem to shake her old flame, Scooter, and Ted unveils the blue french horn one more time.
I honestly don't think the show is declining at all. The amazing thing is that I thought the writers would have trouble coming up with stories for Marshall and Lily once they got married, yet they're still coming up with great ideas for the couple. The originality is bewildering for having written 112 episodes. How I Met Your Mother is still one my favorite shows and I'm looking forward to the 6th season.
* I will update on Special Features, etc. when I buy the DVD set.
Season Grade: A- How I Met Your Mother Season 5
I purchased this item as a present for my sister. The third disc was all scratched and wouldn't play without skipping. Luckily when we discovered this it was still within the return period. I returned the item and got a replacement from Amazon the next business day. All the discs work perfectly fine in the replacement.
About the season: Season 5 is a great one! Enjoy!
As Friends began fading from public consciousness, it left an undeniable hole in the primetime television lineup where the "group of young professionals in a big city" sitcom sits. It's a tradition that stretches back to The Mary Tyler Moore Show, but it wasn't until friends that the genre commanded such fan loyalty that it was a throne worth holding. And, wouldn't you know it, CBS, the current king of television, managed to find the perfect show to fill Friends's shoes. How I Met Your Mother follows a group of five friends in varying degrees of romantic involvement: a married couple, a man searching for his soulmate, a womanizer, and a single woman convinced she doesn't want anything long-term. It's not rocket science, but the consistently funny writing, the unending in-jokes, and great performances by Neil Patrick Harris, Jason Segel, and Cobie Smulders make it one of the best plot-driven sitcoms running today.
After four seasons, with the fourth devoted almost entirely to a decoy relationship for Ted (Josh Radnor), the man ever in the process of meeting the titular mother, audiences were getting a little burnt out with the idea that the mother might be an eternally distant goal towards which the writers would head without ever getting there. And so, with the fifth season, they made it quite clear that the eventual meeting of Ted and the kids' mother was just over the horizon, even going so far as to giving us a tantalizing glimpse of her (even if it was just her ankle). We now know Ted and the mother are inhabiting the same social circle. Yet, do we care anymore? Ted has become an increasingly annoying character whom the audience tolerates because he's part of the package deal of Marshall (Segel), Lily (Alison Hannigan), Barney (Harris), and Robin (Smulders). He's rarely funny and at his best reminds us of every obnoxious friend we've ever had who obsesses over the girl who got away while never adjusting their personality to be less the schmuck that drove the girl away in the first place. We see glimpses of a decent character in Ted, but most of the time he's just unbearable.
So why watch? When the lead character whose quest is the very name of the show, how does How I Met Your Mother keep the audience hooked? Through the other four friends. The entertaining foursome has a collection of plot points that don't just entertain but warrant some level of emotional connection. Starting with the final resolution(?) of Robin and Barney's will they-won't they drama which began mid-season 2 but started going full-steam in season 4 and culminating in Marshall and Lily taking the next big step as a married couple, it's not hard to see where the real growth amongst the show's characters is actually taking place. To make things worse for attitudes towards Ted, the characters of Barney, Marshall, and Robin are infinitely more entertaining than his. Lily has her moments, but she's become more of a back-up character for jokes involving Robin or Marshall or the voice of maturity [read: wet blanket] that keeps some episodes grounded. As expected, Barney steals the show more often than not; Harris has become the show's de facto star in lieu of Ted's current state of being obnoxious, and the writing always tilts in his favor - and it doesn't hurt that Harris is naturally pretty funny. The show's 100th episode even comes to a head with Barney belting out a choreographed musical number about his suits; it's a great television moment.
The season as a whole is an improvement over the fourth, but until they get Ted back on track, it will never be as good as it was in its first three seasons. However, if the other four cast members hold up their end, the show's future is still brighter than most.
DVD Bonus Features
For a season of television, HIMYM's fifth DVD set has a rather amusing collection of extras including a solid blooper reel (6 minutes of actual bloopers and 2 minutes of the season's biggest laughs), music videos of the season's three songs ("Super Date", "Nothing Like a Suit", and Marshall's "It was the Best Night Ever), and an extended trailer for the plot point film "The Wedding Bride". While those are all well and good, the real meat of the extras are the two making of videos for the 100th Episode dance number and the quick, though effectively revealing green screen process behind "Super Date". To top it off there's a "Season Recap" which ABC should look at and use as a model for their seasons, as instead of just being a voice talking about the past seasons' events, it's a song covering every great in-joke from the series up to this point. - E-reader - Zombies - Kindle Devices - Ebook'
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