How I Met Your Mother 'Symphony of Illumination' by Dash
This weeks instalment of How I Met Your Mother brings us a Christmas episode...well sort of. 'Symphony of Illumination' is the second episode of the show to not be narrated by future Ted, the first being 'The Stinson Missile Crisis' which like this one was narrated by Robin and also happened just 8 episodes ago.
I think I'm missing something from this weeks episode as I really don't understand the title. I'm not sure where it fits in to this strange but hilarious tale of the gang. Maybe someone can enlighten me in the comments.
The episode starts with Marshall and Lily getting excited over the house that has been given to them and are considering different ideas to do with it (my personal favourite is Chimp Sanctuary), they then return home to find that "their big lovely apartment...shrank" of course it just seems smaller to them, but the set has actually been made tiny and allows for some funny moments as they try to squeeze past all the furniture.
It moves on to future Ted explaining how Barney and himself were going through some bad times due to girl problems and deciding that maybe girls were not for them. I wasn't too sure about this episode at this point, turning them both gay even for an episode would have been a terrible move, pretty much just making a joke out of homosexuality, something I'm sure Neil Patrick Harris would not be happy with. Though thank fully the two of them quickly realised they still liked girls as one walks by the booth and they check her out.
But the guys are still unhappy with waiting around for finding the right girl and want to start a family without all the hassle of a wife and decide to adopt a kid, because men should be able to have kids on their own...like sea horses. So in a 'lets buy a bar' moment Ted says those fateful words that all guys never say "maybe we should start a family together" and so Bro-Parents are born.
While this was going on Marshall and Lilly were waiting for a sign from the universe to let them know if they should move to Long Island. Robin was calling them crazy when Clive from upstairs knocked on the door and asked if a for sale sign he found was their sign. Of course Marshall and Lilly took this to mean they should move to the suburbs and go to tell Ted and Barney. This important decision Marshall and Lilly made just pushed Ted and Barney over the edge and in homage to the 'Wonder Twins' they bump fists proclaiming "Bro-Parents Activate".
In the morning once the two have sobered up..Ted and Barney still think its a good idea to adopt a kid and begin applying at an adoption agency. But then their first bro-parents fight breaks out when Barney thinks Ted should quit his job but this is quickly resolved when they decide to get a nanny which Barney of course dibs. Then Ted comes to his senses as he realises Barney is too much of a kid himself and would be a terrible father.
While this is going on Robin is trying to convince Marshall and Lilly that moving from New York is a terrible idea and uses an example of when Marshall was trying to decide between being an environmental lawyer and working for a bank. Future Ted says "That's a funny story" and indeed it is. It seems that following 'signs' from the universe Marshall nearly bought a fire house and became a Ghostbuster, even meeting Ernie Hudson in the street.
Now its thanksgiving and Ted calls Barney to apologise just before Barney turns up with a baby girl. At first Ted is worried about where she came from but is quickly won over by all the girl attention they attract with the baby. At Marshall and Lilly's house Robin locks herself in their bathroom in protest against them moving there and Ted and Barney turn up with their baby "Hurricane Mosby-Stinson". This is a nice reference to the earlier episode 'Disaster Averted' where Ted comes up with that name for Marshal'ls baby. Though I think Hurricane Eriksen is much better than Hurricane Mosby-Stinson, too bad lilly wont allow it.
While Ted is explaining to Lilly about the baby, Barney's brother James turns up and to Lilly's relief Hurricane is his new daughter and is called sadie. James then explains to Ted that he almost did the same thing with a friend a few years ago but it really glad he didn't because the real thing is much better. Ted explains to Barney that he doesn't want to adopt and Barney goes for a walk. But really goes to the bathroom window to see Robin. And in just two words Robin explains why the episode has been about Barney wanting a family and drops possibly the biggest bombshell of the entire show so far...she is pregnant!!
And it ends, I was left open mouthed and wide eyed not to mention speechless. This is one craziest twists the story has ever had. It is clearly going to turn out to be Barney's which means as it was always going to her relationship with Kevin will come to and end and it will all lead to Barney's wedding which we saw at the end of last season. And I don't like it. I don't like the whole Barney and Robin thing and putting a baby in there as well is just going to destroy the characters even more than they already are.
This show started off as a perfect brocom (like a sitcom but for guys) but as the characters have 'developed' the show seems to be tailoring itself for a more female audience. I suppose its working since the ratings are good but I see the show finding it difficult to survive much longer, what with Marshal and Lilly with a baby and Robin and Barney with a baby they will have little choice but to introduce the mother and tie the whole thing up with a pretty little neat ribbon and call it a day.
Maybe that is the plan, just one more season after this to tie up all the loose ends and send the characters off in nice happily ever after lives. I don't like it, but I knew it was always going to happen. when the premise of a show is explaining how you met the mother of your children there is only so long you can go on for. Especially considering the date of when future Ted is talking is revealed so for the kids to the age they are he has to get a girl pregnant soon.
Let me know what you think of this weeks episodes in the comments!
Community Season 3 Episode 8 : "Documentary Filmmaking: Redux"
With the recent news that NBC has put the show on 'indefinite hiatus' fans are hoping the remaining episodes can prove just how good the show is and I believe that last nights episode does that, but maybe not in a good way.
Like the previous episodes, 'Introduction to film' and 'Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking', 'Documentary Filmmaking: Redux' parodies a mockumentary style sitcom as Abed follows the study group around as they film a commercial for Greendale. Just like in 'Hearts of Darkness' the film the episode takes most reference from Abed films the slow decent of a director driven mad by his own film, or in this case commercial.
"Now the bold man is awake"
Annie is chosen to be the 'script girl' sorry the 'supervisor girl' sorry the 'Script Supervisor'. As it turns out, not too long ago 'Script Girl' was actually the correct term for this role. This is the perfect position for Annie as it allows her to use her hyper organisational skills and anal personalty for a productive reason. As filming went on Annie's state of mind went with it. As more pencils get added to her ever more dishevelled hair she eventually turns into a neurotic mess with Stockholm syndrome.
Jeff is subjected to the next logical step in the Deans obsession with him: He is chosen to play the role of the Dean. Of course he hates the whole idea so tries to get out of it by acting like Dean Pelton on crack. But this backfires as the Dean loves Jeff's portrayal and gives him even more screen time. If there was just one thing I could see from this episode it would have to be Joel Mchale in a bold cap and glasses. Community never fails by taking itself too seriously and its moments like this that really set it apart.
Jeff in a further attempt to sabotage the commercial convinces the Dean to film his scenes in front of the statue of Greendale's most famous student, Luis Guzman and informs the actor's lawyers, because the college didn't have the right to use Guzman's image. But this again backfires as it turns out Guzman has a soft spot for the college and actually wants to be in the commercial.
"Stop saying I'm different"
This is when the Dean really starts to loose it. He decides that all the scenes will be rewritten and re-filmed in preparation of Luis Guzman's arrival. Britta and Troy are subjected to a hugging marathon for 12 hours so that the Dean can add a 'message' to the commercial and what better message than that of race. This results in Britta and Troy not even being able to touch each other without freaking out all so the Dean can "pull a 400 year old dagger out of the nations heart". The choice of these two to be the ones hugging adds to the sexual tension that has been building up between the characters for a while now but what will this traumatic experience do to their potential love?
Jeff, having now spent days in his bold cap had almost merged into the Dean. Jeff was dead and now his role of the Dean would no longer be played in irony. But as his casting call finally arrived the Dean decided he wanted to be seen with hair and told Jeff to take the bold cap off as that would be reality. Jeff refuses saying "I have worn this stupid thing for 12 days...I've made bold friends". The Dean's saviour comes in the form of Chang, meaning the role of the Dean will be played by "a Chinese man in a blonde wig". The cast and crew now abandon the Dean just before the arrival of Luis Guzman.
Guzman arrives to find Greendale deserted and finds the Dean living in his own filth with a live opossum editing the insanity which is his commercial. Guzman has no problem expressing his love for the school saying he got laid like crazy there, but he wont work with the Dean. It's revealed that Pelton is ashamed of his own school.
The time comes to show the school board the commercial and surprisingly it's not bad. In Hearts of Darkness director Francis Ford Coppola is shown strung out on cocaine thinking he wont live to finish his film. The plan was to pass the film to George Lucus to finish if Coppola should die. Thankfully that didn't happen. But here Abed uses his filmmaking super powers and becomes the Lucus to Dean Peltons Coppola and makes the commercial not just good...good enough.
"Some flies are too awesome for the wall"
While all this is happen Pierce has locked himself in the trailer he rented until the college rents him a new one. A trailer arrives for Guzman which Pierce commandeers and is unknowingly taken to Hollywood. Turns out the trailer was going to the on set home of actor Jeff Garlin, who after discovery Pierce proves himself to be no more mature and says he wont be leaving that trailer until he gets a new one.
Overall this was an amazing episode, capturing everything that makes the show great. It was quirky and didn't take its self seriously. There weren't a lot of obvious jokes allowing for some genuinely funny moments. But the very thing that makes this show great could be the very thing holding it back. Community refuses to conform to traditional sitcom tropes and instead pushes the boundaries. This is possibly alienating its audience as unlike with 'The Big Bang Theory' which pokes fun at the geeks, Community requires some actual knowledge about the subjects that it is parodying.
There are many people out there that want to save this show and if your one of them sign this petition, do it now don't wait, get other people to sign it to. Of course it has just been put on hiatus and hasn't yet been cancelled but I think we all know unless something big happens we wont be seeing much more Community.
So everything has been going great for the gang recently,
Marshal and Lilly are having a baby, Robin is with a well adjusted genuinely
nice guy called Kevin, Barney somehow found himself a girl who is actually good
for him and Ted... well Ted is as he always is. So of course some drama was
overdue in order to mess up the happy dynamic.
BUT WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE THIS?
I will warn you now !!!!SPOILERS
SPOILERS SPOILERS!!!!
If you haven't been watching How I Met Your Mother for the
past six years you may not understand my frustration, in fact even if you have
been watching you still may not understand why I hate Robin and Barney!
Ok so individually I don't hate them, everyone knows Barney
stole the show from the beginning but together I just can't stand them. I know it's obvious that Robin is going to be
the bride at Barney's wedding and they will live happily ever after... blah blah
blah but I say bullshit and bullshit again. This off again on again, will they won't
they crap is old I mean Ross and Rachel old and needs to be stopped.
The episode starts with Barney and Robin waking up in bed
together, they both freak out and feel bad for cheating. This whole scene just
seemed terrible to me, it just made Barney look like a brainless idiot making
stupid comments while Robin yet again suggested the 'this never happened'
thing, 'cos we all know how well that worked out last time.
There is something about these two characters together that
grates me. I understand the need for character development and Robin has managed
to get over her control issues and is ready for a proper relationship; and
Barney has matured into a well adjusted nineteen year old. But that does not mean they have to end up
together. In 'The Naked-Man' Marshall called slut, well I call slut again but
this time it isn't just clothes that stands in the way, it is just a matter of
proximity. Their relationship lasted just the right amount of time in the first
place, it messed up the dynamic of the group, leaving Ted to be the outcast with
no one to turn to, they ended it at the right point and that should have been
it. This episode also showed Robin to be a bigger bitch than she has ever been
before, and she left the group to be with Don...DON!!!! After admitting that
she wanted to be with Barney they both agreed to break off their relationships
and be together, Barney does what he feels is right and tells Nora the truth in
what actually was a very mature moment for Barney. Robin on the other hand
decides to not tell Kevin after he tells her he loves her. Has she decided she
likes Kevin more than Barney or does she simply have graduation goggles?
Moving on to the part which made this episode great, Ted,
Marshal and Lilly go to 'Groovapalooza', and light up a great big sandwich, of
course Lilly doesn't have any being pregnant and all (though it's surprising her
baby doctor hasn't told her she can have 'just a little bit'), leaving Ted and
Marshal to devour the whole thing leading to what has been one of the funniest
moments of the show this season.
Ted and Marshal wander around trying to find nachos for
Lilly, they keep queuing for the ladies' bathroom instead and wandering around
the arena. To be fair this wasn't all that great once the joke had been done
once, but the pay off was a masterpiece. After wandering around for hours,
eventually finding nachos but missing the concert they find Lilly who reveals
that in fact they had been gone a grand total of... two minutes. It then
follows to show those two minutes from the vantage point of a security camera.
For me this is the highlight of this season, I didn't see it coming and it
refreshed a rather overdone joke. Also it was nice to see some Ted and Marshal
bonding for once, I miss their adventures almost as much as Barney's.
So obviously I am not looking forward to this story arc and
I hope they resolve it quickly and get back to some Ted centric stuff. Maybe
with a few wild adventures thrown in there too. Well check back next week to
read my thoughts on the next episode.
