Welcome to a new Sitcom Tuesday! This week, I’m continuing my coverage of How I Met Your Mother (2005-2014, CBS), which is currently available on DVD and streaming.

How I Met Your Mother stars JOSH RADNOR as Ted Mosby, JASON SEGEL as Marshall Eriksen, COBIE SMULDERS as Robin Scherbatsky, NEIL PATRICK HARRIS as Barney Stinson, and ALYSON HANNIGAN as Lily Aldrin.

Season Three is How I Met Your Mother’s strongest all-around showing, as the series continues to embrace the rich storytelling opportunities of its high concept, while also boasting forward-moving plots that directly satisfy that premise. This year contains even more nested flashbacks that jump around in time (stories inside stories), more one-off episodes that follow formal structures (like bullet points), and more mistakes and intentional euphemisms from a biased and unreliable narrator who either can’t or won’t recall the full truth. These are all devices that suggest a long-form story is being “told,” and by a specific character. There’s also more named phenomenon this year as well, like “The Platinum Rule” or “The Bro Code” — ideas that indicate a firmer command on the series’ sense of humor. Accordingly, Three observes Mother accentuating more of its identity than ever before. What’s more, the fact that Ted is no longer with Robin also helps a lot, for now he’s back in dating scenarios that spark premise-corroborating narrative suspense. He’s meeting more women again and any one of them could theoretically be the mother of his future kids, especially Sarah Chalke’s Stella, who recurs in Three’s back half. And with concerted teases regarding a yellow umbrella, there’s more progression in the series’ primary narrative than we’ve seen so far. Okay, novelty is starting to wear ever so slightly, and the show is having to consume more episodic notions that don’t use character and/or premise as well as the majority do. But Three finds Mother notably trying to develop its leads beyond their mere positional distinctions, with Barney in particular enjoying a stellar season. As the show’s most comedically distinct regular, he’s the most capable of enlivening and individualizing routine sitcom fare, so his elevation is helpful. Barney’s also starting to become more emotionally complex — an evolution that begins when he sleeps with Robin, launching a romantic arc that’ll redirect the entire series as it enters its middle era. During that time, the premise will more rapidly shed its novelty and the high-concept’s long-form story will need to get even more stretched out, making it much less likely for a typical entry to offer a genuine reflection of what the series first promised to be. Here in Three, it’s still simple — the show knows what it is, and can often be it, more fully and enjoyably than anywhere else.

 

01) Episode 45: “Wait For It” (Aired: 09/24/07)

Ted goes out on the prowl for women with Barney while still trying to get over Robin.

Written by Carter Bays & Craig Thomas | Directed by Pamela Fryman

Season Three’s premiere establishes its new status quo based on the developments set up at the end of Two — with Ted single and dating again, despite still pining for Robin, and Barney taking on an elevated prominence since he and Ted are both bachelors on the make. As noted, this is actually good for the series, for now that Ted is free from Robin, whom we know is not the mother of his future kids, he’s in a position to meet women who could be The Mother, and that means the premise gets more palpably explored, even when scripts aren’t explicit about it. Additionally, this entry also introduces an object that has stated significance to the high concept’s overarching narrative — The Mother’s yellow umbrella — a point of reference that helps the show at least feel like it’s progressing as promised. As for this half hour, specifically, I also appreciate its self-contained mystery — how did Ted get his tattoo? — for any micro episodic question that needs answering, via nested flashbacks, reinforces the storytelling opportunities that the show’s macro story allows, thereby rendering this sample a wonderful display of Mother and what makes it special. (Mandy Moore and Enrique Iglesias guest.)

02) Episode 49: “How I Met Everyone Else” (Aired: 10/22/07)

Ted and his friends tell his date how they all met.

Written by Gloria Calderon Kellett | Directed by Pamela Fryman

My pick for this year’s Most Valuable Episode (MVE), “How I Met Everyone Else” is Three’s best example of how the show in this peak era is able to employ some unique storytelling to play to its high-concept premise and earn a fresh, interesting type of sitcommery, all while exploring the characters and their shared history, thus satisfying the low-concept hangout and relationship-driven part of the situation as well. Specifically, this installment is as its title suggests — it presents nested flashbacks that reveal how Ted and each of his friends met (including Robin, which we already saw in the pilot), and this is a helpful narrative device because it’s a flourish with which one might spin a long-form yarn, indulging tangential asides that explain additional details and backstories as they become relevant. Accordingly, Mother’s premise feels supremely well-acknowledged simply with a logline like this, for it emphasizes the very foundational narrative and thematic qualities enabled by this situation. However, beyond the logline, this excursion is also identity-reiterating in its minor choices, spotlighting beats and gags that reaffirm the setup of Future Ted telling a tale to his children — with his status as an unreliable narrator reflected in the fact that he can’t remember his date’s name (“Blah Blah”), and through his deliberate decision to use the euphemism “eating a sandwich” to replace “smoking a joint.” This is wonderfully self-corroborating! And that’s not all — because this expands upon the main characters’ history and their interpersonal bonds (with discrepancies in their own memories adding yet another layer of recall-based intrigue that is inherently situation-validating), it’s also a smart showing for the leads, strengthening their definitions and our understanding of them, so they too may be better able to support comedic story going forward. As a result, this is a classic on low-concept and high-concept terms — a rarity! (Also, I enjoy the Hot/Crazy scale gag — it’s one of those quintessential Mother maxims, well earned by Barney.)

03) Episode 52: “Spoiler Alert” (Aired: 11/12/07)

Ted retaliates after his friends point out that his new girlfriend talks too much.

Written by Stephen Lloyd | Directed by Pamela Fryman

A one-off dating story for Ted that provides him with a girlfriend-of-the-week who could theoretically be the mother of his future kids and therefore directly premise-affirming herself, this popular outing is naturally ideal. It’s also quite fun, with a typically unique How I Met Your Mother storytelling structure — as one moment is flashback’ed to again with additionally relevant details added from another perspective, mirroring the style in which a teller would build suspense in a long-form narrative. Here, we see Ted’s view of a dinner where all his friends met his new girlfriend (Lindsay Price), and then see the more honest version from their perspective, where she was overly chatty to an off-putting extent. And once privy to their framing, Ted is “spoiled,” for he’s unable to un-notice it, sparking a series of events where everyone then gets an annoying trait that’s spotlighted and “spoiled” within the group, much to their shared consternation. Okay, that last part is a little silly — a lot of these annoyances are episodic conveniences, and in a basic conflict that, well, isn’t very original — but the template, of competing POVs timed for comedic maximization by the narrator, is special to Mother and indeed situation-reflective, while the continuity of irritations grows ensemble camaraderie.

04) Episode 53: “Slapsgiving” (Aired: 11/19/07)

Lily and Marshall host their first Thanksgiving as a married couple.

Written by Matt Kuhn | Directed by Pamela Fryman

Last season’s “Slap Bet” introduced the amusing setup of Marshall having won the right to slap Barney a few more times — a recurring joke that the series hereafter uses to tease future happenings with a little comic suspense, in a way that serves as a micro version of the macro comic suspense aroused by its very premise. That is, just as Three’s premiere dangled the carrot of a relevant prop in the long-form mother saga, its tag also created a ticking clock related to Marshall’s next slap. This comes back into play here — in this offering that not only benefits from the pre-established and series-specific narrative device from “Slap Bet,” but also from a believable rom-com story addressing Ted and Robin’s lingering difficulty remaining friends post-breakup. It’s the kind of emotionally honest conflict that, once worked through via sheer acknowledgment, helps the show cement its new status quo as buyable for the characters, and I credit this entry for also handling it comedically, and without much strain. Also, I love many of the gags, which are quintessentially Mother — like Ted and Robin’s saluting joke (which feels in the spirit of the series’ humor), and the choice to cast Orson Bean in the role of Robin’s 41-year-old beau… a funny perspective-based bit that has fun with how Ted (at the time) saw him and then, per the premise, might still depict him on a retell to his kids. An MVE contender.

05) Episode 55: “The Platinum Rule” (Aired: 12/10/07)

Ted’s friends try to convince him not to date someone he’ll have to see regularly.

Written by Carter Bays & Craig Thomas | Directed by Pamela Fryman

This was the last episode produced before a WGA strike that halted every scripted show and cut the season’s output to only 20. (I’m still choosing ten highlights because Three’s a near-complete collection at peak-era quality.) It’s a fun half hour that introduces another Seinfeld-ian named concept reflecting a bit of trivial social decorum that this group accepts as part of its lore — “The Platinum Rule,” which is basically to never ever love thy neighbor, or rather, date someone that you’d still have to see regularly if it doesn’t work out. That’s a fruitful rom-com piece of advice that could inspire dozens of comic scenarios, and indeed, there are nested flashbacks here as the other characters provide examples of when this rule proved to be correct. This is all guided by an eight-step process that creates trackable story beats, which themselves remind of the way a person could enumerate plot points in a long-form oral narrative. All this, again, is yet more evidence of peak Mother — uniquely and freshly using clever storytelling devices to reinforce the series’ high-concept and the benefit of having an overarching narrator.

06) Episode 56: “No Tomorrow” (Aired: 03/17/08)

Ted decides to live like Barney on a night out at a club on St. Patrick’s Day.

Written by Carter Bays & Craig Thomas | Directed by Pamela Fryman

Three’s first post-strike showing is like a mini-premiere, resetting the characters with an explicit reminder of the high-concept premise: the official debut of the yellow umbrella, an object we’ve already been told involves the mother of Ted’s future kids. Granted, this outing — which isn’t on the top tier of this list’s selections — is mostly here because of its forward momentum in progressing the series’ primary narrative, which is promised to the audience and thus most satisfying when addressed in weekly story. However, I also appreciate “No Tomorrow” for playing with perspective, as Ted’s bad (and Barney-esque) behavior at a club on St. Patrick’s Day is something he doesn’t depict honestly at first, in accordance with how he initially misremembered and described it. This is helpful; the more that Ted’s imperfect — someone with flaws, shortcomings, and lapses in judgement that also emphasize how unreliable he is as a narrator — the more Mother feels like it’s taking advantage of its premise, discovering more ways that the show’s storytelling can be colored in a unique and intrinsically self-affirming style.

07) Episode 57: “Ten Sessions” (Aired: 03/24/08)

Ted pursues his dermatologist while her receptionist falls for him.

Written by Chris Harris and Carter Bays & Craig Thomas | Directed by Pamela Fryman

Sarah Chalke (from Scrubs) begins her recurring role here as Ted’s new love interest, Stella, someone who could quite possibly be the mother of his future kids (there’s a deliberate St. Patrick’s Day tease) and therefore a vessel to help explore the premise, just as Mother innately promises. In fact, she may be the first viable contender for The Mother since Victoria, and that’s automatically exciting because she, again, suggests forward plot movement — something entirely lost to Two, as Ted was paired with Robin for its duration. As for this installment, it’s also notable due to its much-promoted guest appearance by pop star Britney Spears — a form of stunt casting that boosted the ratings just when the show needed a lift. Spears is actually amusing in her scenes though, as her character’s obsession with Ted and eventual fling with Barney set up plot points that come back later in the year and reinforce the show’s narrative continuity. But the joke of her very inclusion — and the surprise that she’s actually fine as a comic performer — is only really additive here, in this accordingly memorable excursion.

08) Episode 58: “The Bracket” (Aired: 03/31/08)

Barney tries to determine which of his exes is sabotaging his sex life.

Written by Joe Kelly | Directed by Pamela Fryman

As noted, Barney has a terrific Season Three; several episodes explore his character directly — and typically to much success, for he’s already the show’s most humorously defined regular and the one most able to deliver situation comedy from personality-specific dialogue and stories that he can uniquely inspire or at least inform. This offering is a great example, as Barney creates an elaborate bracket of all his former conquests to figure out which one could be stalking him and sabotaging all his recent hookup efforts, enabling an idea-driven, templated framework that itself feels very much in the ethos of Mother and its innate situation as an unfolding mystery. It’s also only possible with a character like Barney, who has a lot of women in his past who might want to enact vengeance on him. Plus, he’s a wolf who, unlike many in this archetype, is meticulously methodical and business-like enough to believably use a bracket to track her down… Now, truthfully, the later half hour with the reveal — it’s Spears’ character! — isn’t as strong as this setup, but that doesn’t matter; as a singular sample, this is another winner.

09) Episode 61: “The Goat” (Aired: 04/28/08)

Barney tries to look for a loophole in the Bro Code after sleeping with Robin.

Written by Stephen Lloyd | Directed by Pamela Fryman

Another memorable entry that uniquely explores both the premise and some of the regulars via a storytelling that is ultimately reflective of the series’ situation at large, “The Goat” also boasts an important moment in Mother’s long-form narrative. It picks up where its predecessor left off, with Barney and Robin having slept together, thereby introducing their romantic possibility — a thread that will soon be woven into the basic fabric of the show, informing Ted’s overarching mother pursuit and complicating the way audiences will come to view the eventual series finale, given how much Robin and Barney’s nuptials will be positioned as an anticipated event tied to their mutual growth as characters. But we’re not there yet. Here, their one-off hookup is just a gimmicky rom-com twist that feels a bit plot-oriented and typical of these hangout rom-coms, where leads are coupling and uncoupling. However, it nevertheless isn’t unbelievable for someone like Barney (specifically) to sleep with his pal’s ex — even though it goes against “The Bro Code,” a named book of rules that fits the series’ idea-driven tenor and can now be called back upon in future stories. What’s more, Barney’s reaction to breaking the Bro Code — and his corresponding fallout with Ted — enables a richer, deeper examination of his character that in turn sets up the presumption of positive evolution and a happy ending that could parallel Ted’s. So, this gaudy arc does more harm than good — at least, in the short term (and, of course, we’ll talk a lot more about Robin/Barney in the weeks ahead). Oh, and I must note that I also love the goat subplot — which is strategically negated by 2030 Ted when he remembers at the end that, oops he mixed things up, and this goat was involved in his birthday party the following year, thus reminding us of the high-concept premise from his unreliability as a narrator.

10) Episode 64: “Miracles” (Aired: 05/19/08)

Serious accidents lead Ted to reunite with Barney and come to a decision about Stella.

Written by Carter Bays & Craig Thomas | Directed by Pamela Fryman

Three’s finale is one of Mother’s least funny half hours to date, and I almost didn’t feature it because it’s fundamentally not an ideal example of the sitcom form. It relies too heavily on big narrative turns and pre-ordained plot points instead of simpler, more character-specific notions. And it doesn’t honor the basic humor requirement implicit to anything affiliating itself with this genre. That said, its forward movement in Ted’s romantic life makes “Miracles” emblematic of the series and important on foundational terms. Indeed, Stella — though not the most interesting or well-defined figure — could still be the mother of Ted’s kids, and therefore vital to the series’ narrative self-fulfillment. And that’s winning, for Mother is the type of show where playing to the premise matters most and must be prioritized. Accordingly, this is actually a deeply accurate sample — encapsulating what the series is, and why it isn’t great in the context of the genre as a whole — with more drama as a result of its focus on soapy, rom-com story beats… story beats that are necessary for the situation, but will grow to become more and more forced as this increasingly successful rom-com has to keep prolonging its promised conclusion.

 

Other notable episodes that merit mention include: “Sandcastles In The Sand,” a jokey Robin-focused entry that sets up her eventual tryst with Barney and mines most of its laughs from the return of Robin Sparkles (with guest appearances by James Van Der Beek, Alan Thicke, and Tiffany), “Third Wheel,” which is mainly fun due to Ted’s premise-revealing use of the euphemism “riding a tricycle” in place of “having a threesome,” and “The Chain Of Screaming,” a Marshall-heavy outing that stands out most for its Mother-appropriate storytelling devices. Oh, and I guess I’ll also cite “The Yips” — it’s another building show for Barney, expanding his backstory in an attempt to further dimensionalize his character.

 

*** The MVE Award for the Best Episode from Season Three of How I Met Your Mother goes to…

“How I Met Everyone Else”

 

 

Come back next week for Season Four! And stay tuned tomorrow for a new Wildcard!