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.

If you don’t look too closely, this is a decent season of How I Met Your Mother. It’s not as enjoyable as those prior, but it’s better than those that will follow, and it’s got a few things to like, including a handful of solid and/or memorable half hours that are unique to the series and its identity. However, the trend is obviously downward, and there’s a macro decision in Season Six that, no hyperbole, I think dooms the show fatally. Namely, it opens with a flash-forward to an event that the series will spend four whole years anticipating, slowly, with drips of teased information coming in premieres and finales until the entire last season is an excruciatingly long exploration of the hours before… Barney and Robin’s wedding. Well, we don’t know whose wedding yet. Six’s premiere tells us there’s a wedding where Ted will be the best man, and that’s the day he’ll meet his kids’ future mom. Then we learn in Six’s finale that Barney’s the groom at that wedding. Both reveals attempt to create and then ratchet up premise-related dramatic suspense by tying said premise to a major event in Barney’s romantic arc, which has been the series’ B-plot for several years now. In this way, Mother can spend the rest of its run shifting focus, covering Barney’s love life while feeling that there’s also relevance to Ted’s, and thus maintained situation satisfaction. This, on paper, is correct — and I respect the cleverness. But it is not as satisfying, for Barney’s love life is not Ted’s, and his wedding tease is introduced immediately in Six as a contrived gimmick, for the flash-forward device of previewing an event with barely any details only spotlights the increasing effort it now takes the series to come up with tricks that can still reinforce the high-concept narrator framework. Although it’s been established that Ted can bounce around like this in the course of telling his kids the tale of how he met their mom, unlike past teases (even Three’s umbrella aside), the dangling carrot of this wedding — an actual story beat far in the future — comes out of nowhere and has nothing to do with what’s really happening in the “present” of the season. So, its inclusion now doesn’t so much support the premise as it does announce an elevated level of gimmickry that speaks to the show’s general strain and downward trajectory — sentiments that are only corroborated with each convenient Sweeps-timed info drop in the progressively labored years ahead.

Meanwhile, Six looks like it’s explicitly exploring the premise in its “present” via a new love interest for Ted — Zoey (Jennifer Morrison), an activist who protests against the tearing down of a historical building that his is replacing. Zoey has more of a personality than past girlfriends (e.g., Stella) because of that narrative hook, and there’s more innate comedy in their rapport due to those specifics — with her husband played by a well-cast Kyle MacLachlan, who further bolsters the laughs. (Also, the idea merges Ted’s professional and personal arcs in a way that almost excuses occasional episodic focuses on his career.) There’s just one big problem. We know from Six’s randomly placed premiere tease that he met The Mother on the day of the wedding. So, Zoey can’t be her. And if Zoey can’t be her, then all tension in Zoey’s relationship with Ted is irrelevant, and this entire arc seems like a waste of time… just like all Ted’s romantic stories until the wedding day, as this reveal now robs the show of premise-related stakes with any love interest met prior. In other words, it makes episodic sitcommery nearly impossible until the wedding actually approaches. What’s more, there’s another unfortunate trend that this year accentuates: the tone is becoming more dramatic. Okay, this is something that’s always been a risk for Mother, given the series’ rom-com bent and its conceptually approved emphasis on plot in a serialized telling. But here, in arcs where Marshall’s dad dies, Barney seeks a connection with his biological father, and Lily and Marshall have ups and downs on their fertility journey, the show is getting way too comfortable not being funny, and for reasons now beyond the premise. You might think this can be justified as character exploration, but why must it come at the expense of the genre’s comedic promise? Comedy is part of this series’ identity as well, and when it’s not prioritized, Mother is not the best version of itself. And, incidentally, this ethos reflects the overall drift of the sitcom in the streaming decade — ordained by an over-focus on story — and I’m afraid we’ll see more of this ahead, as the show continues to get more entrenched in heavy narrative ideas, fewer of which involve the exact Ted-centered situation. It’s unideal — and the wedding tease that shapes Six literally sets the direction for the rest of the run, making this, frankly, the beginning of the end… which is still many years away.

 

01) Episode 113: “Big Days” (Aired: 09/20/10)

Ted and Barney argue about who has “dibs” on a girl at the bar.

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

Six’s premiere opens with a flash-forward of Ted at a wedding, and it closes with the reveal that he’s the best man and this is the day he’ll meet his future kids’ mother. I already shared the primary consequences of this tease above, but in the context of this episode, I especially don’t like it because it doesn’t feel earned by the rest of the story being told. So, I’m not crazy about this setup, or the subplot about Marshall’s father intruding upon Marshall and Lily’s efforts to conceive. Both the dad and that arc represent dramatic elements that don’t acquit this season or series well. Why do I feature the premiere then? It’s got an A-story where Ted has a run-in with the woman (Rachel Bilson) he dated last year whom we know lived with The Mother — and since she’s at the bar with a friend, there’s a moment where we get teased with the possibility that The Mother is also in the room. That’s prime premise-play, acknowledging the whole point of the series and mining earned comedy and drama in the process. Unfortunately, given what we learn at the end of “Big Days” — that Ted doesn’t meet the mom until the day of Barney’s wedding — from here on out, we’re just waiting for that darn event… which means very little in Six (and Seven and Eight) matters in terms of the overarching A-story that this series’ high concept has told us is necessary for situation affirmation. And that’s a mistake.

02) Episode 116: “Subway Wars” (Aired: 10/11/10)

Ted and his friends race each other across town to see Woody Allen.

Written by Chris Harris | Directed by Pamela Fryman

This is an idea-driven Seinfeld-ian outing that relishes in emphasizing its New York bona fides — like Four’s well-liked “Best Burger” entry — where the group has an experience that’s got little to do with their individual definitions but is innately funny and explicitly deemed quintessential to the metropolis where the series is set. It’s therefore a reflection more of the low-concept ensemble hangout subgenre, and the stock from which this type of show descends (such as Seinfeld), than Mother’s precise premise. However, I enjoy this offering for the way it’s structured — dividing itself by character on why they specifically deserve to “win” the race — as that feels possible within the high-concept framework, supporting the setup that Ted is narrating this story to his kids. Also, there’s an added character stake pertaining to Robin, who’s famously from Canada, via her finally becoming a “real” New Yorker. For Season Six, that’s enough.

03) Episode 121: “Glitter” (Aired: 11/15/10)

As the group learns more of Robin’s pop past, Lily worries a baby will change their friendship.

Written by Kourtney Kang | Directed by Pamela Fryman

Mother goes back to the Robin Sparkles well in this installment — I believe this is the third discovered video of the Canadian teen pop star — which doesn’t yield any new laughs, but by this point in the run, is probably the most specific thing about her characterization (along with her Canadian heritage), and so whenever it’s addressed in story, it’s something that can at least be tied directly to her. Also, I appreciate how it’s used here — reinforcing her original placement within the ensemble, where she’s the wild child who’ll never settle down… in contrast to the very-settled Lily, who’s currently in the process of becoming even more settled as she tries for a baby and is worried, given Robin’s fallout with a former pal (Nicole Scherzinger), that their friendship will suffer because of these differing paths. That’s a conflict rooted in the core fundamentals of how this series defines and regards their characters, and it’s a winner as a result. Oh, and there’s finally a further tease pertaining to the wedding day glimpsed in the premiere — with Ted’s old buddy Punchy (Chris Romano) asking him to be his best man.

04) Episode 122: “Blitzgiving” (Aired: 11/22/10)

The group joins an old friend in hanging out with Ted’s nemesis Zoey on Thanksgiving.

Written by Theresa Mulligan Rosenthal | Directed by Pamela Fryman

My choice for this collection’s Most Valuable Episode (MVE), “Blitzgiving” is Season Six’s addition to the show’s Thanksgiving catalogue, and its primary story objective reflects this particular year’s main narrative thrust, with the group befriending Zoey behind Ted’s back and winding up at her house for Thanksgiving, despite her and Ted remaining bitter enemies due to their clash over the historical building. It’s therefore got a rom-com goal that thematically feels appropriate of this series, even as it’s undercut by the information previously revealed in the wedding tease that opened this season. Setting aside Zoey, however, is the fact that this is a fun ensemble outing that guests Jorge Garcia as an old friend who enhances the gang’s lore and invites a memorable idea-driven gag in the Seinfeld-ian vein called “The Blitz” — a running joke here that exemplifies the kind of named social minutia this series loves. And it can be justified as a whimsical rhetorical flourish that Narrator Ted might indeed inject to spice up his telling of this long-form tale. Speaking of the telling, I appreciate that this offering maps its perspective alongside 2010 Ted’s own shifting awareness, as little hints throughout the half hour lead him to a realization about Zoey that softens his view. This is a gimmick that nevertheless reiterates the high concept and the very existence of an unreliable narrator in a way that’s still fresh and compelling. So, I think this is the strongest sample of the year — an easy pick for MVE.

05) Episode 123: “The Mermaid Theory” (Aired: 12/06/10)

Zoey’s husband tries to befriend Ted while Lily and Barney maybe have a feud over something.

Written by Robia Rashid | Directed by Pamela Fryman

Although I enjoy the general presence of Kyle MacLachlan as Zoey’s rich, sometimes mysterious, and often naive husband, the A-story here about him befriending Ted is mediocre fodder by Mother‘s standards, especially in the context of this arc that itself is mediocre. However, I love this installment’s subplots. Its self-conscious pairing of Marshall and Robin is fun, as they’re seldom a duo, and its use of a named phenomenon via Barney — the “mermaid vs. manatee” thing — is a quintessential example of an idea-driven gag with a label (so Seinfeld!), which this idea-driven series loves to utilize as a comedic bit. More than that, there’s also a stellar B-story where Future Ted struggles to remember the details of an argument between Lily and Barney, starting and stopping scenes in different locales as he racks his brain, trying to recall what exactly happened. That’s a great utilization of the unreliable narrator — a unique storytelling device that’s allowed by the series’ foundational high concept and thus reflects the premise in episodic plot, making this series-specific situation comedy… something only Mother could do. And, in this case, it also creates suspense by providing us another plot point to anticipate, specifically the teased reveal that, in a year, Lily will finally be pregnant.

06) Episode 124: “False Positive” (Aired: 12/13/10)

The others ponder their lives when Lily and Marshall announce they’re pregnant.

Written by Craig Gerard & Matthew Zinman | Directed by Pamela Fryman

This is a knowing pivot for the season, as all the leads take stock of where they are upon Lily and Marshall’s discovery that they’re pregnant. Sadly, it turns out to be a false positive, but thankfully, this story opens with Future Ted giving us that information, so the audience isn’t disappointed or betrayed later with a heartbreaking reversal. It’s a smart choice — enabled by the biased narrator framework, which plays to the premise. And speaking of the premise, this entry also teases more about the wedding flash-forward from the premiere, as Ted displays his best-man capabilities with Punchy, while Robin, after another career move of her own, asks Ted if he’ll be the best man for her someday, introducing extra suspense as to the identity of the bride/groom on the forthcoming day where Ted will meet the future mother of his kids. Accordingly, there’s some explicit situation-related movement here, uniquely hinged on Six’s tweak to the long-form plot. It’s therefore one of this year’s finest.

07) Episode 125: “Bad News” (Aired: 01/03/11)

Marshall and Lily expect bad news as they test their fertility.

Written by Jennifer Hendriks | Directed by Pamela Fryman

Truthfully, I don’t love this installment (or the following), as it’s the one that culminates in Marshall’s father’s death. As noted above, this development grants Mother further license to indulge heavier dramatic ideas that aren’t related to the premise and don’t feel like great situation comedy. Additionally, I don’t like this episode’s use of the countdown gimmick — with numbers appearing on screen as easter eggs — for that’s a flashy gag that, unlike most of this show’s flashy gags, has nothing to do with the way the story is being told, and specifically, how Ted is narrating it. Thus, it’s not situation-corroborating. It’s just a stunt. That said, I do like some of the laughs in the A-story with its revival of last year’s doppelgänger running joke — that’s a comic idea that Mother makes individualized to this series and therefore a unique reflection of it. Also, the continuity that’s reinforced with the return of Robin’s old coworker Sandy Rivers (Alexis Denisof) is an affable play to the show’s long-form sense of narrative. So, all together, this is a memorable showing that’s also tailored to enough series specifics to be laudable. (Of note: Suzie Plakson guests in this and the next three offerings as Marshall’s mom.)

08) Episode 126: “Last Words” (Aired: 01/17/11)

At the funeral, Marshall discovers a voicemail left to him by his late father.

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

It was a tough call, but I feature this excursion only because it’s a tentpole of this season, which frames it as important and therefore representative of the whole. It’s the one where Marshall and his friends are in Minnesota for his dad’s funeral. There are some attempts at laughs here via the presence of Marshall’s former bully (who’s comically small), and I respect the premise-adjacent storytelling device of Marshall remembering different last words that his father may have spoken to him. But frankly, I’ll never love a segment like this, for I’ll never consider it good sitcommery. It’s simply not funny, which means it breaks the central promise every sitcom makes to its audience. Furthermore, it’s not really exploring the show’s premise or motivated by its leads. It’s a plot-driven bit of drama that many shows could do. Yet, again, it’s a crucial encapsulation of Six and the trends defining the show in this era — which will increasingly consume Mother as its story ambitions become grander and the ending draws nearer.

09) Episode 127: “Oh Honey” (Aired: 02/07/11)

From Minnesota, Marshall pieces together that Ted and Zoey both have feelings for each other.

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

There’s a lot going on in this busy installment whose complicated structure is crafted around Marshall hearing pieces of a story from various perspectives through phone calls taken out of his bedroom in Minnesota. It’s a little too complex to make total sense in the overarching framework of Ted narrating this long-from tale to his kids, but the general rhythm of the show, with gaudy back and forth jumping through time and added drops of intel re-contextualizing past moments for the viewers and the characters, is very much in the style of the series at its best, when it does reflect the premise. So, this is a favorable sample for the year in terms of storytelling, even if it’s not totally logical. It’s also got the right subject matter, with a heavy rom-com focus that leads to both Ted and Zoey finally confessing their feelings for each other. The build-up to this scene, jagged storytelling aside, is actually both amusing and sweet… some of the finest romantic comedy ever offered by Mother. And I think Katy Perry, though a stunt casting, is solid in her role as Zoey’s cousin — whom everyone refers to as “Honey” because they don’t remember her name, only that people often said “oh, honey” to her. That’s sublime — a comedic bit that speaks to the unreliable narrator, and thus the situation. (Oh, and I love the little Renee Taylor cameo in her recurring role as Ted’s neighbor.)

10) Episode 136: “Challenge Accepted” (Aired: 05/16/11)

Barney and Robin try to stop Ted from getting back together with Zoey.

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

Six’s finale is no great shakes comedically or dramatically; most seasons end with more exciting narrative developments. Part of the problem stems from this year’s bookending flash-forward framework, which comes back at the close of this half hour when we learn that Barney is the groom at the wedding on the day Ted will meet the mother of his kids. This puts to bed suspense about the identity of one half of the mysterious couple and definitely links this premise-based mother tease to the B-story of Barney’s romantic pursuits. We talked about how smart that is above, and also how ultimately disappointing it’ll still prove to be, compounding over time… And new intel drops about this day will continue to come out of nowhere, like here, in this outing that I suppose indulges a tease because it’s also aiming to re-introduce some romantic angst for Barney, as it’s implied that Robin still has feelings for him even though he’s increasingly falling for his new girlfriend Nora. Again, it’s not a great exploration of the premise if it’s not about Ted, but it’s thematically right and narratively important, signaling — like all of Six — that this year is the beginning of the show’s long march to this fateful wedding, the mother-meeting, and its own less-and-less merciful end. (Of note: Dave Foley guests.)

 

Other notable episodes include: “Architect Of Destruction,” a moderately amusing outing where Ted meets Zoey, “Garbage Island,” which has a unique telling and also features a complex rom-com meet-cute for two peripheral players, and “A Change Of Heart,” which sees Barney falling for his new love interest, Robin enjoying a Seinfeld-ian comic subplot, and more sandwich-eating as a euphemism. I’ll also take this space to cite “Cleaning House,” where Ben Vereen plays the father of Barney’s half-brother (Wayne Brady), “Natural History,” where Kyle MacLachlan debuts as Zoey’s husband, “Legendaddy,” where John Lithgow debuts as Barney’s biological dad (a big moment that I wish was funnier), and “Hopeless,” which I appreciate for its continuity-enriching Ted/Robin interplay.

 

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

“Blitzgiving”

 

 

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