'How I Met Your Mother' recap: A few of my favorite things

Tonight's episode felt like a real turning point for many of the characters. When Lily (Alyson Hannigan) and Marshall (Jason Segel) announced that they were pregnant, it caused the gang to reexamine their lives. For Robin (Cobie Smulders), it meant rethinking her decision to become a hot coin-flip girl on the game show “Million Dollar Heads or Tails,” hosted by Alex Trebek. She decided to take the boring, off-camera research job at World Wide News instead. Barney (Neil Patrick Harris), meanwhile, decided to give his bonus to charity rather than buy a diamond-lined suit. First, he staged his own version of Oprah's Favorite Things in the bar. Barney's bellowing/yelling Oprah voice -- “You get a lap dance! You get a lap dance! Everybody gets a lap dance!” -- was spot-on. And the reaction Barney imagined was perfect and not at all a case of comedy over-exaggeration. If you've ever watched, you know they really are that crazy and over the top. While watching this season's two-part Favorite Things episodes, I laughed so much at the audience's reactions that I thought they should make a comedy pilot out of it. Close enough, I guess.

Barney was about to give the rest of his money to the church where James' (Wayne Brady) father works, but then he got a text from Marshall and Lily that it was false positive. The same text caused Robin to reconsider her decision to take the World Wide News job. “That research job sounds hard. And I'm pretty. I'm really, really pretty,” she thought to herself.

Marshall and Lily were actually relieved not to be pregnant. They'd spent the past day and a half freaking out and manically doing all their baby prep, which included using bubble wrap to baby proof their apartment. When they announced that maybe they weren't ready to have kids, Ted (Josh Radnor) lost it. He ordered them to go home and get pregnant. He told Barney to return the diamond suit and give the money to charity before announcing to the criminals of New York that Barney was wearing a pants leg enough to retire on. And then he laid it on Robin, telling her to take the job she came to New York for, the one she made a New Year's resolution to get. I loved that Ted was the one to set his friends back on their paths. Because Ted is the guy that has his path laid out, but he hasn't found the woman yet who will go with him on it. So while all his friends are living their lives, he's waiting. And when he sees them squandering everything they have at their fingertips, he sets them back on track as he longs for what they have and goes to see “It's a Wonderful Life” by himself.

After seeing Ted talk everybody down, Robin realized that maybe he did have it in him to be Punchy's best man. He could handle the groom's doubts. She asked Ted to be her best man, if she ever gets married, which set off my alarms. After the season premiere, there was speculation that the future wedding might be Barney and/or Robin's. Then it seemed that it was likely Punchy's, although the show never confirmed that. Now I'm starting to think again that it could be Robin's, maybe even Robin and Barney's, even though he was relieved to be single still while Robin was less than happy about it. But like I said at the beginning of this recap, this episode marked a turning point. I think the fact that Barney had doubts about the life he was leading was a mature change. He even gave away a bunch of suits to charity!

Speaking of turning points, Robin's big career change is long-deserved. It's realistic that she would eventually move on to a legit career,? but I will miss the comedy that has been her resume so far and the impossibly perky Becky (Laura Bell Bundy). In a way, Robin's work dilemma has been a lot like Lily and Marshall's pregnancy storyline. You don't want to hamper the show with a child, but you also want to remain honest to the characters' situation. And just as Marshall and Lily realized they were ready for a baby, Robin realized it was time for a new job.

Readers, what did you think of Barney's Favorite Things? Do you think there's a possibility Ted is playing best man to Robin in the future wedding? Would you like that to be the case? And are you glad Robin's got a new job?

— Vlada Gelman (follow my TV musings on Twitter at @stayingin)

Related:
'How I Met Your Mother' recap: The Little Mermaid was a manatee
'How I Met Your Mother' recap: A curse and forgiveness on Thanksgiving
Complete 'How I Met Your Mother' coverage on Showtracker

Photo: Barney (Neil Patrick Harris), center, introduces his favorite things. Credit: Ron P. Jaffe / FOX

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'How I Met Your Mother' recap: A curse and forgiveness on Thanksgiving

Jorge Garcia (“Lost”) stopped by Monday night's Thanksgiving episode and was once again playing a cursed character. He was Steve, a college friend of Marshall (Jason Segel) and Ted's (Josh Radnor) who had the curse of the Blitz. Whenever he left the room, something really cool happened. After Ted revealed his plans to stuff a turkey with a smaller turkey, which he dubbed a turturkeykey, he got ready to call it a night and leave the bar. Marshall and the rest of the gang protested that he shouldn't leave early or he might become the Blitz. Ted said he didn't believe in the curse — gasps all around — and left anyway. Of course, the next morning he woke up to find the apartment a mess, his friends blissfully passed out and Zoey (Jennifer Morrison) in the bathtub.

It turns out after Ted left the bar, Zoey entered and the gang had a memorable evening hanging out with her, leaving Ted to become the new Blitz. There was a skateboarding dog. Robin (Cobie Smulders) danced on the oven. Zoey gave Robin KISS face makeup while she was asleep. And there was something with a top hat called The Gentlemen, which made me think of the creepy Gentlemen from “Buffy.” Unfortunately, except for the skateboarding dog, who nailed it every time when I visited the set, I had a hard time understanding what was so awesome about their adventures. I guess you had to be really drunk. Steve's missed moments — a naked coed, an unstoppable beer tap resulting in free beer — seemed much more worthy of those emphatic “Aw, man!” responses. The curse eventually got passed to Barney, who desperately tried to pretend everything was OK before going back to Steve at the episode's end.

Robin's dancing broke the oven, which meant Ted was on the hunt for a new place to cook his turturkeykey. After ruling out Barney (Neil Patrick Harris), Steve, and Lily and Marshall's places, Lily suggested going to Zoey's. She had extended an invite to them to come over for Thanksgiving. Ted was not pleased about this or that his friends were bonding with his enemy, but he relented. Zoey, however, seemed less unrelenting even after saying it was OK for Ted to come over too. The squabbling continued until Ted said that if Zoey was a cartoon character, she'd be Cinderella's evil stepmother. This hit a nerve, and Zoey kicked everyone out. In the cab, Ted pieced together the clues. Zoey was spending the holiday alone while her husband spent it with his daughter. A stuffed turkey with a note wishing Hannah a Happy Thanksgiving finally put it altogether. Her stepdaughter hates her and didn't want to spend the holiday with her.

“People don't stay enemies forever,” Ted told Zoey before they sat down to eat. Thank goodness because Ted and Zoey as enemies was starting to get old. They had such nice, easy chemistry when they first bonded over architecture in the season premiere. The continued antagonism just felt forced. But now the question is, will Zoey and Ted's friendship evolve into more? It was pretty clear in that first meeting that they were attracted to each other as people. And what about the Captain?

Although I didn't love this episode, there were highlights:

— The continued heavy presence of sandwiches this season. Now combined with Weird Al's greatest hits and “Apocalypse Now.”

— Steve lamenting about all the nip slips, crotch shots, shooting stars and double rainbows he missed because of the curse. And of course, all the nods to Garcia's former gig on “Lost,” including him yelling out the numbers and this gem (and commentary on the series finale?): “I was on that island for what seems like eternity. I'm going to enjoy things on the other side.”

— Robin in response to the horrible smell at Lily and Marshall's apartment: “I think the smaller turkey tried to crawl further inside the bigger turkey.”

— Lily's inability to tell the difference among Renee Zellweger, Reese Witherspoon and Kate Hudson. I did not see “You, Me and Dupree,” but I'd want my money back too.

Readers, did any of the Blitz moments excite you? Are you glad Ted and Zoey have buried the hatchet? And what did you think of Garcia's guest spot?

— Vlada Gelman (follow my TV musings on Twitter at @stayingin)

Related:
'How I Met Your Mother': Jorge Garcia makes a Thanksgiving visit
'How I Met Your Mother': Jennifer Morrison goes for laughs
Complete 'How I Met Your Mother' coverage on Showtracker

Photo: Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) and Steve (Jorge Garcia). Credit: Eric McCandless / Fox.

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'How I Met Your Mother' recap: A night at the museum

Going into tonight's episode, “Natural History,” I had a feeling I'd like it because I watched a commercial where Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) said, “Niled it!” and it made me laugh. A lot. It's a pretty good sign when just a commercial can crack you up. But “Natural History” was more than just one of the funniest episodes in a while. It was also rich with character development, emotion and reveals as all the characters, including Zoey (Jennifer Morrison) and her husband (Kyle MacLachlan), gathered at a fundraiser at the Natural History Museum.

For Robin (Cobie Smulders) and Barney, this was a perfect setting for a game of one-upmanship. Ignoring the Do Not Touch sign, Barney briefly touched one of the museum exhibits. “I didn't realize you were small potatoes. And to be clear, I was referring to your testicles,” Robin replied, languidly grazing the statue. Whether you like them together as a couple or not, Barney and Robin have always played off each other very well in storylines that have them separate from the group, going back to Season 1's “Zip, Zip, Zip.” There's a competitiveness between them, but also a lot of mutual respect and a gung-ho attitude. Watching them run round the museum, turtle drumming, using the stuffed lion's teeth to open beer bottles and even wearing outfits from the exhibits was as fun as it looked. But it wasn't just fun and games. When the museum guard caught them, he opened the incident file from when a 6-year-old Barney knocked down the blue whale and revealed that Barney's uncle Jerry actually marked himself down as Barney's father on the report. What a clever and unexpected reveal. Barney learned who his father is, but the audience remains in the dark. And I loved that Robin is the one that got to share this moment with him.

The museum setting was also creatively used for the Marshall (Jason Segel) and Lily (Alyson Hannigan) storyline. Marshall revealed to Lily that he was thinking of signing a five-year contract with GNB. Lily saw this as the end of the Marshall she fell in love with. (Lily, don't you still have a lot of shopping debt to pay off with Marshall's money?) She found herself confronted with college Marshall behind one of the glass museum exhibits. “I want you as opposed to what you've become. You've changed so much,” she tells him. But college Marshall is extinct and corporate Marshall has never cheated on her and lasts even longer in bed. He hasn't really changed all that much he points out. He's just going to use all his GNB money to shower Lily and their kids. It was the perfect mix of funny – the Jane's Addiction exchange and everything about Marshall's stamina, including college Marshall's jealousy, was a highlight – and sweet.

Ted (Josh Radnor), meanwhile, ran into Zoey at the event and finally got the upperhand on her a little, giving Ted some really funny lines. Zoey was there dressed to the nines with her older husband, George Van Smoot, who calls himself The Captain. He wears red paints, is obsessed with his boat, practically paid for the GNB event and was in “Guys & Dolls” with Marshall's boss, Arthur. Yes, Ted has a lot of ammunition. Among my favorite lines: “I'm half Jewish. Will that be a problem?” “Yeah, old stuff's great.” “I'm Galactic President Superstar McAwesomeville.” “You have a monocle! Good luck killing James Bond.”

Zoey fed Ted a sob story about getting married too young and hating her husband's red pants to catch him on tape badmouthing GNB. I got the feeling there was some truth to the story even if she was fake crying. Ted was being very sweet to her when he thought she was genuinely upset, which isn't helping Zoey's likability factor. After Ted opened up to her and admitted he does feel bad about destroying the building, it just seemed like she had gone a little too far. Then Zoey overheard Ted telling The Captain that he respects her for standing up for what she believes in. She told him she erased the tape. She was going to beat him fair and square. “Bring it on, Princess,” Ted replied, but it looked like he wanted to bring on the kissing more than the fighting.

Other brief comments:

-- Loved the return of “sandwiches,” lawyered and Scooter.
-- Our gang looks pretty dressed up, yeah?
-- Ted whispering things a 7-year-old would say across the museum? Yeah, it made me laugh. Maybe I'm 7 too.
-- Also funny: Marshall and Barney as fat cats.

Readers, were you surprised by the reveal about Barney's father? What do you make of the end tag that corporate Marshall “wouldn't last forever”? What do you think of Zoey after this episode? And do you agree that this was the best episode so far this season?

— Vlada Gelman (follow my TV musings on Twitter at @stayingin)

Related:
'How I Met Your Mother' recap: Happy Post-Halloween Walk of Shame Parade
'How I Met Your Mother' recap: Little girls made of sugar and spice
Complete 'How I Met Your Mother' coverage on Showtracker

Photo: Ted (Josh Radnor), Lily (Alyson Hannigan) and Marshall (Jason Segel) attend a fundraiser at the Natural History Museum. Credit: Matt Kennedy / FOX.

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'How I Met Your Mother' recap: Happy Post-Halloween Walk of Shame Parade

The show celebrated Halloween a day late, but found a clever way to work in the holiday-less Nov. 1 date. After a Halloween party at Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) and Marshall's (Jason Segel) office, they joined Ted (Josh Radnor) for their favorite Halloween tradition – the morning after Annual Post-Halloween Walk of Shame Parade. Every Nov. 1, the guys watch from their stoop as girls walk home still in costume from their one night stands. This year was extra special because they caught Robin (Cobie Smulders) walking in her “Florence Nightinbedwithastranger” costume, as Barney calls it. Robin led Lily (Alyson Hannigan) to believe she'd slept with Marshall and Barney's co-worker Randy (Will Forte), but “where's the poop?” made a return. Lily – no pun intended – sniffed out the truth. Jealous that her coworker Becky was becoming even more well-liked after doing a cheesy commercial, Robin did one for adult diapers.

“I'm going to the bathroom right now,” went the ad. “Say, 'Ahhhhh.'” If it wasn't for Smulders, I'm sure the ad would have been more squicky than funny, but thanks to her delivery of the sweet release, I couldn't help but laugh. Between this commercial, which Future Ted said ran for seven years, and Robin Sparkles, the show sure is building up quite a catalog of embarrassing media for Robin. While I'd love for her to get a great break, it's quite fun to see Smulders so gamely go for shame.

While Randy didn't get to sleep with Robin, he did get fired, which led him to realize he could use the severance pay to start his own beer brand – Wharmpess, as in his last name. (Check out the show's mock ad for the beer below.) When Marshall hired him back, Randy did everything in his power to get fired. It wasn't until Marshall tried his “delicious” beer that he finally fired him. “I care about making dreams come true,” said Marshall in GNB's feel good video. Did the fake “I care” videos from GNB employees remind anyone else of the Veridian Dynamics ads on “Better Off Ted”? Oh right, only me and 10 other people watched that show. Anyway, Randy's return was a nice bit of continuity, and Forte is certainly a great comedian, but the storyline kind of fell flat for me. Randy's just not that interesting.

Ted, meanwhile, was finding his adoring class turning on him after Zoey (Jennifer Morrison) invaded his classroom. To get them to show up to class, Ted had to lay down the law and stop being their friend. If they didn't attend class, they would get an F, he told them. Of course, they showed up for class, but the damage had been done. I think it may be for the best. Ted seemed way too close and too friendly with his class. That way leads to trouble. And speaking of trouble, Zoey sure caused a lot of it for Ted this week. It seems the show is going the purely antagonistic route with them, at least right now. That could definitely change as we learn more about Zoey, but at the moment, she's enemy No. 1 for Ted, which is something different for him. I don't think Ted's had a real antagonist since Bryan Cranston played his boss in Season 2.

We also got some fun Halloween costumes, although we didn't get to spend a lot of time with the characters in costume. “The Slutty Pumpkin” was much more a Halloween episode. Barney's enduring love for “The Karate Kid's” bad guy Johnny Lawrence is totally a Barney move. That was also like the third reference to the movie this season. I think someone in the writers' room is seriously rediscovering their love of the film. Lily and Marshall dressed as a matador and bull, respectively, which was in keeping with their fantastic couples costumes – Sonny and Cher, pirate and parrot – from “Slutty Pumpkin.” Ted, meanwhile, was a hot dog. Although dated, I kind of wish he'd gone as a hanging chad again.

Readers, did you like tonight's costumes or the ones from the Season 1 classic “The Slutty Pumpkin” better? Were you hoping for more of a Halloween episode or did you like the post-Halloween angle? Do you enjoy seeing Ted have an enemy? And what did you think of tonight's commercials?

— Vlada Gelman (follow my TV musings on Twitter at @stayingin)

Related:
'How I Met Your Mother' recap: Little girls made of sugar and spice
'How I Met Your Mother': 'A lot is going to change and get complicated,' says co-creator Craig Thomas
Complete 'How I Met Your Mother' coverage on Showtracker

Photo: Lily (Alyson Hannigan), Marshall (Jason Segel), Ted (Josh Radnor), and Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) attend a Halloween party. Credit: Matt Kennedy / FOX.

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'How I met your mother' recap: Little girls made of sugar and Spice

It is easier to raise a boy and a girl? Marshall (Jason Segel) seem to think. His list of possible baby names only includes names of boy, most including Lily (Alyson Hannigan) veto thanks to the bad memories and paint the little rascals boy, what she teaches left spots. Boys are no picnic, but Marshall was concerned that he doesn't know how to make a girl and she will screw him somehow. Then it will become a stripper and eventually to marry too botoxed, Ken Doll-esque - how brilliant Neil Patrick Harris search??-Older Barney. Really horrible image. Instead of being the guy who sings the girl hottest at his high school on wanting to stand on it, which we an overview of Marshall and his pals in a hilarious flame back with jean shorts and ponytail, there will be an attempt to protect her daughter against this kind of behavior.

Mr. Marshall father gives instructions for designing a son: 1) avoid lemons, aka girl fertilizer. (Herring marinated eat until you are about to do so). (Dunk) your documents in the ice. (4) Point Lily due north. Lily, of course, is a girl and do exactly the opposite. Honestly, it all sounds counterproductive to design any type of baby for me.When Stuart and Claudia - little pleasant continuity friends see their new - decide to appoint their baby Esther, who is also the name of a stripper who is able to do something too disturbing for words, Marshall and Lily realize they have no control over their bébé.Ils sex want just a healthy baby.

Marshall and Lily may wish certain practices of baby they should roam with (Cobie Smulders) co-facilitator of Robin, Becky (Laura Bell Bundy), advanced the "girl Act." Robin and Lily do not understand why it is so charming. "Who is your Daddy." Barney meters. Girls think it is disgusting. You see not guys talk like boys picking up girls.Barney accepts the défi.Le group could care less, but his attempts are fun. "Do you want to wrestle with our places special shirt?", he asked a woman of a boy song singing voice.

Ted (Josh Radnor) eventually take Becky a tour of New York, which upsets Robin enough it he punched in the throat. Becky allows him to feel needed, something Robin never made when they were dating. This is a pizza order, makeout session or break-in, Robin still "I" and has supported. Ted, she is an avid gun. Maybe you should be glad she plundered place and took care of the person trying to enter the apartment. Robin goes to Barney to ask if she never made him feel necessary. "Not only me like you I needed," he said, but it is a compliment to the "woman" less needy he never met. Robin is his own father. "This is what makes you more amazing, strong, independent woman that I've never beaten," he adds.This feeling soft-to-Barney and Robin skill his robe, and it almost seemed as if he was going to be something more between Robin deux.Mais wanted to know everything about the crazy woman in the apartment of Barney. Just like Barney had accepted defeat, he found "mother."Complete challenge!

Would readers, you Marshall and Lily to have a boy or a girl?Were you charmed or annoyed by Becky? Bundy is a talented comedic actress, who were able to play perfectly on both sides of the coin, I think a.j. ' hope they find a way to try to sing in the show too.(Bundy plays Elle Woods on Broadway).What is did you feel a moment between Robin and Barney?

-Vlada Gelman (follow my Twitter TV musings at @ stayingin)

See also:
'How I met your mother': "many will change and complicated," said co-créateur Craig Thomas
'How I met your mother' recap: new, bigger, better
Complete coverage "How I met your mother" on Showtracker

Photos: Co-organizes Becky (Laura Bell Bundy) and Robin (Cobie Smulders). credit: Monty Brinton / ec.

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