HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER: I Heart NJ!
October 7, 2008 by Kath Skerry
[GMMR Disclaimer: The following post was written by Jen. No Kath, who is a Jersey-lovin’ friend of the Shore. Just wanted to be clear 🙂 ]This show really knows how to start an episode! Barney comes into McLaren’s on a mission – to reel in his white whale: a lesbian. Barney’s interpretation of a lesbian suited-up, with voice, is hilarious. While I don’t condone stereotyping, this was a pretty funny take on how Barney’s mind works.
A lot of this episode was a tug of war between NYC and NJ. Ted’s train commutes make him miss out on everything on both sides of the river: his friends on one side and Stella and Lucy on the other. Ted’s at a juncture in his life where he needs to decide where he wants to go. Ted’s repulsion of NJ is justifiable. New York is a major hub of the world, where culture and intellect collide to create a city unlike any other. New Jersey is, well, the suburbs really. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Ted wants to settle down but I think his version is vastly different than Stella’s.
Stella wasn’t backing down and good for her. Her main priority is Lucy and she has to do what is right for Lucy. But oh do I have a few questions. Why is Stella working in NYC when her entire life is in NJ? Last season she complained about not seeing her daughter often and working so much yet if she worked closer to home, it wouldn’t be such a problem. How has she taken on so much, like the PTA and made time for Ted when originally she had absolutely no time at all to date and meet anyone except once a month on her girls’ night? And what kind of election happens this early yet you don’t assume your elected office (in Stella’s case: deputy mayor) until June 1st? I am still feeling that Ted and Stella don’t really know each other, haven’t really taken the time to figure things out. He can’t even tell when Stella is being drunkenly sarcastic. Ted’s always been a little selfish and this episode showed that he only hears what he wants to hear sometimes and his original compromise of Brooklyn wasn’t much of a compromise.
I do believe Ted truly cares for Stella and for Lucy. When Lucy asked him to read to her, Ted became conscious that this is what he truly wanted, the entire package of a wife and child, the bed time stories, the home-cooked meals, being a partner with someone. Truthfully, I still want him in NY. I don’t want to watch Ted splitting his time between work and home then trying to figure out a way to hang with his true family – Marshall, Lily, Barney and Robin. This episode also continues to highlight how different Ted and Stella are in their lives.
Barney’s running gag of trying to get a little fist bump respect for a few lame jokes was cute. I can’t imagine having to keep my arm up like that all day. Nice touch that Stella made sure to let Robin in on it.
I thought Marshall’s love for New Jersey was fantastic. He feels like a giant in NYC. The doorways are too small, the stores are too small, but Jersey has places like PriceCo that are gigantic and you never have to carry a cup again. Lily was not pleased with Marshall’s affinity for NJ but I was left wondering if they might end up living there. Also a bit confusing because in the last episode we learned that Marshall was afraid of NY eight years ago but after going out on his own he ended up loving it. Seemed like a drastic change from one episode to another.
And wow, did we have a huge storyline for Robin last night. Poor Robin, she’s been stuck a Metro News 1 which must be the crappiest news station I’ve ever seen. They haven’t found a replacement for Sandy Rivers in over two years; the set is literally falling apart; and the excessive and offensive use of puns. Ugh, those puns! Robin finally gets to say what she has always wanted to say which ends up being a modified speech that Ted gave when he quit the swim team as their towel boy. Ted’s speech harkens back to “The Chain of Screaming” for me. Ted always thinks he has the best words at any given moment. I also noticed the butterfly motif was continued from the speech onto a necklace Robin wore when she was at Stella’s.
Robin only half listened to the phone call she received about the job offer. She thought she got the job but really she only got an audition. Her happy-dance in the bathroom was hilarious! She had to be pulling some of those moves from her Robin Sparkles’ days. While Robin didn’t get the job she was going for, she was offered a job as foreign correspondent. In Japan! The look on Barney’s face was devastating. He actually yielded his high five. No words needed, we all know that while Barney is Robin’s biggest cheerleader, he doesn’t want to see her go. Personally, I think this job is perfect for Robin. When Ted and Robin were discussing what they wanted in their future, Robin wanted to live in Argentina and Japan, wanted to travel more. But Barney and Robin aren’t exactly Ross and Rachel. Does anyone think Robin will end up leaving? I’m going to make a suggestion that Barney should tutor Robin in Japanese.
Personally, I could have used more jabs at NJ, felt like they were pulling in the reins a little bit. Trying to paint both sides fairly. While I’ve never been a New Yorker, I did live in Philly for 7 years, so my aversion for Jersey is genuine. That lead me to be a little disappointed when there wasn’t as much Jersey-hating as I assumed would happen.
Loved the part about Lily not being OK with Ted burying her in Jersey, but if he murders her and buries her somewhere else, then he probably had a good enough reason and her ghost won’t haunt him. Also the potty joke about Ted needing to take a massive New Jersey. HA! Least favorite part would go to the commercials for S3. The entire commercial is about Britney Spears dating Barney! That was NOT the entire season.
Best exchange of the episode goes to Marshall and Barney.
Barney: “I know I can land that lesbian plane.”
Marshall: “No snakes on that plane.”
— posted by Jen
GMMR’s resident HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER connoisseur Jen doesn’t need caffeine because her TV viewing schedule keeps her up all night. She does her best to preserve the employment of all the shop girls and guys in her hometown of Boston, MA by visiting frequently and opening her wallet. When she’s not daydreaming about her next vacation, you can easily find her stalking any person carrying a yellow umbrella.
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I do think Robin will end up going to Japan… just not staying there long. Didn’t Old Ted say, back in season 2, that Robin lived in Japan “for a while?” I could be remember that wrong, but I think now may be that while, and that while will be over by May, when Robin will return and have to move in with Ted. This is the perfect reason for her to give up her apartment. And then a goat will eat her washcloths.
Good call! That sounds familiar to me about Ted’s VO regarding Robin living here, there and such. I also think she will head over there but it’ll be a short while.
Maybe Lily and Marshall’s floor finally get fixed, they move into their apartment (which we know they don’t live in when they are older), Robin moves in with Ted all platonic and Ted will not be in Jersey because he and Stella go sour.
I do not wish to see a love triange with Barney, Robin and Ted. I rather see Ted with other gals. Plus, we know how Ted feels about seeing anyone that Barney has been with. He’ll imagine little Barnacles climbing all over the girl. hehe
loved the train trip montage!!
On the NY or NJ front, I am officially neutral (I currently live in Philly), but the arguments for NYC (nicely summarized as “New York is a major hub of the world, where culture and intellect collide to create a city unlike any other.”) have a flaw.
The gang’s NY non-work lives seem to consist of hanging with each other and drinking in a bar. You can do that is NJ just as easily. If they want to stay in NYC, fine but it is not as if they do much there.
And much of what they do Ted would have to stop or greatly curtail if he got married, no matter where he lived. Ted can’t spend hours every night in a bar when he has kids and a wife waiting for him. And he and his wife can’t spend all that time at the bar either and leave the kids alone all the time.
John, you have a great point. While set in NYC, besides making some shout-outs to certain locales, one club night and two trips to the Empire State Building, they do a lot of hanging out at McLaren’s. But I think for Ted it’s the opportunities that the NYC nightlife gives you. You never know what will happen. Anything can happen at any time. They choose to sit at McLaren’s while NJ doesn’t have as many offerings. I think that’s the difference for Ted. Between making a conscious choice and being relegated to very few to no choices. Hanging out with his friends is a high priority still. With all his friends still in the city, I still think it will be hard to rip Ted away, at the current time.