HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER Season Premiere: Definitions

Want to know how I met your mother?  What’s that? You don’t care? Yeah, me neither.  Let’s talk more about my friends – they are much more interesting.

One of the best shows on TV, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, returned to CBS last night with an episode that on the surface was very much about the budding relationship between Barney and Robin, but really it was a message to us fans letting us know that the writers know just what they’re doing. Oh and there was a whip. Every show needs a whip.

While I think many fans of the show were excited about the prospect of Barney and Robin finally coming clean about their feelings, there was a concern with many, myself included, that by pairing the two up we would lose the essence of Barney Stinson. Death by coupledom.  Clearly the writers of HIMYM have proven they know to marry off couples and keep the comedy fresh.  Look no further than Marshall and Lily Erickson.  But bringing together Barney and Robin, given Robin’s history with Ted and Barney’s history with most of the women living in the continental United States, could have been tricky. And it still might prove to be. But be having both these commitment-phobic characters as weary of their hook up as some of the audience was, the writers showed us that everything is going to be alright.  Neither one of these characters are going to give up who they are just to be with each other.  They’re going to fight it, until they can’t.  Even if deep down they don’t want to.

I was right before when I said that every show needs a whip, just as everyone needs a Lily Aldrin-Erickson.  Alyson Hannigan’s portrayal of the wacky, cute as button, wiser-than-she-appears Lily is really the emotional core of the show. It’s Lily that brings and holds this group together. Last night she forced Robin and Barney to have “the talk” rather than risk losing out on their friendship just because they were afraid to define their coupledom.  And her ever loyal husband, Marshall, was there by her side to hysterically crack that whip if ‘Brobin’ didn’t give them the relationship answer they were looking for.

Ted was the one who needed a little whipping.  Proffesor Professor Mosby’s worst nightmares came true when he made a complete asshat of himself on his very first day of teaching. Last season’s finale ended with future Ted letting us know that the mother of his children was sitting in that particular classroom.  With the reveal that this was not Ted’s class, it makes it a bit easier to digest knowing that Ted didn’t marry one of his undergrad students. Because really….ew.

I suppose given the title of the show, the writers have to keep giving us hints and clues about Ted’ future wife, but I’m not sure I care.  We’ll meet her when we meet her.  Right now I’m having too much fun watching Ted and his friends navigate their way through their 30’s.

Just for the record….

• I love that the writers couldn’t let one episode go by without reminding us that Robin in Canadian. Eh?! I suddenly have the urge to go to the mall.

• If you are a guy and you and your friends don’t have a tuxedo night, you should get that going.  Soon.

• Barnman and Robin

• Neil Patrick Harris can “Or…or…or” me anytime.

• Will there be a follow-up to “The Bro Code” in which Barneyisms, like how the rules of Gremlins apply to not getting to too close to a woman, are included? I’d buy that book.  Oh and can we please have the deleted scene, or at least the writers room notes for rule #1: “Don’t get them wet”

• Ted: “New topic, how do i pick a tie?”
  Barney:”Interesting question Ted, do you remember the movie “Predator”…
  (The rest of this exchange should also be included in the aforementioned book.)

A little welcome back love for HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER?