HIMYM Review: Episodes 1-4

The hit US comedy has returned for what may be its final season. How has it fared so far with its first four episodes? Here's a fairly spoiler free round-up of what HIMYM fan "Otter" makes of it.

Episode One: Farhampton

We have made it to season 8 and the mother still seems nowhere near our grasp. This episode continues directly after the events of the season finale of series 7, so if you're not up to speed up to that point then do so.

The episode was a real mixed bag. Although the comedy was poor throughout, there were some heartfelt moments that saved it from completely failing. 

How did the comedy fail? This was a particular case with Marshall and Lily. Unfortunately they were dragged down into using the same joke over and over, which got extremely old very quickly. This bled into most of the episode which Barney/Quinn and Robin had to go along with, and its influence with a minor story arc was disappointing as there probably were better ways to approach this. 

The Ted/Victoria storyline was decent. Its continuation from the Season 7 finale made sense and pushing retrospect from Ted's failed wedding with Stella from Season 4, made it relatable and allowed for a better connection with Ted, thankfully this worked well.

The ending was probably the best point of this episode. We see a sensitive side to Barney towards Robin, which I feel Neil Patrick Harris delivered brilliantly. As for the final minutes with Ted, this too was treated with sensitivity, with some very touching words. Reaching to the final moment left me incredibly excited but ultimately angry as well, purely because I knew there and then there is still a long way to go.

7.5/10      

    

Episode Two: Pre-nup

The second episode was a strange one to say the least. Disappointingly it was confirmation that it was a filler episode that will continue on into episodes of the foreseeable future. Trying to keep it as spoiler free as I possibly can with the story, Barney and fiancée Quinn discuss their future marriage, leading to a pre-nup agreement. As a result the other couples examine their relationships. 

The comedy between Barney and Quinn whilst very exaggerated worked well, purely based on how we've come to know their characters. The same style was used with Ted/Victoria and Robin/Nick but it was simply too much and didn't fit. Ted and Victoria's situation seemed completely implausible and Robin/Nick's situation, although managed to stifle a laugh was odd.

Marshall and Lily's dispute was more understandable with Lily's new found fears for her child now that she is a mother.

The episode used a familiar HIMYM concept of being downright silly for the majority, but then switching to a darker tone towards the end. But in this case it was done far to sharply and lacked any emotion, which considering the circumstances should have had a lot. The execution was offensive to the show.   

6/10      

Episode Three: Nannies

We come to the third episode and yet again it did not reach the mark of what used to make this sitcom great. 

Certainly better than the previous episode, this focused on Marshall and Lily in their search for a nanny so that Lily could return to work. Thankfully this one did not try so hard to force laughs with this aspect of the storyline (although at one point I rolled my eyes in disbelief). The story between Lily and Marshall also tied into Barney's antics which was great as the characters bounced off each other really well and Barney was brought back to form.

Ted and Robin on the other hand were left in the dark, resulting in a one dimensional, slapstick fisticuffs about their relationships. It was rather useless and detracted the characters progression, all part of the dreaded filler I suppose.

Luckily the episode was salvaged at the end with a great touching moment within the Lily/Marshall story arc. Overall this episode is good enough to watch, but the writers need to have more moving elements in order for the audience to actually care, because at this point the viewers are only staying tuned for curiosity sake.

7/10 

Episode Four: Who Wants To Be A Godparent?

After three fairly mediocre episodes, I really was not in any major anticipation for this one. Fortunately I found it slightly more decent than expected.

 As the title clearly hints, Marshall and Lily are on the search for a godparent for their son Marvin. Rather than keeping the whole affair realistic and serious (choosing a guardian is a big decision!) with perhaps some comedic elements like it probably would have done a few seasons before. The writers decided to opt for the ridiculously cheesy and over the top. Surprisingly though it kind of worked. 

The episode managed to re-emphasise all the characters traits of Ted, Robin and Barney that the fans have grown to love over the years. Seeing how they would use them in future endeavours provided some laughs. It was a nice touch. 

Additionally the sudden change it atmosphere to more grounded characters emerging towards the end helped the episode greatly for me, reassuring that these characters are developed and not part of an empty clichéd sitcom.  

Yet again the plot was all tied up nicely by the end. Although it still did nothing to push forward the "mother" storyline it was a fun, viewable episode. 

6.5/10