HIMYM Review: Ring Up!

 How I Met Your Mother

"Ring Up!" Review 

Ashley Benson's charming role as Teds new fling

How I Met Your Mother has been known to be unlike the usual sitcom, dwelling on the more serious aspects of life more than others. Last weeks episode was an example of that with its fairly serious storyline between Ted and Lily. This week however, this episode went for a more easy going, casually fun experience. But that is not to say it was by any means bad at all. In fact it was nice that the episode took a lighthearted approach. It is a sitcom after all.

The main storyline was between Ted and Barney. Once again Ted was on the search for his perfect girl, this time looking into a significantly younger market, whilst newly engaged Barney scoffed at Teds behaviour. The plot developed nicely, particularly with Barneys breakdown into old habits and Ted's desperate attempts to try and connect with this younger girl. It amounted to a funny scenario between the two and once again they both acted like properly dysfunctional bro's as they were in the older series. 

As for the remaining trio, the side stories both for Robin and for Marshall and Lily were nice as Robins conundrum tied fairly well into the other couples odd little fetishes. 

Robin's tale was by all means interesting, watching her cope with the reality of being engaged to Barney, and how she was treated differently. But unfortunately this was a story which we have already witnessed before, way into the first season when Lily first got engaged to Marshall. The writers were smart enough though to take a slightly different approach to this, using a popular reference to The Hobbit.  

Marshall and Lily's side story was funny in illustrating their constant efforts to try and keep the spark in their romance alive with silly sexual role plays. Thankfully it was not insanely stupid and over the top to make it purely seem like a cheap way to gain laughs. As in true HIMYM style it ended in a grounded realisation which the moral enveloped into Robin, which was a great way to tie it all together.     

Let's get musical!!

Overall it was a nice episode to watch with a substantial amount of laughs. Ted, Barney and 20 year old Carly were great together, particularly in their final scenes, with a small running gag which surprisingly didn't get old. As for the remainder of the gang, it wasn't as strong, but there were pleasing moments such as a small musical number with Robin. 

I kind of hoped something would progress between Ted and Carly (purely as it tied into my whole "who is the mother?" prediction), but this definitely doesn't look the case which is very unfortunate. But at least it gives the audience something to look forward to, as the mystery surrounding the mother is still in full effect.

 Final point: We have witnessed some odd stories from Mr Mosby in the past but I have to admit, Ted telling his children how he engaged in intercourse with a 20 year old, at his age is a little bit weird to say the least.

7.8/10