8.5/10. Look, this is a little outlandish even by HIMYM standards. Ted up and buying a house because he feels the life-goal equivalent of his biological clock ticking is kind of ridiculous, but as Marshall points out at the end of the episode, also very true to form. And what I like about the episode is that for all the ridiculousness it incorporates--the sarcastic home inspector (who was a delight, by the way), the "kid or drunk" game, the Robin-Barney crying lies--it draws back to the sweetness of the friendship between Marshall and Ted, which is one of the show's most reliable sources of genuine feeling and has been from the beginning. The loyalty and affection the two of them shows make their interactions feel real, even when the plot of an episode doesn't necessarily, and that helps to ground the proceedings. At the same time, the reveal that over time, Ted did in fact improve that house, and it's the one his kids are sitting in while he tells them this (very long) story is a pleasant one.
And hell, all that wackiness on the margins is fun. Barney telling everyone that Robin cried with his usual mischievous glee is great, as is his romcom-esque fake out with Ted's mom (and to a lesser extent Robin). The show just did this in "Say Cheese," but it's also nice having Lily complain about Ted jumping into things too quickly and then having Ted point out that he took that same attitude with Marshall and Lily and the results bore out his faith. The "drunk or kid" game and Marshall standing up for Ted were a nice bit of comic relief, and even the awkwardness of Ted's Stepdad (who is the freaking Mayor from Buffy) is worth a laugh or two. Overall, a quality episode.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2016-05-29T19:23:34Z
8.5/10. Look, this is a little outlandish even by HIMYM standards. Ted up and buying a house because he feels the life-goal equivalent of his biological clock ticking is kind of ridiculous, but as Marshall points out at the end of the episode, also very true to form. And what I like about the episode is that for all the ridiculousness it incorporates--the sarcastic home inspector (who was a delight, by the way), the "kid or drunk" game, the Robin-Barney crying lies--it draws back to the sweetness of the friendship between Marshall and Ted, which is one of the show's most reliable sources of genuine feeling and has been from the beginning. The loyalty and affection the two of them shows make their interactions feel real, even when the plot of an episode doesn't necessarily, and that helps to ground the proceedings. At the same time, the reveal that over time, Ted did in fact improve that house, and it's the one his kids are sitting in while he tells them this (very long) story is a pleasant one.
And hell, all that wackiness on the margins is fun. Barney telling everyone that Robin cried with his usual mischievous glee is great, as is his romcom-esque fake out with Ted's mom (and to a lesser extent Robin). The show just did this in "Say Cheese," but it's also nice having Lily complain about Ted jumping into things too quickly and then having Ted point out that he took that same attitude with Marshall and Lily and the results bore out his faith. The "drunk or kid" game and Marshall standing up for Ted were a nice bit of comic relief, and even the awkwardness of Ted's Stepdad (who is the freaking Mayor from Buffy) is worth a laugh or two. Overall, a quality episode.