5.5/10. We've already done the "guy puts 'the moves' on another guy to get him to accept a job" bit with Marshall and John Cho, so this felt like a rehash, and one not made much more interesting or new by having it be Barney and Ted. It's a fine enough idea, but the execution is pretty weak here, and while it's nice to see Ted getting back into the architecture game, and the "I made him have dinner with me" coda is a nice touch, overall, the execution is just a little too conventional, broad, and sitcommy for my tastes.
The same goes for Robin's storyline dealing with seeing Don's news show on TV. I like the overall idea that there are little artifacts of the path not taken that it's hard to get rid of, and that's one of the nice things about HIMYM, even when the jokes and the storytelling aren't really working, there's usually some kernel of insight to make even weaker episodes worthwhile. But most of the humor here didn't really land (except for Marshall's band), since all the discussion of poop-sniffing and drunk dialing and karate kid riffs got a little too exaggerated for my tastes.
Overall, some good thematic material, and a solid if redone premise, but not much in terms of humor or execution to make it all work.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2016-06-05T17:05:47Z
5.5/10. We've already done the "guy puts 'the moves' on another guy to get him to accept a job" bit with Marshall and John Cho, so this felt like a rehash, and one not made much more interesting or new by having it be Barney and Ted. It's a fine enough idea, but the execution is pretty weak here, and while it's nice to see Ted getting back into the architecture game, and the "I made him have dinner with me" coda is a nice touch, overall, the execution is just a little too conventional, broad, and sitcommy for my tastes.
The same goes for Robin's storyline dealing with seeing Don's news show on TV. I like the overall idea that there are little artifacts of the path not taken that it's hard to get rid of, and that's one of the nice things about HIMYM, even when the jokes and the storytelling aren't really working, there's usually some kernel of insight to make even weaker episodes worthwhile. But most of the humor here didn't really land (except for Marshall's band), since all the discussion of poop-sniffing and drunk dialing and karate kid riffs got a little too exaggerated for my tastes.
Overall, some good thematic material, and a solid if redone premise, but not much in terms of humor or execution to make it all work.