MrX

Barney's reaction to waking up in bed with that girl was the hardest I've laughed at this show in a long time. I think I rewatched it 4 or 5 times.

Shamus McAnally

As per usual, Barney was great.

I enjoy watching in spite of Ted. If this show were built around Barney, it'd be so much better.

(Spin-off: Ted gets married and moved and it's the same group, but built around Barney's exploits.)

educator_bhoy

I was watching the NBA playoffs switched to this, saw they are STILL going on about the Arcadia, switched right back to the basketball, I am done with this show, and I will agree a show based around Barney would be awesome.

kstublen

Well, they resolved that storyline tonight. And honestly, this season has been one of the best the show's had, so not sure why you're "done" with it, but whatever. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Michael Corvin

Pretty lackluster episode.

boogieman03

Yeah I'm glad the arcadia storyline is over.

valkyrie

Loved the Dr. Evil laugh.

rfduncan

Well possibly because the premise is wearing thin centering around a character who is exhausting to watch as he ditches yet another woman who it turns out ISN'T the mother? Ted is the weakest of the 5. I really wish his story was a peripheral as possible to everyone else's.

And the whole thing with Robin coming over to the table to deliver the message for Barney was possibly one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time - licking each wing and then tossing them on the floor one by one.

educator_bhoy

I couldnt have said it better myself, and describing Ted as exhausting is an understatement,but since Two and Half Men's Alan is done, he has become tv's ultimate douche bag. Has everyone forgotten the episode last season with the dinner party?

kstublen

I'm not sure how both of you managed to misinterpret my post, but well done. educator_bhoy said he was "done with the show," and I was simply responding to giving up on the show now, when it has actually had a creative resurgence. This season has been great and while the Arcadian story bogged it down a little, that hasn't ruined what is basically the best season the show has had in years.

Do I think they need to wrap up the show and have Ted meet the mother? Definitely. Do I think Ted is obnoxious and the worst character on the show? Without a doubt. But do either of those have anything to do with the quality of the show's current season? Absolutely not.

I hate Ted and he is definitely the weakest link, but my point was that giving up on the show now seems a little ridiculous since the majority of the season has been superb.

Kdogg

Well the show was renewed for two more seasons, so we may have a long wait.

Draven

I don't think Ted is the best character on the show, but he's a decent guy who cares about and helps his friends and has issues with long-term commitment. They just play up his douchey hipster stuff for laughs (and it makes me laugh every time).

I don't get the hate. Barney is a complete user asshole and he's lucky to have any friends at all. Yet he's the most popular character. Don't get me wrong, I love Barney as much as anyone else. But Ted is easily the better human being and the fact that he IS a nice guy goes a long way with me.

kstublen

Marshall and Lily have always been my favorites. But you're absolutely right. Barney is a real jerk a lot of the times and treats women like crap, and yet everyone loves him. Ted is just an idiot a lot of the times, and gets hated on. I find him just sort of boring, if anything, and he usually provides the least amount of laughs (which is why I hate his character), but in a real-world context he is a far better person than Barney, hands down.

Goat3001

^Except this is a TV show and I don't care about who the nicest guy is. Barney's escapades are both unrealistic and douchey.. but it's funny. The things they play up on Ted for laughs are just lame. Yes I'm more likely to be friends with a Ted but that doesn't mean I'd watch him on TV.

But with that said, while I don't like Ted as a character... he doesn't even come close to ruining the show for me. There are plenty scenes of him being a douche but there are also a lot of thoughtful moments that come from his storylines.

Raul3

The secret is in the balance. If all the shows were about Barney's escapades we would get tired of it. In previous seasons when the show was heavily centered in Ted's relationships it was boring. This season they have balanced the episodes, we have Marshall's dad dead, Barney's dad, Ted and this girl, and Lilly getting drunk and trying to make up with Robin.

Mr. Salty

Every time they show the Arcadia I wonder, "How is the entire front of the building covered with graffiti, even 10 stories up nowhere near a ledge or window? Is Spider-Man a tagger?"

For those complaining about it taking forever to introduce Ted's wife, the show isn't really about that, any more than "M*A*S*H" was about the Korean War.

Geddlo

Have you ever been to NYC?

Michael Corvin

Fallible argument. The title of the show wasn't called "The Korean War."

rfduncan

Nor did every episode start with a "Kids..." narration framing every entry with the telling of a story with the excuse of leading to "how I met your mother."

I'd actually be happier if we at least had some backstory to explain how Barney became part of the group. Has that been shown? There was a little bit after Marshall and Lily got married where I only caught the show sporadically at best so maybe I missed that.

astrochimp

They've covered that.

Goat3001

I kind of agree but the thing is is that this show IS about how Ted met the mother. They're just drawing the story out. The point is that every big moment and decision in Ted's life all leads up to him meeting the mother. So yes they're dragging the story out with all these seasons but I rather see the twists and turns of his life instead of having him already settled down and dating the woman he's going to marry.

Yes, there are filler episodes... but every show has that.

If Ted had already met the mother at this point his journey would be over and there would be no conflict in his story. Unless you wanted years of them breaking up and getting back together again.

rfduncan

Technically it is the story about a woman he knocked up twice. Nothing has indicated that the mother is, was or will be Ted's wife.

Michael Corvin

Talk about a cliffhanger!

Goat3001

TWIST. A friend and I thought the best ending would be if near the finale Ted gets drunk and has another one night stand with Winnie Cooper... and the final shot of the show is her running into McLaren's and telling Ted she was pregnant.. cut to Ted standing with the entire gang and having shocked look on their face and then cut to the kids and the voice over saying "and kids, that's the story of how I met your mother"

boogieman03

I like it!