Any long running TV series usually have to contend with the question of whether they have overstayed their welcome as part of our must-watch viewing lists. Of late, How I Met Your Mother was met with the same question, with many TV viewers wondering just how much longer Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) will take in telling the story of how he met his future children's mother.
How I Met Your Mother's seventh season gave the series some breathing room when they tackled the question of who Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) would end up marrying. Aside from the fact that this topic reawakened the fervor of Barney-Robin shippers, the wedding in question was also important for another reason. For a few seasons now, audiences were privy to the knowledge that Ted would meet his future wife at a wedding. Knowing that the wedding in question was Barney and Robin Sherbatsky (Cobie Smulders)'s just added to the excitement.
The penultimate season of HIMYM continues the chronicles of Ted, Barney, Robin, Marshall Eriksen (Jason Segel) and Lily Aldrin-Eriksen (Alyson Hannigan) as they navigate their way through the many experiences and lessons of adulthood. The season marked the end of relationships and the review of possibly rekindling old romantic connections, particularly for Ted, Barney and Robin. Marshall and Lily face new challenges, whether as new parents to Marvin Waitforit Eriksen or as professionals who start questioning the directions of their careers.
While my summary sounds terribly unexciting, the eight season of HIMYM was anything but. The series dished out its signature comedy, which continue to bank on the well-established chemistry among the characters. If you have been a long-time fan of the series, you will definitely appreciate the sprinkling of long-running gags or catch-phrases that's prevalent throughout the series. Each character's idiosyncrasies are played to full effect without grating on your nerves as a viewer, although I have to admit to a few "Oh no Ted, not again" moments.
When a TV series has run as long as HIMYM, there's always the risk of making the viewers feel as if they're watching the same comedic formula over and over again. The truth is, the comedy series can occasionally suffer from that crime, though no longer as prevalently as it did in past seasons. In the past couple of years, however, they managed to balance what could have been tiring formulas with stories that are very much grounded in humanity. This season saw us witness all the different characters expressing very real fears, with Lily sharing that she sometimes didn't want to just be Marvin's mom, with Marshall questioning the profession he had worked hard to gain success in, with Barney fighting to win the heart of the only woman he could imagine marrying, and with Robin expressing her uncertainties about marriage.
As for Ted, he's got a lot on his plate. Aside from finally having to put closure on any lingering feelings he might have for Robin, Ted also learns that it's finally time to stop dating around and focus on finding the person that he would end up spending the rest of his life with. For some time now, the focus of the series's meatier storylines seem to revolve around Barney more than the others, so it had become a habit to disregard HIMYM's supposed center who had become relegated to the role of narrator. Yes, it's true that many of my "Oh no Ted, not again" moments were largely due to his inability to completely let go of Robin, but by once again exploring that topic in season eight, it did lead to many of his realizations and built up beautifully to the final reveal at the end of the season.
By now, whether you have watched season 8 or not, you should know that the end is finally in sight. The reveal of Cristin Milioti as the mother of Ted's future children in the season finale marks the beginning of the end of the series. Now all we have to do is wait for season nine to premiere in the fall and for the episode where Ted finally meets the girl with the yellow umbrella in person.
Although, true to eccentric form, the entire season will encompass the weekend leading to Barney and Robin's wedding, where everyone else gets to meet the mother first before Ted finally interacts with her.
I can't wait.
Happy viewing!!Labels: Comedy, How I Met Your Mother, Must-Watch, TV, TV Series
