Last night (Oct. 17), I ...
Question: Last night (Oct. 17), I watched the most recent installment of CBS'
How I Met Your Mother, and I've got to say I was pleasantly surprised. Although I have enjoyed the previous episodes, I always thought there was something missing. But last night felt more whole than ever. After thinking about it, I believe that it's because of
Josh Radnor's character, Ted. For the past couple of episodes he's been kind of boring and whiny. Don't get me wrong, I love Ted, but he's been missing something. But last night, when he was flirting with that coat-check girl (who I also loved, by the way), he had a certain confidence and a sense of humor that has been hinted at previously but never shown. I hope that the writers focus more on that side of Ted from now on. What did you think —did you notice anything different about Ted?
Answer: I agree, this was probably the best episode since the pilot, which may have something to do with the fact that it was probably the least silly episode since the pilot. There's a lot of natural charm in these characters and their situations, but when you put them in stories like Ted throwing party after party in hopes that Robin will finally show up, or Ted and Barney haunting an airport's baggage claim and flying to Philly to chase tail, they tend to look desperate and stupid instead of funny. In this episode, Ted was allowed to stop looking pathetic over his Robin crush and instead show us why any woman, including Robin, might find him disarming and appealing.
Mother isn't a perfect show, but it's still good enough to merit some patience and to hold off on the knee-jerk derision I've seen too much of.
