HIMYM 7x09: Disaster Averted

Original Air Date: 7 November 2011

Storyline: The gang reminisces about what happened during Hurricane Irene and Barney tries desperately to get out of wearing the ducky tie.Best quote: Lily: Marshall, I'm sorry. I love you, but I haven't had a second alone in weeks! It's summer vacation! All I want to do is sit in the bathtub and read a book, but now...

Marshall: Baby, I forgot to bring a book. Do you mind reading yours out loud?
Marshall: Hey, it's been no picnic for me either. You don't even do the voices.
Not the mother: Maya


The "You've been lawyered": Therapisted! Shrinked? Shrunk? We'll figure it out.

The Review: Why, why is this show torturing me with the only thing that I really don't want to see happening ever again, aka Robin and Barney getting back together? Now it's the only thing that I will actually remember from this episode, although it was a great one. They were awful the first time around and I don't really want them to get to that place again. Moving on... After a rather disastrous Halloween episode (which makes this week's title pretty appropriate, come to think of it), this one gives us the story of how the gang went through Hurricane Irene and how the "Absolutely No Boogie-Boarding" sign came to be put at MacLaren's. It was refreshing to see Barney pre-Nora, when he was still fun, as opposed to his boring and lame boyfriend self, which doesn't suit Neil Patrick Harris at all.

Irene was a good excuse to bring out the best in each character, from Ted's boy scout preparations, that raise the douche flag and make the others reinvent the association's motto, to Marshall's superstitious trait and Robin's Canadian heritage, which makes her look at the hurricane and say it's barbecue, bikini, lawn-mowing, house-painting, golf weather, as well as her desire to finally have her father show that he cared for her.
Jason Segal really shined in this week's installment. He rarely has that occasion anymore and this was his moment. As annoying as I might have found his neediness, it was impossible not to laugh at his Poe quoting, the bathtub scene and, more importantly, the ducky tie versus slap indecision. I mean, it was hard for me to resist when I saw Barney's blushed cheek, how could he?
The episode marked the end of the ducky tie period - though I would have loved to see Barney keep wearing it for the entire season, but the cost was not a small one: three extra slaps on top of the one Marshall already had left. And with this, we're reassured that one of the best recurring themes will keep on going.  On his part, Neil Patrick Harris was hilarious as well. From the Indiana Jones-like "true story" Barney tried to fool his friends with to his actual efforts to get slapped in exchange for being released of the ducky tie bet, he was hilarious all the way. And falling into Kevin's trap - who had been a mere observer and the reason for Ted to tell the boogie-boarding story until then - actually made me sympathize with his meet-the-parents situation. Until he had to go screw it all and kiss Robin two days before.Up until that last moment, I was amazed at HIMYM finding its rhythm again. But Barney and Robin back together will make things so boring for me, I am actually contemplating giving this show up entirely.

HIMYM 7x08: The Slutty Pumpkin Returns

Back to Season 7