Emily Cottone
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER has returned and if yesterday’s hour long premiere is any indication, we’re in for one hell of a ride. Can I just say how thankful I am that HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER was renewed for a final farewell season? Fans have put eight solid years into this show and I personally would have felt short changed if I didn’t actually get to know the woman Ted would one day marry.
As shown in the preview, Lily was the first of the bunch to actually meet The Mother. Admittedly, I was a little nervous about this initial encounter because I knew Lily’s interaction with The Mother would be the litmus test for her eventual chemistry with the rest of the gang. Thankfully, she was as lovely as I could have asked for and her scene with Lily was effortlessly charming. It was all too easy to picture The Mother sitting in the usual booth at McLarens.
Meanwhile, Lily’s other half Marshall was involved in the hours least interesting subplot as he battled it out with hilarious guest star Sherri Shepherd. Long story short, Marshall was stuck in Minnesota and through a series unfortunate events and complications he now has to drive to New York with a sassy stranger and his infant son Marvin. I’m sure hilarity will ensue but I’m too worried about what’s going to happen when Lily finds out that Marshal took a judgeship and effectively ruined their plans to move to Rome. As Maid of Honor, Lily is already stressed (and has no qualms tackling anyone who acts a fool) so I can’t imagine this last minute derailment of their plans is going to thrill her. Especially since the decision was made without her even being consulted. Poor form Eriksen, poor form.
In other coupledom news, Barney and Robin were all smiles on their way to Far Hampton. These two are very much in love and beside one tiny little incest scare it was pretty smooth sailing for them so far (There was the revelation that Barney’s brother James was getting a divorce but Barney handled the news with an unexpected grace).
Adorable sound bite of the night:
Barney: Our wedding is going to be legendary
Robin: No waitforit
Barney:> I’ve got you. I don’t have to wait for it anymore…
Neil Patrick Harris you need to stop being amazing. I can’t handle it anymore.
And then there was Ted…
Poor Ted. He’s a ticking time bomb and the more he tries convincing himself (and one overly sympathetic inn keeper) the worse the explosion will eventually be. Ted has always carried a torch for Robin, and now that she’s marrying Barney, Teddy Westside is spiralling. Future Ted already implied that this wedding would somehow be a disaster and in this episode it was confirmed that Ted will be the dreaded Wild Card Barney and Robin were talking about this episode.
Aside:
It was bittersweet watching Barney and Robin playfully speculate which family member was going to ruin their wedding when we, the audience, knew all too well that it would be Ted. I could only imagine that Ted interfering will hurt the newlyweds a lot more than the accidental idiocy of a distant relative.
The question is how exactly will Ted become The Wildcard? My money is on the locket. That “something old” of Robins is Ted’s last hope of winning the supposed girl of his dreams. At this point, Robin is more than an unrequited love to him; she is a concept and his last hope at the future that he feels is slipping away. Hang in there Ted, you’re so close!
To be clear I don’t think the locket will break Barney and Robin up (They will definitely tie the knot but more on that in a minute). If anything I think it will lead to tension between Ted and Barney because there is no way that subtext soaked locket will be looked at as an innocent gesture.
Barney and Robin will make it down the aisle…
Regardless of how the wedding might end we know for a fact that Barney and Robin say “I do”. This little chestnut of relief was revealed last season during episode thirteen when a flash forward showed Robin dancing with her father at the reception meaning that Robin and Barney did take the plunge and become Mr. and Mrs. StinBatsky. My best guess it that whatever Ted does to screw things up happens during the reception. It would also explain how Ted ends up alone at the train station almost in tears (thankfully at the point his is literally moments away from meeting his wife)
Oh and then I sobbed.
In what I consider to be the highlight of the episode, we are given a glimpse into the future of The Mother and Ted and it was beautiful. I’ll admit I might have cried a little bit. Okay fine, I dry sobbed for ten minutes but could you blame me? Seeing them together and in love was a realization of eight year of obsessive HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER fandom. She was the perfect amount of nerdy and witty for our boy Ted and you could just tell even from that two minute scene that he was absolutely crazy about her.
What I’ve always loved about HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER was that at its core it was a story about hope. We know that Ted will meet the love of his life so all the heartbreak he faces is just a stepping stone toward his destiny. The premiere paved the road for a wonderful final season and I am looking forward to every second of it.
Emily Cottone has been a TV addict since she her awkward middle school days when she realized the characters of Buffy the Vampire Slayer were her longest and most stable relationships. Even though she has long since managed to establish actual human connections television remains one of her very best friends. Follow her on Twitter @EmilyTalksTV.