HIMYM: Football & Beer

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

How I Met Your Mother managed to have four different storylines going on this week. Two of them stood out so much that we even included two images this week, which I don't think we've ever done before for this show. Robin had her own misgivings going on with Sandy not being able to countdown the New Year appropriately on television, leaving her to go on the air at the last moment. Marshall and Lily had an argument regarding in which faith to raise their children - believing or not believing in Bigfoot, Nessie, et al. Barney and Ted spent New Year's Eve opening up their own bar in Ted's apartment at a moment's notice, though they have apparently thought about this idea at great length in the past. I think that's what really stood out about that plot... the fact that Barney and Ted thought out all kinds of details, only have it all blow up in their faces at the end. The other plot that I really liked? Marshall telling these stories through flashback to his dad. Not only because it's so charming that he tells his dad everything, but also the amusing interactions with his brothers fighting over the headstone. Which part did you like the most?

How I Met Your Mother "Tailgate" (S07E13): Marshall has gone to Minnesota to visit his father's grave, and brought everything needed to tailgate for the Vikings-Bears game, a longstanding family tradition. [and, hence, the "football" part of this post's title] As one would expect, Marshall catches up his dad on what's going on... and that centers around New Year's Eve. Marshall's brother shows up in the graveyard to do the same thing, and he and Marshall get into a fight. They agree to pretend like the other isn't there, (oh, and ditto on the situation when the third brother arrives) but as time goes on, others crowd around Marshall's little television, and he remembers that his dad's policy was "the more the merrier," so he spreads out the food and hangs out with his brothers.

Photo: Eric McCandless/FOX
©2011 FOX Television

Now, on to Marshall's stories. The first is about him and Lily. Lily hasn't told her father that she's pregnant because she doesn't want to give him the opportunity to let her down. [sensible.] Marshall convinces her to call him anyway, and he hardly reacts on the line. We later see, however, that he's absolutely thrilled, and leaves Chicago immediately to drive to New York and deliver a teddy bear and hug to his daughter. [this part apparently brought tears to the eyes of many people I follow on twitter. I thought it was rather lame, as did my husband.] However, in the wake of not hearing comforting words from her father, Lily and Marshall end up fighting when he wants to read their future child(ren) stories about enigmas, but Lily doesn't like the idea of teaching things that can't be proved. Lily tells Marshall that her dad never taught her to believe in anything but herself, so while she's glad that Marshall is a believer, she isn't going to be one unless she sees it with her own eyes. [yeah, that ending kinda changes that, huh?]

Next up: Ted and Barney try to get into MacLaren's for the night of partying, but there's a line and it's $50 per person... though by the time Barney and Ted get to the front of the line, it's $100 each. [I hate this about Las Vegas bars, too. they up the price as the night goes on, rather than lower it since you will spend less time there than those already inside.] So, they decide to have people up to Ted's apartment and have a bar of their own, called "Puzzles." [...and now you see where the "beer" part comes from.] They have a Puzzles sign already, that has "est. 2012" on it, and has the Cheers font and coloring. They make Kevin the star bartender, as Robin has taken off (more on that later). Ted tried to make it an intellectual gathering place (see below picture) while Barney makes Ted's room the VIP room, which only holds him and one other person at a time. [funny though not very amusing. I bet they could have come up with something better.] They raise the drink price from $2 to $3, but as things get broken and bad things happen, they raise it to $8, then $12, then $15. AND, they hire the bouncer from MacLaren's and pay him double. [that's what you get for trying to have a bar!]

Photo: Ron P. Jaffe/Fox
©2011 Fox Television

Oh, and Robin. Robin and Kevin were spending a quiet New Year's on the couch. [...why?? and bleh on Robin's short hair.] But, Sandy calls Robin and asks her to come help with the New Year's countdown. At first she resists, but ends up going to help, since Sandy is drunk and wandering here, there, and everywhere. In fact, he eventually ends up in the bathtub of Puzzles, though Kevin doesn't share that fact with Robin so that she fills-in for Sandy on the live countdown. [the most annoying thing about this episode? that we were supposed to believe that Sandy traveled across Manhattan several times over the course of just a few hours on NEW YEAR'S EVE! never gonna happen like that, people!]