How I Met Your Mother – “Hopeless” – review

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If you’re like me, then last night’s How I Met Your Mother was like the sun coming out after a torrential downpour of suck. No TV sitcom is perfect, and last week’s episode certainly proved that HIMYM is no exception. As a huge, longtime fan of the show, I couldn’t have asked for a better episode than yesterday’s “Hopeless.” It had everything that makes the show the great, and I laughed at virtually all of it.

How I Met Your Mother welcomed back John Lithgow as Barney’s boring, but once crazy, father Jerry. The meat of the episode surrounded these two and their relationship. Seeing John Lithgow act like a drunken man was incredibly entertaining, especially when we find out it was all an act. Going back and showing how he tricked Barney into thinking he did all these amazing things (like get in a fight and pull a parking meter out of the ground) was classic HIMYM. Neil Patrick Harris once again did a great a job showing the vulnerable side of Barney as he told Jerry that he was “broken.” That exchange near the end was perfect and makes you think Barney just may find love someday.

Since Barney had the emotional weight of the episode, everyone else just relaxed and had fun. Nothing serious happened with anyone, just really funny moments. Barney gives everyone new personalities to impress Jerry. Lily and Marshall are in an open relationship, and the two have a fake argument about it that leads to them making a bet to see who can get the most phone numbers (the winner gets to have sex with the loser, so win-win).

Ted and Robin had the biggest storyline imaginable; the origin of the red cowboy boots. Okay, it wasn’t that big, but it’s always surprisingly funny to see the return of those bad boys.

Other super awesome moments: one of the other lies Barney told Jerry was that the group was also a band. Cut to the cast singing and playing the opening credit song “Hey Beautiful.” Straight out of left field. That alone was enough to make up for last week’s exploding sub nonsense.

The big long conversation about what club to go to was amazing. It was a great joke on how club names can be stupid, and potentially confusing. “Who’s on first?” Yeah, Who is the name of the club.