Review - How I Met Your Mother Season 5 Episode 10 The Window

Finally the show got back to the original premise -- Ted finding a woman -- after some rather perplexing episodes with Barney and Robin together. After reading several interviews with Carter Bays, I think I have a pretty good idea about what the writers were thinking. They believed that Robin and Barney would not work long term, and their brief thing was only part of a larger plan.

The problem is that HIMYM is much serialized than other comedies and there is lots of continuity not seen in other shows. Barney has fallen back into his old habits, and after a season of teasing and finally a short relationship with no evident payoff, there is something unsettling about the whole deal. Taking Bay's words at face value, I have to think that the writers did not want to take the extra step of making a relationship funny, a task that has been a pain for writers over the years. But considering that they have made Marshall and Lily funny, I would like to have seen them at least try for half a season before ditching it entirely.

The episode was solid on all parts from beginning to end, and was one of the most satisfying episode of the season. There was Ted chasing Maggie, the girl that attracts all men, and having to teach his class which in the end helps him with his problem. Barney tried to get laid with the overalls and Robin made jokes. Marshall received a box of old stuff from his childhood and we got to see young Marshall, a railtail sporting anti-corporation overall wearer. The balance between the characters, the plots, humor, emotion was all there.

Hopefully Ted will be back in the hunt soon and the overall story will be advanced. If the title of the show were any different, I don't think all the other things going on would be that much of a distraction, an admittedly, the other things are very funny, but the heart of the show is Ted and his search for love.

Score: 9.5/10