How I Met Your Mother

It was not a funny episode and it was very predictable, but the aim of the show was never surprise. In the pilot, Ted told us that Robin was not the mother. The name of the show itself tells us that there will be a happy ending. No, this show was never about surprises. It was never about throwing a curve-ball. Robin and Ted broke up, like we knew they would and hoped they would not. Ted loses the girl time and time again and we cringe, even though we know the ending. Ted calls Barney, "Uncle Barney," and still we cringe when he tells him their friendship is over. This episode is not for everyone; it is for the people who love the somber and light-hearted moments alike. So, if you smiled when Ted stole the blue french horn, if you smiled when he made it rain, if you cringed when Lily and Marshall broke up, if you frowned when Ted and Robin gave back the blue french horn, if you smiled when Ted told Barney they were brothers, and most importantly, if you love the characters - you will enjoy this episode, I most assuredly have.

I think this episode tried to find the balance between a funeral and a comedy, but it was not too successful. The whole 'last words' thing was overly dramatic - it was emphaisised way too much, and they didn't need to base an entire episode around this.



The episode's best art, clearly was the Robin scenes, where people kept coming up to her with requests for various things. That was very funny, and I give full marks to that!



All up, this was my least favorite episode of the season so far, but it was still funny with the Robin scenes. Not aln overall failure, but it could've been better.

I recently watched this episode again and it is still just as touching. Earlier episodes in the season had been goofy and uneven, but this episode brought everything back that I loved about this show. Recognized or not Marshall is the backbone of the show, and his emotional roller-coaster and everyone being there for him was touching. His expectation that everything is going to be OK even at his fathers funeral. Spoiler*********

Even the ending where he gets pocket dialed and thinks his father has abandoned him only to find that final voice-mail. A beautiful ending.

"Last Words" is an amazing How I Met Your Mother episode. I love everyone's last words to their fathers. It was so sweet how Marshall father's last words were "I love you". I love how Robin had everything in her purse and random people came up to her asking for things. I love Danny Strong. It's so funny how they mentioned that he bullied Marshall, but he's so short. I like the end of the episode with Barney saying that he's ready to meet his dad. I give this episode a 10/10.

When I see other reviews of this I always think there must be something that I'm not getting. I've watched this show since Day 1 and enjoyed the first few series immensely. Now though it is a joke, there was not one second in this episode that could not be guessed before it happened. His dad 'pocket dialling' was a torturous piece of TV that went on far too long when everybody knows he will come on and say something else. The last episode had a countdown that I didn't really notice and never bothered to watch again with a jarring ending bolted on the end and this episode continued the tone. For a show like HIMYM to suddenly expect it's audience to deal with a death like that was not a good move and this episode followed on in much the same way Ted and Barney act like morons and Marshall is understandably upset it just didn't work. Earlier in the season I was surprised that Marshall's dad was supposedly his best friend, an appalling bit of retconning that made no sense and it's now blatantly obvious that was just a set up for these episodes. I sympathise with anyone losing their father, but this is not the way to write it into a sitcom, especially one which grows increasingly infantile with every passing series, hell if I didn't know better I'd swear that all of these characters have Benjamin Button disease.........

If you read my review of the last episode, you know that I got ticked off, because everyone was complaining that the episode was to sad, but I kept saying that HIMYM knows what its doing, and I was right. The episode wasn't perfect I will admitt that. While I loved Robin being the Mary Poppins of Funerals, and Barney and Ted trying to make Marshall laugh, I hated the Bully for a priest. Overall the episode was very good. Death episodes can be the second hardest episode to write well (after a pilot of course) because you want to make sure the episode is funny with out being disrespectful, but you don't want to be to sad, and I think the did a good job balancing that out.



Now, to me being right. I was correct, that the episode did know where it was going. If Marshall's dad hadn't died, then they wouldn't have gone to the funeral, they wouldn't have all thought about there dad's last words to them, and Barney wouldn't have decided he wants to meet his dad. (I Know There was probly a step between all the dads last words, and Barney, but just give me my moment.)

How I Met Your Mother brought us even more emotion on tonight's episode. If you thought the last episode was sad, just wait until you see this one. We've got some substantial development to go along with it, and some surprisingly funny one liners in the mix with all this emotion.



I wasn't loving Marshall this season, especially with plots that had to do with him trying to conceive a baby, but here, he was actually pretty good. And his speech was very powerful, loved the "last words" to his friends. There were some flaws to this episode though, like how incredibly predictable it was. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it's true.



I knew that the voice message from his father would be a pocket dial from the moment he picked up his phone, and I also knew when he was listening to the message, that his father would begin speaking. But nevertheless this was still a great eventful episode especially now that Barney is ready to meet his father. I'm really loving this season, and this episode is a prime example why.

as always, How i met your mother was a very big puzzle... everything that happened in the show, happened just to lead to something bigger...

so always we see just some of the trees, not the whole forest...

last week, when marshall's father died, there was a lot talking about why and how it happened, that it way too dark for the sitcom...

but I had the idea that it would make barney think that he may didn't have a lot time to have with his father... : )))

and it happened...!!!!

I can give 10 to this episode only for that huh : )))



but in some case, it may not be that 10/10 episode of how I met mother because it wasn't funny, it couldn't be :)

anyway, they led exactly where they should have!

bravo!!!



P.S: I love Season 6... they're making a lot of improvment!!!

It is my understanding that How I Met Your Mother is a situation comedy (sit-com) show. Where was the comedy in this episode?



I kept watching and hoping they will somehow spin it and make a joke somewhere but it never came. I felt as if the writers/directors of this show were attempting to emotionally rape me. Sure we care about Marshall, and the demise of his father - but at the end of the day we KNOW this is a TV show. We KNOW where the drama part of it is going, we only come for COMEDY and yet we were given NONE in this episode.



I don't understand what keeps compelling sit com writers to write episodes of this kind. I do understand in long sit coms, we need character development. We have however watched through 6 seasons of character development with comedy, and none of them were as bad as this one.



The acting? Horrible. Marshall can't act unless it's making himself look goofy, same goes for Ted.



Please, do not attempt to make this show into something it's not. Perhaps they ran out of jokes, and needed a filler episode?



Anyway, I've given this a very very generous rating of 7/10 because I'm hoping this won't happen again.



----------UPDATE:



To the one calling me out - I'm 'pusillanimous' because I know the exact reason why I watch this show? How could I have possibly given you that impression?



As I looked through your profile, I noticed that you're one of those 'die-hard' HIMYM fans. I didn't know they existed, in all your reviews you gave the show a 10. No wonder you're upset with what I said, you've taken it upon yourself. You must realize there are different kinds of people out there with different tastes, opinions, and watch the show for different purposes. People who do not compare sit-coms to 'life' (as you have done). People who, when they tune into a sit-coms - want to see a sit-com.



Thinking of this episode, do you realize you've wasted an entire half hour watching 1 person freaking out about the last thing his dad told him, and the others trying to convince him that it doesn't matter (something I agree with). All of that emotional torture with no jokes only to see an implausible resolution in which his dad becomes this mythical creature who told EVERYONE profoundly meaningful last words? Did he know he was going to die?



And this implausibility somehow teaches the rest of the gang to contact their fathers, and settle their differences.



Okay, let's say I don't care about jokes - what's the message of this episode? If there are no jokes, there has to be a message - something learned from all that drama. What have we learned?



Oh, always depend on other people because they will never let you down. Some Dads are so perfect, that yours is a criminal in comparison.



I know about setting a role model, but come on.. It's like watching an after school special.

this world is abt free thinkin n u cn hav ur own opinions bt it is my bona fide request 2 d people who dont understand dis show or donot lyk it,plz dont watch it n better nt comment on it..amerr buddy life is nt a sitcom(pardon me for my grandiloquence)..real things do happen in lyf..n ingenuously speaking i think u r very naive n pusillanimous..n thanks for pouring us ur banal n gullible mentality as well..hats off 2 ur magnanimous rating of 7..i personaly dont look at dis show just as a sitcom bt much more..its storyline,a scintilla of suspense,1 story leadin 2 other n awesome characters n if u luv dis show then u will find my thinking perspicuous..amerr buddy dis show is nt for u..stop wastin ur precious tym..ps- i dont think u r emotionaly raped bt intellectually raped..

Episodes like this one don't come often in the history of the show, and they did it so perfectly, bringing out the true beauty of the show. It further shows that this show's not just a comedy, but full of heart.



And this is one of the many reasons why I love the show. While the show is about Ted's journey in meeting his wife, it's also about every single one of the character's journey because they're very much part of Ted's life. And in this episode, it's about Marshall.



I know that not everyone is going to love this episode, and to you, I'd like you to consider this. The show needs episodes like this one because we want to see our beloved characters grow. Without any hardship, that wouldn't happen. Everything that happens lead to something else. Marshall's dad's death led Barney into making the decision that he's finally ready to meet his biological dad.



This season is really shaping out to be so incredible, looking forward to see where it's headed.

This episode was an emotional time for all the characters - especially Marshall. As the story has developed over the last 5 1/2 seasons each characters own personal discoveries and hardships are just as much pivotal to the plot as Ted's.. Remember this is the story that Ted is telling his children 20 years from now, if you were giving a detailed account of 'How i met your mother' then the death of Marshall's father would be just as apparent if not MORE so than an episode of how Barney get's dates! (the playbook) in this episode alone Lilly makes peace with Marshall's mother and Barney finally decides to track down his father... ok there were not many jokes and whitty one liners BUT that's not what the show is all about - even if that's why you watch it... Jason Segal acted out of his skin and delivered a very emotional and believable account of a grieving son brought up in the manner he did, it tugged the emotional heart-strings and i usually don't get emotionally effected by TV shows.



Well acted, well wrote, well executed! Can't wait for the next episode - keep up the GREAT work! :)