411 How I Met Your Mother Review: S04E15 'The Stinsons'
Posted by Michael Tyner on 03.04.2009
Meet Barney's wife and kids. . .
After a three week break, How I Met Your Mother is back this week with another Barney-centric episode much like season one's "Game Night." But this time, instead of learning about Barney's past as a coffeshop hippie we get to learn all about his wife and son! We start off at MacLaren's where Lily (obviously trying to hide pregnancy on screen now) is pointing out some blondes drinking 'bad decision juice' to Barney, but The Barnacle seems almost offended. He acts strange all throughout the opening before he leaves the bar early in the night; convinved he has a secret girlfriend, the group decides to follow him.
They wind up at the house of Barney's mom Loretta, who has been mostly an off-camera voice for her other appearances on the show (boo to not having a Wayne Brady cameo as Barney's brother this week) where she is about to have dinner with her son and his family; wife Betty, and son Tyler. Of course when we come back from commercial we learn the truth; Barney's mom never wanted him to grow old alone like she did (after Barney's dad, Bob Barker apparently, left to host his new game show). Years ago when she was sick and in the hospital Barney hired an actress to play his fiance so they could make his mother happy on her death bed.
The problem? Betty is an actress who likes to go 'off book' and after Loretta reveal her regret over not living to have grandchildren, Betty exclaims that she is pregnant! The news helps Barney's mom make a miraculous recovery and he has kept up the charade ever since. Betty isn't the only fake Stinson with trouble, however, as Tyler seems to act as well as Paris Hilton in his role as he misses his cues and desperately tries to find a catchphrase ("Tyler no likey!") despite Barney insisting he stop. Line of the night has to be Neil Patrick Harris refrencing his days on Doogie Howser, MD after arguing with Tyler; "Child actors were way better back in the 80s!"
The Stinsons had been gathered for a family dinner, and the gang is invited to join them while Ted figures out that he had seen Betty in a pretentious off-Broadway production of a play by Brecht (Ted is so gonna' hook up with this girl); Tyler talks to Robin about how underappreciated they both feel with their 'on-screen' roles; and Loretta talks to Marshall & Lily in the kitchen about her younger, more whorish days. Loretta wonders how Barney turned out so perfect when she acted the way she did when he way young (ha!).
Marshall encourages Barney to tell his mom the truth, but Lily argues otherwise and eventually admits to hating Marshall's mom. Despite agreeing not to get mad, Marshall's response is a scorned "I hate you!" before he storms out. Then we get to the actual dinner, which was written by Barney so that his mother would hear things she liked to keep her happy during the meal. During an impromptu rehearsal, Barney demands Tyler eat an ice cream sundae for dessert despite him being lactose intolerant because his son isn't lactose intolerant! The family head to the kitchen and find Ted making out with Betty! Called it! Barney has to squeeze Tyler's shoulders to make him cry when he sees 'mommy' kissing Ted!
Barney decides to make a scene, urging Ted and Betty to follow his lead; we see a few flashbacks of Betty giving Ted some acting tips earlier in the evening as they go back and forth in an argument that winds up involving a blind fiancee & an overnight train to Monte Carlo.The whole crazy situation finally allows Lily to persuade Barney to tell his mom the truth (notice how Lily always seems to be the voice of reason with Barney?). After lying about Tyler's impending death, he finally comes clean much to his mother's delight because she "can't stand those people!" Better yet, she thinks all of Barney's friends are actors, too! Another great line here as Loretta tells her son about how she was "passed around like a bong" while on tour with Grand Funk Railroad.
Loretta tells Barney that if he ever meets someone special not to run away (cue Robin in the background shot). There is also a funny scene in here where Tyler tries to pick up Robin while they are talking on the porch, swearing he was picking up on something when he puckers his lips for a kiss. After a couple of episodes I was starting to think the whole Barney loves Robin thing was getting old, but after this episode I think they are on exactly the path they should be with the story arc; I can't wait to see how this finally pans out!
We end with the group having a conversation at MacClaren's, throwing back to something earlier in the episode where Barney talks about rooting for the bad guy in The Karate Kid. He also admits to liking the antagonist in Die Hard, the principal in The Breakfast Club ("He's the only one wearing a suit!"), and shedding a tear with the Terminator didn't get to kill those people in the first film. Awesome!
This weeks episode was very well written, and I'm very happy to see some of that first season spark coming back in the storylines. Marshall and Lily in the past few weeks have been showing that their relationship isn't quite as perfect as it has been painted; Barney is still longing for Robin; Ted is back to dating, and next week starts Laura Prepon's stint on the show as one of his ex-girlfriends!
The 411: Another well-written, laugh-out-loud funny episode; The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother is quite possibly the funniest hour of TV you'll find anywhere right now and it doesn't look they show any signs of slowing down as we start to head home on season four.
