How I Met Your Mother "Garbage Island" Review

How I Met Your Mother is, in some ways, about destiny. After all, Ted will eventually meet his wife. "Garbage Island" reminds the audience of this overarching theme. The episode's also about expectation and purpose. Fans wondered what the point of the Ted-Zoey relationship is. Tonight's episode openly admits that Ted-Zoey isn't the relationship that romantic dreams are made of. Ever since the introduction of Zoey, I wondered how her presence in Ted's life would push him towards the mother. I expected the relationship to be handled the way the writers confirmed they'll handle it at the end of the episode, considering the show went out of its way to document the fates of Wendy the Waitress and Meeker, and how they became a couple. Two throwaway scenes in the episode eventually came together in the final act to bridge the themes of the episode. Seemingly insignificant moments are more significant than any one can appreciate in the present moment. Indeed, in the A and B stories, the characters won't fully appreciate their moments until they're older.

Ted and The Captain spent time with one another in the episode as the Captain struggled with losing his wife to another man. In a crazed moment for The Captain, Ted assured him that he'll find a woman he's truly compatible with, that his separation from Zoey will eventually benefit his life in ways that he cannot imagine. The Captain settled down, absorbed Ted's words and he believed them to be true. Later, Ted told Zoey that he felt guilty about stealing her from The Captain. Zoey told him to not worry about it. The relationship has no chance of succeeding on the foundation upon it was built and it won't succeed. Ted tries to tell Wendy and Meeker how he met his wife but they're in a rush so the story isn't told. Sure I'm interested in how Ted-Zoey ends but I'm more interested in how this will push Ted towards his future wife at the mysterious wedding.

Ted could've conveyed Marshall the same message as the one to the Captain and it would've had a similar impact. Marshall continues to struggle with the death of his father. More importantly, Marshall sort of hates himself for never becoming the environmental lawyer he promised his dad he would be. Marshall expected his purpose in life to be grander and more noble than his current position as a corporate stooge with GMB. He resists sex with his wife because he fears being stuck at GMB for the rest of his life. Maybe the death of his father is the first step in Marshall's career transformation from corporate stooge to environmental lawyer (I'll even guarantee it is). One of the worst moments in Marshall's life will eventually result in the most important change in Marshall's life.

Destiny, as they say, can be a bitch but HIMYM assures the audience that destiny will yield wonderful things for each of their characters. I really enjoyed "Garbage Island" because I dig this kind of storytelling. The episode had some funny scenes (well any scene with The Captain). It had heart. It had flash-forwards.

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