How I Met Your Mother "Symphony Of Illumination" Review

I can imagine devoted fans of How I Met Your Mother's vitriol following completion of "Symphony of Illumination." Perhaps, though, devoted fans aren't full of anger and disdain for the massive fake-out that was the newest episode of HIMYM. I do not have a good bead on the thought process of the HIMYM faithful. One would expect I'd rant and rave about the time wasted in HIMYM. I won't though. I didn't feel annoyed or bothered by the events of the episode. In fact, I quite enjoyed Marshall's story which successfully parodied the tropes of 1950s sitcom while embracing modernity. The Robin story didn't land well, but its heart was in the right place. And while I wonder what one's to take out of the focus on Robin, I won't wonder too much.

Actually, I will, because I have an entire review to write. I expected something more to happen when Robin's story concluded. I'm glad Bays and Thomas didn't travel the path of the unoriginal twist in which Robin's ACTUALLY with child. However, I felt nothing as Robin stood in her apartment, watching the decorative Christmas light display, with a comforting and consolatory Ted behind her. Maybe I have a hole where my heart used to be, or its turned to stone. I expected some overwhelming truth for Robin. And, well, as I write these very words, I realize the very truth I wanted unfolded before my eyes. The strong, independent professional with no interest in children never knew how much she wanted children until her doctor told her that she'd never have a baby. Robin also learned that her friends would never abandon her. The penultimate scene of the episode suggested that Robin feared a lonely life, one without a husband or a child, one in which her only companion during the Christmas season would be a carton of egg nog, consumed on a lonely Central Park bench in the dead of night as snow fell. The final scene showed that, like Liverpool fans, she'd never walk alone.

Despite my pessimistic introductory paragraph, I quite liked "Symphony of Illumination" solely because it squashed speculation about an early 2012 run of episodes devoted to baby-drama-whose-the-father nonsense. Barney asked Robin about the likelihood of Kevin-as-father. Robin told him that she hadn't slept with Kevin. Robin and Barney never settled on a plan for life with a baby. The news of no baby sent the characters into spontaneous dance. The bad news reached Robin soon thereafter, which caused her to withdraw into herself. Aside from that, the annoying bit of this episode was its framing device. A future Robin voiceover represented something huge for the show--unrestrained plot progression. The first line of the episode made it clear that Robin and Barney married and had children, that the surprise pregnancy brought the two back together. Bays and Thomas love to subvert expectations, though, so I met the episode's twist with an 'Oh of course there's the show I know.'

The twist is another instance of this show's fear to take chances with its central narrative. I would've applauded the decision to just tell the audience that Barney and Robin married and had a family together. It would've been a refreshing change for a show that's been stale for the last 2-3 seasons. One might argue that such a drastic decision would've affected the long-term narrative of Barney and Robin. Of course, I don't mind stories in which I know the ending. The ending's never as good as the long journey towards the end. I watched ANGEL in a backwards way. I saw "Orpheus" first, and then watched the entire fifth season on TheWB as I re-watched previous seasons at 5PM on TNT. I must remember that television isn't made For Me specifically anymore than it's made For All Of Us. I digress.

Marshall's story consistently delighted me. As an owner of a traditional suburban house, the man felt obligated to adorn his house with an excessive amount of lights. A local youth admired Marshall's dedication to Christmas lights and asked to help him. Later, the local youth trapped him on the roof to throw a house party. It was ridiculous. Marshall, despite all, enjoyed the experience because he felt one step closer to fatherhood. By gum, friends and well-wishers, the fictional character enjoyed that step towards fatherhood even if he froze on the roof and watched a local youth obscenely dance with an oversized stocking. The parody of the 1950s nuclear family delighted me as did the cheesy modernity of it all.

"Symphony of Illumination" was the last episode of 2011. I don't know what will happen with Robin and Barney when the show returns in early 2012. Will Ted Mosby find an arc? Who can say but the writers of the show in 2012. Certainly the show seems more mature, or grown up, if you will. The characters have experienced things that people their age would experience. I won't grade the first half of the season because grades for TV are stupid and arbitrary. Instead, I'll just write that I liked some episodes and disliked others.

Other Thoughts:

-I alluded to a character from A Song of Ice and Fire somewhere in the review. A heartbreaking sentiment.

-Again, what the heck happened to Aly Hanigan's ability to act? On Buffy, she was amazing. On HIMYM, she's terrible.

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