my new cable box has the unfortunate habit of not always listening when tivo tells it to change the channel, so I missed HIMYM. sounds like I didn't miss much.

It occured to me whilst watching it during his run on BTVS and ATS we didn't really get to see him act much. He'd often come in and read lines and act goofy, sure, but there wasn't that much layers in it until nearer the end.

Oh, now I disagree there - I think it was pretty layered even in late Season 1. But it certainly got better and better, and Season 3 gave him some terrific opportunities to rip out my heart plumb the depths of the character. God. (Actually, at the end of Season 3 I was so thoroughly won over by Wesley's storyline, and so utterly unimpressed by the dickheadery of the rest of the characters, that I really wouldn't have cared in the slightest whether (a) the show came back or (b) it came back sans Angel and Cordy. [In fact I still sort of pine for a show with Gunn and Fred trying to carry on the fight, while Wes becomes increasingly badass and disillusioned, and wee Connor fights demons with Justine. And Lindsey gets fixated on Connor as the incarnation of his fucked up Angel/Darla issues.])

But by the end of Season 5? Holy crap.

My fangirl heart has still not wholly recovered from the fact that Lindsey and Wesley, my two Very Favourite Characters, both got killed off in the finale. BOTH.

That boy? Can act. He's seriously talented. He should be on my telebox more often.

That's what I'm talking about! He is a proper actor! Not just a pretty pretty boy, but an honest-to-God oldskool proper actor. Character actor, even. He should be getting lots and lots of work.

and Season 3 gave him some terrific opportunities

Oh, definitely. I think S3, 4 and 5 all have their moments with Wesley. I just wish there had been more. Whoever did One True Love Angel and Cordy needs to not do it again.

My main issue with Vacation!Robin/Robin was her telling that dream to Barney and just telling it - not somehow screwing with him, you know?

Oh good point. It was so WTF?

Which reminds me to mention, that I love dynamics and changing relationships and I think this is somehow a more thorough relationship show than others of its ilk.

Agree and hooray for that. It was a good ep for bringing "Aunt Robin" back for sure. Also, loved the way Ted said "I'm pleased that my former paramour is pleased" or whatever - nice scene.

Another show that's doing well that has a good relationship at the core: Allison/Joe in Medium.

Back to HIMYM: I'm getting curious about how it will take to meet Your Mother. I've stopped caring about it as a plot point, and fully expect it'll take all season to find out what the yellow umbrella is actually doing in front of the bar, but... *maybe* we'll find out sooner.

Yeah, at this point, with seeing the Future!Marshmallow and Future!Lilypad, (which, aww) I guess my original (pre-wedding) theory that Your Mother was Lily is shot.

eta: If they'd kept the kids-on-the-couch conceit, the kids would be murderous by now. Get to the point, dad! Your sexual escapades tales? Do Not Want! Tell us about Mom!

Ugly Betty:

Last season, when Henry was first coming around, did I miss any discussion that he was in an episode of Buffy? Because he kept looking excessively familar, so I finally bothered to look it up. And not just any episode -- he played James (dead angry 1950s lovesick ghost boy) in I Only Have Eyes For You.

Awwww.

Justin = big woobie.

Every episode, I love Marc a little more.

Also, there is NO WAY they would kill Betty's dad, after killing Santos. Right?

....right???

The Office: I just came in and caught the tail end of Michael's talking head - who was he talking about?

I need some more context. What was he saying? He was probably talking about Ryan.

The TH where Pam was all "mock-up, splash screen, I don't know what I'm talking about"...she was so fucking adorable I wanted to reach through the TV and kiss her.

I'm a little worried that The Office is heading toward an emphasis on intra-office romantic relationships. Which could be a little too close to soap opera land to be good for the show.

Good for Ryan making it clear during the first minute that he is the boss now and no longer the intern/temp. Bad for Ryan deciding to get rid of Kelly because their break-up is getting messy. Also bad for Ryan positioning the changes as an emphasis on youth as opposed to joining the 20th century. Jury's still out on having Pam work on the logo -- we'll see if he tries to grab all the credit.

I see Ryan trying to get rid of Michael in the near future.

I'm not so sure I felt the mild sympathy for Michael that I usually feel. Probably because his motives are usually to do the right thing towards other people. This time, he was trying to benefit himself at least as much as (if not more than) anyone else.