Dude. That was...dude.

I get the feeling that the thought of Beck being taken seriously by anyone but the most lunatic fringe keeps Jon up at night.

That's so good I should get to my bunk in case the chip in my head goes off again.

That's so good I should get to my bunk in case the chip in my head goes off again.

Bwahahahahahahaha!!!

Thank you...write what you know, and all that.

I just wanted to note how much I hated the last episode of HIMYM.

So much that I had to go read reviews of it at AV Club and TWOP. ::waves at Cindy::

And both places gave it pretty good reviews, but in the comments I saw a bit more of my gripe.

Which is that Ted is a massive Douche. And the writers seem to be writing him that way. It's actually almost subversive because they're showing that the Quest for True Love looks a lot like pathological narcissism.

Anyway, the show is kind of in a bad rut for me now; sort of the way Friends would be periodically. Where the little quirks of the characters become more bent and twisted by comic necessity until the characters become sort of revolting.

I was always amazed that the producers at Friends were able to take stock of this every year and turn over people on the writing staff and right the show after it had taken such wrong turns with Monica, Phoebe and Ross.

I just hope HIMYM is also as self-aware and able to redeem these characters, because Ted, Barney and Lilly have all gotten less likeable. Even Marshall's getting scary (though that's probably in part because Jason Segal is unafraid of exposing a character as pathetic or damaged).

As much as I like Neal Patrick Harris I have no interest in watching The Barney Show, so I stopped tuning in regularly a couple years ago. I'm glad I caught the one where Lily took up smoking, but other than that I haven't been too thrilled by recent episodes I've chanced upon.

I still love the million small details of Lily and Marshall's marriage that the writers manage, and that Aly and Jason bring to grating peevish tender life, but I kinda don't like much else about the show. And this past week, every time Lily referred to a past girlfriend of Ted's as some random skank or bitch, I found myself liking her less.

Barney already drives me nuts with his creepy I-only-get-off-on-fucking-women-I've-lied-to pathology, and the best thing about Lily (apart from Lily and Marshall) to me has always been that she's been the one who consistently calls him on it, sympathizes with his victims and expects better of him. And this season the writers have totally let that drop, and had her cheering him on in his pursuit of the Perfect Week, and now this episode. Just...ugh.

And Marshall was totally right--someone you've only just started dating asks you to his best-friend-since-college's birthday or anniversary or aunt's funeral? That's a big goddamn deal and Ted doing it because he's constantly in love with love is a selfish, dick move. And Marshall said that, and I cheered inside, and then the entire show just dismissed it and moved on to calling these poor women skanks another umpty-dozen times or so.

And the total fumbling of the Barney/Robin storyline--really? You build that up for two damn years and that's all you've got? The utter narrative and character fail retroactively taints the entire two previous years.

There are so many engaging, appealing performers on this show, and the simultaneous playing with timelines and respect for continuity and noodling about with unreliable narrators are all so much fun. But the actual characters and stories all that appealing performing and narrative play are in service of are becoming borderline unwatchable.

A couple of weeks ago I was completely ready to break up with the show, and then the writers gave Robin an actual storyline and Barney a bit of depth and rue and I took the show back, and now everyone who has the misfortune to say yes to a date with Ted is a skank (unless she's a smelly hippie or a bitch) but it's okay because Aly is so adorable when she says bitch (direct quote from a commentary track on an earlier season--the writers love making her say dirty and/or mean things, and use every excuse they can to work it into the script), and I feel like breaking up again.

I can see where that would be a problem Hec, though I don't often watch the new ones(still catching up) But I relate to Ted, I suppose, and want him to be a nice guy, not in the capitalized Marcotte sense. Because I'm kind of romantic and waiting for my Moment and that kind of stuff(and, yes, I make fun of myself about things like that, and I would agree there's some ego involvement in seeing yourself as the sweetheart of your crowd, but...yeah, what Hec Said. And, Matt, wrod. If I wanted to watch a show about a detached narcissist that repeats catchphrases I've known for years, I'd write a pilot about my dad.

And this past week, every time Lily referred to a past girlfriend of Ted's as some random skank or bitch, I found myself liking her less.

Yeah, Lily is easily my least favorite character.

I really enjoyed last week's episode, though. I haven't had major issues with the season, but I can see people's criticisms.