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.

I thought that the referring to women as "random skank" was harsh, but I can see that happening because she was really pissed and Ted fucked up her birthday. She may have been nicer about it if she wasn't so angry.

Ted was a massive douche in this situation. Lily's birthday dinner was important enough that everyone dresses (the guys were in tuxes, fuhcrissake), and he brings a woman that no one knows to a party of 5 people. Plus, he didn't bring the cake that he was specifically asked to bring. I would have been livid.

Ted was a massive douche in this situation.

He was, but they are writing him that way. I kind of liked it when the writers would tip that Ted was a bit too self-aware about how adorable he was, calculating and preening even.

It was also consistent with the characters all having inflated egos (Robin's presumption that she's always the prettiest woman in the room; Marshall's absolute confidence in his good looks and that he's a catch; Barney's self-declared awesomeness).

But it's gotten grotesque. The bigger issue for me though is that the show is so fucking sexist. I was shocked that they thought it was okay for Ted to call Lilly a cunt (way back in S2). It is not equivalent to calling a guy a dick, even though they seem to think so. Ditto with the bitches, skanks and hos they toss around.

I feel compelled to quote Archer at them: "Don't be shitty," writers of HIMYM.

Instead of Lilly calling Ted's exes skanks, I kept wondering why she didn't point out the more obvious fact: Ted's a slut.

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 am almost incapable of criticising the show 'cause I love it so much, but even I'm getting tired of this. Taking likeable characters in a fun situation and making them parodies of themselves is dull. I won't be giving up on it, but I want the writers to pick themselves up.

Mostly, I think the show does best what it says on the tin - setting Ted up to meet the mother. If this season can get back to that, it might be redeemable.

oh come on HIMYM, Lily should have gotten smashed in the face by the recoil when she fired that gun.

The TeeVee is informing me that Glee starts at 8:28 (central) tonight.

I am loving Wil Wheaton's appearances on The Big Bang Theory. Evil!Wil is fun.