Random thoughts - "This is so going in my blog!"

Like a number of sitcoms that I grew to enjoy (cf. "Wings", "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"), "How I Met Your Mother" was a show I discovered in reruns before catching it first-run. I liked the characters and the central ensemble gelled beautifully.

Tonight is the series finale and I think this is as good a time as any to take a look back in as best a way as I know how.

- While I like Ray Wise (thanks largely to "Reaper"), I've always preferred Eric Braeden as Robin's father. The soap opera-ish line delivery suited the character beautifully.

- Punchy. The "It's Always Sunny" people were incredibly patient (and non-litigious) about this wholesale rip-off of Charlie Kelly, but - cards on the table - I wouldn't have been.

- I never liked Ted and Robin as a couple. In the first episode, she was referred to as Aunt Robin, and yet, a couple times every season, the writers dredged it up, as if sticking their fingers in their ears, yelling 'La-la-la-la!' over and over and believing hard enough was going to make it so. I'm not that keen on Robin and Barney together, either, but this is very much a 'lesser of two evils' situation.

Here are 20 of my favorite episodes:

The Best Burger in New York - Marshall drags the gang around the city looking for the perfect burger.
Highlight: "And you got our wedding vows off the internet?"

Blitzgiving - Joined by an old acquaintance, the gang heads to Zoey's to celebrate Thanksgiving.
Highlight: Barney suffers the curse of the Blitz

The Bro-Mitzvah - Barney expects the best bachelor party ever. Unfortunately, Ted and Marshall deliver the exact opposite.
Highlight: the turning point

46 Minutes - Marshall and Lily set up their new place in the 'burbs, leaving the others free to follow Barney.
Highlight: the revamped title sequence(s)

Girls vs. Suits - MacLaren's hot new bartender can't stand fancy dressed guys, forcing Barney to 'suit down'.
Highlight: "I know what you're thinkin'/What's Barney been drinkin'?/That girl was smokin' hot..."

Hopeless - Barney wants to impress his father, leading to a wild night.
Highlight - The 'Who's on first?' tribute.

I Heart NJ - If Ted hates being in Stella's place in New Jersey for one night, he's really not gonna like her news.
Highlight: (tie) Robin's phone call and the NYC vs. NJ debate

Intervention - The gang confronts each other on a number of flaws.
Highlight: Robin gets 'super-Canadian'

The Naked Man - Robin's new beau illustrates a fascinating way to pick up women.
Highlight: Ted and Barney suggesting various poses

Noretta - Barney won't quit in salvaging his perfect night with Nora.
Highlight: the seduction scenes between "Marshall" and "Lily"

Not a Father's Day - Marshall's work schedule conflicts with Lily's desire to have children.
Highlight: the lineups of the undateable

The Possimpible - Facing deportation, Robin agrees to have Barney produce a video resume to get a new job.
Highlight: Barney's video resume

P.S. I Love You - The gang discovers that 'Robin Sparkles' exhibited a dark side.
Highlight: the Tim Hortons montage

Say Cheese - An uninvited guest casts a pall over Lily's birthday.
Highlight: the running gag of Robin trying to catch Barney off-guard

The Sexless Innkeeper - Lily and Marshall come on too strong on their double date with Robin and Barney.
Highlight: What isn't a highlight, here? The double date, Marshall's videos, the titular poems, the music for the trail of egg timers...

The Stinsons - The gang finds that Barney's been hiding a family from them.
Highlight: Barney's unusual priorities while watching movies

Subway Wars - A wager leads the gang on a mad chase across Manhattan.
Highlight: Barney's trek

Trilogy Time - Every three years, the guys watch the Star Wars trilogy, and every three years, one of their lives is in disarray.
Highlight: Ted's 2015 flash-forward

We're Not from Here - Ted and Barney pretend to be out-of-towners to pick up girls.
Highlight: "We are on the cusp of going from out-of-towners to in-their-pantsers."

Woooo! - Robin hangs out with a group of party girls.
Highlight: The translated 'Woooos!'

The final curtain has fallen and even if what's on stage hasn't met our satisfaction, it's still nice that it happened, right?

BTW, 1000th post (which includes drafts and actual posts)!