How I Met Your Mother - The Mermaid Theory (Spoilers Ahoy!)

[snogged]

I really don't feel like I've had many complaints about Season 6. As a whole, it's been solid, funny, and pretty much on par with Season 4's storytelling. But tonight really didn't do it for me.

What I Liked:
-The opening bit with the gang looking at a blown-up poster of the Captain and shouting phrases at him while Marshall places the piece of cardboard in various places.
-Barney and Lily hugging on the street (someone please screencap this for me!)
-Barney and Lily rescuing each other from oncoming traffic.
-Barney's off-handed remark about breastfeeding. Yes, it was lewd and offended my feminist nature (especially when Lily called it sweet), but it totally reminded me of the RP so that made me grin.
-Robin being a cute drunk.
-The Captain and his murderousness (because he's nervous.)
-Robo-cop and Marsh Madness
-"No using the husband’s condoms. That's just rude."
-“Kids, I’m admitting defeat. I will never remember this story. I’m sorry for wasting your time.”
-And the quote where Barney accused Lily of fantasizing about him while she had sex with Marshall, only to have Marshall focus on the Lily not really liking his shirt.

What I wanted to like:
-The running gag that was the Barney/Lily fight. It was, in all honestly, good meta as far as the show is concerned since they frequently point out flaws in old!Ted's memories. But against the backdrop of the manatee/mermaid theory, I just wasn't feeling it.
-Zoe being part of the gang. It felt like "Op! We fixed all the tension between them during the Blitzgiving episode. Let's forget it ever happened."
-Barney and Marshall being sailors. Some of it was cute (ex. the fist bump with the hook) but the again, the manatee thing just bugged me.

What I did NOT like:
-The Manatee Theory. Is this show fully incapable of treating women remotely correctly?
-Marshall imagining Robin as a manatee. What the fuck show? These two did just fine in "Little Minnesota" and "Three Days of Snow" (where Marshall was sure Robin was hitting on HIM). I don't care if Robin was sorta cute trying to lift up her wine glass with flippers. It still pissed me off.

And yes, I know it seems that my list of likes outweigh my list of dislikes...but guys, manatees. More specifically, characters in manatee suits. It just rubbed me the wrong way.

Comments

[lilithisbitter.livejournal.com]

Well, the manatee theory did come from Barney and he's not exactly the best at real world logic. At least Ted or Marshall didn't come up with that.

[snogged.livejournal.com]

True.
Barney's allowed to make up some crazy stuff.

Still didn't make me any less bugged though.

[secondmezzanine.livejournal.com]

This episode felt to me like it was trying really hard to be clever and was instead really clunky. And yeah, HIMYM completely FAILS at feminism, and it's getting old.

Overall I guess I thought it was an okay episode, I didn't love it and didn't hate it, but... they can do better.

[secondmezzanine.livejournal.com]

BTW-- just caught up on Grey's and I liked a few of the things in the ep!! Will share my thoughts via email tomorrow. :)

[snogged.livejournal.com]

YAY!
Look forward to hearing them.

[snogged.livejournal.com]

That could be what it was.
And yeah...it was okay. Not good, not awesome, not shit.

[idioticonion.livejournal.com]

I'm really out of sync with fandom! I haven't liked episodes that everybody else liked. But I liked this one! And everybody else disliked it! What's wrong with me?

[lilithisbitter.livejournal.com]

I liked it. You're not alone.

[idioticonion.livejournal.com]

Yay! :-)

[snogged.livejournal.com]

You know...I did list a bunch of things I liked so I'm not firmly in the hate camp, I just didn't dig the manatees or the Marshall/Robin lack of continuity. It bugged me.

[idioticonion.livejournal.com]

Don't get me wrong, I dismissed the Marshall/Robin thing utterly. Waste of a plot. But the manatee thing made me laugh. Possibly mainly for the slash implications for Pirate!Marshall and Pirate!Barney though. :-D

[magpieinthesky.livejournal.com]

It took me forever to get to this (I have about a billion tabs open from the past week that I haven't gotten to yet), but I wanted to say that for the most part I agree with you on HIMYM! There were parts that I laughed out loud and heartily at, I loved the Captain, I LOVED Ted having trouble getting the story straight, and drunk!Robin is adorable.

I didn't like the Mermaid Theory either. It would have been one thing if it straight up applied to married people envisioning their single friends as manatees, and therefore Lily might have a mermaid moment with Barney or Zoey might end up having one with Ted, but the fact that they're objectifying women AGAIN in this way is beyond annoying, it's just wrong. I'd say I'm getting sick of this kind of thing, but that's a lie. I've already gotten sick, and now it's a terminal illness. It's like I have to get used to the fact that the show is mired in sexism, which is extremely disappointing as we have moments that really show how awesome Lily and Robin are, and then we're back to "eye broccoli" and manatees turning into mermaids.

UGH.

[snogged.livejournal.com]

I'm glad I wasn't the only one on board with the Mermaid Theory.

*hugs*