How I Met Your Mother: Something New (8x24)

Okay. Yeah. I thought this one was pretty good. It didn't really feel like a finale, though. I really thought the end of season eight was going to be Barney and Robin's wedding, and I seriously hope that the start of season nine gives us a cool wedding episode, because sitcoms usually do great stuff with weddings. But, even if it isn't exactly what I might have wanted in a finale, it still had a lot of good stuff going for it.

Let's break it down. I'll start with the stupidest part of the episode so I can just get it the hell out of the way. Ted takes Lily to his finished house, but she discovers that he intends to sell it and move to Chicago. Why, you might ask? Because apparently he is still in love with Robin and once she and Barney are married he just needs to get out of the way. Okay, no. I need to sit down and have a talk with the writers of this show. Because I am so beyond fed up with this idea that Ted is still pining after Robin for all these years. I don't know about you, but if I were Ted's wife and I was poking my head around the corner to hear my husband tell our kids this story, I'd be pretty concerned about Ted's clear obsession over Robin. I mean, for real? He's still in love with her? Hmph.

Despite the fact that I hate that premise and want to punch the writers in the face because of it, there were some really well written lines. The way that Ted describes how he feels about Robin was actually really heartbreaking. He says he would literally do anything to make her smile, and that "that's just a really suck-y way to feel about your best friend's fiance." It's actually a pretty good point, and I really did feel for Ted at this moment, even though I think it's annoying that they keep dragging out this Robin thing.

During this section of the episode we also discover that Lily knows where the locket is. In a flashback, we learn that a very drunk Robin dug it up and planned to take it to Japan with her (this was just before Ted's wedding to Stella). It's been sitting at Ted's place in a pencil box this whole time, and Ted now has the perfect wedding gift to give to Robin. Lily warns him to be careful, because his feelings for Robin could make things difficult.

Meanwhile, Marshall's mother has only just found out about the impending move to Rome, so Marshall takes Marvin on an impromptu trip to Minnesota. When there, Judy announces first that she won't let them go to Rome, and next that she is going to move with them. Marshall tries to play these things off as a joke, but Lily can tell over the phone that Marshall's mother is serious. Lily is getting really nervous that Judy will somehow mess up the move, but it turns out that something else gets in the way. Marshall gets a call, and the man on the other end officially offers him a job as a judge. He accepts, after a lot of hesitation, but as the episode ends, he has yet to tell Lily.

There were some funny jokes in this portion of the episode, such as the repeated gag of Marshall's brother beating up on him, and Marshall's conversation with the man offering him the job. I think my favorite line here was when Marshall says: "I'm not good at big decisions," and the man on the other end responds with: "Are you sure you want to be a judge?"

But I've saved the best for last in this episode. Barney and Robin, exhausted after all the wedding plans, are taking a relaxing night off at a nice restaurant. Being the weirdos that they are, this romantic night involves special cigars and reminiscing about the time they saw bums fighting/making love over a sandwich. However, a very snooty and pretentious couple nearby tell them to put the cigars away, and they end up taking the table at the window that Barney wanted. Suddenly, Barney and Robin set aside their romantic evening and vow to mess up this couple's night. They try to break them up by sneaking a wedding ring into the woman's glass, and while it does cause a big fight, the couple actually ends up engaged by the end of it. Barney and Robin are happy that they've actually done something good together.

This plot was hilarious. Everything, from the name of the girl "Krirstan" to Barney being hit with the door opening to the kitchen because of the crappy table where they are sitting. Robin used the trick with her ring because she knew it had broken up her and Ted in the past. It showed Barney and Robin at their best. They get along so well and they clearly really love each other. Some favorite quotes:

Robin: "Did those two just become our arch enemies?" 

Barney: "No, Robin. They've always been our arch enemies. They've only just revealed themselves."

At the end, the couple comes out and tells them that they are now engaged, and that the guy is going to take the girl's last name. Robin and Barney say that a week from now they will be "Legend - wait for it - Legend -married. Legendmarried!" And then the following conversation takes place.

Barney: "Robin Scherbatsky, I love you so damn much."

Robin: "I love you too, Barney Scherbatsky."

*Barney gives her a look, and Robin starts to lean in to kiss him.*

Robin: "It sounds good. You should think about it."

There were a lot of other really great moments for Robin and Barney in this episode, such as Ranjit coming to pick them up, Robin and Barney's super hot kiss, and more.

And then of course I'd be crazy if I didn't talk about the last moments of the episode, where we actually see the face of the mother. And she's adorable! Exactly the sort of girl I could see Ted end up with, although of course I don't know anything about her personality or chemistry with Ted yet. I guess only next season will tell!

As you can see, I was really annoyed with the continuing Ted/Robin nonsense in this episode, but other than that I found it to be really solid. It raised more points than it resolved, which is sort of a strange move for a season finale, but I'm willing to wait and see what they come up with in the fall!

7.5/10