HIMYM – What ‘Lies’ Beneath

Barney’s been called many things over the years. Womanizer. Jerk. Wingman. But tonight, Barney was black. Or, at least, he wanted to be because that would mean finally learning the identity of his father. Tonight’s HIMYM saw the gang helping Barney’s mom move out of his childhood house. Barney and his half-brother—the lovable James—discover an old photo of them as kids and realize it was meant for one of their fathers.

For years, Barney has accepted the lie his mother told him—that Bob Barker was his father—because, let’s face it, that’s a pretty awesome lie! It made for a great episode of television back in season 2 when Barney actually went on The Price Is Right to meet “daddy” (and win both showcases in the showcase showdown!) These kinds of episodes are when NPH really shines—somehow all of Barney’s caddish behavior makes sense and you feel for him. It turns out lots of lies his mother told him over the years shielded him from some tough truths. Barney didn’t find his biological father in this episode, but he found out his mother told him these stories out of love for her son.

On the lighter side of lies, Ted and Robin debated the merits of over-selling versus under-selling when setting someone up on a blind date. Robin over-sold Ted to her make-up artist at first, then hilariously under-sold him to compensate (I believe the word incontinent was in there by accident, no pun intended). I think my favorite part was Marshall clarifying what constitutes a good lie—“You know, like when we tell Ted he’ll meet the right girl and settle down!” Whatever, Marshall, what girl could resist Teddy Westside?! And he can rock red cowboy boots!

Some of my favorite little moments:

• Ted’s mom and her hippy second husband Clint have done some redecorating to Ted’s old childhood room…two words: tantric sex
• Barney telling Ted that the item he is packing is too large for the box: “That’s what your mom said…no, that’s what she actually said”
• Funnily enough, I used to compare the handwriting samples from the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy—and they all looked a lot like my dad’s block letter handwriting. At least they weren’t letters from the “postmaster general”
• When Ted suggests to Robin appropriate words like “dependable” to describe himself, Robin says “Why don’t I visit the Chevy website and copy down adjectives”
• Barney’s enthusiasm at thinking he found his dad, “Guys, I’m black!”…and Marshall’s hilarious suggestion to let Barney believe this: “Can’t we just let the guy be black for a day?”
• For those of you too busy watching NPH continuously interrupt his brother and brother’s father singing at the piano, do yourself a favor and re-watch the scene to look at Robin in the background trying to contain her laughter and hold it together—priceless.
• “Dad, look how fast I can run!” (Barney zipping around the yard)

I am liking “what lies beneath” the womanizer character of Barney—and I believe that this season the writers are going to tap into Barney’s more sentimental core. Was I the only one that kind of wished, at the end when Ted’s voiceover explained that Barney always wished he had a father, that we the audience would learn that one day Barney became a father himself?