Take the Leap!

The Leap
How I Met Your Mother: Season 4, Episode 24 - the season finale

The Season Finale was all about taking the leap, both metaphorically and literally. Marshall finally musters enough courage to jump 6 feet from their building's roof to the one next door, which has a sweet deck & a hot tub. Ted takes the next step in his career, following the direction the world is pointing him in. Barney (somewhat) takes the plunge in telling Robin how he really feels, and Robin (kind of) reciprocates. And then there's the goat, the story that's been hinted at for at least a year now.

Once again, I found myself caring very little about Ted's storyline: his struggles with his architectural firm, his aspirations, and, of course, who the 'mother' is. But, Lily's speech to Ted hit a perfect note. Planning your life out just doesn't work, she tells Ted, after his "Rib Heaven" design loses out to Sven & their fire-breathing dragon building. She wanted to be a famous artist. Marshall, an environmental lawyer. Robin, a TV reporter (morning shows just don't count). And Barney, a violinist. Hah. But sometimes life just points you in a different direction and it's up to you to listen.

So Ted listens. He makes the leap, and he becomes a professor, where he'll finally meet the Mother. But honestly, I don't care how long they drag that story out (which I'm guessing they will drag out until the final season, which hopefully isn't anytime soon), because what I really care about is...

Barney & Robin! At last! Although I was startled by Barney suddenly ready to "tell" Robin, as evidenced with his "double-breasted suit" metaphor, I liked the way the story played out, even if there is still no closure or sense of where this thing is heading. Robin & Barney's scene in the hospital was my favorite part of the show, especially when Barney admitted to Robin that he didn't want to be saved. That just maybe he wanted to give this thing a shot. Cue them doing "the mosby" to one another, scaring off each other with proclamations of love and wanting to get married. And then - they embrace! But, as Barney says, they'll "sort" it out all later. I can't wait to see how their relationship evolves next season.

This season has under-whelmed me, but I enjoyed the season finale and I'll continue to be a die-hard fan of the show, because even in the stuff I didn't quite like, there were elements of what makes this show great.

• I expected more with the goat. Okay, the hoof print on Ted's forehead was funny, as was the "Four Skins" Murder song playing as they fought, but there was a year of anticipation for that? Then again, I also liked how Lily related the goat's obsession with the washcloth to Ted's pursuit of his architectural dreams. That and Ted got beat up by Missy, a female goat.
• Marshall trying, again and again, to jump from the ledge (his vampire outfit was the best), and then blaming Lily for why he didn't complete his latest attempt at a jump. The situation was bizarre - but bizarre is what HIMYM typically does best. The exchange between Lily and Marshall, with Lily lying about being pregnant and Marshall saying she's gained weight recently, was awesome.
• Lily talking about her inability to keep a secret. I've been frustrated by the inconsistency with this over the season, believing she'd kept Barney's secret, except in this episode she reveals to Robin that she's known for 8 months, and Marshall admits to knowing for 7 months and 29 days. She can't not tell Marshall!
• "The Mosby": scaring someone off by admitting, too quickly, that you love them. Oh so reminiscent of "don't 'ted out'" - love it!
• Everything about Barney & Robin's burgeoning relationship and difficulty expressing their feelings. Yeah, I'm frustrated by how they didn't totally sort things out, but that just means there's more to look forward to!

What did you think of the goat story? Were you satisfied with the conclusion to Season 4? Did you like the way the Robin & Barney story played out? Can you believe it'll be three months til we next see the gang? Ah! I know; I'm obsessed. Share your thoughts!

Image source: http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/05/18/how-i-met-your-mother-the-leap-season-finale/

I'm Still Around...

... just not blogging as much, for a few reasons:

1. The Internet in my apartment has been sucking. And now my computer has a virus so I'm loathe to go on the Internet for more than a second (if at all).
2. I've been blog lazy... but I don't discriminate. I haven't been keeping up-to-date on my blog reading either.
3. But I have been writing. The more I write on the novel, the less I tend to blog. And this Saturday, I'm participating in Write Your A$$ Off Day! Although, I might have to partake in long hand, due to reason #1.

So there. I'm still around, but just not around as often as I was before.

And, oh yeah... this is blog post #100! Go me!

The Speeding Ticket Metaphor

As Fast as She Can
How I Met Your Mother: Season 4, Episode 23

This will be a short(er) review/recap compared to usual. Why? Because I don't have that much to say about it, except:
1. Stella's not the mother (and is, in fact, engaged to Tony). Phew!
2. Since when can Barney drive?!?!

How I Met Your Mother is typically all about continuity and flashbacks and making the past and the future tie together nicely. But, again, I ask, since when can Barney drive? In "Arrivederci, Fiero" (Season 2, Episode 17), Ted tells the story about attempting to teach Barney to drive in the Fiero; alas, Barney is too scared to go above 5 mph and freaks out when he sees a dog ahead of him. After rolling into a hedge, Barney decides to never change and, therefore, never drive. Then, in "Moving Day" (Season 2, Episode 18), Barney steals Ted's moving van, so Ted can't move in with Robin. I suppose this implies that Barney can drive, but if he was so scared to, when did it happen? Just one line of explanation, really - it's all I ask for.

So, why is Barney driving and getting speeding tickets a big deal in this particular episode? Because getting out of speeding tickets was the theme of the night. Marshall got out of a ticket by tempting the police officer with a bratwurst at a BBQ. Robin once cried to get out of a ticket. And Barney? Well, Barney failed 15 times to get himself out of a speeding ticket.

And then there's Stella's story at the end, about the police officer who said, "I've been waiting for you all day." Stella's response, "I got here as fast as I could." This little lesson was applied to Ted's love life: the future mother, Ted's "one," is getting there as fast as she can.

Progress towards Ted meeting the mother is clearly being made - but Barney is still the one keeping me tuned in week after week. (That's a lie; I love a ton about this show - Ted and his quest for the mother just isn't one of the things I love). But I hate when things suddenly change for characters and the continuity of the show gets ruined - i.e., Barney driving, Lily able to keep a secret. Let's hope the show gets back on track for the Season Finale, when the story of the goat is finally revealed - and hopefully, Barney's love for Robin?

My favorite moments from last night's show:

• Ted's ring tone: "Let's Go to the Mall"
• Barney calling Ted from jail, scared by the people he shares the jail cell with, who promptly ask for their spray paint back
• Robin demanding that Ted "bump" her fist, when Stella bemoans the fact that Tony dumped her because of something Ted said
• Ted admitting that he wants what Marshall and Lily have. Yeah, yeah. I don't like Ted all the time, but this was a moment where I felt for him. He's best when he's at his most romantic.

Did Barney driving annoy you as much as it annoyed me? Were you glad Lily returned, albeit only a couple seconds? Do you hate Stella's character as much as I do? (I really didn't like Stella in this episode). What were your favorite moments from this episode? Share your thoughts!

WIP Wednesday #2

After all the helpful comments last week, meeting with my writing buddy CB on Sunday, and rewriting a few chapters, I decided to change the POV in my WIP from third person to first. Commence screaming, gnashing of teeth, and pulling out of hair.

But, seriously, I'm excited! While it seems like this huge, overwhelming project - because it is - it's not that much more work than I was planning on. I've already been working on rewriting huge sections of the novel, so changing the POV is just one more step in that process. At least, that's what I tell myself.

Plus, during this past week, as I've been rewriting chapters 4, 5, & 6 into first person, all sorts of new ideas have emerged, as if they've been there all along, but I just needed to discover them. It's an invigorating feeling, and I'm more excited about this novel than I have been in the past couple months.

I initially wrote Through Charlotte's Eyes in first person because of Anne's time-traveling escapades; I couldn't imagine the way the time-traveling would play out, with Anne being inside Charlotte's head, experiencing the French Revolution, without it being in third-person omniscient. That, and the fact that there's so much history involved, which no single character knows, that I didn't think I could write the novel from first person (Anne's perspective) alone.

Yet, so far, so good. The issues seem to be working themselves out as I write. (I had a wonderful 'aha' moment yesterday as I discovered a way for Anne to know things about the past, and about Charlotte, that she shouldn't know... but I'm not going to give too much away about that). The real challenge, I think, will come with rewriting the switches between 2005 and 1792/1793... but Bob & I are excited to take on the challenge this week! We're very excited about this development, if you couldn't already tell.

Til next time, happy writing!

If you want to join in on WIP Wednesday, check out Kate's blog here.

Return of the Yellow Umbrella

Right Place, Right Time
How I Met Your Mother: Season 4, Episode 22

Bays and Thomas, the writers of HIMYM: why oh why do you taunt me? Ted leaves his apartment, carrying the fated yellow umbrella that we've been told will somehow lead him to the mother, and eventually waits on a street corner, where a woman taps him on the shoulder... and it's Stella. STELLA! I wanted to scream - NO! She CAN'T be the mother!!!

Now that the surprise has worn off at that unexpected "reunion" between old flames, I think I may have over-reacted.

It's all about fate and the decisions you make, Future Ted explains to his kids. The idea is reminiscent of previous (better) seasons, especially the episode about the "Lucky Penny," when a series of seemingly random occurrences leads Ted to miss his flight and, therefore, not get a job in Chicago - thankfully, otherwise he would have never have met the "mother."

Last night's episode was also full of seemingly unimportant decisions/incidents that lead Ted to the right street corner, at exactly the right time.

Decision #1: Upon leaving his apartment, Ted turns left, instead of right. He would have gone to his favorite bagel place, but that's where Robin got food poisoning, which led her to throw up into some very expensive hand-made purses.

Decision #2: Ted stops at a news-stand to look at a magazine and see who was the 199th... err, #200th woman that Barney slept with.

Previous to Ted's fateful walk in the city, Barney was about to go on a date with a supermodel to celebrate sleeping with 200 women. The entire gang is appalled at the number, but Barney says he did it because it's awesome... and to prove, to his 7th-grade bully, that he could.

But it turns out, according to Robin, the list is wrong. Desperate for the supermodel to not be #199, Barney has two hours to sleep with a woman. His quick-witted lies and attempts fail at McClaren's, so he's off to the gym, where a woman, who Barney claims isn't his "type" because of her muscly size, has been pursuing him. He returns to the bar, in pain - only to find out that Robin (still studiously pouring over the list) realized that Barney used the same number twice... so the gym gal, who posed for a magazine, was actually #200.

Decision #3: Ted takes a different route, so he can give $1 to a specific homeless guy. Why? Ted threw out all of Marshall's charts and graphs as part of Marshall's latest intervention, because Marshall became obsessed with making them (thanks to GNB graphics department). He has a pie chart showing which bars are his favorite; a bar graph showing which pies are his favorites. Unfortunately, Marshall actually needed some of his charts for work. A homeless guy demands a million dollars for the charts, since they're on his blanket, so Ted promises to give him a dollar a day.

And all of this bring us to Ted standing on the corner, under the yellow umbrella, when a hand reaches out to tap him on the shoulder. Stella. Sigh. Disappointment.

The way the writers play with time, mess with our heads, talk about fate and all the small choices we make - that's some of the many, many reasons I love this show. I'm glad to see these ideas returning, but... Stella? I still don't think she's the mother but after all that lead-up, including Ted imagining running back and hugging everyone who participated in his three decisions, I didn't expect her. But then again, I have faith in our writers. There's a reason, as Ted would say, that he ran into her that day.

For the first time in awhile, I got excited again about who the mother may be... but it was the ending tag that made my heart melt. Sitting in McClaren's, Barney tears up his list of women, asks "What now?" and gazes longingly at Robin standing at the bar. Aw!

Were you disappointed that it was Stella? Do you want to know who the Mother is? Do you miss Lily? (I do.) Did you like the reference to the "Intervention" episode? Did you enjoy the reasoning behind all of Ted's decisions? Share your thoughts!

Image source: http://www.fanpop.com/spots/how-i-met-your-mother/images/1227041

WIP Wednesday #1

Before I dive into writing about my WIP, let me give credit where credit is due. I'm starting this new category of blog posts, called Work-in-Progress Wednesdays, after seeing it on Jamie's blog, and Jamie got the idea from Kate. Thanks Jamie and Kate!

My WIP status: Rewriting/revising to create my third draft. The novel is currently at 64,000 words, but I still have some major things to move around, add, remove, etc. All that fun stuff.

But, my BIGGEST WIP-related question right now is: should Through Charlotte's Eyes be in first person or third? Currently, it's in third but as I rewrite sections that voice in my head, Bob, keeps nagging me: But imagine how much more awesome that would be in FIRST person! For the life of me, I'm having the hardest time deciding...

That's where you, my lovely readers, come in! Below are two slivers of the first chapter (which might even become the opening scene). Thoughts? Reactions? Do you like one POV over the other? Or are you indifferent? Share your thoughts, please!

==========

3rd person:

Across the café, the man moved the newspaper from the tabletop to his lap.

Feeling the man staring at her, still, Anne sent the email to Lisa as she gulped down her coffee, despite how warm it still was. This guy had to get it through his thick skull that it was not okay to follow her.

As Anne approached him—he looked away and finally unfolded his newspaper—she realized she’d first seen him yesterday, at a bakery around the corner. Anne’s body trembled.

But the café was full of curious Parisians. She would be okay. She just had to tell him to leave her alone and that’d be that.

“Qu'est-ce que c'est ce bordel? What the hell?” Anne demanded. “Just because I’m an American doesn’t mean you can stalk me.”

The man awkwardly smiled. “I am so sorry, mademoiselle,” he laughed, causing Anne’s heart to race. His accent was slightly off—but not American. “It is just, you are so striking, and now that I finally see you up close, I am sure.”

“No,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Don’t bother with the lines. I’m not interested. Got it?” She buttoned the top button of her pea coat as she turned to go.

“You misunderstand,” he called after her.

Despite the man's subdued demeanor, Anne walked away. Wind blew her hair into her eyes and mouth. She wiped at them both. She stopped an intersection, looking left, then right. He didn’t seem crazy—just odd, especially with his comment. What kind of strange pick-up line was that supposed to be? She slowly felt calmer, feeling like she’d done the right thing confronting him. He wasn’t anyone to be scared of.

“Anne Marie?” The man caught up to her.

Anne spun around. Her heart was suddenly pounding full throttle again, nervousness, like blood, surging through her veins. He knew her name. He was really stalking her. There could be no other explanation.


==========

1st person:

Across the café, he nervously moved the newspaper from the tabletop to his lap.

I clicked send on the email to Lisa and gulped down my coffee, ignoring how warm it still was. I had to get it through this dude's thick skull that it was not okay to keep staring at me, or to follow me from one cafe to the next.

As I sauntered over, clutching my tote bag to my side, he looked away and finally unfolded his newspaper, and I almost stopped. I'd seen him before, the day before at the bakery where I bought a croissant. I trembled - but forced myself to keep walking.

The café was full of curious Parisians, staring at me, this naive, American girl, approaching some man I didn't know. Hadn't I learned this was exactly what not to do, when I grew up in Chicago? I took a deep breath. This was different. This was Paris, and I could handle my own. I would just tell him to leave me alone and that’d be that. Simple.

“Qu'est-ce que c'est ce bordel? What the hell?” I demanded. “Just because I’m an American doesn’t mean you can stalk me.”

The man awkwardly smiled. “I am so sorry, mademoiselle,” he laughed, causing my heart to jump and miss a beat. His accent was slightly off—but not American. “It is just, you are so striking, and now that I finally see you up close, I am sure.”

“No,” I groaned.“Don’t bother with the lines. I’m not interested. Got it?” I buttoned the top button of my pea coat and turned to go, thinking that was it, thinking that was all he needed to hear.

But then his low voice called out to me, beseeching, “You misunderstand.”

I continued walking away anyways, refusing to honor his stalkerish ways with one more word. The wind blew my hair into my eyes and mouth. I wiped at them both. I paused at an intersection, looking left, then right. He didn’t seem crazy—just odd, especially with his comment; what kind of strange line was that supposed to be? Definitely unlike anything I'd heard before. I slowly felt calmer, reassured by the feeling that I'd done the right thing in confronting him. He wasn’t anyone to be scared of.

“Anne Marie?” His voice, no longer carried by the wind, came from only a few steps behind me.

I spun around. My heart suddenly pounded full throttle again; nervousness, like blood, surged through my veins.

He knew my name. He really was stalking me. What other explanation could there be?

No, I'm Ted's Best Friend!

The Three Days Rule
How I Met Your Mother: Season 4, Episode 21

The question of 'who is Ted's best friend?' took on a whole new meaning in last night's episode. Barney and Marshall again fought about who was the leading man in Ted's life, despite (or perhaps because of ?!?) the fact that Ted had a gay dream about his best friend.

Whaaat?

The show, as of late, has become less about discovering who the "Mother" is and more about the dynamics of the five friends. Last night, though, we got a bit of both. Ted meets someone new, Holli, played by All My Children's Rebecca Budig (aka, Greenlee) and he doesn't want to wait three days to call her, despite the "three day rule" that governs the beginning of all relationships, according to Barney. After Barney explains that Jesus instituted the three-day rule - after all, duh, it took him three days to rise from the dead - Ted promises he'll wait to call Holli.

Yet, that doesn't mean he can't text her. After two days of texting, Ted starts falling for Holli - until he receives a sexually explicit text from Holli that wasn't meant for him.

But, wait! Robin meets Barney & Marshall at the bar and discovers that it's Ted's two "best friends" who are "Holli"; Barney changed Holli's number to his work cell, and they've been pretending to be Holli ever since Ted's first "texty text." The sexually explicit text was sent by Marshall and was supposed to be sent to Lily (who was completely absent from this episode, still peeved about that guy-funny joke, apparently).

Barney and Marshall justify their joke on Ted, explaining that Ted always tends to move too fast in relationships. Cue flashbacks to his first date with Robin, when he proclaimed he loved her. They want Ted to get his "I love you" out of the way, so he won't jump into his next relationship. Makes sense? In a way, yeah.

But, of course, Ted doesn't think so, after Robin tells him the truth about "Holli." Ted gets back at them by texting a confession: lately he's been having gay dreams about his best friend. Instead of Barney and Marshall being horrified, they both believe they're the one who is the object of Ted's desires. Marshall because he's cuddly. Barney because he has an awesome body.

Ted eventually tells them the truth, that he knows they're "Holli" - but not until he subjects them to a half-hour tale about a dream he had about his architectural role models.

When Ted reams out his "best friends" for lying, he launches into one of his monologues, explaining that he's tired of rules and that he'll tell a girl how he feels when he wants to, because that's just the kind of guy he is. You tell them, Ted! Unfortunately... breaking the "three-day rule" was a bad idea with the real Holli, who, on their first date, is the epitome of someone saying things too early, like saying they should go on a trip and that they should get married... so did Ted learn anything? Was there a point to this episode?

I think so. Ted is beginning to stick up for the romantic ideals that he held in season one, which makes him much more likable now, in comparison to Ted's character in recent episodes.

As for the group's dynamics, Ted's friends clearly care about Ted having a happy and successful love life, but clearly they all have different approaches/takes on the way relationships should work. Ted believes in saying what he feels when he feels it - and, apparently, one day that will work for him. As the episode closes, Future Ted admits to his kids that when he met their mother, he called her right away.

With the season winding down, do you think we'll learn even more about the "mother"? Do you think Barney & Marshall were justified in lying to Ted? What did you think about Lily being completely absent from this episode? Share your thoughts, favorite lines/moments from last night's episode!