How I Met Your Mother Season Two

BY Michael EdwardsPublished Oct 11, 2007

After two seasons, How I Met Your Mother is still trying to find its audience. It deserved much better than being paired with the likes of Two And A Half Men and The Class because its clever writing and talented ensemble cast (Doogie Howser! Willow from Buffy!) make this one of the most underrated comedies on television. In a more receptive world, this could have become the new Friends but alas, no. Calling itself a love story in reverse, it tells the tale of how architect Ted Mosby met his wife, as told to his two children in the year 2030. That translates into a series of flashbacks, flash-forwards and complex stories that take time to unwind. It manages to avoid the usual clichés despite having many of the typical sit-com characters (the devoted couple, the "will-they or won’t they?” duo and the piggish lothario), although they are all very likeable. However, it’s not above slapstick and silliness, making it funny on the first watch, as well as repeat viewings. The second season is where the show found its feet; it was always good but everything just began to fall into place. Nowhere was this more apparent than during "Slap Bet,” where the secret of Robin’s shady past in Canada is revealed in all its shocking glory. It is one of the most finely crafted, downright hilarious episodes of TV in a long, long time and should be enough to get anyone hooked. The quality of all 22 episodes is remarkable because while there are plenty of laughs there is the ongoing storyline that holds the show together. The one troubling thing about this only being the second season is that it culminates with both a wedding and a break-up, almost as if the producers didn’t think it was going to make it to season three. And that brings with it the chance that they might have painted themselves into a corner. The extras are the usual mix of cast and crew commentaries and behind the scenes looks that aren’t worth much more than a cursory glance. The obvious highlight is the entire Robin Sparkles video, which has been executed so absolutely perfectly that it can stand on its own.
(Fox)

Latest Coverage