After cranking out one painful and disappointing episode after another throughout the first half of Season 7, “How I Met Your Mother” finally redeemed itself with its latest episode, “The Drunk Train.” A whole onslaught of headaches and woes was somewhat forgotten with the “HIMYM” writers return to humor and wit, the return to familiar settings and storylines, and all of the character’s return to their former personas.
Here are the ways we feel “How I Met Your Mother” brought back the magic and finally redeemed itself in this latest episode:
1. MacLaren’s, revisited
Let’s face it. In the writers’ attempt to broaden the show’s storyline and force the characters to grow up (including moving out of the city), they lost one special landmark of the show — the bar, MacLaren’s, the place where half of the group met and the glue that holds them together. In recent episodes, MacLaren’s wasn’t featured at all in the show, and this led to unfamiliarity and newness to the viewer. In “The Drunk Train,” “How I Met Your Mother” got it right by placing the cast in the bar repeatedly throughout the episode.
2. Barney’s quests
In the early seasons of “How I Met Your Mother,” Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) provided tons of comic relief through his never-ending quests to “hook up.” Because of his recent relationships and dragging plots, we haven’t seen this side of Barney in awhile. In “The Drunk Train,” Barney — with Ted as his wingman — finally re-emerged as the man about town, with his corny lines, unbelievable stories and hilarious catch phrases.
3. Ted has a ‘moment’
Call us sappy, but we’ve always been drawn to Ted’s bad-timing and overly romantic, idealistic side. From Episode 1, when he gave a sappy speech to Robin on the sidewalk about finding “the one,” to “The Drunk Train’s” final conversation with Ted’s infamous “I love you,” we just can’t help falling in love with Ted’s “moments.” Something about Ted and Robin’s rooftop conversation brought us back nostalgically to that pilot episode, and just felt like “How I Met Your Mother” finally redeemed itself with its mixture of humor and heart.
This being said, “The Drunk Train,” Season 7’s sixteenth episode, was a breath of fresh air after an aimless, off-topic, overly dramatic first half of the season. With less than 10 new episodes left in the season, let’s hope the show’s newfound success is a continuing trend.
Catch “How I Met Your Mother” on CBS, Mondays at 8 pm ET.