The second season picks up with Ted and Robin as a couple (I read that season one had him in pursuit of her), and Marshall and Lilly broken up when she left New York to be an artist in San Francisco. Those threads carry the weight throughout this season, while leaving room for plenty of laughs and one-offs that allow sitcoms to be easily digestible entertainment.
As for this season, there are plenty of fun episodes. There are the episodes where Barney gets a new nickname, Marshall "dates" another single guy, Lilly kidnaps Christmas, and plenty others. I was really surprised by how much fun the series is.
Any show that can make me laugh out loud is a good one in my book. Plus, it has Buffy's Alyson Hannigan, which is always a good thing.
Audio/Video. The tech side of the disk is fine. The video is presented in anamorphic widescreen and features good color, deep blacks, and no artifacts. Audio is Dolby Digitial 5.1 and sounds fine, sitcoms are not terribly taxing for an audio system.
Extras. There is a nice selection of extras spread across the three-disk set.
- Commentaries. There are seven tracks spread across the set with a variety of participants including Bob Saget, Neil Patrick Harris, Jason Segel, Alyson Hannigan, and series creator Carter Bays.
- Robin Sparkles Video. One episode reveals Robin to have been a teen Canadian pop star; here is her gloriously awful music video.
- Gag Reel. This runs for about ten minutes and features your standard collection of goofed lines and fun on the set.
- How We Make Your Mother. A look at how an episode was made, focusing on the script and the read through.
- Deleted Scenes. A few funny snips from the season.
Bottom line. What a surprise this turned out to be. I cannot tell you how enjoyable it is to find something that is really good in the unlikeliest of places. The cast clicks, their chemistry is first rate, and the laughs are undeniable. Do yourself a favor, if you are like me and have avoided this series — rent it, buy it, borrow it, and try to prove me wrong.
Highly Recommended.
Article comments
1 - bmckee@shaw.ca
"How I Met Your Mother" is the true American version of "Coupling" and deserves any and all the success and publicity it can get.
2 - Phillip Winn
Chris, go back and watch season one. And the first 11 (I think) episodes of season three, then wait in agony with the rest of us for the rest of season three!