Comments on: How I Met Your Mother – “The Rough Patch”

By: drush76

drush76 — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 02:43:28 +0000

I had no problem with the idea of a relationship between Barney and Robin. I had a problem with the writers’ unwillingness to explore it and their decision to break it up on such a contrived note.

By: How I Met Your Mother – “Of Course” « Cultural Learnings

How I Met Your Mother – “Of Course” « Cultural Learnings — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 02:24:05 +0000

[...] When How I Met Your Mother threw in the towel on Robin and Barney’s relationship earlier this season, I was angry. [...]

By: How I Met Your Mother – “The Playbook” « Cultural Learnings

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:08:04 +0000

[...] more in store for Robin and Barney, the episode representing just a bump in the road, whereas I chose to assume the worst and believe that the writers had truly bungled the conclusion of this relationship that still had a [...]

By: teleslant

teleslant — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:05:10 +0000

Totally agree with your review. “Rough Patch,” and quite frankly the whole Barney/Robin relationship, seemed to suffer from a lack of imagination. The fat suit was distracting and one-note. It reminded me of Monica in the Friends flashbacks. I would have rather seen a more disheveled Barney, with some scruff, no suit jacket, and even with some stomach padding.

The whole seeing the show through another perspective would be great. I often wished when Sex and the City was on they would switch it up sometimes. But here, it could work within the premise of the show because we know they remain friends. Why couldn’t Uncle Barney come by and narrate an episode? The question left I guess is would they use Neil Patrick Harris’ voice or keep with the strange trend of assuming people’s older voices are vastly different from their younger ones.

I didn’t like the bagpipes gag from last episode though. I wrote about why on my blog but am curious why you thought it worked.

By: Euge

Euge — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:10:06 +0000

Thank you for putting the Weekend at Bernie’s tag. That gag made me laugh, the idea that he would put a message in Arcasexture or whatever it was called, cuz he knew ted would be the only one who’d watch it (while also taking a dig at Marshall/best friend-ness again).

But yeah, I didn’t really enjoy this episode either. And wow, Alan Thicke, hope that cameo was fun for you.

Btw, what OF the remaining slaps from Slapsgiving? I’d almost forgotten until you mentioned it.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:40:45 +0000

so…let me see if I get your review straight… you didn’t like the fat suit? Does that sum it up?
seriously, I do think IF that is the end of Barney & Robin it was a waste of a story line, I’ll try to give them some leeway though. On the other hand, I did laugh a lot at this episode and that I do like =)

By: Sam

Sam — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:33:43 +0000

It wasn’t really a good episode at all. What confuses me more though, is that the writers didn’t even seem to attempt to write a relationship based on Barney and Robin’s personalities. They just shoved them into a run-of-the-mill coupling, had most of their meaningful interaction off screen then broke them up in an oddly tacky premise that was even more unsatisfying than the portrayal of the relationship itself. Unless there is some masterplan going on here, it’s simply bad writing. Probably the worst I’ve seen on this show.