In last night’s episode of How I Met Your Mother, we learned yet another new theory. The ‘mermaid theory.’
Now, if you haven’t seen this episode, you may be thinking to yourself, well, what the heck is the mermaid theory?!?
Barney Stinson told it like this….
Back in the old days, sailors were once so desperate for companionship that it got to the point where manatees in the water began to look like beautiful women, mermaids if you will. So the theory goes that “every woman no matter how initially repugnant has a mermaid clock [and this is] the time it takes for you to realize you want to bone her.” Once their mermaid clock is on, they can only become a manatee again when pregnant and then re-mermify when breastfeeding.
In last night’s episode this plot device is most obviously used in the relationship of Marshall and Robin. He says he never wants to hang out with her alone because, as Lily’s best friend, she can never become a mermaid to him. So they test it out. After heading to what becomes an awkward dinner and lots of drinks, Robin almost mermifies. Yet just in time, she pukes on Marshall’s shoes and a manatee she stays in his eyes. We also find out by episode’s end that this theory was the cause of a fight between Lily and Barney which, SURPRISE, leads to a pregnant Lily. Ted, meanwhile went out with Zoey to an art exhibit. When she lied to the Captain about being with only him, he got a little spooked and decided it was best to hang out with her AND her husband. He ended up hanging with the Captain (Zoey’s husband, played by Kyle MacLachlan) alone and was simply hoping he wasn’t going to get murdered.
After last week’s pretty stellar Thanksgiving episode, I was a bit disappointed with this one. Although there was some funny moments and it’s always nice to see Kyle MacLachlan on my television, it felt off. While nautical due to the Captain’s name and hobbies, the Ted/Zoey/Captain storyline didn’t quite fit in with the rest of the story.Is Zoey supposed to be a manatee to Ted? It seems pretty obvious their relationship is going down the more than friends path and I just couldn’t buy into her being a “manatee.” I also thought some parts of the episode were just awkward…..strangely or overly acted, poor timing, poor dialogue…I’m not sure… It just wasn’t as funny as it could have been.
That being said, there was a little bit of laughter to be had in the episode. The gang asking questions to Marshall’s rather large poster of the Captain with murder in the eyes and happiness in the smile was pretty hilarious. As was the lighting used to emphasize his different expressions on the boat when Ted and the Captain were hanging out. Neil Patrick Harris was, as always, a rockstar playing Barney.
Some additional thoughts:
– Lily’s rules for a man hanging out with a married woman are spot on.
– Zoey calling her husband the Captain and answering the phone with “Ahoy!” is awesome.
– Next week’s episode is titled “False Positive.” Given last night’s foreshadowing I’m assuming Lily and Marshall are getting some big news!! The episode also features a guest spot by Alex Trebek. Click here to read our post on role.
My Quips of the Night:
– “Mark my words, Marshall, someday, you will find Iris so excruciatingly attractive you won’t be able to look her in the boobs.” – Barney
– ‘Looks like it’s just you, me and 6 hours in frigid international waters’— The Captain
What did you all think of the episode?! Did it feel off to anyone else? Did you laugh out loud? Do you think Marshall and Lily are finally going to get pregnant? Sound off in the comments below!
Photo Credit: CBS
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