Lily has gone all out decorating the apartment in a Winter Wonderland as a reward for Marshall finishing his paper. All goes haywire when an old answering machine message from Ted to Marshall over the summer reveals that Ted called Lily a really bad name. Lily removes all decorations from the apartment in anger causing Ted to spend his holiday with family in Staten Island. Elsewhere, Barney is sick and Robin must take care of him.

What did Ted really call Lily? Can she forgive him? What has a beer got to do with it? What has Marshall secretly been doing all day? And can the Winter Wonderland be restored before he arrives home?

Find out the answers to these questions and more in this week’s podcast!

Merry Christmas everyone and a safe and happy holiday season. Talk to you in 2012!

Show Artwork by Ash Jeffs.

Email Hayley: HYMT AT Geekshow DOT us or comment below

Poor Barney is left out in the cold as the rest of the gang are too busy enjoying being in ‘couple hibernation’ to go out on the town with him. Enter Barney’s gay and ultimate wingman brother, James. All seems well, the rest of the gang even drag themselves out to a club for a night, but some slightly off behaviour by James causes them to believe he is keeping something from Barney concerning his ’single stamina’ or lack thereof.

How come Barney and James look so different? Will Ted and Marshall learn what it’s like to be hit on by guys? What is James hiding from his brother? And when he finds out, can Barney accept the man James has become?

Find out the answers to these questions and more in this week’s podcast!

Show Artwork by Ash Jeffs.

Email Hayley: HYMT AT Geekshow DOT us or comment below

Robin freaks out when the gang want to go to a mall. Not wanting to reveal why she doesn’t like malls, Ted is left to make up his own ideas (assisted by the others) as to what her secret might be. Marshall falls on one side of the argument, thinking Robin got married at a mall, while Barney believes she has a hidden past as a porn star. The two make a slap bet over who is right about Robin’s secret.

How will Ted cope if he learns his girlfriend is secretly married? What rulings will Lily lay down in her role as Slap Bet Commissioner? Who is right: Marshall or Barney? And what does a bedazzled jean jacket have to do with why Robin doesn’t want to go to the mall?

Find out the answers to these questions and more in this week’s podcast!

Show Artwork by Ash Jeffs.

Email Hayley: HYMT AT Geekshow DOT us or comment below

After six months apart, the faithful couple are back together and are going to get married. Frightened by the idea of having to face their families since their first failed wedding, the pair decide to marry in Atlantic City with the rest of the gang in tow. When all does not going according plan Lily and Marshall decide to find a ship captain to marry them in international waters despite the $5000 price tag to do so.

Where on earth did Robin find her hideous “bridesmaid’s shirt”? Why is Ted so fascinated by it? Why are all these Chinese men saying hello to Barney? And will Lily and Marshall finally get married???

Find out the answers to these questions and more in this week’s podcast!

Show Artwork by Ash Jeffs.

Email Hayley: HYMT AT Geekshow DOT us or comment below

After some encouragement from Ted, Marshall spreads his bachelor wings and asks a girl other than Lily out on a date. All seems to be well until Barney and Ted tell Marshall his new squeeze has “the crazy eyes”. Lily does her best to cope with her former fiancee moving on in spite of the fact she still loves him. Meanwhile, after a case of mistaken identity, Barney is christened with a new name – which the gang use profusely!

Does Chloe really have the crazy eyes? Will Marshall be able to call it off before something bad happens? What will Lily do to stop Marshall from dating? And which name will Barney go with: Swarley or Jennifer?

Find out the answers to these questions and more in this week’s podcast!

Show Artwork by Ash Jeffs.

Email Hayley: HYMT AT Geekshow DOT us or comment below

Still reeling from the upsetting events in her life over the previous few months, Lily just doesn’t know who she is or what she wants to be. After a series of unsuccessful and short-lived careers, she takes a job at Ted’s architecture firm as an office assistant. When Ted’s boss proves himself to be mean, Lily decides to take matters into her own hands to teach him a lesson. Meanwhile Marshall is having trouble at law school when his professor takes her bad divorce out on her students. Barney steps up to save his friend’s grades by trying to “tame the cougar”.

Why did Lily take Mr Druthers’ ball? Can Ted convince her to give it back? What does the building really look like? And can Barney get Professor Lewis to grade higher than a B+?

Find out the answers to these questions and more in this week’s podcast!

Show Artwork by Ash Jeffs.

Email Hayley: HYMT AT Geekshow DOT us or comment below

Barney thinks Lily will try to change his apartment but all all of it’s “charms” fail to dissuade one of his hookups, Barney sees an opportunity with his unexpected houseguest. Lily agrees to pose as his “wife” – with hilarious results! Elsewhere, Marshall has fallen into his own usual relationship with his law buddy Brad.

Can Lily fight the urge to try to change Barney? Can two bros really do brunch and a Broadway show with no strings attached? What are Marshall’s favourite kind of flowers? And what are Barney and Lilly doing in bed together?

Find out the answers to these questions and more in this week’s podcast!

Show Artwork by Ash Jeffs.

Email Hayley: HYMT AT Geekshow DOT us or comment below

Hi Geeks, Hayley here.

John Pavlich and I recently recorded a commentary for his Sofadogs website for the unfortunate thriller I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. Unlike our commentary for the original movie a few months ago, this time John and I were perfectly synced up. Just like the first time round, we had a great discussion and would love you guys to check it out. Pop in your DVD or Blu-Ray and listen as we discuss the fun, flaws and failings of this dubious sequel!

Listen here.

Subject: I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)

Observers: John Pavlich, Hayley White

Record Date: September 05, 2011, 01:06 AM

Plot Summary: Haunted by her past, Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt) tries to vacation with her friends in the Bahamas, only to find The Fisherman is back in her life and going to great lengths to bring her a living nightmare.

Note: Now that October has begun, the Sofa Dogs podcast can officially kick off another celebration of the Halloween season, all month long! Just as with the previous film, Hayley White joins me for the sequel as we scratch our heads and groan disapprovingly at this odd little mix of attractive cinematography, unintentional laughs, ridiculous storyline, earnest performances and surprisingly genuine laughs! There are five Sundays this month, so we’re starting with something light in the Horror genre. Remember to listen for the preemptive countdown before starting the movie on your DVD.

Robin is sick of Ted complaining about his job and when she tells him she’s had enough Ted goes out for a night on the town – with another woman! With Lily in tow, Robin sets out to find him but she might not like the trail she has to follow. Meanwhile Barney and Marshall try to convince Ted that being an architect is attractive to women, despite what Robin says, and that he should use that as an angle to pick up.

Will Robin find Ted in time to apologise? Can Lily figure a way to get past the bouncer? What is Robin’s go-to bad movie? And what exactly has Ted been doing all night?

Find out the answers to these questions, plus Hayley discusses film “Happy Thankyou More Please”, all in this week’s podcast!

Show Artwork by Ash Jeffs.

Email Hayley: HYMT AT Geekshow DOT us or comment below

While all appears rosy, many issues are bubbling under the surface – Marshall and Lily are struggling with their new status as “just friends”; Barney is competing with Robin for Ted’s parents’ affections; and Ted learns a secret about his father that could mean the end of his parents’ marriage – in more ways than he knows!

Will Robin be able to impress Ted’s parents? Who is Barney’s new wingman? Can Ted find the courage to confront his father? And what secret is Mrs Mosby hiding?

Find out the answers to these questions and more in this week’s podcast!

Plus, Hayley answers some listener comments from last week.

Show Artwork by Ash Jeffs.

Email Hayley: HYMT AT Geekshow DOT us or comment below

Marshall finally exhibits signs he is ready to start dating again and Barney joyfully offers to take him under his wing. Marshall finds single life hard to navigate and wonders if he can really do it. Elsewhere Ted and Robin make a bet over whether Lily is really happy after her summer in San Francisco and all the adventures she claims to have had.

What’s up Barney’s sleeve and what’s behind Marshall’s ear? Who will win the bet between Ted and Robin? Can Marshall get it together and get a girl’s number without Barney interfering? And why has Lily returned to New York?

Find out the answers to these questions and more in this week’s podcast!

Show Artwork by Ash Jeffs.

Email Hayley: HYMT AT Geekshow DOT us or comment below

With Lily having gone off to her art fellowship in San Francisco, Marshall is struggling to cope with his sudden new status as a single man. When he discovers her credit card statement in the mail and some new charges that have been made in NY, Marshall concludes that she has come back home – without telling him. Moreover, it appears that she has moved on with another man. Ted, Robin and Barney try all in their power to cheer him up and prevent him from confronting Lily in his current state.

Can Marshall cope with a life without Lily? Will Ted and Robin find some time to be alone? What on earth is a B-Peg? And who is the guy staying in Lily’s room?

Find out the answers to these questions and more in this week’s podcast!

Find out more about Speak Out With You Geek Out here.

Check out Hayley’s blog here.

Show Artwork by Ash Jeffs.

Email Hayley: HYMT AT Geekshow DOT us or comment below

Topics of Discussion

• The premise of the show
• The characters – including listener favourites!
• Episodes
• Supporting characters
• The sets
• Music
• Dancing
• Catch phrases and lines
• Storytelling devices, gimmicks and split screens
• The first Season as a whole

Hayley’s Episode Ratings:

1. Pilot – 3 suits
2. Purple Giraffe – 2 suits
3. The Sweet Taste of Liberty- 3 suits
4. Return of the Shirt – 3.5 suits
5. Okay Awesome – 5 suits
6. The Slutty Pumpkin – 4 suits
7. Matchmaker – 3.5 suits
8. The Duel – 3.75 suits
9. Belly Full of Turkey – 2.5 suits
10. The Pineapple Incident – 5 suits
11. The Limo – 3.5 suits
12. The Wedding – 3.5 suits
13. Drum Roll, Please – 4 suits
14. Zip, Zip, Zip – 5 suits
15. Game Night – 3.75 suits
16. Cupcake – 4 suits
17. Life Among the Gorillas – 4 suits
18. Nothing Good Happens After 2 AM – 3 suits
19. Mary the Paralegal – 3.5 suits
20. Best Prom Ever – 4 suits
21. Milk – 3.5 suits
22. Come On – 5 suits

Average – 3.72 suits

Huge thanks to all who contributed their thoughts. Keep those opinions coming. Stay tuned for Part 2 of the Lost Episode Transcript later this week.

Next week, Season Two begins!

Sponsor Hayley for the World Vision 40 Hour Famine here.

Show Artwork by Ash Jeffs.

Email Hayley: HYMT AT Geekshow DOT us or comment below

After months of trying to get over it and failing, Ted vows that he wants one last chance to make it happen between him and Robin. The gang are against it but Ted is adamant that he just needs to make one big romantic gesture to win the girl. To the side of this, Lily finally has to come clean to Marshall about the art fellowship in San Francisco she applied for and the two are forced to face what it really means for their relationship.

How will Ted top the blue French horn? Will Barney really be the voice of reason for once? Will Lily and Marshall still make it down the aisle? And the ultimate question of the season – will Ted and Robin finally get it together?

Find out the answers to these questions and more in this week’s podcast!

And don’t forget to get your answers in ASAP for the season wrap-up episode coming really soon!

Questions:

1. Who is your favourite character and why?
2. What is your favourite episode and why and what is your least favourite episode and why?
3. What is your favourite Barney-ism?
4. Who is your favourite supporting character?
5. What did you think of the season as a whole?

Sponsor Hayley for the World Vision 40 Hour Famine here.

Show Artwork by Ash Jeffs.

Email Hayley: HYMT AT Geekshow DOT us or comment below

The transcript is separated into two parts to make it easier to digest since the discussion ran at about 50 minutes of recorded dialogue back and forth. Please enjoy and feel free to leave any comments below.

Hayley: So we’re going to get stuck into today’s discussion. This week instead of going thru the normal episode commentary we’re just gonna have just a quick synopsis and then just discuss things ‘cause there’s probably lots to discuss and its easier rather than just going thru the whole episode, so sorry if you were expecting that but we’re not going to do that this episode.

So the plot synopsis for this episode, thanks to the lovely Wikipedia, the font of all knowledge, says:

“Ted, having given up his previous date with his supposedly perfect match (which is what happened last episode), has decided to pursue Robin yet again. Barney (acting on behalf of the Universe) slaps Ted, telling him it’s a bad idea. Ted tells them that he will try only one more time, and if it does not work out, he will accept that it is not meant to be. He then surprises her in her apartment with candy, flowers, and a group of musicians with blue instruments (in reference to the Blue French horn he stole for her on their first date). Robin, while surprised, cannot give Ted a definite answer, especially after he learned that Robin’s company camping trip is back on and Sandy Rivers is trying to date her now that he is moving on to CNN. Ted finally accuses Robin of ignoring her true feelings and urges her to “touch the ground”, but it fails to win her over. Ted walks out frustrated, but breaks his promise by trying to get Robin again by doing a rain dance. After he convinces a girl Barney hooked up with twice to help him (as she has a Ph.D. in Native American studies), Ted tries to do a rain dance, which ultimately proves successful, and he then goes over to Robin’s. Ted yells up to her from the street, telling her to come down (alluding to his previous demands for her to “touch the ground”), and the two finally become a couple.

“While Ted is finally finding success, Marshall is encountering the opposite. After having learned about Lily’s acceptance into an art fellowship in San Francisco, he begins to worry that their relationship is in danger. Marshall and Lily argue almost non-stop as to what will happen and Lily reveals that, despite having promised herself she would not go, she actually wants to, even though the wedding is only weeks away. Due to the length of their arguments, Marshall and Lily have developed a “pause function”, allowing them to temporarily drop the argument to do something else. As the argument reaches a head, Lily tries to pause the argument but Marshall refuses, which leads to the two having sex.

“As Ted heads back in a cab from Robin’s apartment, Future Ted tells his kids that although New York looked the same, in one night everything had changed. Ted’s high spirits quickly dampen when he finds Marshall sitting on the steps of the apartment complex in the rain, with Lily having gone to San Francisco and called off the engagement. Ted comforts him, knowing that Marshall has lost the only girl he had ever loved.”

So John, what did you think of this episode as a whole?

John: Well first off, I have to say that’s a pretty good synopsis of the entire episode even though we’re not going thru a sort of running commentary, I think that summed everything up.

Hayley: Pretty much. Like I was reading it before and I was thinking ‘that hits all the beats’. I don’t think there’s anything they really left out.

John: No, they really didn’t miss anything.

Hayley: No, no. There was a rating system down the bottom. There’s an option where you can say how well-written it was and it’s five star as far as I’m concerned. So anyway…

John: On the whole this is one of my favourite episodes of the series overall so far which is why I wanted to come on here and talk about it. Really for me, it does a great job of moving deftly between comedy and drama that a lot of shows don’t do this well, especially within a 30 minute and 20 minute sort of sitcom genre as this show is. I also and, it was really kind of that end moment where they had the Bloc Party song playing in the background that for me really cemented that show as something special. I had been watching it sort of casually the first season as it was going on and I was thinking ‘Yeah, this is cute, you know this is fun”. But really when I got to that end it was like wow, I really like that they did sort of take the time to deal with really serious important issues, it’s not just you know, with wacky fun and games all the time with no consequences. It kind of reminds me a little of what Friends did back in its day. It was around for like ten years. And like that’s the only kind of show that I can sort of compare this to. They’re both set in New York and they both have an ensemble cast that you love that go thru an awful lot and it’s not just wacky pratfalls and slapstick, although there is some of that here.

Hayley: (laughs) Lots of slapping in this one!

John: Yeah, yeah! And the other thing I also like… I had forgotten how early they started building their mythology. You have the slapping and in the previous episode you had the thing with showing someone pictures of, when someone picks up a glass to drink from it, then gets shown a picture of ‘No apparently I did something horrible to that glass so you can’t drink out of it’. And I hadn’t realised that they started that kind of stuff this early and sometimes they would carry that stuff sometimes seasons ahead. Sometimes we’ll get a call back to it, way later and I think that’s something How I Met Your Mother does all on its own. I can’t think of anything else to compare it to in that regard.

Hayley: I definitely agree. I keep thinking I want to write this article about how How I Met Your Mother is the new Friends and just all the dynamics so I think you definitely hit that on the head. I was reading an article the other day with the series creators and they were talking about how they were kind of the Lost of sitcoms where they take things and run with it three seasons later and you go, ‘Oh yeah. That was that episode where this happened’ and it’s very well done and they obviously have great continuity and know their characters inside out and to know where they’re going with the story and being able to just pull those tiny little threads and draw it back. As you say, this season has just been ripe with all that stuff that as we get further into the show is just really really going to open up and draw on things that they’ve laid here in this first season. You really don’t realise just how much mythology and things they’re really laying the groundwork for and just how well built up it is. I mean, in, as you say twenty five, thirty minutes, so much happens. Like, we have so much happen just in the first four minutes. We’ve got Ted talking to that gang, and then we cut in quickly to Robin and then back to them and then back to Robin. It cuts so quickly and so much happens that I just think that they’re so brilliant. I love this show. So that’s just me.

So, we’ll start with probably the lesser…what did you think of what was going on with Barney in this episode?

John: You mean in relation to his relationship with the girl that he had hooked up with?

Hayley: Yep.

John: I actually thought it was funny that they…cause I think this is actually the first time, and one of the only times, that we get one of Barney’s conquests sort of come back, and naturally she’s angry at him for you know, hooking up with her twice. And apparently he also hit on her mother. But I like that their relationship is not so far gone (chuckles) that apparently they end up hooking up again by the episode end and just immediately jumping each other and making out at the bar. The other thing that made me happy was that that character was played by Amy Acker.

Hayley: Yay! Yeah, Amy Acker, she’s gorgeous.

John: Yeah from Dollhouse and as well Angel. A Joss Whedon staple. You know, those show creators for How I Met Your Mother, they’re huge Buffy fans so in order to get Alyson Hannigan, Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof, who plays Sandy Rivers, all in an episode together I think is pretty awesome. And you know, also now, although not at this time, we have now Neil Patrick Harris is added to that list and we get sort of Joss Whedon…

Hayley: Whedonites.

John: Yeah. You know, they have that. I think also, Cobie Smulders is in The Avengers so there you go.

Hayley: Yes. Yeah, we’re racking them up.

John: Anytime any of those actors show up on a show like this it makes me happy, because it also gives them a chance to do that sitcom flavour of comedy. Cause, Amy Acker, I think I’d actually like to see that character show up again cause we don’t know if, like okay, did they just hook up again that one time and they just did that as a fun joke or did they…at least not at this point, they’ve never brought that character back and I’d like to see them do so.

Hayley: Yeah. She’s really sweet. I love Amy Acker so I completely agree. It’s fun having all those Buffy characters show up. I’m a big Buffy fan, I mean my username on the site is Aussie Slayerette so you know, right there, that’s a given. So I really love that in this episode. I actually realised when I watched it again that this is another time where we do see Sandy Rivers, Alexis Denisof, which I think I mentioned either last week or previous week’s that that was the final time but this is actually the final time for this season.  And I think he was really cute in that role that he plays it so well and we get to see a slightly different side of him where he’s being a bit sincere and not just the cocky sort of guy so that was really cool to see as well. Love the Joss Whedon people!

John: Yeah, you kind of find out in this episode he’s not a complete snake. He’s sort of crass and overly cocky but he’s also kind of a nice guy. He tells Robin, ‘No, I genuinely like you’ and he also goes out of his way to make sure that she gets his job that he leaves for CNN. And he didn’t have to do that. He would have gained nothing from doing that especially if he were leaving. I think that’s really cool.

Hayley: And I love the banter that they have onscreen where they’re just like, ‘Oh, you better take a rain check’ and they do the tv reporter thing which I thought was really cute. They had a nice little rhythm there.  And you guys will notice that the weatherman there which they call ‘Lou’ is actually the same guy who did ‘Vampire Lou’ in the previous episode with the award show a couple of episodes ago.

John: Oh yeah!

Hayley: Yeah, it’s the same guy. Like ‘Oh, it’s you’. Which I only worked out from listening to the cast commentary for this episode so I can’t say I’m that good. (Laughs) I was told. From the cast.

John: Well I had completely forgotten about it so that’s a new one on me.

Hayley: So that’s a little fun fact for that aspect.  So just still on Barney, what did you think of him on his relationship with Ted in this episode?

John: I think it was interesting that Barney was actually the voice of reason for Ted.

Hayley: Yeah, that’s a great line.

John: And he even says, you know ‘You’re making me the voice of reason and I don’t like it’. It’s interesting considering, especially concerning Ted confidence over his efforts to win the girl, usually Barney would be all for that and would be going out of his way to help him.

Hayley: Oh yeah. That completely. And it’s such a crazy scheme really and Barney’s all about the crazy schemes so it’s interesting to see him not jumping on the band wagon with that one.

John: Even if it was just to laugh at Ted, but no, this is the one instance where he really asserts himself as Ted’s best friend as he likes to call himself. And he says, ‘No. I think what you’re doing is awful and I think you should stop it’. I think that says a lot about Barney, about he’s approaching this because normally he would just be like, ‘Yeah. Totally do it.’ Either be like ‘I’m gonna help you achieve your goal’ or ‘I’m gonna be sitting in the background laughing at you’ when at one point, when Ted is doing his rain dance he does kind of go…he’s looking at his watching and he goes ‘Funny. Still funny. Funny. And now it’s just sad.’ But he does stay up there with Ted the whole time.

Hayley: He does, yeah, even after Penelope’s gone.

John: Yeah, she leaves.

Hayley: Yeah, and he still supports him. I think I’ve said this before on the show, I think Barney does have that depth to him that we do get to see in these shining moments where he does care about his friends, he does genuinely want the best for them and if he sees them doing something which is not going to get them there he does he will do what he can to correct them back onto what he thinks is a better path by in this episode, by telling Ted that it’s a silly idea and stuff. That the Universe is going to slap him and stuff. And I think too, on another note, this kind of plays into Barney’s thing too where he doesn’t like committed relationships, like he’s always going on at Marshall and Lily for getting married and stuff. And I think really in this instance he tries to get Ted to back down because, I mean, he’s always gun-ho for Ted to just hook up with someone for the fun of it, but when it’s something actually serious he doesn’t want to go there. Maybe that’s part of his motivation there as well. He wants Ted to stay single like him and enjoy that sort of lifestyle rather than lose his best friend to a committed relationship perhaps.

John: Definitely. I think that’s a lot of what Barney does and says. And I think also that one of the reasons why Barney in that regard doesn’t want to lose Ted is that he feels like he wants Ted to be his sort of partner in his pursuit of having these one night stands with these women. It’s interest because Barney, as we’ll learn later, is a very lonely character and not for the reasons you might think. It’s not necessarily just because of all these women that he goes thru as if they were tissue paper. It runs a lot deeper than that. There’s a lot of different layers to it. So I like…I think it’s interesting that…he’s not necessarily wrong that it’s crazy to keep going after Robin like this but there is also that aspect where he doesn’t want to see all his friends go off and have relationships and get married because he feels like they’re just going to forget about him and abandon him and he’s just going to be alone again.

Hayley: Definitely. All right. So moving from Barney, aside from the whole Ted/Robin stuff, the biggest stuff in this episode is what’s going on with Marshall and Lily. So we have the phone call from last week’s episode about the art fellowship that Lily was trying to get into and she got it, so we kind of have the fallout from that decision in this episode. What did you think of Lily’s decision and all that?

John: On the one hand I have sympathy for Lily and what she’s going thru in term of , you know, sometimes you can get married too young and it’s not that you don’t love the person that you’re with it that you feel like there’s so much stuff you need to get out of your system first before you settle down. My feeling was always just, why can’t they still be engaged and push the wedding back a little. They hadn’t set a date yet…

Hayley: No they had, because they had that dream place booked which was what pulled it forward in the first place.

John: Oh, that’s right. So yeah, I almost feel like man, you know it’s gonna be a little bit crazy and tough but support your wife like, ‘I know I think that’s awesome and you should totally go for it and I’m gonna come with you. We’ll be together on this and I’ll be there to share in this experience that you’re probably gonna have to support you and everything’. I feel like they’re making this bigger than it needs to be and into an argument which it shouldn’t be. But I also understand why Lily was doing it but it’s also unfortunate that she couldn’t just go to Marshall and talk about it with him.

Hayley: And I think that’s the stuff that Marshall is struggling with. He says, ‘I want to support this, I do, but it just feels like you’re gonna have this experience and it’s gonna change you and you’re not going to want to be with me anymore’. I think you’re right. Probably if this was a bit more real world they would have a fight and then discuss it and maybe try and make it work. It’s only for a couple of months really and if they’ve been together for like ten years at this point then really a couple of months should not shake them that much.

John: Right. I think that’s the other too is if he’s not going to go with her, if there’s a reason why he can’t or something, then with technology and communication being what it is today, I mean, for example, you’re in Australia and I’m not and we’re practically a day apart in time and we’re carrying on a conversation right now talking about this show and how much we love it. So there’s ways around this stuff even though Lily is in one part of the world and Marshall is in another, they can still interact with each other, keep in touch.

Hayley: And it’s the same country. Telephones work in the same country.

John: Exactly. The other things too, I think to remember, is that both Lily and Marshall are young. And the thing that’s there but clearly doesn’t get addressed is that Marshall feels…he’s feeling insecure. He’s having some self esteem issues about how strong their relationship is. He’s worried that he’s…if they’re separated she’ll see grass greener on the other side and not want to come back to him. He feels that he’s not enough for her.

Hayley: Completely.

John: He takes it personal for her to decide that she wants to go off and do this.

Hayley: And I think too that, which is quite warranted, the fact that she did keep it from him must hurt a lot.

John: Yeah. The fight would not have been as severe and it might not have even happened at all if she would have actually approached this situation calmly. If she’d have just come to him, like initially. The fact that she tried to hide it from him kind of raised a red flag, like ‘Why did you need to keep this from me? What does that mean for our relationship?’

Hayley: I think you can even, even from the word go and the answering machine message plays you see Marshall look at her and the look he has on his face and even just his tone of voice when he’s all ‘What do you mean art fellowship?’ and Lily’s all shocked and upset. And I think just that tiny little bit he just played so well, he’s so in the character and you can see the insecurity on his face that he’s trying to maintain his cool but he’s clearly upset by what he’s just heard and he wants an explanation because he’s been blind sighted by it.

John: Especially considering they’ve been together for so long and so they share everything so it’s really got to mess with his head when he gets something big like this on an answering machine and it’s not…he’s not aware of it, it doesn’t involve him at all so he’s really been blind sighted by it all. Like ‘I can’t even trust my soon-to-be wife to be open and honest with me’.

Hayley: Yeah. Poor Marshall. Poor Lily.

John: Yeah. I have sympathy for Lily but Marshall is the one I feel the worst for.

Hayley: Totally. She’s clearly done the wrong thing and should have spoken to him and then she just decides to bolt in the end really, and walk out on the relationship so that’s pretty crummy. I can just hear Thomas/ChronoFett just crying in this episode because of all this happening, Hi there to Thomas, but yeah. All right. So we’ve got Marshall and Lily in disarray. I love the pause function they have on their fights. I thought that was cute.

John: Yeah. Cause you at it and you think, ‘You know what? I’d really like to use that in my next relationship’. You also see it not working like when they both start breaking down in the seafood restaurant. Even butter sauce can’t save this moment.

Hayley: Yep. And they’re clapping and crying.

John: Yeah, with the Happy Birthday thing. Yeah. And it’s also kind of like a young, childish thing where they can go, ‘Yeah we’ll just pause this like a video game’. Where like, no you really, you have to deal with it. Only then, when you’ve dealt with it and hopefully had a happy resolution to that incident, only then can you go ‘Okay let’s go out and enjoy ourselves publicly in a seafood restaurant’ and enjoy butter sauce. You can’t really just stick a pin in this and then go have fun.

Hayley: (Laughs) Yeah, exactly right. And they even do it around their friends and stuff. There’s a bit where the gang leave them alone at the bar and then they un-pause and keep going on with their fight and stuff. I think it adds…something this show does well, as you said before, it cuts between drama and comedy and we’ve had all this seriousness that’s between them that sort of makes you feel uncomfortable because you do love these characters and you don’t like seeing them go thru this stuff so they throw in this little light bit to divert you from the seriousness but also to get deeper into what’s really happening so I thought that that was a really great thing that the writer’s threw in there.

John: Right. I do also like that they use the pause function, when they’re around their friends, to sort of couch it and say ‘Ok, this is about us and we’re not going to drag our friends into it’ and they take the time to go ‘Hmm maybe there is something our friends are going thru that we can take the time to help them with so we’re not going to make this about us right now’. It’s interesting how in the previous episode Lily kind of dragged Ted into everything that was going on with her and that, again like I was saying, building the mythology, that I forgot they set up some of these things this early. She will end up doing that later where instead of talking to Marshall she specifically contacts Ted and has him meet her somewhere. That comes later in the series, and I think that’s really interesting.

Hayley: Yeah, definitely. And the three of them definitely have an interesting and perhaps a little unhealthy family dynamic. I mean there’s three of them essentially in that relationship and it’s not always for the betterment of those three people. Ted gets pulled in. Brief spoilers. There’s an episode ahead next season I think, where Marshall and Lily have just come to some sort of an agreement and Ted’s gone somewhere and he comes back and they’re hugging him very smotheringly because they’re like ‘Don’t ever leave us again’ and stuff. Bit of an unhealthy relationship between the three of them, I think it’s sort of now, moving past that, we’ll see a little bit of that divulging and having the three of them broken up and Ted being forced ultimately to take a side between the two of them.

Stay tuned for Part Two of the transcript where Hayley and John discuss the characters Ted and Robin in depth. Coming very soon!

You can leave your comments below for the questions I’ve been posing for the season wrap-up episode or you can email me: HYMT at Geekshow dot US.

Stay tuned for Episode 22 very soon as well as the transcript of the episode than never was.

- Hayley

Ted is now 28 and Love Solutions has finally found his perfect match, the woman who ticks all the points on his list for a compatible partner. Ted can’t believe he is about to meet her. Lily, meanwhile, is freaking out about getting married to Marshall which results in her applying for an art fellowship in San Francisco for dates that conflict with the wedding. A flat tyre on Marshall’s car forces Lily to confide in Ted about her cold feet. Elsewhere, Barney recruits Marshall to be his Executive Mischief Consultant at the office as they wage war against another office worker in a building across the way.

Who fired the first shot – Barney or Butterfield? Why is Robin wearing a hat? Will Lily get the art fellowship? And will Ted finally meet the woman of his dreams?

Find out the answers to these questions and more in this week’s podcast!

Don’t forget to answer this week’s question for the season wrap-up episode: Who is your favourite side/background/supporting character on the show this season?

Show Artwork by Ash Jeffs.

Email Hayley: HYMT AT Geekshow DOT us or comment below

As Lily and Marshall head full into planning mode, the subject of wedding band makes Lily freak out. Marshall assures her he has booked the perfect band but Lily insists on checking the band out first. Her only option is to sneak into a High School Prom where the band is playing or else lose the booking. Barney and Robin accompany her while Ted tries to have a wild boys night with Marshall – only to have it curtailed by more wedding jobs.

Will Lily get to hear The 88 play “Good Feeling”? How will Barney get into Prom? Why is Robin tearing up? And what kind of prize will Ted get if he beats Marshall at stuffing wedding invitations?

Find out the answers to these questions and more in this week’s podcast!

Show Artwork by Ash Jeffs.

Email Hayley: HYMT AT Geekshow DOT us or comment below

Hi Geeks, Hayley here.

Back in May, John Pavlich and I recorded a commentary for his Sofadogs website (now with a brand new look you can check out here) for 90s teen thriller I Know What You Did Last Summer. Despite a few syncing problems due to region coding, we had a great discussion and would love you guys to check it out. Pop in your DVD or Blu-Ray and listen as we discuss the subtleties of makeup, annoying and belligerent older siblings, countless offenses of bad writing and more!

Listen here.

Subject: I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

Observers: John Pavlich, Hayley White

Record Date: May 03, 2011, 08:13 AM

Plot Summary: During their last 4th of July shindig together, four friends accidentally hit someone with their car. Fearing the end of their bright futures, they all make a pact to dump the body and keep this terrible night to themselves. Exactly a year later, a mysterious stranger is sending them threatening letters and stalking them, bent on some twisted form of justice.

Note: While I’m based in the US, Hayley resides in Australia, meaning that despite our best efforts, we occasionally run into some sync problems in the recording. Hayley’s DVD is a different region and format, which results in a slightly faster playback. While there are a few instances where Hayley gets ahead of me in the film, they are few and far between and we mostly manage to save face. Remember to listen for the preemptive countdown before starting the film on your DVD.

Robin has been nominated for an award for her journalism and the gang are all going to be there to support her in this week’s episode, “Mary the Paralegal”. Even Ted will be there, despite the current distance between them. This distance is widened when both of them insist on bringing dates to the event – Ted’s date being a hooker picked out for him by Barney!

Will Ted and Robin make each other jealous? Why is Lily so cranky? What is Barney’s surprise twist ending? And will Ted really go there with a prostitute?

Find out the answers to these questions and more in this week’s podcast!

Show Artwork by Ash Jeffs.

Email Hayley: HYMT AT Geekshow DOT us or comment below

It’s after 2am and Robin calls Ted to come over and make some juice with her. Ted agrees but battles with his subconscious, in the form of girlfriend Victoria, over his motives. Marshall and Lily try to convince Ted that he should just go home and go to sleep. Meanwhile, Barney tries to prove that legendary things happen after 2am.

Who gets serenaded by Korean Elvis? What on earth does Barney do for a living? Will Ted stay true to Victoria or make a move on Robin? And is it possible for something good to happen after 2am?

Find out the answers to these questions and more, as well as some surprise announcements in this week’s podcast!

Show Artwork by Ash Jeffs.

Email Hayley: HYMT AT geekshow DOT us or comment below

Will Marshall learn the meaning of “steak sauce”? Can Lily get her real fiancee back? And just how many cupcakes can Ted eat?

Find out the answers to these questions and more in this week’s podcast!

Show Artwork by Ash Jeffs

Email Hayley: HYMT AT geekshow DOT us or comment below

After being offered a culinary fellowship in Germany, Victoria must decide if she will take it and risk losing Ted or stay and see where their relationship will go. Robin finds it difficult to be impartial in the situation because of her feelings for Ted. Elsewhere, Marshall needs a new suit and Barney offers his own brand of assistance. Lily meanwhile prepares for her wedding to Marshall by going dress shopping.

Can Barney convince Marshall to come work at his company and not the NRDC? Will Lily find a dress that makes her look like a princess? And what will Ted and Victoria decide about the future of their relationship?

Find out the answers to these questions and more in this week’s podcast!

Show Artwork by Ash Jeffs

Email Hayley: HYMT AT geekshow DOT us or comment below

Victoria is joining the group for game night and Ted warns the gang not to embarass him in front of her by revealing the dirt from his past, especially his history with Robin. From left field, however, a secret from Barney’s past comes up and the group are perplexed by a video showing a very different side to their friend. Reluctant to reveal the details, the gang offer up their own most embarassing tales in hopes of getting the explanation from him.

Will Ted get to keep his secrets? What did Barney do before he met the gang? Has Marshall created the best game of all time? And which one of them will win game night?

Find out the answers to these questions and more in this week’s podcast!

Show Artwork by Ash Jeffs

Email Hayley: HYMT AT geekshow DOT us or comment below

Will Ted score with Victoria? Will Marshall and Lily ever make it out of the bathroom? And who will win the game of Battleship between Robin and Barney?

Find out the answers to these questions and more in this week’s podcast!

Show Artwork by Ash Jeffs

Email Hayley: HYMT AT geekshow DOT us or comment below

Left to go stag to Claudia and Stuart’s wedding, Ted sets about to have a no-strings-attached/no names/no nothing perfect night with Victoria. The next day, Marshall and Lily encourage Ted not to leave it at that but to pursue this girl as she might be “the one” for him. Meanwhile Robin reveals something shocking that just might change everything.

Who is Victoria? Will Ted find her? Should he even try? And will Marshall find out who on earth made the wedding cake??

Find out the answers to these questions and more in this week’s podcast!

Show Artwork by Ash Jeffs

Email Hayley: HYMT AT geekshow DOT us or comment below

Having broken up with her boyfriend, Ted seizes the perfect opportunity to finally get it together with Robin by asking her to be his “plus one” at his friends’ wedding. Robin accepts, however, Ted discovers courtesy of the bride-to-be that he RSVP’ed that he would be attending alone and therefore must tell Robin that she cannot come. Meanwhile Marshall and Lily cannot agree on anything for their own upcoming nuptuals.

Will Ted get to take Robin to the wedding? Will Barney score with any of the bridesmaids? And will there even be a wedding at all?

Find out the answers to these questions and more in this week’s podcast!

Show Artwork by Ash Jeffs

Email Hayley: HYMT AT geekshow DOT us or comment below

With only three hours before midnight and five parties to hit, the gang sets out to have a wild night of fun. Robin leaves to hang out with her boyfriend for the night, much to Ted’s dismay despite the fact that he himself has a date. Meanwhile the gang pick up a few random partygoers along the way with hilarious and potentially dangerous results.

Will Marshall and Lily find each other before midnight? Can Runjit fix the flat tire? Who will Ted end up kissing? And really who the heck is the guy who isn’t Moby??

Find out the answers to these questions and more in this week’s podcast!

Show Artwork by Ash Jeffs

Email Hayley: HYMT AT geekshow DOT us or comment below

Who wrote on Ted’s arm? What happened to his jacket? Who is the girl in his bed? And what on earth is up with the pineapple?

Don’t forget to leave your pineapple theories in the comments below!

Show Artwork by Ash Jeffs

Email Hayley: HYMT AT geekshow DOT us or comment below

Marshall and Lily are off to Minnesota to visit the Eriksons for Thanksgiving but Lily doesn’t feel she fits into their big lives. Meanwhile Ted and Robin decide to spend Thanksgiving helping the less fortunate and are met with an unexpected surprise in the form of Volunteer Barney.

Is Lily carrying a fifteen pound baby inside her? Can Marshall win the Bask-ice-ball game? And will Ted ever get to help out someone less fortunate? Find out the answers to these questions and more.

Show Artwork by Ash Jeffs.

Email Hayley: HYMT AT geekshow DOT us or comment below