How I Met Your Mother - Season 6 Episode 7 - “Canning Randy”
Originally aired Monday November 1st, 2010
Here we are seven episodes into season six of HIMYM and we get our first real dud of the season. It’s not that it didn’t move major plot archs forward (it did - for Ted, kind of) or feature good guest stars (Will Forte and Bob Odenkirk - golden) or the right characters (we got a Marshall story!) - the episode just wasn’t very funny.
Sure I laughed. Mostly at character and physical humor but where were the wordy puns? Where were the astute observations at modern life? Where was Barney!? All squandered away for plots that didn’t really go anywhere nor develop. The ending was touching in that Randy got to fulfill his dreams and Marshall got to stick to his guns but it wasn’t earned. Instead of cutting to Marshall’s office destroyed and their resolution, show Randy trying to get fired more. Do something. But no, just Randy’s bloody nose joke which instead of feeling like a callback just felt tired.
As did “Where’s the poop, Robin?” Just let it die HIMYM. Jennifer Morrison was enjoyable in this episode but there wasn’t much to get out of Ted’s story line. Robin’s commercial was also completely throw away and didn’t feel like it held the gravity it could have comedically. Her career ineptitude is beginning to get frustrating.
The most redeeming quality of “Canning Randy” can bee seen above. The real Halloween Parade - aka the Costumed Walk of Shame the day after. This was a clever, typical HIMYM invention that should have been given more time to play. Also squandered. As was any intention of a Halloween episode. Oh well.
Stray note: Jennifer Morrison yells “Key his car!” Umm, what car? Correct me if I’m wrong but Ted doesn’t have a car. Would he really drive uptown to Columbia? Come on HIMYM, your NYC verite was so good.
-Alex (popculturebrain)
