Episode 2 of this season of How I Met Your Mother aired Monday night, and I’m pleased to say that the show has quite easily gotten back into its groove (like I said last week, the premiere was pretty much just a utility to set the stage for future happenings this season).
Aside from very minor subplots regarding Robin overselling Ted to a co-worker and Lily and Marshall discussing whether it’s ok to lie to their future children, this week’s episode revolved almost entirely around this guy:
Awesome
This week we saw a fairly emotional side of Barney as he and the gang pack up his things as Barney’s mother prepares to sell his childhood home. Also making an appearance is Barney’s brother James. As Barney goes through his old possessions, he reminisces about different moments in his life. We learn from James that Barney’s memory of things may not be entirely accurate. In fact, it turns out that Barney’s mom lied to him frequently–always to make him feel better about things–and Barney never realized it, even though James did.
Mixed in with the stuff to be packed happens to be an addressed envelope with a picture of young Barney and James labeled “Your son” on the back. This spurs the guys to go to the address to finally meet one of their fathers.
Now, just in case you happened to have forgotten about James, let me refresh your memory. He and Barney look about as opposite as two siblings can be.
See what I mean?
Obviously James and Barney have different fathers. When they go to the house of Sam Gibbs, the name on the envelope, they don’t know which one of their fathers he is. When the door is opened, there’s really no question.
Sam Gibbs and James
Well, while we (and James, and Robin, and Ted, and Marshall, and Lily…) realize right away that Sam Gibbs is James’s father, Barney isn’t quite so ready to accept that fact. Instead, he immediately clings to Sam Gibbs as his own father. While James and Sam genuinely bond, Barney tries to impress his “dad” the way a 5-year-old would: by showing off how fast he can run across the yard. He also attempts to cut in as James and Sam connect over a love and talent for music (luckily, Lily intervenes).
We also get some pretty entertaining bits of Barney trying to talk up his “blackness,” apparently oblivious to the fact that he is definitely not Sam’s son. Quite possibly the best line of this was Barney’s revelation, “I always thought I was a light skinned white guy. Turns out I’m a really, really, light skinned black guy!
Eventually, Barney talks to his mom about the whole situation and acknowledges that he knows Sam isn’t his father. As Loretta tells Barney that she kept who their fathers were a secret because she just wanted to be enough for her sons, all the protective lies she told throughout his childhood finally dawn on Barney. Loretta offers Barney the name and address of his father, but Barney rips it up saying, “I already have a father. And his name is Loretta.” How sweet.
Stay tuned for next week’s all new episode, Monday on CBS!
I loved this episode!