It's a Fixer-Upper: Can HIMYM Be Saved?

The other day two of my favorite bloggers, the Fug Girls, declared that Jason Segel's suggestions for how to end How I Met Your Mother (see this GQ profile) made them fall in love with him all over again.

I must admit that I'm intrigued by his suggestions, especially the dark idea that the stories are memories of a mother who has passed away. I love that a sad ending could retroactively color the entire story arc.

But of course that would be more effective if there were an actual story arc. The truth is, while the first two seasons of How I Met Your Mother remain some of the best sitcom episodes I've ever seen, the show has declined steadily in the past three. I appreciate that Segel, for one, will work the rest of his contract (until 2013) if need be, but most of the time I feel like this is a show that has overstayed its welcome, its premise, and the creativity of its writers.

Or then again, maybe it just needs a facelift. Here are some suggestions for how the once-great television series might revive itself:




1) Get on with the Mother storyline, already!

Josh Radnor has proven his comedic chops, but he's equally deft in his portrayal of the hopeless romantic. Not to mention that Ted the player is pretty irritating to watch. The show seems to be treading water - and mocking the fans by continuing to dodge the issue of the Mother's identity after five seasons. Let them cast someone great and spend the rest of the show developing their relationship! I would have liked Sarah Chalke if she hadn't already been cast as the unfortunately blah and baggage-ridden Stella; I also heard rumors once upon a time about Alicia Silverstone, who I think could make a lovely Mother as well. Or find an unknown - it worked with Cobie Smulders, after all.

2) Revisit - and improve on - the Barney/Robin relationship

Neil Patrick Harris and Cobie Smulders have great chemistry. Their surprising hookup in season three, and Barney's eleventh-hour realization that he loved her, was a bright spot in an otherwise uninspiring season. But after building the possibility of their relationship through season four, the writers squandered the opportunity to create a unique and hilarious couple. I'd love to see them hook back up for real, without encountering the stale sitcom tropes we saw in season five.

3) Take a page from its own book and focus on continuity

Continuity was one of the most charming and singular attributes of HIMYM when it started. They've made some effort to keep that up - by referencing earlier episodes, plot points, and jokes -- but the characters themselves have been all over the place, in an exceptionally broad and unfunny way. Since when does Lily get grossed out by raunchy stories? Since when does Robin care about her boyfriends going to strip clubs? How does Barney evolve and devolve again so quickly? I expect more from this show than cheap laughs. It's not Two and a Half Men, for god's sake. I suggest the writers go back to the show's beginnings - re-read the scripts, re-watch the episodes - and bring these great characters back to their roots.

It's got problems. But let's not order the show's demolition just yet; with the talent of its cast and creators, I think that How I Met Your Mother can be fixed.