Neil Patrick Harris has often stolen the show, but after this episode, his Barney Stinson is officially the main character. As a new level of vulnerability and depth is added to Barney, we realize that we haven't seen Harris' talent being fully exploited in the first three seasons. With this new character arc to portray, he is finally allowed to shine as the star that carries the show.
As a consequence, Josh Radnor has to bring his 'A' game to make people still care about Ted. And he delivers in this episode. He always seems to be more comfortable when Ted has a serious love interest. His work with Sarah Chalke (Stella) is no exception. Both main story lines - Ted realizing he does not know his new fiancé as well as he thought, and Barney confronting his feelings for Robin - balance well and form a brilliant episode.
Marshall and Lily only have supporting roles here, but should not be overlooked either. Continuing unemployment has an impact on Marshall, which is portrayed realistically and true to life. This affects his overall mood, but he's still being a great friend to Ted, as always, whose mission is to make sure his best friend doesn't marry the wrong woman. The Star Wars sub-plot was hilarious. Everyone should have a friend like Marshall.
As for Lily, it's nice to see Barney confide in her. Despite their dichotomy, Barney seems to let Lily get closer into his personal comfort zone than anyone else. After all, she lived with him for two weeks when no-one else from the group had even set a foot into his apartment. He must really trust her, especially considering how bad she is at keeping a secret. Then again, it surely wouldn't seem right to talk to Ted about being in love with his ex-girlfriend. And Marshall has already failed as a trusted third party when Barney told him he slept with Robin.
Season 4 starts as strong as season 3 ended, with a setup for interesting new character arcs. Wherever they may take the show, though, let's not forget what Barney said in the end about his heart truly belonging to bimbos. It may have been a self-defense mechanism, but it made a lot of sense from the character's perspective.
As a consequence, Josh Radnor has to bring his 'A' game to make people still care about Ted. And he delivers in this episode. He always seems to be more comfortable when Ted has a serious love interest. His work with Sarah Chalke (Stella) is no exception. Both main story lines - Ted realizing he does not know his new fiancé as well as he thought, and Barney confronting his feelings for Robin - balance well and form a brilliant episode.
Marshall and Lily only have supporting roles here, but should not be overlooked either. Continuing unemployment has an impact on Marshall, which is portrayed realistically and true to life. This affects his overall mood, but he's still being a great friend to Ted, as always, whose mission is to make sure his best friend doesn't marry the wrong woman. The Star Wars sub-plot was hilarious. Everyone should have a friend like Marshall.
As for Lily, it's nice to see Barney confide in her. Despite their dichotomy, Barney seems to let Lily get closer into his personal comfort zone than anyone else. After all, she lived with him for two weeks when no-one else from the group had even set a foot into his apartment. He must really trust her, especially considering how bad she is at keeping a secret. Then again, it surely wouldn't seem right to talk to Ted about being in love with his ex-girlfriend. And Marshall has already failed as a trusted third party when Barney told him he slept with Robin.
Season 4 starts as strong as season 3 ended, with a setup for interesting new character arcs. Wherever they may take the show, though, let's not forget what Barney said in the end about his heart truly belonging to bimbos. It may have been a self-defense mechanism, but it made a lot of sense from the character's perspective.