How I Met Your Mother (TV Series) Single Stamina (2006) User Reviews

Single Stamina (#2.10)

[ComedyFan2010 · 9/10 · 12 July 2015]

Another great episode in which we get to know Barney and with some pretty good surprises.

Now we get to know his brother. They made him both black and gay and the fun part is that we don't even get told how this happened. Wayne Brady is a great choice for this part. Him and Barney playing their game in the bar ll suited up were wonderful scenes.

Unfortunately we won't see more of those as James got married. But it is also something where Barney has to overcome his feelings for marriage and be a great bet man. Felt a bit weird for me that he is so into babies, I thought he would dislike the idea of having children even more than marriage.

But the final scene at the end with his nephew was pretty cute and fun.

Besides that Ted and Marshall being hit on in a gay club was a fun part of the episode as well.

Skillful writing makes this one of the best episodes of Season 2

[simbrab · 9/10 · 18 February 2016]

So Barney has a gay black brother who has a secret. What sounds like a rather typical sitcom premise is the setup for a twisted take on the gay rights debate, in which the writers skillfully subvert common clichés. "Think of how the American Family will be strengthened!" The fact that most of these jokes are delivered by the openly gay (and awesome) Neil Patrick Harris just adds to the hilarity. Also, we learn that both Marshall and Ted are viewed as very attractive by the gay community (in-universe, at least), which is referenced again in S03E19 ("Everything Must Go").

So the laughs are there, a great new character is introduced, but there's more (SPOILERS AHEAD!):

The writers throw in a subtle bit of foreshadowing in a flash forward at the end of the episode. When the gang attends James'&Tom's wedding one year later, Marshall and Lily are obviously still in a deep "couple coma" and decide to leave early. Ted and Robin however both stay, claiming they're "not tired at all". This indicates they both have "single stamina" at that point, so they must have broken up. To keep it subtle, we see them dancing with each other in the next scene. Again, very skillful and clever writing! Near the end of the episode, we are also introduced to a new side of Barney's character. He doesn't like kids - he LOVES them. What ultimately changes his mind about James' plans to get married is the fact that there's a baby. This side of Barney is often overlooked and might even seem out of place. But it will become a major plot point later in the series.

Neil Patrick Harris Prominent Again In Seasons Best Episode So Far

[slightlymad22 · 9/10 · 3 December 2014]

As is always the case with this show, when one of the best episodes comes along it features Neil Patrick Harris's character Barney Stinson in a prominent role.

Plot In A Paragraph: Since Marshall lily are back together and Ted is loved up with the girl of his dreams Robin, it sadly leaves Barney as the odd one out as they would rather spend their time in the apartment together as couples than hang out with him. Luckily for Barney, his brother James is coming to New York to visit.

Wayne Brady is a lot of fun as James, but this episode is all about Neil Patrick Harris as Barney. He is brilliant.

Straw

[bevo-13678 · 10/10 · 14 June 2020]

I like how they team up in the bar so they can crack onto chicks and blokes

Awful episode

[faisalalsoyri · 1/10 · 23 January 2021]

I thought this is a comedy show but this episode was far away from comedy