Season Eight Premiere of 'How I Met Your Mother' More Serious Than Funny

By CAROLINE FORD

Readers take notice, because Mondays are about to get a lot more exciting. Sept. 24 featured the much-anticipated season eight premiere of “How I Met Your Mother.” Millions tuned in to view, leaving those who missed it to wonder if this episode lived up to the hype.

The show picks up with a delirious Marshall and Lily Erickson and their new baby boy, Marvin.  Completely exhausted and barely awake, the two stumble their way through the episode, serving as comic relief to some otherwise tender, more serious moments.  As we saw toward the end of season seven, Barney Stinson became engaged to his girlfriend, Quinn, but he still has residual feelings for ex-love interest Robin Scherbatsky. Ultimately, viewers of the last season know how the couple turns out, but the road there seems to be gloomy as ever.

Meanwhile, viewers of the season seven finale know that Ted Mosby ran off with his previous girlfriend, Victoria, on her wedding day. Clearly, the show is trying to turn getting left at the altar into something more comical. What results is somewhat laughable, but uncomfortable.

The scenes with Ted seem to drag a bit, but ultimately wrap up well with a pretty shocking plot twist.   Viewers even got a glimpse of that infamous yellow umbrella concealing the mother of Ted’s children, for which viewers have been waiting for eight seasons.

Ultimately, the season opener was more serious than previous episodes, but it paved the way for some important relationships and revelations the audience has patiently waited eight seasons to see. This episode gets a B.