How I Met Your Mother - Season 7 [DVD]

I have to say first of all that I am a huge huge fan of 'How i met your mother' but even I have disliked some episodes and I found that season six, though it had a few good episodes, wasn't up to the standard of previous seasons. Season 7 so far has been great and really has brought it back to what I love about the show.
I'm not gonna give anything away because I hate to find out about storylines before I watch it but I think there are some great ones this season and I can't wait to see more and more importantly I can't wait for season 8, I'm not sure I even care who the mother is now, I'm just enjoying the journey and the revealing of the mother would most probably mean the end of this fantastic show.
I pre-ordered as soon as it was available and I think £13.99 is an absolute bargain for a 22 episode season, there's no reason not to buy.

By far the biggest complaint about this show is how after 7 years we still have no idea who the mother of Ted's kids is and it can seem like the writers are dragging it out in order to keep the show going beyond its creative peak. If you are planning on getting the DVD for the primary reason of finally finding out who the mother is you might want to think again because there is no sign that it is being revealed yet. This season has, more clearly than ever, demonstrated that the reason for its existence is not to tell a funny tale of how Ted met his wife, but it is in fact the story of how an immature 20-something let go of his childishness and grew in to a man ready to settle down and have kids. It seems likely that the show won't reveal the mother until right at the very end, and the show has at least one more season to go yet.

What is excellent about this season is that after so many years many of the audience feel a real emotional investment in the lives of the characters which leads to really affecting episodes like "Tick, Tick, Tick" and "Symphony of Illumination". Also in episodes like "The Drunk Train", the writers show that they are still able to create wonderful narrative structures that involve all the main characters in unexpected ways.

The season isn't perfect, for example the writers have struggled with incorporating Lily and Marshall's move to the suburbs in to the Manhattan-based story-lines of the other four. However this season is definitely a strong one, and is much better than you would expect for a show that has been on air for so long. Importantly it feels as if the show is still growing and still has engaging stories to tell with these characters.

Yes the show is still as funny as ever with the potential to provide many laugh out loud, ridiculous moments and to play with its unique structure through the sometimes unreliable narrator, Ted. However the thing that has struck me the most about this season of How I Met Your Mother is how it is telling stories of 30-somethings and the different pathways in life they have had to give up on in order to get to where the are now. This season feels like a real return to form and is a great payoff for those who have been following the show since its beginning.

I love How I Met Your Mother, but I really felt that season 6 lost it's way a little, mainly due to the somewhat pointless introduction of Zoey, who was (thankfully) never going to be the Mother.
Season 7 (so far) is an improvement, with some great episodes I could happily watch over and over again. In this season, we are finally introduced to the Slutty Pumpkin (Katie Holmes), who proves that sometimes we can build something up in our mind to be so amazing and perfect that the reality cannot possibly compare (no pressure writers, but the reveal of the Mother had better be mind-blowing :P ). Even though the relationship between Ted and the Slutty Pumpkin goes no-where, it does allow him to let go of a fantasy- an idealised girl, who in the end, is simply not right for him. Feel free to make comparisons with Robin if you wish, depending on how you feel about her connection with Ted. I for one prefer her with Barney. They have so much more in common, and I do not feel that Robin would ever want the same things from life as Ted does. Perhaps it is just as well that she was ruled out from the very beginning, but I know some fans still seem to want them to end up together.
What I love most about this show is the way in which the writers blend together a beautiful mix of comedy and drama. Every actor on the show (main cast) is incredibly talented. Comedic timing is so important to a show like this, and each actor pulls it off so well. I love how the show can go from a somewhat ludicrous, but hilarious scene, to something moving and tragic. Season 6 achieved this with the news of the death of Marshall's father (I still can't watch that scene without shedding a tear), and season 7 does the same in episode 12. 'Symphony of Illumination' is, in my opinion, an incredible episode, and highlights what every HIMYM fan already knows- this show is not just a comedy, there is so much more to it. No spoilers, but in the episode Robin receives some news, and finds herself re-assessing everything she ever thought she wanted. It is a powerful episode, and definitely one of my favourites.
I would have given this season 5 stars based on the episodes so far, but one thing ruined it for me. In season 6, we were led to believe that Nora could be the one for Barney, yet in season 7, Nora is gone (no spoilers on why), and there is a new 'perfect' match for Barney, in the shape of Quinn (Becki Newton). Becki Newton is a wonderful actress, but the introduction of Quinn just feels like another obstacle between Barney and Robin. I know that those who are not a fan of them together will disagree, but that is just my opinion. I believed that Barney really had feelings for Nora, but suddenly he feels the same about the next girl too. I know that characters grow and mature, but part of Barney's 'charm' and what made him an interesting character was his inability to commit. Robin felt like the exception- the one girl who he thought was worth the drama, and the potential heartbreak, but now it feels like Barney could get serious with just about anyone.
The Barney issue aside, I have loved this season so far, and am looking forward to seeing how it ends. Highly recommended!