How I Met Your Mother: Three Days of Snow

Some brief notes on this week's episode of "How I Met Your Mother":

This was an episode that I really loved! As I mentioned in my post for the previous episode "Benefits", I never tire of Marshall and Lily as a happy couple, and there's more of what I love about them here. Their little rituals of showing their love for each other, e.g. telling each other what they had for lunch each day, listening to Auld Lang Syne together on New Year's Eve, bringing a six-pack for the other whenever one of them goes on a trip, etc was classic Marshall and Lily. I really liked the chronological twist, and how it ties up the A-story (Marshall and Lily deciding mutually (but eventually reneging individually) to stop the airport-sixpack ritual, along with the other rituals that they have seeming given up as (in their words) they mature), and the B-story (Ted and Barney given free rein over MacLaren's and finding themselves hosts to a college marching band). I cried a little at Lily and Marshall's scene in the airport waiting area with the keg of beer and the marching band playing Auld Lang Syne. It was so beautifully set up, and for my money, as romantic as Ted's 2-minute date with Stella in "Ten Sessions".

Another notable scene, and characteristic of "How I Met Your Mother's" insights into love and dating, is Marshall's conversation with Robin about love. Marshall, ever the romantic, who calls Robin out for putting down their rituals because she's never really knew love. And Robin, ever the cynic, rightly pointing out that love isn't just composed of these rituals, and that it can be possible to be in love without them. Marshall and Lily met in college, and have been in love ever since. They have known, and gone through, those rituals throughout their relationship. That they are in love is undeniable...these rituals are the manifestations of their love that is rooted in its collegiate origins. But as Robin pointed out, it doesn't apply to all couples. Just because a couple doesn't have all these cutesy rituals doesn't mean that they are not in love. Take Adam and Roslin in "Battlestar Galactica", two stalwarts who respect, and are attracted to each other. Their unspoken love is devoid of Marshall and Lily's rituals, but it's love nonetheless.

Finally, Barney really wanted to name his pub Puzzles?

"How I Met Your Mother" has been on a roll lately. The next episode can't come soon enough!