HIMYM review Season 1 Episode 22 “Come On”

We begin “Come On” at MacLaren’s with Ted telling Barney, Marshall and Lily he wants to go after Robin again, saying that, “Whatever I do, it all keeps coming back to Robin.” The gang does its best to convince Ted chasing after Robin is a bad idea and he promises this will be the last time he tries to win her heart. Ted asks to borrow Robin’s spare apartment key from Lily. We jump to Metro News 1 where an incoming tropical storm is going to cancel the company’s weekend camping trip. Later in Robin’s apartment, Ted is waiting to surprise Robin with roses, chocolates and a string quartet whose instruments have been painted blue like the french horn Ted stole for Robin in the pilot. As Robin approaches her door, Ted hears her realizing she left her keys in the apartment. Robin calls Lily to ask her for the spare key to her apartment. Lily tries to play dumb as Marshall enters the apartment. Lily suggests Robin knock on her door and quickly ends the call when she overhears Marshall playing a message on the answering message. The message was informing Lily she got the art fellowship in San Francisco. Sliding back to Robin, she knocks on the door and is greeted by Ted with flowers and the string quartet. Ted confesses to Robin how crazy he is for her but is met with hesitation from Robin. She brings up how they are finally back to being friends and they still want different things in life. Ted tells Robin he doesn’t care and wants to take her to Paris that weekend. Robin informs Ted the tropical storm is leaving and the camping trip is back on. We flash back to the news studio where Sandy inform the viewers he is leaving Metro News 1 for CNN. Off air, Sandy tells Robin she is going to be his replacement. After finding out Sandy recommended her, Robin agrees to have dinner with Sandy on the camping trip. Back at
Robin’s apartment, Ted can’t believe Robin agreed to a date with Sandy. Ted tells Robin she knows there is a connection between them and wants answer. After Robin refuses to give an answer, she and Ted agree her answer must be a no.

 

 

Back at MacLaren’s, the rest of the gang try to console Ted. Ted declares he isn’t giving up on Robin even though he made a promise not to try anymore. Barney tries to talk some sense into Ted, saying that only an act of God could prevent Robin from going on the camping trip. Ted agrees with Barney and tells him he is going to make it rain by doing a rain dance and Barney is going to help him. Ted drags Barney with him to find Penelope, a girl Barney dated who is getting a Master’s degree in Native American studies, leaving Marshall and Lily to continue their fight. Future Ted tells us Marshall and Lily have developed a “pause button” during their arguments when it becomes too heated or lengthy. We find through a flashback, Marshall and Lily got into an argument about Lily’s acceptance to the art fellowship. The argument got so heated, the two had to “pause” because they both agreed the wedding should be off. After they “unpause”, Lily assures Marshall she wasn’t going to take the fellowship, she just wanted to know if she could get accepted. Ted and Barney find Penelope, played by Amy Acker, at a library. Penelope refuses to help Ted at first due to her hatred toward Barney but changes her mind when Ted begs her to help win the girl he loves. On Ted’s roof, Penelope instructs Ted on how to officially perform a rain dance.

While Ted is off trying to make it rain, Robin is at the vet with one of her dogs. When the vet asks how Robin’s dog ate so much chocolate, Robin tells the vet about Ted surprising her. The vet tells Robin “nobody does that” and Robin takes her words as meaning “Ted is crazy”. The vet corrects Robin telling her she meant Ted is a one-of-a-kind guy and she needs to take him seriously. Inside the apartment, Marshall and Lily continue their argument. Even though Lily said she wasn’t going to accept the fellowship, she tells Marshall she needs to do this for her. She tells Marshall he doesn’t have to understand but instead asks him to support her. Marshall admits he is afraid Lily will change after the summer and he won’t fit into her life causing him to lose her. Marshall demands Lily promise him that won’t happen. Lily tries to “pause” the argument but Marshall continues to repeat that Lily needs to promise him. Lily finally jumps on Marshall, kissing him, causing Marshall to agree to the “pause” as they head to the bedroom.

 

Up on the roof, Penelope has left, Ted is exhausted and Barney is still demanding Ted is ludicrous. Barney tells Ted, Robin is leaving in 30 minutes, the dance isn’t working and wants to know why Ted is doing this. Ted admits he knows the dance isn’t going to work but he loves Robin. He told her that on their first date and eight months later, nothing has changed. Ted turn his attention to the universe, yelling to the heavens to give him some rain. Ted yells “Come on!” three times and after the third time, the heavens answer with rain causing Barney to respond with his own, “Come on.”

 

Ted steps out of a cab in front of Robin’s apartment with the storm in full force. At that moment, “This Modern Love” by Bloc Party starts playing. Ted yells for Robin from the street. Robin opens her window asking Ted what he is doing. Ted apologizes for canceling the camping trip saying he made it rain and Robin needs to come down to him. Robin tells Ted it’s too wet and to come up. Ted responds that he did his part by making it rain and demands she come to him. Robin paces her apartment and then stares at the blue french horn on her mantle. As the music starts to crescendo, Robin smiles and runs to her door. When she opens the door, Robin is met by a drenched Ted. Robin begins to tell Ted she was coming down and Ted interrupts saying, “I know” and the two share a passionate kiss. The next day, Ted takes a cab back to his apartment. During the cab ride, future Ted tells his kids everything looked the same but it wasn’t. In one night, everything had changed. The cab pulls up to Ted’s apartment and he finds Marshall sitting on the stoop, in the rain, with Lily’s engagement ring. Ted sits next to Marshall in silence with his arm around him.

I love this episode. I think it’s the third best episode from season one with “Mary the Paralegal” and “Pilot” being one and two, respectively. Ted’s obsession/refusal to give up on Robin is a love that we should aspire too. And the fact that Ted ends up with Robin only makes the payoff of his constant struggle that much more rewarding. I truly hope Robin is the mother. Call me a hopeless romantic but I think the world needs a love story like Ted and Robin’s to inspire us to believe great love stories can happen. Episode 22 also adds another reoccurring gag with Marshall and Lily’s “pause button”. While I don’t particularly care for the song at the end of the episode, I do think it enhances the scene with the build up and Robin racing to meet Ted. “This Modern Love” isn’t a song I will hear often but it is another addition to our “music tied to scenes” list.

My favorite scene is the whole scene when Ted goes to see Robin after he makes it rain. The music does a great job building anticipation and emotional release when Ted and Robin kiss.

Cheers.