When TV shows become Lost: ‘How I Met Your Mother’

Like most Americans I spent hours of my life watching Lost. I didn’t start watching until during the third season at the request of friends so I just jumped into the first and second season DVD’s. I was hooked. Those first two seasons were so good at captivating me and teasing me with all these clever questions that they would only answer with more questions.  The characters were engaging and the story was somewhat fresh. After catching up and somewhere in the fifth season I got my room-mate just as hooked in it as I was. We burned through the earlier seasons (again for me, first time for him) and caught up to speed quickly.

Unfortunately what we both soon realized was that the spark had quickly left the show. Unlike most shows where they “jump the shark” and continue to stick around long after their expiration date, Lost had promises of something different by giving its self a time limit on its story. However it only seemed that the reason the writers gave themselves this time line is because they realized they had written something too clever and now knew no way out. The story fell apart and the questions I had once had three seasons ago were now replaced with different things altogether. If it wasn’t for Lapidis keeping things so chill there would have been nothing saving that show at all. (I mean honestly, all that Walt build up, the hints of telekinetic possibilities, the others possessing some unknown power to silently walk through the woods only to find out it’s a fat old guy in a fake beard. Come on!) Finally though, it ended and my time was better spent wasted on other programs. However I always had a little bit of disdain whenever Lost would be brought up again. I felt betrayed by the writers for letting such a good idea get away and at myself for holding on to it for so long.

Recently I’ve noticed a similar trend with other shows I watch. Shows that I wouldn’t say “jumped the shark” just yet, but rather got Lost as I’m going to refer to it in up coming posts. I’m going to pick out shows I once loved, but now can barely recognize. This trend became clear to me when watching last weeks episode of another show I used to love, How I Met Your Mother.

I’m sure most of you didn’t even watch the last episode, because most people I know have just given up on it. Here’s a quick run down of the episode for you kids at home:

Marshall and Lily have given up on life and are married and boring and now useless to the show and life. No one cares about their storyline, only Alyson Hannigan’s boobs.

The writers are again trying to show Barney as more than just a funny suit. They introduced another love interest for him, which Robin attempts to help with, and again, no one cares about this. Everyone just wants to see a gay man try to hook up with slutty women all while saying clever things, and of course, Cobie Smulders’ boobs.

Ted is dating another new female who the show has built up for almost the whole season, like it does literally every season. They get all the way to the end of the episode and leave Ted and his new girlfriend (whose name I honestly don’t even remember because it means so little and I hate the show so much) [Ed. – Zoe] apparently super happy in love, and headed towards possibly finding out this is finally the mother. Only we don’t find that out. Instead out of no where it’s randomly revealed that this new love interest is not the “mother” that we all want to “meet”, but just another useless story line with great tits. The show laughs at our waste of time and poops noisily, on our chests.

It seems to me that the writers of this show had so little faith in this project they never expected to make it past season one or two. Now they are stuck in season six of a show with no end game. Someone needs to tell these writers that no one actually cares who the mother is. I know I don’t, and as long as she is well cast I don’t see how anyone else would. It would have been great if Sarah Chalke (Scrubs) had just stayed around, she would have made an excellent new cast member, instead she choose obscurity and is more than likely unemployed or dead. [Ed – which is the same as starring in the new, and sure to be canceled, or at least suck, CBS show MAD LOVE]

The fact of the matter is the show works because the characters are likable and the jokes were clever, Slapsgiving = classic. However the gag of teasing us with the identity of the mother is old. Its time for the show to move on and come to terms with it’s self. I might return for an episode or two here or there, but after this weeks steaming pile I’m out.

This show has officially become ‘Lost’. With Charlie Sheen (see legen—-dary, super awesome, hard partying, hooker beating, crack head) shutting down production of Two and a Half Men, (Dr Kronners’ favorite show) it looks like CBS is pretty much doomed. [Ed. If they weren’t rated #1 in everything] Let’s hope next season things shape up and TV magically finds a way to fix itself. Until then I’ll stick with NBC and hopefully others will too.

R.I.P. HIMYM

– B. VanGorder