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How I Met Your Mother Review: “The Over-Correction” (Season 8, Episode 10)

This week’s episode of How I Met Your Mother did little to further the plot, but it at least didn’t completely flop like many recent episodes did. For the first time in a long time the episode picked a joke and ran with it through the entire episode, with the little moments building up to actually be quite funny.

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When Ted reluctantly agrees to help her again he is unable to get Barney to leave, despite the promise of Jon Bon Jovi standing next to a slippery when wet sign. Ted sneaks back in, grabs the purse, but then has to hide when Patrice shows up. Now we have two characters in two closets, or so we think.

Robin calls Lily for help, but she hears Lily’s ringtone. It turns out Lily has been using her breast pump at Barney’s for some peace and quiet, but her earlier session was interrupted when Robin broke in, meaning we have three characters in three closets.

Robin leaves The Playbook on the bed where she knows Patrice will find it. When Patrice does, she’s incredibly upset and wants to break up with Barney. After a bit of arguing Barney does the unthinkable and burns The Playbook to show his commitment.

While this is going on, Marshall has the horrible experience of walking in on his mom having sex. However, his experience is even worse than that would normally be since she’s having sex with Mickey. Marshall reacts to this like any good elementary-schooler would and locks himself in the closet. When Lily eventually makes it home and he tells her the news, that not only is Judy out there again, but she’s out there with her Dad, they both end up in the closet.

Marshall and Lily agree to reluctantly give their parents their blessing and tell the couple that it’s okay if they date. It turns out that they had no intention of dating; the relationship was all about sex. Mickey ends with the awesomely disturbing line “We’re family… with benefits.”

The recurring theme of Ted’s stuff being borrowed without being returned was hilarious. It was nice to see them take a joke and carry it throughout the episode, properly adding comic relief in more serious moments without requiring any additional setup.

The concept of Barney overcompensating was an interesting one, and it would certainly explain why he’s with Patrice. But on the note of overcompensating, if Ted really did have a rebound and date a prison chick, why are we just getting a glimpse of it now? The show is supposed to be about Ted’s relationship. If he has dated girls since Victoria, we need to know about it.

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