What Really Happened?

How I Met Your Mother, S08E17

Ted told his friends about the last time he saw the Captain after receiving a call from him that Ted felt was angry.  Robin retold the story, revealing that Ted's version was skewed, but Lily finally told the real story and proved that Robin also was fuzzy about the details of that night.

I wasn't sure why they had brought the Captain back into picture until the end, but I was thrilled to see him.  I love how he frightens the hell out of Ted and the other guys.  My favorite part, of course, was when Ted replayed the message for Marshall and Barney and each time he replayed it, the Captain's tone and overall image kept getting darker and more foreboding.  Ted really turned a simple message to call him back into the beginning of a murder plot.

I also liked that Ted's story wasn't true at all, but I should have known.  The Captain doesn't seem like the type to rudely end someone's sentences and pull out a harpoon at someone.  When we saw the Captain and Ted together in other episodes it was just Ted imagining all the "terrifying" things that the Captain was trying to do to him.  I should have known that Ted was lying or something.  I wouldn't have guessed that he was high off his mind, though.

I also wouldn't have guessed that Robin was drunk as hell at the gallery either.  I mean, she's used to having guys hit on her, so I could believe that the Captain came onto her.  I don't know about him lying all seductively on his bed in her story, though.  That should have been a clue to me that her story was a little less than true.

The surprises kept rolling in when it was revealed that the one that the Captain was interested in was Lily.  He clearly knew that she was married, so it made me confused (I guess I thought that Robin's story was just her mistaking herself for Lily).  I liked that it wasn't obvious that Lily had stolen an ashtray from him year ago because he belittled her opinion in art because she was a kindergarten teacher.  It still didn't all tie together until Lily started talking about how she regretted never doing anything with art in her life.  The Captain had reminded her of that and even a year later it was still a sore spot for Lily.  I started to feel for her, even though she has a pretty good life with a great husband and an adorable son.  I was happily surprised that Lily didn't have to put aside her dream because the Captain was going to give her a taste of it, possibly, with his job offer.  I would have sooner believed that the Captain was about to harpoon Ted than think he was going to ask her to work for him.

I liked this episode.  It was funny to see the Captain through Ted's terrified eyes.  I don't think I could ever get sick of Ted imagining the worst of him.  It was also interesting that the different versions of that night at the art gallery kept you wondering what the real story was.  Once we found out that it was all about Lily, it made all the storytelling seem worthwhile.  Especially because the Captain ended up giving Lily a way to enjoy her dream again.  Lately, we've been concentrating on the joy of Marvin and we've neglected that Lily might want more out of her life than a wonderful family.  I'm glad we'll get to see her expand her horizons, and the Captain should prove to be a very entertaining boss for her.