How I Met Your Mother: The Complete Sixth Season
"The New Is Always Better Edition"
How I Met Your Mother has been an interesting show to track over the years. Considered by many to be the “hippest” series currently airing on CBS, the show was consistently on the bubble for the first few years of its run due to solid yet unspectacular ratings. However, it has been a series where viewership has grown over the years. It has now blossomed into a steadily performing hit for the network, and has been renewed through the 2012-2013 television season.
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has recently released the complete sixth season on DVD. The three-disc set, dubbed “The New Is Always Better” edition, includes all 24 episodes of season 6. They are presented in a slim case with no slipcover. Inside the case is a promotion for “The Playbook,” a book released featuring memorable quotes from Barney Stinson.
After a rocky season five that many consider one of the weakest in the show’s run, season six marks a return to form for the series and includes many standout episodes that are sure to become classics among fans. It picks up right where the last season left off, with Lily (Alyson Hannigan) and Marshall (Jason Segal) continuing their quest to have a child with mixed results, Ted (Josh Radnor) beginning an on-again-off-again relationship with an unexpected woman (Jennifer Morrison, appearing in a majority of the season). Robin (Cobie Smuthers) is still recovering from her breakup with Don and is re-evaluating her life goals, and Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) decides to set out on a search for his real father.
Although there are some standout episodes at the beginning of the season (namely the hilarious “Glitter,” which sees the return of Robin’s popstar alter-ego Robin Sparkles), it really hits its stride roughly halfway through – when a surprising death of a character very important to one of the core five leaves the entire gang reeling. The episode “Bad News” in particular is one of the best episodes of the season. It plays out like any other episode with a subtle countdown playing out in the background of each scene, all leading up to the moment when the news of the character’s demise is finally delivered. This plot device allows for the show and the actors to show an unexpected dramatic edge, and the storyline ultimately ends up being quite touching. The episode “Last Words” is a tearjerker where Jason Segal gives what might be his strongest performance yet in the series.
Another great development is the reveal of Barney’s real father, expertly played by John Lithgow. “Legendaddy” is a standout episode of television that showcases Neil Patrick Harris at his best, and the bonding between a father and a son he never knew ends up being both funny, realistic, and touching.
The series has always been known for its high profile guest-stars (season three featured a highly publicized arc for pop singer Britney Spears, which more or less started the trend and helped the artist move towards her comeback), and this season is no exception. Look for fun appearances from Kyle MacLachlan, Lost’s Jorge Garcia and pop singer Katy Perry, and welcome returns from former guest stars such as Rachel Bilson.
The season is bookended by a short scene showing the entire cast at a wedding sometime in the future. We learn that ultimately this is where Ted will meet his future wife (what the series has been building to since day one). It also reveals that the wedding is that of one of the core five, in a development that should prove for an interesting season seven.
How I Met Your Mother is nothing if not consistent. The comparisons to the late, great Friends are accurate – this is a hilarious, consistently touching and relatable sitcom – and season six helps it build to what is hopefully a satisfying conclusion.
The DVD set features the episodes in their original widescreen 1:78:1 aspect ratio. Audio is presented in English 5.1 Dolby Digital and episodes feature English, Spanish and French subtitles. Each disc features animated and scored menus featuring the characters and various animated shots of New York City.
There are a few fun special features to be found in the set. A making-of documentary of the Woody Allen-themed “Subway Wars” episode includes portions of the original table read, location scouting with the director through various soundstages (their goal being to make the episode look as accurately “New York” as possible within the Los Angeles set), shots of the actors filming various takes and some on-set interviews, and shots of how the New York subway set was used in the episode. It’s an interesting behind-the-scenes featurette that runs just under 10 minutes. There is another featurette chronicling the shooting of the episode “Glitter,” featuring the table read and giving some insight into how the sets were designed and how the Robin Sparkles alter-ego was brought back into the fold. Deleted scenes are included, but most are just quick cuts that shouldn’t have been used anyway – there is nothing substantial here. Audio commentary is offered on episodes “Big Days,” “Natural History” “Bad News” featuring various cast members and the creators of the series. “What We Know About Your Mother” is a five-minute recap of sorts of the first five seasons, seemingly designed to catch viewers up or allow new ones to jump right in. It covers all the significant plot points from the series up to this point. A fun gag reel highlighting just how charismatic this ensemble can be rounds out the bonus features, and also runs just under 10 minutes.
Overall, this is a fun, immensely watchable series that has delivered another solid season set. There are plenty of interesting bonus features for fans of the series who want to know more, the audio/video presentation is just as clear and crisp as when it aired, and the quality of the content speaks for itself.
Highly Recommended
