How I Met Your Mother: Unfinished

     The creators of HIMYM promised that they would be returning to the original formula of their show, the formula that had us all in stitches every week.  After the first two episodes of the season, I was a little leery, it seemed like the same sitcomy Season 5 stuff with a lot of emotional slop thrown on top.  With "Unfinished" it looks like we might finally be headed in the right direction.  Not only were the laughs back, but so was the formula that makes for a great HIMYM episode.  That formula is an episode about Ted and his issues that is carried by Barney with the others sprinkled in for laughs.  "Unfinished" is really all about Ted struggling with how to go forward in life.  Should he follow his dreams and take a gamble on designing a goliath of a building?  Or should he continue down the safe road and continue to teach?  What makes the show move, though, is Barney treating Ted like one of his many conquests as he tries to persuade Ted into designing the GNB building.  The show is never funnier then when Barney is caring the laughs, but the show is called How I Met Your Mother and Ted is the character we are most emotionally invested in.  We never have much doubt that Ted is, as Robin said, "so going to open his legs and design the building," but this show is about the journey, whether that journey is forward, backward, or sideways in time, and its great to feel like we are being taken somewhere again.
     As important as Ted's journey and Barney's laughs are to the show getting back on track, we can't lose sight of the other friends and this episode was strong in that regard as well.  Lilly coined yet another classic catch phrase, "Where's the poop?"  Robin was great with her drunk phone calls to Don.  Marshal brought two hilarious moments to the table with his continued attempts to be Barney's wingman and his amazing band "The Funk, The Whole Funk, And Nothing But The Funk".  I have my fingers crossed that in true HIMYM style, it isn't the last we've seen of these guys!
      Now that the HIMYM writers have me laughing again, I'm praying it's not a flash in the pan.  Hopefully they have found their rhythm again and this is more a sign of things to come then a one off classic episode.