How I Met Your Mother Producers: Our Bad

Good news How I Met Your Mother Fans,* show creators Cater Bays and Craig Thompson have taken advantage of the CBS Press Tour to not only talk up the show’s upcoming sixth season, but also to more or less apologize for the show’s weak fifth season. Craig Thomas told Vulture, “Season five was a very fun season; we did some of our best episodes… but there wasn’t this larger emotional arc like you had in some past seasons. We wanted to slow down the [narrative] after telling the Robin and Barney relationship, so we opened it up in the middle of the season and did some stand-alone episodes. That meant we didn’t emotionally move the ball down the field as much as we have in past years.” He also told Alan Sepinwall, “I think we write our best catchy, gimmicky episodes while being deep within an arc. And we forgot that.”

It’s pretty good to see them owning up to a really disappointing season for the show, and to be honest, the tidbits they share about the next season has me excited for the show again. Without giving too much away, the two hinted (minor SPOILERS) that Marshall and Lilly will indeed start the process of having a baby, and more importantly, Ted will get a job designing the Goliath National Bank building and start moving closer to meeting The Mother. They’ll also be adding a new storytelling element, according to Bays: “In episode one, we begin a new framework for the show, in addition to the framework that exists, that will cast the mystery in a new light. Also create a new mystery that will expand the universe a bit.”

Intriguing! I’ve saved the best for last though. Thompson made the following pledge: “Can I make a promise? Ted will be absolutely undouchey this year.” I just breathed a sigh of relief. What about all of you? Are you willing to give HIMYM another shot after a rough year?

*Ed. Note: Can we come up with a name for HIMYM fans, in the same vein of Losties, Browncoats, or Gleeks? My leading contender is Suits. Any suggestions?