How I Met My Spiritual Demise

At the beginning of the 2005-06 TV season, �How I Met Your Mother� was a modestly charming series about a hopeless romantic named Ted (Josh Radnor) who meets Robin (Cobie Smulders), whom he believes to be the perfect woman, except for her emphasis on her career. At any rate, at the end of the first episode, we learned that Robin was in fact not the putative mother in the show’s title – they wouldn’t get around to that until they absolutely had to (likely around the time the show manufactured enough episodes to reach syndication).

I haven’t kept up with the show, and it’s received middling if acceptable ratings over the course of the season. But the season finale smacks of flop-sweat desperation. Gag lines are crass, Borscht-Belt-style yoks; the storyline is utterly grasping; even the show’s other characters are exasperated with Ted in this one, and for good reason.

Tonight, Ted decides to make one last push to win Robin’s love. Let’s just say that his behavior is borderline stalker. Turns out Robin’s going on a company camping retreat with a slimy co-worker who’s hot for her.

So how does he decide to prevent this impending tryst? With a raindance. Nope: You read that right. He thinks learning a raindance a) might possibly be successful and b) will win Robin back. Honestly, I don’t know why they don’t find TV critics on their living-room floors across America with their veins opened.

“HIMYM� – Monday at 8:30 on CBS (Channel 2).