10/19/2009

Rachel Kolb

Robin feels torn when she's forced to become an American citizen. Ted invites Marshall on a last Chicago road trip, but Marshall invites Lily along.

Gazola's is closing, the best pizza in Illinois. Marshall and Ted used to take road trips just to get Gazola's pizza, and the trips were some of their best memories of their college years. Since Gazola's is closing, Marshall and Ted decide to take one more trip, and Ted is excited because Marshall and Lily have been inseparable lately. The only problem is that Marshall invited Lily along.  
  
A guy that Robin got in a fight with at the Hoser Hut is pressing charges, and Robin has a choice: become a U.S. citizen or be deported. Her decision is not easy, though. Being Canadian is part of Robin's identity, and she doesn't like the idea of becoming a U.S. citizen. Barney is psyched to turn Robin into a true American.  
  
Meanwhile, Ted is going nuts on the road trip with Marshall and Lily. Ted feels like a third wheel on a road trip full of bed and breakfasts, healthy snack foods, and books on CD about dogs narrated by Kenny Rodgers. Frustrated, Ted kidnaps Marshall and drives off to Chicago.  
  
After all of Barney's lessons, Robin stops by the Hoser Hut, and all of Barney's lessons go out the window. She gets drunk and ends up in a hotel room in Toronto. After sobering up at the local Tim Horton's, Robin is mistaken for an American. Seeing how upset Robin is, Barney stands up on his chair and tells the whole restaurant how awesome America is and why Canada sucks. Barney convinces Robin that the U.S. is a great country, but a group of big angry Canadian men beat Barney up. The experience reminds Robin that America is great, but Canada is great too. She decides to apply for duel citizenship.  
  
In Chicago, Ted and Marshall are chowing down on some very bad pizza, but they are having a good time reminiscing about their many road trips. Suddenly, Marshall is reminded of Lily, and he regrets leaving her back at the bed and breakfast. Ted lets loose on Marshall, arguing that Marshall has changed since marrying Lily. Marshall doesn't want to do all-night road trips with highly-caffeinated drinks and rock music. Now, he just wants to do spa treatments and other boring couple stuff with Lily. Marshall walks out, but on the car ride back to the bed and breakfast, Ted and Marshall are moved by a book on CD about a beloved dog. They reconcile and realize that Lily, massaged into a coma at the bed and breakfast's spa, didn't even realize that they had left.  
  
  
  
Final Thoughts:  
  
"Dual Citizenship" finally addressed what has been bugging me so far this season. Marshall has become so annoyingly couple-ish so far this season that his fun side had all but disappeared. Last week's episode "The Sexless Innkeeper" was funny, but Marshall's obsession with cheese and charades was borderline sad. Marshall is at his best when he is confident, sweet, and singing his hilarious improvised songs. His character represents a strong moral center of the show, but lately, Marshall has been a bit too silly. Viewers want Marshall to be making jokes and not be the joke. In "Dual Citizenship," Ted voiced what fans of "How I Met Your Mother" have been thinking so far this season: Bring back fun Marshall! The image of Marshall singing The Proclaimer's "(I'm Gonna Be) 500 Miles" gave me reason to hope.  
  
  
  
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