That Guy With That Job

How I Met Your Mother - I'm Not That Guy - Ep. 306
Aliens in America - Help Wanted - Ep. 105

Can I just first say that all architects, are Sex Architects!

Not a bad episode, and there were moments of brilliance, plus a reunion of sorts with John Cho (all a sudden guest starring all around, here and on Ugly Betty) of Harold and Kumar fame and that bastard NPH, but still not as great as it once was. Still, if only for the closing shot when the gang realises the newest porn feature Barney location scouted for was on the very couch they were sitting on. Ew.

Ted Mosby finds out (through Barney of course) that there's a porn star using the same name, same spelling and when too many people seem to recognize that fact, he's off in search of the other Ted Mosby (who happens to be a former schoolmate looking to honour Ted). We find out Lily has a shopping fetish and has run up a huge credit card debt. And Marshall gets a job with an environmental agency but is being actively wooed by a big bad RICH law firm (John Cho) willing to throw a ton of money at him. Money that could pay off Lily' secret debt.

And Robin is still funny. Funnier as single Robin than coupled-with-Ted. She's no Barney yet (though will anybody?) and doesn't have the infectious hilarity of Lily or Marshall but she seems even more right now than she did as Ted's girlfriend/not-mother. Plus, aren't we all just anticipating Robin Sparkles' second video hit?

I loved that Lily was secretly pushing Marshall to take the big bad moneybags job to pay off her secret (and the fact that she was buying more boots because she was depressed at receiving huge bills). It's great that they want to have ethics and morals but cave to the realities of real life.

Marshall finally caves, thinking he's going to be representing a fun amusement park but alas, it's a cesspool of problems.

On Aliens in America, Gary loses his job but refrains from telling Franny. Gary starts cutting corners at home and Raja decides to take a job at the convenience store to help out. Not as laugh-out-loud funny as the past 2 episodes, but cute nonetheless, despite the typical father-loses-job-doesn't-tell-wife story. Justin finds out that Claire's cool hangout is outside the convenience store Raja now works at, and using that to his advantage, Justin gets a taste of the cool group. At least until Raja starts refusing to sell alcohol to the kids with fake ideas.

Adhir Kalyan is simply superb as Raja who is unwavering in his ethics and morals, yet all still in a loving adorable way, and he and Dan Byrd have such a great chemistry together. Amy Pietz is still rocking the mom role, and Scott Patterson is doing a fine job as the father. I mean, I love him as Luke, and there's still some Luke in there, but I can actually differentiate him in this new CW show, which I sort of didn't think I would.

On a completely side note, this weeks How I Met Your Mother episode was written and directed by Jonathan Groff. Not to be confused with the Jonathan Groff I've been stalking admiring from Spring Awakening, and who apparently has just been cast in the new FX pilot 4 Oz. from Ryan Murphy (Nip/Tuck, Popular) about a transexual man, currently signed on with Blythe Danner and Joseph Fiennes. I'm kinda over Nip/Tuck (which season premieres tonight, Tuesday Oct. 30th on FX) but with Jonathan Groff in it, I'll buy. Plus, Nip/Tuck and Popular started off well enough.

For more on Actor Jonathan Groff, see also
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One Jonathan Groff To Live
One More Jonathan Groff To Live
No More Jonathan Groff To Live
Broadway Marathon