Product Details

• Actors: Jason Segel, Neil Patrick Harris
• Number of discs: 1
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B002N5N4G2
• For more information about "How I Met Your Mother: Season Five [Blu-ray]" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

How I Met Your Mother excels in tossed-off bits of genius, from a saccharine book-on-tape read by Kenny Rogers to "But, uhm" to bagpipes to harmonizing with Will Shortz and Peter Bogdanovich. These little gems of comic absurdity perfectly complement the sitcom's other great strength, which is clever, twisty storytelling--plots that fold back into themselves, unfold in flashbacks, or cross-reference previous episodes. This narrative inventiveness is hardly surprising, given that the premise of the entire series is that it's being told by the future central character, Ted Mosby, to his two children, gradually revealing how he came to marry their mother.

By the fifth season, this premise is growing a little bit threadbare (particularly after some of the red herrings of the past two seasons), yet the show continues to hold abundant pleasures. The cast--Josh Radnor, Cobie Smulders, Alyson Hannigan, Jason Segel, and Neil Patrick Harris--have an effortless lock on their characters, allowing them to pull off some perilously goofy bits that, in less confident hands, could have foundered (a musical homage to wearing suits, for example). The writing is crisp and driven; this half-hour sitcom crams in more plot turns than your average hour-long drama. The fifth season is not good to start with--the humor is much, much stronger if you've grown to love these characters over the previous four seasons--but for everyone who's been following Ted, Robin, Marshall, Lily, and Barney, it's essential viewing. Some surprising moments of melancholy are completely earned and stand out from the typical sitcom overreaching for "significance"; these moments are successfully rooted in the characters, who become more real every season… yes, even Barney. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The story goes on..., June 8, 2010

By 

Ryan Matthews "montvil" (Clifton, NJ, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How I Met Your Mother: Season Five (DVD)

Kids... I hope you brought your notebooks, because the story of how I met your mother is a lot longer than you might think...

You get the feeling with each passing season that Ted Mosby's "story" is not so much about how he met his wife, but a cleverly disguised series of lessons for his adolescent kids as they enter young adulthood. That's not to say his quest for "the one" is actually just a footnote in the story, though. Many of the things Ted learned along the way were directly connected to his search for the elusive Mrs. Mosby. It just so happens that after five seasons, information has leaked regarding the wife's identity, but we've still yet to "meet" her. I know CBS has a good thing going with this show, but I'm wondering how much longer the writers can stall this inevitable meeting without the story becoming completely absurd.

**Possible Spoilers in Next Section**
For HIMYM fans who are drawn in by Ted Mosby's journey to find his soul mate, Season 5 may come as a mild disappointment. The 100th episode was monumental, not just for the show itself, but for fans thirsting for details on the future Mrs. Mosby. However, outside of that episode there was very little advancement made in the whole "meeting your mother" facet of the show. Now for fans who might be more indifferent to the sentimentality of the show, or just have no problem with the stall for the sake of prolonging the series, this is a fantastic season. S5 more than any was centered around Barney Stinson, whose story ranged from serious relationships to sexual escapades more unique and insane than ever before, "The Playbook" (ep.8) and "The Perfect Week" (ep.14) in particular. As simple as it seems, my favorite single moment of the entire series came in the first episode of this season when Ted is teaching his first college class and is panicking because he doesn't know if "professor" has one "f" or two.
The first seven episodes focused mainly on the evolving relationship between Barney and Robin, a real leap of faith taken by the writers given the fact that Barney's "womanizer" status had always been a major theme of the show. Daring as it was, it didn't disrupt the flow of the show and the aftermath made for some hilarious episodes and epic moments.
** ** **

High Points of the Season:
- Barney Stinson's song & dance number in "Girls Versus Suits" (ep.12) (also the 100th episode)
- "The Window" (ep.10) - We all know that one person who is never single
- New York Yankee outfielder Nick Swisher's guest appearance in "The Perfect Week"
- Ted's literal "double" date in "Double Date" (ep.2) displays some of his most endearing... and annoying mannerisms
- "Last Cigarette Ever" (ep.11) for its realistic portrayal of the difficulty in quitting
- Ted makes an impulse purchase in "Home Wreckers" (ep.20)
- We get a full dose of Ted's intellectual side in "Robots Versus Wrestlers" (ep.22)
- The introduction of the doppelgangers and the impact it has over the course of the season
- The yellow umbrella (we assume) makes its way back to its rightful owner in the 100th episode
- The fourth slap in "Slapsgiving 2: Revenge of the Slap" (ep.9)
- Robin's path to U.S. citizenship in "Duel Citizenship" (ep.5)

One of the things I like most about the show is their tendency to bring past themes back to the present. For example, the famous "naked man" routine makes a surprise appearance in Season 5. There are still consistent references to Ted's ex-fiance Stella and even her beau, Tony, makes an unexpected contribution to one episode. Lily can't seem to shake her old flame, Scooter, and Ted unveils the blue french horn one more time.

I honestly don't think the show is declining at all. The amazing thing is that I thought the writers would have trouble coming up with stories for Marshall and Lily once they got married, yet they're still coming up with great ideas for the couple. The originality is bewildering for having written 112 episodes. How I Met Your Mother is still one my favorite shows and I'm looking forward to the 6th season.
* I will update on Special Features, etc. when I buy the DVD set.

Season Grade: A-

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars another great season, September 13, 2011

By 

Manish Mathur - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How I Met Your Mother: Season Five (DVD)

this season was pretty great. some classic episodes like Of Course, Rabbit or Duck, Definitions, Last Cigarette Ever, Jenkins and Doeppelgangers. If you're a fan of the show, you'll love it!

5.0 out of 5 stars One of The Best TV Show Ever!!, January 22, 2012

By 

Pablo Milsztein - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How I Met Your Mother: Season Five (DVD)

I love this show, one of my favorites comedy ever!!
I have All the season on DVD. The Box came in perfect condition!