In prestige television, serious shows can weave a nuanced portrayal of distinct characters over an hour. For a 20-minute sitcom, this isn't as easy. Episode 4, "Pathetic Deirdre," employs three separate storylines, which made Redditors feel claustrophobic.
"Didn't HIMYM usually follow only two storylines per episode at most? Sometimes only one!" u/pkfreezer noted. The episode begins with Ellen (Tien Tran) starting her new job. This causes Sophie and Valentina (Francia Raisa) to feel insecure that they haven't found success. The episode follows Sophie and Valerie seeking out an old friend, as well as Ellen's time at work. But there is also a third plotline that involves Jesse, who publicly reconciles with opportunistic musician girlfriend Meredith (Leighton Meester) via social media. Unfortunately, not all plotlines can be serviced, and there is always the weakest link.
"I kinda wish they split the Ellen [story] into two episodes," posted u/Justalittleconfusing. "It was all good and I enjoyed the actress, just ran a little long because they did too much with it." What could have been an interesting examination of Jesse's relationship with Meredith ultimately falls by the wayside. Even though it's obvious she only got back together with him to boost her music sales, Jesse refuses to see it and takes it out on Sid (Suraj Sharma).
U/Elijah_Cool hit the nail on the head of the issue, stating: "it doesnt allow any of [the plotlines] to go on long enough to be satisfying or memorable."
