#TBT How I Met Your Mother Review

First watched in: 2014

Readers, this post is a review. A review of How I Met Your Mother.

How I Met Your Mother is a sitcom that is what it sounds like: a man telling his two kids how he met their mother. Of course it takes 9 seasons to get around to it, but you can tell yourself it’s all worth it in the end. It’s really just following along five friends in New York City as they struggle with adulthood, relationships, jobs, and life. Yeah, I know that sounds familiar (*clap clap clap clap*). You can compare Friends and HIMYM all you like, but they have some key differences (and I definitely prefer HIMYM).

My favorite part about the show is how unique it is in its form of storytelling. There are many times there are stories within stories, flashbacks, flashforwards, little foreshadowing hints throughout an entire season, and even examples of characters recounting events in different ways. It really feels like someone is telling you a story, and on rewatches I can appreciate the crazy amount of continuity. If he says something happened 2 years before it did, you can be sure that 2 years later he will get around to sharing that story. There were only a handful of loose threads at the end of it all.

Another thing that draws you in are the characters. Sure, they may start a little stereotypical, but by the end of it all you have gone on a 9 year journey with them and they have definitely grown up. They all go through things you have gone through or imagine you will, and you can easily relate to them. They all have catchphrases and mannerisms and personal touches that make them easily recognizable. There are also many running jokes and stories, such as The Slap Bet, which make for funny additions to any story.

Since this is a story, there is also a small bit of the fantastical mixed into it. Some things are overdramatic or glossed over, things that shouldn’t be possible in the real world but we’re working with it for the sake of this story. I often found this very funny, instead of annoying; it’s a story, so it doesn’t have to be completely realistic.

A final thing I really enjoyed about the show was the amount of music in it. 4 of the 5 main actors could sing, and the creators took advantage of that by giving them little musical numbers that both worked in context and out of context. I always enjoy a little bit of surprise music in the shows I watch.

HIMYM is the show I continually turn back to when I need some cheering up. Give it a watch, and hopefully it does the same to you.

Will I watch again? Yes