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Jake Fowler
Professor Meyer
English 101
28 October 2015
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother, had its first airing episode in September of
2005, a heartfelt comedy television series, many people believed it was a
playoff of Friends, but it turned out to be so much more. After the first
season, the infamous TV show took America by storm, with its original ideas
and diverse characters. This amazing TV series has given Americans millions
of laughs and has brought everyone together. It took the viewer away from
their regular lives and into the interesting and comical lives of five friends in
New York City. From the very first episode, till the finale, the viewer is hooked
to the show by the mystery, comedy, and intrigue that the show exhibits.
The major topics of appraisal or in some cases scrutiny were: the near
perfect casting and their unique portrayal of the characters, the genius and
mystery behind the plot, the debatable and somewhat bland ending, and the
diversity and expert writing of the characters
Josh Radnor (Ted Mosby), Neil Patrick Harris (Barney Stinson), Jason
Segal (Marshall Erickson), Cobie Smulders (Robin Scherbatsky), and Allison
Hannigan (Lily Aldrin) each showed their paramount ability to act in How I
Met Your Mother. Although all casting in the show was great there was two
that really stood out above the rest. Even though all actors were experts in

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their craft, Neil Patrick Harris especially brings his character to life. Playing
the role of Barney Stinson, Neil adds a lot of humor and heart to the part.
Barney is portrayed as a fun loving, rich, young player, for most of the show.
There are also more dramatic parts of Barneys personality such as his fears,
hopes, and aspirations, which adds to the overall character. Another
unbelievable actor in How I Met Your Mother is Jason Segal. Jason plays the
role of Marshall Erickson in the show, he really embraces the role and acts it
to perfection. Marshall is portrayed as a small town kid embracing the big
world of New York City and throughout the seasons the nave young man
grows wiser and learns through his mistakes in an unrelenting city. Jason
plays this role nearly flawlessly, he makes the viewers seem as if there is no
Jason Segal, just Marshall Erickson. He plays out the comedy, drama,
passion, and love that the writers imagined for the character of Marshall.
Other than the two actors highlighted the rest of the casts acting really
brought the whole show full circle, in the sense that the actors acted the
same way in and out of scenes, they all lived out the roles.
A vital part of a spectacular show, the acting in How I Met Your Mother
is top notch and all actors should be applauded on their take of the roles and
portrayal of them. Although the actors were extraordinary, the script for the
characters and the overall story was a vast piece of the shows success.
The overall story or plot of How I Met Your Mother is very profound. It is
comparable to a complex puzzle, every episode adds a small piece to the
puzzle and by the final episode the overall picture is seen. This is an

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ingenious technique enacted by the writers of the show and it is expertly
played out throughout the series. It really entrances the viewer with its small
clues about who the mother is throughout the series. Also, the writers did a
good job with the narration in the story line. The main character, Ted Mosby,
narrates in the episodes to give the the sense that Ted is telling this story
to his kids in a future setting. This really adds to the mystique of the story
because the audience sees what his kids look like throughout the show, but
the writers never give away anything about the mother. In addition, the plot
is profound because gradually the writers bring the characters closer
together using the story, each episode brings conflict and resolution which
help the characters grow closer together. This complex nine season
extravagant story really entrances the viewer and brings him/her closer to
the show. Overall, the story is a very effective part of the series and it helps
both the casting and the viewers become more connected and enjoy the
show more. The only flaw to a flawless plot was the series finale, airing in
May of 2014.
The biggest debatable part of How I Met Your Mother is the series
finale. During the entire show they had hinted at the mother, called her the
love of Teds life, and made the viewer think that in the finale it would all
work out like a childhood fairytale. The reality was quite different in the last
episode. In the finale, Ted meets the mother Tracy McConnell (Cristin Miloti)
at a wedding and they hit it off instantly. They fast forward to when Ted and
Tracy get married, and fast forward again to when they have kids. They play

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various scenes from the other characters lives and as of now everything
seems okay, the writers could have stopped the finale and the viewers would
have been appeased with it. But, thats not what happened. The scene skips
forwards another couple years into the future and Tracy gets sick and dies.
This mere aspect ruined it for all viewers and critics, they spent nine seasons
making this show great and building it up to a fantastic reveal/finale, then
the biggest part of How I Met Your Mother, the mother, dies. No resolution,
no running off into the sunset, no happy ending, nothing.
However, in an attempt to try to give the audience what was
previously achieved twenty minutes into the final episode and later lost, the
writers threw in one final twist in the plot. In the finale, Ted ends up trying to
win back the girl whom he met, dated, broke up with, and abandoned, Robin.
This was really frustrating to most of the viewers. After all this time after
everything that had happened, Ted tries to win Robin back in the final part of
the concluding episode. The writers had an explanation for this twist in the
story though. Oddly enough, the actors playing Ted and Robin, Josh Radnor
and Cobie Smulders, had impeccable chemistry on set and they wanted to
show the country the phenomenal acting that was occurring. A director
states, We love watching Josh and Cobie together Its like, theyll do a
scene and well get misty and say, Can you do that one more time? We want
to see it again. (Sepinwall) Thus, the directors and writers thought that,
since they had chemistry on set, the plot should reflect the same emotions.
The finale was not effective or successful at all, but most people just put that

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out of their minds since the rest of the show was so breathtaking, especially
the unique personalities and attributes given to the characters.
The Characters in How I Met Your Mother were phenomenal, they all
had very diverse and unique personalities and it really made the show more
realistic. The characters really brought the show together as a whole and
they helped viewers connect to the show on multiple levels. Every character
in the show is both extremely hilarious and sincere while they go through
different experiences in their lives in NYC. The funniest and most profound
relationship is the bond between Ted and Marshall. Throughout the show, Ted
and Marshall grow closer as friends while maintaining they amusing attitudes
towards each other. In some points in the show the viewer really feels
connected to this pair, due to the fact that everyone has had a really close
friend at some point and they can relate. For example, in season 3 of the
show, Ted and Marshall go on a road trip and they really show the extent of
their friendship throughout the drive. Singing songs, peeing in bottles,
playing road trip games, the two best friends solidify their relationship and
the viewer can somewhat relate.
The characters add value to the show, in the sense that they make the
viewers think they are just watching a close group of friends go throughout
their daily activities and events. There are parts that are more or less
serious, but overall the characters really make the show connectable to
viewers. The viewers feel as if they had known the characters even before
they started the series. But with any group of friends comes clashing

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personalities and this is also true in How I Met Your Mother. At times in the
TV series, personalities clash towards each other, which only adds to the
realism of the series. A great example of this is the clash between Barney
and everyone, at some point. Barney is the black sheep of the group and
with his stay young and party hard personality every character and some
point in the show was fed up and conflict arises. In almost every season,
there is at least one episode where Barney wants to play laser tag with his
friends and being in their late twenties nobody agrees to go. This shows the
extent of Barneys younger personality and interests, most of which conflict
with the groups overall attitudes and interests. Yet, as the show matures
Barney matures as well, by the 6th season he follows in the footsteps of his
friends and tries to settle down with a soul mate. The drama is real and when
the five friends eventually make up, viewers feel as if their own life is coming
together as well. To sum things up, the characters in How I Met Your Mother
are the reason the show survived and thrived. Although some episodes add
more to the overall plot, the characters make the show not only great, but
profound. All of them add a little something to the series and they all
contribute equally. With clashing personalities, they shouldnt fit together as
a group, but do. As the series matures, character lessons become more
profound and they really bring the show together as a story.
How I Met Your Mother, the story of friends, relationships, experiences,
trials, was debatably one of the greatest cinematic experiences of the twenty
first century. It brought Americans laughs, drama, and happiness through the

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ingenious plot, diverse characters, and top notch casting. It truly was a light
in millions of lives and although the ending didnt quite bring a sense relief,
the show took people away from their own lives and transported them into
the lives of the characters. A bucket list show, How I Met Your Mother, truly
deserves astronomical recognition and respect for perfectly portraying
emotions, comedy, and drama in the lives of the characters.

Works Cited
Sepinwall, Alan. "Series Finale Review: 'How I Met Your Mother' - 'Last
Forever'" HitFix. Hit Fix,
31 Mar. 2014. Web. 27 Oct. 2015.

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