Do not make the mistake of thinking How I Met Your Mother is a love story.
It is a story about friendship.
It is a story about growing up.
CBS
It is a story about figuring out what matters most to you.
How I Met Your Mothertakes storytelling to an entirely new level.
This provides unique storytelling opportunities.
There is an episode where an old flame is referred to asBlah-Blahbecause Ted cannot remember her real name.
There are moments where curse words are substituted for keep the story PG-rated for his children.
There are similar moments where characters are shown eating sandwiches as a substitute for smoking marijuana.
It relied on never-before-used techniques so that thwart expectations and create unexpected twists.
In a surprisingly dark episode, Marshall and Lily try for a baby.
In the first scene, the number 50 is seen on a pamphlet at their doctors office.
Throughout the episode, a countdown continues in the background that is impossible for viewers to miss.
A 48 appears on a bottle of hot sauce.
A 36 appears on a beer.
A 21 appears on a calendar.
The countdown continues until Lily arrives in a cab marked with a 1.
Instead (SPOILER ALERT), it is revealed Marshalls father passed away from a heart attack.
The episode ends with anexpired signon a parking meter.
There are similar episodes-with-a-twist where the viewer is led to an inaccurate assumption.
How I Met Your Motheris never predictable.
Even though the show is marketed as a sitcom, it never shies away from tough moments.
The show deals with death, with infertility, with abandonment, and with deportation.
This show blurs genres.
He spends multiple episodes searching for his birth father.
When they finally reunite, they endure a heated conversation better fit for a drama than a sitcom.
In almost every episode, the comedy is broken up with tiny bits of deep, inspirational advice.
Here are some of the most eye-openingquotesthrown amongst the humor:
You cant cling to the past.
Because no matter how tightly you hold on, its already gone.
Shouldnt we hold out for the person who doesnt just tolerate our little quirks but actually kinda likes them?
Every single character onHow I Met Your Motherhas layers.
They are more than what they originally appear.
Even more importantly, the entire cast has chemistry.
The characters are likable.
They are fun to watch.
Part of this has to do with the writers.
They loved spending time together and it translates onscreen.
Do not make the mistake of thinkingHow I Met Your Motheris a love story.
It is a story about friendship.
It is a story about growing up.
It is a story about figuring out what matters most to you.
How I Met Your Motherchanged the way stories could be told on television.
It created an entirely new definition of what asitcomcan mean.
