Let me start off by saying that I am a hardcore Friends fan. For this reason, I’ve always avoided watching How I Met Your Mother. On the surface, it looks like an exact copy of Friends – it’s set in New York, follows a group of young people in the same friend group and the coffeehouse Central Perk is replaced by the bar MacLaren’s. I didn’t want to seem like a disloyal Friends fan by watching How I Met Your Mother, but when Friends got taken off Netflix I knew I had to find a new sitcom. I started watching in January and I’m already on season four. I think that’s a good indicator of what I think about the show so far, but I wanted to dive into my thoughts on the main characters so far.
Ted
Ted is honestly what every relationship girl is looking for. That’s why I feel bad for him because he always has girl troubles. I know that it’s part of the storyline that he’s supposed to go from girl to girl until he finds his wife and the mother of his children, but the guy’s luck always seems to be running out. All he does is put himself out there and he always gets shot down. Granted, I think I would also run in the opposite direction if a guy told me that he loved me on the first date, but you have to give him credit for being brave, right? I also love Ted and Marshall’s relationship. That kind of friendship (the ones where you can have telepathic conversations) is something so rare. Finally, even though the other characters think Ted’s nerdiness is annoying, I think it’s hilarious and makes him more loveable.
Barney
The show gives us every reason to hate the guy right off the bat – he’s annoying, loud, mean, terrible to women for the most part and a greedy businessman. However, once we learn that he actually has a heart, we can’t deny that he’s kind of awesome. I think that everyone needs a friend like Barney because after you put aside all the stupid things he does, his main objective is to help his friends reach their full potential. He achieves this in nonconventional ways, but he’s always pushing his friends to get out of their comfort zones. That is what you might call a legend … wait for it… dary friend!
Robin
I hate all the trash talk that is thrown at Robin for being a Canadian. In my opinion, all the stereotypes are overexerted, even by Robin herself. I know that this is just part of the show and it makes me laugh most of the time, but it also makes me think about the fact that some Americans truly don’t know much about Canada. I just hope that Americans who watch the show don’t believe some of the downright falsehoods they say about Canada. Other than her Canadian background, Robin is a complex character who brings a lot to the show. She is a great example of a woman who is career-focused, driven and doesn’t need a man to complete her. I love this about Robin, but I also think that she would like to settle down with a husband and family eventually. I do like her and Ted together, so it was a bit sad when we knew they weren’t going to end up together at the end of episode one. I know they want different things out of life and if they both never change their minds about that, their relationship would have not worked out. I think their breakup was for the best… unless they get back together at some point (I honestly have no idea what happens in the rest of the show and how it ends).
Lily and Marshall
I need to put Lily and Marshall in the same paragraph because that’s how they should be thought about – together. They are hands down one of the best couples on television. I love the fact that they are so in love but best friends too. In a couple like that, it’s also a given that they have no secrets and share everything with each other, which makes for some funny television. Marshall is an amazing man who loves his wife unconditionally. Between his jokes, love for the environment and teddy bear vibes, he’s such a loveable character. Lily’s fiery personality, life lessons from her kindergarten class and hilarious ability not to keep secrets makes her a character that you fall in love with quickly. Long story short, I love Marshall and Lily as individuals but they’re better together than apart.
So if you can’t tell by now, I’m obsessed with this show. I love how I can watch an episode as a quick break because they are only 20 minutes long. I’m always guaranteed to laugh and the storylines make me want to keep watching more.