Ted Mosby, a father of two teenagers, wants to tell his children the story of how he met their mother. As young architect in New York in the 2000’s, he was desperate to meet the love of his life. Too desperate, maybe… When he met Robin, a Canadian girl freshly arrived, he told her “I love you” on their first date and frightened her. He was a nice guy, though. Clumsy, shy, but nice, and with a band of friends whom Robin, still attached to the young fool, joined. There was Marshall, Ted’s best friend since college, a lawyer; Lily, a kindergarten teacher, Marshall’s girlfriend since college too, now his fiancée; and Barney, a womanizer obsessed with having sex with attractive women, and disgusted by any emotional commitment (or so he claimed). They met everyday at Mac Larren’s pub, and went together through the trials and tribulations of young adult’s life.
It’s gonna be legen -wait for it- dary !
Let’s cut to the chase: the series best asset is Barney’s character (played by Neil Patrick Harris). I can only regret that the other characters aren’t crazy enough, too “normal”. Barney may be politically incorrect now, and I say that as a feminist, but still, he is the most interesting character. His addiction to seducing women reveals a frailty coming from a childhood without a father. He is cynical, wields biting irony, and gets the best dialogue lines ! Because therein lies the series’ other strong point: the dialogue. No sitcom can succeed without funny, punchy, intelligent dialogue. The situations are funny and evocative for anyone who has lived through their thirties. We can’t help but enjoy following this merry band as they embark on their young-adult adventures.
Oh, and if you want to know how Ted met his wife, then you’ll have to be very patient… Or jump to episode 16, season 9 !
9 seasons, 208 episodes (20 mn), 2005-2014, on CBS, now on Disney+
Spin-off : How I met your father
WITH : Josh Radnor as Ted Mosby, Jason Segel as Marshall Eriksen, Alyson Hannigan (seen in Buffy) as Lily Aldrin, Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson, Cobie Smulders as Robin Scherbatsky, David Henrie (the wizards of Waverly place) as Ted’s son, Lyndsy Fonseca as Ted’s daughter, Wayne Brady as James Stinson, Marshall Manesh as Ranjit
The girlfriends, boyfriends… Ashley Williams as Victoria, Sarah Chalke as Stella, Jennifer Morrison as Zoey, Becki Newton as Quinn, Kyle MacLachlan (desperate housewives) as the captain, Cristin Milioti as Ted’s wife, Michael Trucco as Nick…
Guests : Bill Clinton, Jane Seymour, Bob Barker, Enrique Iglesias, John Cho, Heidi Klum, Miranda Kerr, Kim Kardashian
Catchphrases : “I only have one rule”, “wait for it”, “legendary”, “awesome”, “suit up”, “what up?”, “challenge accepted”, “have you met Ted?” (Barney), “I’ll allow it” (Marshall), “but um…” (Robin)