While the 2000s sitcom is still fantastic, rewatching How I Met Your Mother season 1 can be tricky. In the two decades since the pilot episode premiered in September 2005, we’ve enjoyed catching up with Ted Mosby’s (Josh Radnor) charming friend group, and his story of falling for The Mother is still intriguing, although we know how it ends.
But despite great storylines about friendship and dating, and strong characters like Ted’s big love interest Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders), going back to all 22 episodes of the first season brings up some problems that are hard to brush aside. The sitcom will always be a comforting one to turn to time and again, but it’s definitely not perfect.
Ted’s Search For Love Is More Aggressive Than Romantic
Although the premise of How I Met Your Mother is to explain how Ted falls in love with “The Mother,” he’s pushy and overbearing during his quest for his soulmate. Rather than enjoying his life in the process, Ted seems to hate his single status, and he has an obsessive, one-track mind about dating.
Ted makes some frustrating decisions, from looking at private information in “Matchmaker” to tracking down an ex-girlfriend in “Return of the Shirt.” He also hosts several parties so Robin will hopefully attend, which is obsessive and creepy.
While the show still has a compelling message about how you’ll meet your person when you least expect it, these season 1 storylines fall flat. It would have been better if Ted didn’t act as if getting someone to go on a date with him was a game he had to win.
Marshall And Lily’s Relationship Is Great, But Her Departure Is Abrupt
Marshall Eriksen (Jason Segel) and Lily Aldrin (Alyson Hannigan) are one of the sweetest parts of the sitcom. They understand each other’s quirks, talk about their fears, and have a lot of fun together. That’s why it’s so upsetting when Lily moves to San Francisco in the season 1 finale and doesn’t let Marshall know until it’s too late.
Lily is nervous about marriage and wants to pursue her art dreams, which is understandable and inspiring. But it seems odd that she wouldn’t have an honest conversation with Marshall instead of sending in an application. If she had talked to him about what she was really thinking, he might have reacted better than she expected.
The couple is so solid because they discuss so much, even little things like Lily having never used the bathroom in front of her partner. Lily’s leaving is surprising, but not in a fun, plot twist kind of way.
It would have been possible to change this storyline slightly and still have the same impact. Lily could have told Marshall she wanted to accept the fellowship, and they could have delayed their wedding until afterward.
HIMYM Wants Us To Sympathize With Barney Despite The Awful Things He’s Done
Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) is presented as a funny character who is a good friend to Ted, but while there are many great friendship scenes on the show, Barney says and does a lot of problematic things.
His approach to women is terrible and disrespectful, as he only wants to use them for sex, particularly in season 1. Then, in season 3, he jokes about how he’s “pretty sure I sold a woman.” It’s definitely not funny to laugh at sex trafficking, and even more confusing than this was essentially a throwaway piece of dialogue.
We’re meant to love Barney, but while these moments stood out at the time, they’re even more difficult to accept when rewatching. He could have been presented as a casual dater who is still kind and mature, and when compared to Robin, Marshall, and Lily, it’s hard to like him or think he’s a positive part of the friend group.
Season 1’s Consistent Slut-Shaming & Stigmatizing Sex Workers For Laughs
For a sitcom meant to explore the world of dating, How I Met Your Mother has an aggressive and negative approach to sex and intimacy. Although Barney is the worst offender when it comes to treating women as objects, Ted engages in some slut-shaming, too, and this element of the show is difficult to watch.
From the constant stigmatizing and jokes at the expense of sex workers in “Mary the Paralegal” to the “Slutty Pumpkin” episode, when Ted tries to find a girl he met at a past Halloween who wore the titular costume, it’s a shame that these plotlines were part of the show.
If HIMYM wasn’t going to include a respectful and nuanced portrayal of sex work, this storyline didn’t need to be included. And rather than calling Naomi (Katie Holmes) “slutty,” a non-joke that is used again in season 8’s “The Slutty Pumpkin Returns,” the show could have used another nickname for her that wasn’t offensive.
The Finale Didn’t Live Up To The Strong Pilot And Premise Of Finding The Mother
The How I Met Your Mother pilot is exactly what you want to see: you meet Ted and his close friends and find out that he’s going to share the story of meeting “The Mother.” It’s easy to be curious about her identity and anticipate a great show.
But, even if you loved Ted and Robin’s series finale ending, it’s still considered controversial since we learn that Tracy McConnell (Cristin Milioti) died. Rewatching the first episode only drives home how many people were upset by the conclusion and wanted a different outcome.
When the last episode aired, it was shocking and upsetting, and it’s arguably even more so in hindsight. If a show is going to set up that a main character has found love and is going to share that epic and beautiful story, it’s odd and confusing to kill that love interest off.
Barney’s Use Of “Legendary” Is Repetitive
We know Barney’s catchphrase is “legendary,” but when rewatching season 1, it quickly becomes apparent that he says it so often that it becomes frustrating and boring. Even an early attempt in episode 3, “Sweet Taste of Liberty,” feels like he’s trying too hard to be cool.
When Barney tells Ted, “This is gonna be legend… wait for it, and I hope you’re not lactose-intolerant ’cause the second half of that word is… dairy!” Ted isn’t thrilled, and that’s our reaction, too.
The more Barney says it, the harder it is to believe that this word was added so many times into the show. And since “legendary” is so present throughout all nine seasons, it quickly gets old. Other sitcom catchphrases, like Joey Tribbiani’s (Matt LeBlanc) “How you doin’?” are funny and become a big part of popular culture.
But Joey’s feels innocent and funny, and Barney’s is just irritating. How I Met Your Mother has some great pieces of dialogue, especially when Lily and Marshall banter or he shares his realistic fears about job hunting. But Barney’s constant use of “legendary” isn’t enjoyable.
Robin Is Shown As A “Pick Me Girl” Rather Than The Complex Character She Is
Robin is a fantastic, strong, and smart character, but the show often depicts her as a “pick me girl” who wants to be liked and cares about other people’s opinions. There are hints at a layered character arc, as she is honest about her desire not to have children, and she isn’t sure that she wants to get married.
But, rather than celebrating her as someone who knows exactly who she is and also for being an ambitious reporter, the sitcom pokes fun at Robin’s job. This starts as early as season 1 when Barney dares Robin to make strange comments during a broadcast. It’s too bad, as there was room for many more positive storylines about Robin’s life.
The Beginning Of Robin And Lily’s Friendship Is Disappointing
While Robin and Lily become close friends, the start of their friendship is rocky and strange. They go to a bar, and Lily is envious because men like Robin and think she’s attractive. Why not focus on the characters bonding and share what they each bring to the friendship instead?
The show could have used this dynamic as an opportunity to explore how great and fulfilling it is when, as an adult, you meet a new person and connect with them. Instead, the focus is on their looks.