"How I Met Your Mother" Mondays

"Kids, I'm gonna tell you an incredible story..."

It's now been over 2 years since my favorite TV show of all-time, How I Met Your Mother, aired its final episode. But thanks to syndication, and especially to FX, it is never off the air. I own the entire series on DVD, and I can watch every season over and over again without growing weary of the great comedy and friendships shared by Ted, Robin, Barney, Marshall & Lilly. I read recently that McGee's in Manhattan, the bar that was the inspiration for McClaren's (featured in nearly every episode of HIMYM), still changes there menu every Monday (the night the show aired for 9 seasons) to feature themed items that celebrate the series. I recently re-watched the final season again and was amazed at how emotional it still makes me. These things combined to inspire me to write a series of posts about the show to be featured on Mondays here on the blog. So welcome to the first HIMYM Monday!

Each week I will attempt to capture the true spirit of the show and explain some of its lasting influence on my my heart. There will be flashbacks to entire episodes and to brief moments in time. There will be exploration of some of the ancillary characters who helped make the series feel so real. There will be lists of things that should not be forgotten and favorite things that never will be. Friends, it was would be a stretch to say that anyone I know has been asking for this series of posts. But I need to write it. So I trust you will enjoy reading along.

Today, I want to share some words I wrote in the final days of the original 9 year run of HIMYM. It explains why the show mattered to me, and why it is my favorite. It seems like a great jumping off place and an easy way to let you know the WHY of my need to write about this show. This is from March 31, 2014- the day the series ended.

You see, HIMYM has been the rarest of TV shows- 9 years with the same cast, the same writers, the same director and the same story line. It has more continuity than any show I have ever watched. Just this past week I watched the pilot immediately after watching the most recent episode, and they feel completely connected- 206 shows later. Plus (as I have written here before) HIMYM has always rewarded faithful viewers with inside jokes and references. And nowhere has that been more evident than in this final season. Every show has been a treat for those of us who have watched faithfully, full of little things that let us know the writers remember us. It is brilliant. And it makes HIMYM my favorite show ever. Sorry, Seinfeld.

So as we say farewell, HIMYMers will remember the classic moments that will stay with us long after the show is gone. We will always suit up, always give high fives and never forget to be legen...wait for it!- dary. We will fear the cockamouse while believing that Nessie is a gentle creature, and that Sasquatch is very real. We will continue to search old music stores for vintage Robin Sparkles vinyls. We will treasure last words and understand the importance of being there when friends are hurting- even if it means dancing Christmas lights set to AC/CD music. We will occasionally hum Bang, Bang, Bangity Bang and Marshall Vs. the Machines. And I, for one, will have Nothing Suits Me Like a Suit as my default ringtone. We'll remember that we have indeed met Ted, that nothing good happens after 2 am, that new is NOT always better and that most anything can be "the dream." We will remember the crazy eyes and that there is a "hot/crazy scale." We will still be expecting one more slap to finish off the bet. We will remember that nothing is more romantic than stealing a blue French horn for a girl the first night you go out, throwing 3 parties in 3 days just to see her again, or making it rain (by doing a rain dance!) so you can get together with her again. And most of all, we will remember that nothing we do in life is legendary unless our friends are there to see it. To call this show a comedy is to miss out on the many dramatic moments and life lessons that have been offered up along the way. To not see it as a comedy is to miss 9 years of hilarity. HIMYM is the complete package.

If all of that is nonsense to your brain, then come back every Monday and learn about the wonders of HIMYM. If that started your heart on a trip down memory lane...then ditto. Join me next week and we'll explore what has, with the passage of time, become my favorite episode, complete with the ultimate definition of romantic love. See you at Sunrise. You don't think I can write about the show most every week for a few months? Challenge accepted!!!