Top 10 HIMYM References in How I Met Your Father
#10: Marine Biologists
Within the first few minutes of “How I Met Your Father” there were already several nods to the original, some of which we’ll get to later. But to kick off our list, we spotted a double reference when Sophie is texting her recent Tinder date, Ian. WHen asked about his job, Ian responds. In season six of the original, Ted calls out Robin about a date she had with a marine biologist. In an awkward situation, she hadn’t believed a word he said about going to the North Pole, thinking it was a made up place, much like how Sophie agrees that Ian’s job sounds fake. Furthermore, the infamous “Sexy Pumpkin” was also a marine biologist.
#9: Proposal In The First Episode
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After the narrator’s introduction, the very first words spoken on HIMYM came from Marshall. This practice run on Ted was followed up by the real deal later on in the episode. In the pilot for “How I Met Your Father,” we first encounter young Sophie as she gets into an Uber and meets Sid and Jesse. Sid goes on to tell her all about his girlfriend Hannah and his proposal plan, which of course, he goes through with later that night. Thankfully this time no one almost lost an eye over a champagne cork, but Hannah did splash her drink in Sid’s face by accident.
#8: Let's Be Friends
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Ted’s journey to find the mother all started with Robin. Despite there being an attraction between them, she kiboshed any talk of serious romance early on. And as much as it sucks to be friendzoned, it’s all too common. Such was the case for Sophie and Jesse. Jesse had previously been through a very uncomfortable, very public breakup with his girlfriend. After thinking he was supposed to be set up on a date with Soph, Jesse got his hopes up, only to have them dashed when he learns she’s still hung up on another guy. The two agree that they’re both a mess, and Sophie suggests trying to be just friends. Only time will tell if the two end up romantically entangled.
#7: Character Sings All The Time
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Given how much musical talent Jason Segel has, it’s no wonder the HIMYM creators had him singing so often. It even came up in the season three episode “Spoiler Alert,” when everyone realized how often he gave musical accompaniment to the most mundane things. With Hillary Duff’s long musical career, there was never any doubt that her singing would likewise come into the show eventually, but we didn’t expect it so soon. In episode two, we see Sophie repeatedly singing along to the 2001 Train hit in an effort to melt her sorrows away. There is, however, a sweet touch at the end when we come to find out Jesse turns to the same song for consolation.
#6: A Missed Kiss
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In the original show, Ted had two chances to kiss Robin on their first date and despite the signs being there, he didn’t take the leap. He regretted his lapse in courage, and years later found out she had indeed wanted him to kiss her. A nice reference to this moment also came in the pilot for “How I Met Your Father.” As Sophie’s date with Ian comes to an end, the attraction between them is obvious. Though Sophie definitely reciprocates his feelings, she can’t get past the fact that he’s soon moving to Australia. Instead she gently puts the brakes on. It’s certainly a nod to the original Ted and Robin moment but spun just enough to make it different.
#5: Finding Love After One Date
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What’s one guaranteed way to kill the mood of a perfect first date? Get way too serious way too soon. Ted learned that the hard way while dancing with Robin in her apartment. After a single date, he somehow thought she was “the one.” Sophie met Ian through Tinder and after countless texts, she finally gets a face to face date with him, an event that she looks forward to with a sense of destiny. Based on just this one interaction alone, we can clearly see the resemblance between Sophie and Ted. Maybe if Tracy hadn’t been Ted’s real “one,” these two could have been a perfect match.
#4: A Future Living Narrator
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Ok, even we can admit this one is pretty obvious. The entire basis for the original show was future Ted telling his kids the story of how he met their mother. Although flashbacks have been used in countless TV shows and movies, this was certainly a new way to frame the storytelling in a sitcom. So when “How I Met Your Father” first opens and we see Kim Cattrall talking to her son, we already know where this is going. The nice change in this version is that we don’t get to see the kids at all, and the narrator is front and center. Only time will tell if this switch up works as well as its predecessor.
#3: Catchphrases / Sayings
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Come on! Have you met my legen, wait for it… dary friend Ted? If there’s one thing HIMYM gave fans, it was countless catchphrases, sayings, and quips that we’ve been reciting ever since. It was a major staple of the long-running series, so it only seemed natural that “How I Met Your Father” would follow in its footsteps. As Sophie sits at the bar talking to Jesse, she confuses him with the use of the term “Brooklyn Bridge girl.” It’s the first time we hear one of the characters use some kind of catch phrase or saying that seems to be unique to them. Here’s hoping for many more.
#2: Same Theme Song
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Have you ever heard of the band “The Solids?” HIMYM creators Carter Bays & Craig Thomas formed the band and used a portion of one of their songs as the theme to their show. Another clear nod to the original, “How I Met Your Father” leverages the same theme song, with a twist. In the same vein as the show’s female perspective, this new interpretation of the intro is sung by a woman named Lennon Stella. Both versions of the song are great, but we love how the new one conveys far more femininity than the original, lining up perfectly with the tone of the show.
#1: Bought The Apartment From An Old Couple
Aside from our previous entry, there’s not much on this list that was obvious enough to connect this show directly to the original. That is until Sid opened the door to his apartment. As the gang enters, we see something very familiar. It’s the very apartment the entire first series took place in. Between Jesse’s comments about who sold them the apartment, and the two swords hung on the wall, it’s clear they’re sitting in Ted & Marshall’s apartment. Not only does it pay tribute to the original, it also confirms that Sophie’s New York is the same as Ted’s. With MacLaren’s Pub just downstairs, who knows what we might see in a future episode.
