Advertisement

How How I Met Your Father connects to the original series

Photo credit: Hulu
Photo credit: Hulu

How I Met Your Father spoilers follow.

Hilary Duff has a story of love to tell in the new Hulu/Disney+ series, How I Met Your Father.

Naturally, as it launches this week, it’s bound to draw comparison to its predecessor, How I Met Your Mother, and questions on how the two shows intersect.

Well, like the cast themselves say, this isn't a straight-up remake, this is a 'sequel' set in the same fictional version of New York.

"People keep referring to the show as a 'reboot', and it's not a reboot," executive producer Isaac Aptaker said.

"It's set in the world of the previous show, but it's really its own thing. That said, we love How I Met Your Mother.

Photo credit: Hulu
Photo credit: Hulu

"There are going to be lots of little rewards for people who love the original if they stick with us."

So naturally, when the first episodes aired… we immediately started looking for the two throwbacks that interconnect the two worlds.

As it turns out, we didn't have to look that far at all before the strings that bind the shows together started showing up.

Here's the callbacks we spotted in the first two episodes alone…

Photo credit: Hulu
Photo credit: Hulu

Hey Beautiful

The first and most obvious nod to the original series is its theme song, 'Hey Beautiful' by The Solids. In the HIMYF version, the male lead singer has been replaced by a female voice instead, with the overall tone sounding a bit more sweet and simple than the original.

But still, it's the iconic theme song and there is absolutely no denying it.

Kids…

The overall narrative structure remains the same as well. An older parent retells their kids a long-winded version of the story of how they met their father/mother.

While in the original series, the late, great Bob Saget's voice was heard off screen as his bored-looking children sat before the camera. Again this is switched.

Now, Kim Cattrall is the mother, who has called in her son on video chat in order to tell her story. Over several bottles of wine, naturally.

Photo credit: Hulu
Photo credit: Hulu

The apartment

Marshall and Lily's apartment in HIMYM provided an important cornerstone for the friendship group's activities, with all of them at some point staying there or even living there for periods of their lives (apart from Barney but… Barney's Barney!)

The HIMYF team keep fans waiting for the entire first episode to see what happens to it, but make no mistake, the apartment is back to provide a new hub for the gang to centre around.

It's been given a little bit of a makeover and decoration following Marshall and Lily moving out, but just like the show, the foundations are still there.

However, unlike before, the apartment will not be as central a feature, with Sophie and best friend Valentina's apartment taking that top spot.

Instead, it's where the boys live, after they "got it for a steal from an old couple on a WesleyAnn alumni group" – presumably Marshall and Lily, as it's the same university they met Ted and "ate a lot of sandwiches" that caused them to suspiciously act like they'd just smoked weed.

Photo credit: Hulu
Photo credit: Hulu

The engagement

Much like the first episode of How I Met Your Mother, How I Met Your Father opens on a hopeful note with a slightly botched engagement. (Getting a champagne cork in your eye will take the romance out of anything.)

In the original, it was Marshall getting down on one knee and proposing to Lily. In the 'sequel' the newly engaged couple is Sid and Hannah, who like their predecessors, met at WesleyAnn. It also goes slightly awry as he tricks her on believing they're heading to a Beyoncé concert when she's not, and then she's forced to leave New York after one of her patients needs life-changing surgery.

Sure it's not quite as comedic, but the beat is still there regardless, and reignites the leading character's (Sophie/Ted) journey to give love a try.

Photo credit: Hulu
Photo credit: Hulu

What's to come

Time will tell if there'll be other callbacks. Though let's face it, seeing as they boys group is directly living above it in the apartment, it'll be a bit of a sin if they don't at least pop in to McLaren's pub for a drink in that iconic booth.

The WesleyAnn connection also opens the door to potential appearances from the original cast too. Though as it stands, it's unlikely, with the original cast on their own paths and in worlds that don't leave much room for a crossover the characters… unless street photographer Sophie starts taking pictures of Ted's buildings, or one of them gets arrested and stands before the supreme court judge Marshall… which in itself would send the show in the kind of darker direction in a twist no-one saw coming.

But in the meantime, it seems like the show wants to stand on its own two feet, and make its way in the big city… even if the fake big city is actually a set in Los Angeles.

How I Met Your Father airs Tuesday nights on Hulu in the US and Wednesdays on Disney+ in the UK.

You Might Also Like