ext_2276 ([identity profile] azarsuerte.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] crack_van2009-01-16 08:42 pm

How I Met Your Mother - overview

Hello, all! I'm your small-fandom driver for the month (sorry for getting such a late start), here to share with you the wacky but wonderful world of (IMO) TV's funniest sitcom, How I Met Your Mother. Sorry it's so late, but RL intervened. I'm kicking myself I didn't get it up in time for Collisions yesterday, though. Ah well. :-\



Okay, so how to explain How I Met Your Mother?

In short, it's a story told in the future about events that happen in the present. The main character is Ted Mosby: in the future, a happily married father of two boring his kids out of their skulls by relating to them the long, roundabout tale of how he became the person he needed to be in order to find, marry, and live happily ever after with their mother. In the present, he's an overly-romantic single on the prowl for the love of his life, surrounded by a group of eccentric friends.

It's this told-from-the-future device that gives HIMYM its most unique characteristic: the shameless, continuity-error-redeeming use of the unreliable narrator device. Sometimes it's deliberate (Ted will get around admitting to his kids that he used drugs by use of a transparent euphemism) and sometimes it's accidental (such as when Ted forgetting a character in the tale resulted in a hilarious sequence of several seasons-old scenes being re-interpreted to include said character).


The Characters: Regulars



Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor - present/Bob Saget - future) - In the present day, Ted is a just-turned-thirty single architect looking for love in all the (so far) wrong places. He's a romantic who wants nothing more than to find his soulmate, settle down and have kids, but in spite of that still has a lot to learn about life and love. Ted has a tendency to either a) overthink things or b) rush into things, both of which get him into all sorts of trouble. Ultimately, though, most of the time he's a genuinely nice guy that it's easy to root for.




Marshall Eriksen (Jason Segel) - A married (as of the end of S2) lawyer (ditto), overgrown teddy bear and rather charming conspiracy theorist, Marshall has been Ted's best friend since college, when they were roommates. He seems like a total pushover (likes fruity drinks, brunch, etc.) but it's never a good idea to forget that Marshall grew up with several brothers and is tougher than he looks. Particularly when a slap bet is involved, although most of the time he would rather use his knowledge of the law to fight his battles with words, not fists.




Lily Aldrin (Alyson Hanigan) - A kindergarten teacher and compulsive shopaholic, Lily has known Marshall and Ted only a day or so less than they've known each other, and has been together with Marshall nearly as long. Because of this, she went through a (thankfully) brief period at the end of season 1, beginning of season 2 where she freaked out about all the things she *hadn't* done with her life, left Marshall and moved to San Francisco. Despite having been the "third Musketeer" for so long, Lily was very happy when Robin joined the group, since she missed having a female best friend.




Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders) - A Canadian import, Robin has worked as a reporter and news anchor until recently becoming unemployed. She was the red herring in the pilot (it was all about how Ted met her and fell head over heels at first sight) but has since become an integral part of the group on her own. As shy of marriage and kids as Ted is into them, this eventually became the fatal flaw in what at first appeared to be the perfect relationship, if you don't count that Robin was hiding her fondness for cigars, guns, et al. from a less enthusiastic Ted. Has a secret past as a teen pop star.


and last but most assuredly NOT least...



Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) - Nobody knows what Barney does for a living, but that's almost irrelevant since he defines himself much more by his social life. Barney is the opposite end of the spectrum from Marshall--the consummate bachelor, addicted to suits, scotch and sex and most known for his catchphrases and his hilariously outrageous schemes for picking up women. In spite of that, Barney hides a romantic side of his own that has been buried since he lost his first girlfriend, but is starting to peek out again thanks to a certain twist towards the end of season 3.


The Characters: other names you might need to know

Victoria (Ashley Williams) - Met Ted at a wedding where she provided the cake and they embarked on a short but passionate relationship. It ended when she got a job in Germany and Ted discovered that Robin *did* have feelings for him after all, but many fans still have hopes that Victoria may yet return and turn out to be the titular mother.

Stella Zinman (Sarah Chalke) - A doctor and single mother whom Ted fell in love with when he went to her to have a tattoo removed. Despite a busy schedule that didn't allow her much time to date, she and Ted became serious very quickly, so much so that Ted proposed after only three months. Stella, however, turned out to have lingering feelings for the father of her daughter, and wound up leaving Ted at the altar, proving she is not the mother.

James Stinson (Wayne Brady) - Barney's brother who is exactly like him...except he's gay. Oh, yeah, and black too. Barney's mentor in the ways of awesomeness and bachelorhood, James has since succumbed to the lure of romance, fallen in love, married and adopted a son with his partner, something Barney considered a betrayal at first but eventually learned to accept.

Ranjit (Marshall Manesh) - A cab-slash-limo driver who turns up from time to time. Practically one of the gang after having been privy to some of their zaniest schemes and craziest evenings.

Brad (Joe Manganiello) - A friend of Marshall's from law school with whom he briefly had a strange, homosocial relationship after both of them had recently broken up with their respective girlfriends. He reappeared as a groomsman at Marshall and Lily's wedding.

Alfred and Virginia Mosby (Michael Gross and Cristine Rose) - Ted's parents, who have a tendency not to want to talk to people about things they think will upset them. Like not telling Ted that they'd been divorced for five years and that Virginia was seeing someone else.

Heather Mosby (Erin Cahill) - Ted's sister who has always been a little bit irresponsible. Barney's made a point over the years of rubbing Ted's face in how much he finds her attractive, which causes problems when Heather moves to New York.

Katie Scherbatsky (Lucy Hale) - Robin's baby sister, who comes to New York to lose her virginity, but Ted, much to Robin's relief, manages to talk her out of it.

Wendy the Waitress (Charlene Amoia) - Waitress at the gang's favorite hangout, McLaren's Bar. Barney slept with her then dumped her, resulting in him coming up with the Platinum Rule that you should never date someone you'll have to see again after you break up.

Carl (Joe Nieves) - Bartender at McLaren's.

Lucy Zinman (Darcy Rose Byrnes) - Stella's daughter.

The Eriksens - Marshall's family. All pretty much exactly like Marshall: tall and crazy. ;-)

Ted's son and daughter - never named (David Henrie and Lyndsy Fonseca) - The victim's of future!Ted's neverending storytelling jag.


The 'Ships: Canon

Marshall/Lily - Together since freshman year of college (with the exception of Lily's summer in San Francisco and a month or two after her return to New York), Marshall and Lily are the constant of the series. There's not a lot of fanfic for them, probably because most of their big moments have been covered in canon--including a few that Ted was present for despite wishing he wasn't. *grin*

Ted/Robin - During season 1, it seemed impossible that Robin could *not* be the mother, due to the smoking hot chemistry between her and Ted. But, once they got together, the relationship started to show cracks and eventually ended. Robin and Ted are now in a place where they are finally comfortable with being just friends and roommates, though they did have a brief flirtation with being "friends with benefits" in the most recent episode.

Ted/Victoria - Short but sweet, the main problem with the Ted/Victoria relationship was that Ted still wasn't really over Robin. It would be interesting to see how things would go with them if she ever returned from Germany.

Ted/Stella - Ted was serious enough about Stella that he proposed to her after only three months, and was willing (after some debate) to move to New Jersey to be with her and her daughter, but as with Robin there was evidence that the relationship might not be meant to be before it actually ended with Stella leaving Ted at the altar for her ex.

Barney/Robin - This one is kinda borderline canon: they did have a one-night stand last season, and Barney has since--much to his shock--discovered he actually has feelings for Robin, but Robin so far remains oblivious. Somewhat ironically, Barney/Robin is the *big* 'ship of the fandom, despite it not being in the creators' original intentions--they discovered the idea had potential about the same time the fans did, in an episode called "Zip Zip Zip" where Barney and Robin hung out together without the rest of the gang and proved just how perfect for each other they really were.


The 'Ships: Not Canon

Barney/Lily - Born out of an episode where Lily moved in with Barney (her to get out of a sinkhole of an apartment before reuniting with Marshall, him to have a fake "wife" to scare off one-night stands the morning after) and very nearly domesticated him. This is probably the most popular of the non-canonical 'ships, or at least it's the one I've seen the most fic for.

Barney/Ted - Pretty much entirely the result of Barney's almost fanatical need for Ted's friendship and approval. Definitely the slash pairing with the most canon fodder.

Marshall/Robin - One I've seen crop up a bit recently in the wake of an episode where the two bonded over being displaced Northerners.

Lily/Robin - They're best friends and they kissed in the ladies' room once. ;-)

Barney/Marshall - Not as popular as Barney/Ted, but hey, Barney *did* kiss him in the pilot to prove a point. *g*

Marshall/Lily/Ted - Springs out of the close friendship the three share as well as an episode where Marshall and Lily had trouble dealing with Ted moving out of the apartment the three of them had shared.

Barney/Ted/Robin - The logical conclusion to how Robin and Ted seem to be the only ones capable of getting under Barney's thick skin? Who knows.

Marshall/Lily/Barney - Need I say more? Pretty DARN sure this wasn't actually in the episode (though I haven't watched it in a while so I could be wrong *g*) but it still makes good fodder. ;-)

Marshall/Ted - I haven't seen it but it must be out there somewhere.


The Story Thus Far

Season 1 - Inspired by Marshall proposing to Lily, Ted decides he's tired of the bachelor life and sets out to find his own soulmate. He meets Robin and becomes convinced it's her, though the audience is informed otherwise. Ted falls in love with Victoria, but she moves to Germany and Ted discovers he still has feelings for Robin. After a long, rocky road to romance, Ted and Robin start dating and Lily gets cold feet, breaks up with Marshall and runs away to San Francisco for the summer.

Season 2 - Ted deals with being happy in a new relationship with a roommate who's heart-broken over losing his fiancee. Lily returns to New York, but it takes a little while for her and Marshall to find their way back to each other. Meanwhile, cracks in Ted and Robin's relationship start to show and Barney's commitment to bachelorhood takes a hit when his brother succumbs to the lure of true love. Robin's secret past as a teen pop star comes out, Marshall and Lily get back together and, despite a few bumps, finally make it to the altar, while Ted and Robin break up and hide the news for a few weeks so as not to spoil the wedding.

Season 3 - Ted and Robin deal with their break-up and try to figure out how to be friends instead of just exes. Marshall and Lily settle into married life and face challenges like job hunting, credit card bills, and buying a home. Ted falls in love with Stella. Robin's past comes back to haunt her in the form of an old boyfriend from her teen pop star days, Barney helps her deal with the fall out and the two wind up in bed together. Ted takes the news very badly, thinking Barney's used Robin like all the other girls, and declares his friendship with Barney over. Barney tries to move on, but when Ted is in a car accident drops everything to race to the hospital and gets hit by a bus in the parking lot. Both experience their life flashing before their eyes: Ted decides he wants to spend the rest of his life with Stella and proposes, Barney realizes he's in love with Robin. Ted and Barney make up.

Season 4 (thus far) - Barney confesses his feelings for Robin to Lily, but takes it back when he realizes that might mean he has to change his behavior. Ted and Stella plan their wedding, but Marshall is leery because of how well they *don't* know each other. His fears turn out to be justified when Stella leaves Ted at the altar to go back to her ex, Lucy's father. Marshall and Lily move into their new apartment, Robin loses her job and moves into Marshall and Lily's vacated room in Ted's apartment. Robin and Ted decide to solve roommate squabbles by becoming "friends with benefits" and Barney's resulting jealousy makes Ted realize Barney has genuine feelings for Robin.


The Catchprases

Because the lingo of the show is almost the sixth character, I thought it only fair I provide a small glossary:

Awesome - Not sure, but I think Barney/NPH can almost single-handedly be credited with resurrecting the use of this word. *g*
Suit Up - Barney short-hand for saying someone needs to put on a suit. Variations: penguin suit up, flight suit up, snow suit up, birthday suit up, slut up, etc.
Legendary - Probably tied with awesome for the adjective most used by Barney. Variations: "Legend--wait for it--dary." "Legend--wait for it, and I hope you're not lactose intolerant because the second half of that word is--dary."
Lawyered - Marshallism more or less meaning he just proved his point.
The Bro Code - Barney's invented honor code for how male friends or "Bros" should behave. (Now available here from Amazon.)
The Lemon Law - Rule by which a person is allowed to ditch their date in the first five minutes with no consequences.
Marshmallow and Lilypad - Marshall and Lily's pet names for each other.
the salute - Hard to explain but Ted and Robin have a "thing" where any time someone says "general direction" or "major disaster" or "private thing" or the like, they both repeat the phrase as if it were a title and salute.
The Platinum Rule - More or less argues that you should never date anyone you'll have to deal with on a regular basis after you break up. Ie: the waitress at your favorite bar, your doctor, etc.

I'm sure I forgot some but I can't think of them at the moment. Please feel free to jog my memory if you think of one I forgot and I'll add it. :-)


The Fandom

General discussion comms:

[livejournal.com profile] haveyoumetted
[livejournal.com profile] himym_capslock
[livejournal.com profile] himym_suitup
[livejournal.com profile] howimet
[livejournal.com profile] ninjareport
[livejournal.com profile] suitup_swarley


Fan works comms:

[livejournal.com profile] himym_awards
[livejournal.com profile] himym_elite
[livejournal.com profile] himym_fic
[livejournal.com profile] himym_icons
[livejournal.com profile] himym_icontest
[livejournal.com profile] himym_lims
[livejournal.com profile] himym_rumble
[livejournal.com profile] himym_santa


Character comms:

[livejournal.com profile] lickmybells - Barney
[livejournal.com profile] slutup - Barney


Actor comms:

[livejournal.com profile] alysonhannigan
[livejournal.com profile] alyson_stills - Alyson Hannigan
[livejournal.com profile] church_of_nph - Neil Patrick Harris
[livejournal.com profile] nph_icons - Neil Patrick Harris
[livejournal.com profile] segelfans - Jason Segel
[livejournal.com profile] she_smulders - Cobie Smulders


'Shipper comms:

[livejournal.com profile] marshall_lily
[livejournal.com profile] barneyrobin
[livejournal.com profile] himym_slapbet - 'ships other than Barney/Robin


Other:

[livejournal.com profile] himym_style - Fashion on the show
[livejournal.com profile] poormclarens - for fans of both HIMYM and The Office


Off Livejournal:

Great amounts of fabulous HIMYM fic can of course be found at Yuletide's archive
YouTube has a good selection of clips from the show and fanvids

[identity profile] runonmoonlight.livejournal.com 2009-01-17 06:26 am (UTC)(link)
1) OMG THAT VIDEO.

Possibly I just watched it way too many times in a row.... And now I... Want HIMYM fic that I never thought I would want. I am confused. But happy :D

2) Major/General/etc with the salute. It's kind of, it's not really a phrase. But it's a verbal/physical thing they do.

[identity profile] magician113.livejournal.com 2009-01-17 08:28 am (UTC)(link)
The mods are pretty forgiving and nice. I don't think they'd mind if you posted a Collision a day or two late, especially with a featured small fandom. Other people have with no repercussions. Good luck with the reccing. The show is smart and funny.
luthien82: (Default)

[personal profile] luthien82 2009-01-17 10:18 am (UTC)(link)
Now that I know what this show is about I will totally give it a try. Thanks for the overview!

[identity profile] twigged.livejournal.com 2009-01-18 12:47 am (UTC)(link)
Thank you for this!

[identity profile] furius.livejournal.com 2009-01-18 06:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Whoa, that vid.. Now there's something I never contemplated...

[identity profile] laughingacademy.livejournal.com 2009-01-18 09:57 pm (UTC)(link)
"The Platinum Rule - More or less argues that you should never date any”

Is the above line missing something, or is that how it’s supposed to read?
ninamalfoy: Raylan Givens with hat from behind against a light sundawn/sunset (Default)

[personal profile] ninamalfoy 2009-01-19 02:04 am (UTC)(link)
Thank you for the link to the vid. Just, WHOA. *blinks*