How It Was All Ted’s Fault | S2E15 "Lucky Penny"

Summary

Podcast Summary: "How It Was All Ted’s Fault" — S2E15 "Lucky Penny"

Podcast: How We Made Your Mother
Hosts: Josh Radnor & Craig Thomas
Episode Date: February 9, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into "Lucky Penny," the 15th episode of HIMYM’s second season. Hosts Josh Radnor (Ted Mosby) and series co-creator Craig Thomas explore the episode's unique narrative structure, thematic depth, knotty plotting, and comedic highlights. They reflect on the episode's influence, discuss behind-the-scenes stories, and illuminate how "Lucky Penny" exemplifies the show’s strengths—especially its time-bending storytelling and philosophical musings about fate, chance, and the ripple effects of everyday decisions.

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Main Discussion Points & Insights

The Genius of "Lucky Penny" Structure

• Backward Storytelling as HIMYM Microcosm

  • The episode’s backwards-forensic approach, tracing Ted missing his Chicago job interview back through increasingly older events, mirrors the show’s central flashback structure.
  • Craig Thomas (02:40): “The shape of going backwards in time to find out where it all started... It's kind of the whole series in miniature.”
  • The episode is framed as a whodunit: “Whose fault is it Ted’s in this predicament?” Each reveal pulls the timeline back further.

• Ted’s Daughter Named Penny: Seeds of Lore

  • Early allusion to HIMYM's lore: Ted’s future daughter is Penny—a detail decided much later, but unknowingly foreshadowed in this episode.
  • Josh Radnor (03:13): “Ted’s daughter is named Penny, isn’t that right?”
  • Craig Thomas (03:22): “We didn’t know at the time... but this is the seed planted that will grow into that later.”

• On Tracing Consequences

  • Philosophical play on cause-and-effect, and the futility (yet relentless human urge) to trace events back to “the reason” things happen.
  • Craig Thomas (08:14): “When something goes wrong, you try to be this forensic detective... That’s a very Ted Mosby way of thinking.”
  • Josh Radnor (09:15): “If you really get granular and cosmic about it, you're like, well, it started with the Big Bang.”

Tech & Cultural References

• Old Tech vs. Modern Tech (06:03–06:51)

  • Amused reflections on once-cutting-edge “track your marathoner” features now replaced by phone apps.
  • Mention of Treos and flip phones, marking 2007 as pre-iPhone era.
  • Josh Radnor (07:06): “I look back now and think, huh, that really ruined my life.”

• Classic Media & Music References

  • “Hungry Like the Wolf” B-plot referenced; nod to generational in-jokes that current viewers may miss (07:33–07:54).
  • Lilith Fair (28:04): a “good old ref” that stands up, especially due to a recent documentary.

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Scene Construction, Writing, and Production Insights

Story Structure Superiority

• Interwoven Plotlines and Narrative Precision

  • Contrast with more “modular” sitcoms: “Lucky Penny” is “Jenga-like”—all the parts interlock; remove one, and the whole fails.
  • Josh Radnor (17:34): “Nothing can be removed. It’s all perfectly placed there.”

• Mystery Episodes Start with Chaos (18:12)

  • Many beloved HIMYM “mystery” episodes open with frantic, unexplained action before the story unfolds backward.

• Everyone in the ‘A’ Story (16:26–16:31)

  • The structure allows all main cast members to be part of the central plot, making for more satisfying episodes.

Character-Derived Plot

• Every Storyline Stems from Personality

  • Barney’s marathon comes from his hubris; Ted’s plot from his nostalgia; Lily’s from her taste-versus-finances; Marshall’s from body-consciousness pre-wedding.
  • Josh Radnor (42:23): “It all arises out of their character.”

• Physical Comedy Standouts

  • Neil Patrick Harris’s (Barney) “dead legs” scene after the marathon called out as a highlight (21:13–22:27).
  • Craig Thomas (22:27): “It’s so fucking funny. Neil Patrick Harris, ladies and gentlemen. My God.”
  • Jason Segel’s physical bits, including the illogical “toe-breaking” fall, also recalled fondly (27:00–27:24).

Production Praise

• Ambitious Sets (45:15–46:58)
  • The tremendous effort to build large-scale environments: airport terminal, subway car, etc.—often constructed overnight.
  • Craig Thomas (46:39): “Our production team was amazing in this episode. Think about how much is happening in terms of sets.”

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Notable & Memorable Quotes

• On Retrospective Meaning
  Craig Thomas (10:23):
  "You can do all the detective work you want, 2007 Ted. But I, 2030 Ted, know that it was a great thing that you missed that flight. Had you taken that flight, you might live in Chicago. You wouldn't be telling the story to those two kids, 'cause you wouldn't have met your mother."

• On Life’s Mystery
  Josh Radnor (11:04):
  "There’s a big pep talk at the center and heart of How I Met Your Mother... It’s all working out in some fascinating way. The universe is on your side, and your struggles are your teacher."

• On Production Magic
  Josh Radnor (46:49):
  "You’d come back the next morning, and there’d be an airport... It was such weird magic that these sets would come up and go away so quickly."

• On Barney's Marathon Story
  Craig Thomas (21:13):
  "Neil’s pratfall when he thinks he can stand up and falls instead of standing on that subway... I have to rewind it and watch it three more times."

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Behind-the-Scenes & Writers’ Room Anecdotes

• The Autobiographical Marathon Story
  According to Carter Bays (via Craig, 38:10), the Barney-marathon-without-training plot was an urban legend Bays heard “on a date.” He knew instantly it belonged in the show.

• Improvised Moments
  Josh and Cobie (Robin) improvising while eating the “lucky” hot dog paid for by the penny—a rare unscripted laugh captured on camera (31:14–31:27).

• Real-Life ‘Lucky Penny’ Moments
  Josh and his wife have ongoing debates over missed flights, echoing Ted’s own habit of tracing events to improbable causes (33:12–35:29).

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Fan Letter Highlight (48:09)

• Julia, a devoted HIMYM fan, writes about growing up with the show, bonding with family and her partner over episodes and music, referencing the “olive theory,” and appreciating the show’s message of growth and self-discovery.
• Julia (paraphrased):
  "HIMYM guided my modern love story, teaching me lessons over the years and reminding me I have so much time to find myself."
• Hosts reflect: the show’s appeal endures because of the wisdom at its heart and how it appeals across life stages.

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Key Timestamps for Major Segments

• [01:16–02:40] Opening banter & episode focus
• [02:40–04:33] The “Lucky Penny” structure, origins, and symbolism
• [05:01–06:51] Original air date, tech nostalgia, 2007 context
• [08:14–09:57] Forensic cause-tracing in life—fate vs. randomness
• [16:26–17:34] Narrative structure: what makes great vs. serviceable episodes
• [18:32–22:31] Physical comedy, action openings, and Barney’s marathon
• [27:00–27:45] Marshall’s stunts and stunt rationale
• [33:12–35:41] Josh’s real-life “lucky penny” and missed flight
• [38:10–39:29] Origin of Barney’s story confirmed by Carter Bays
• [45:15–46:39] Production team shout-outs, set-building logistics
• [48:09–51:54] Touching fan letter from Julia

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Final Reflections

• "Lucky Penny" is celebrated as one of the most structurally elegant, densely packed, and comedic episodes of HIMYM.
• The podcast episode is packed with warmth, nostalgia, and sharp writerly insights into what makes the series—and this episode in particular—so enduring and emotionally rich.
• The hosts reinforce the show’s core themes: that even seemingly trivial events can have unexpected, profound impacts on our lives, and that, ultimately, things tend to work out in ways we could never have planned.

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Further Engagement

• Fan letters and voice notes can be submitted via howwemadeyourmother.com.
• Josh and Craig invite listeners to continue sharing how HIMYM has shaped their lives.

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“And this old man, he must admit, he fell in love with you in New York City.” – Josh Radnor, closing song snippet

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Transcript

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[Josh Radnor]

What a pity I won't be soon In New York City When I see you Please permit me to tell you in New York City. Hello. Hello and welcome to another episode of How We Made youe Mother. I'm Josh Radner. I'm here with my friend Craig Thomas.

[Craig Thomas]

Josh.

[Josh Radnor]

Hey, Craig. I don't know.

[Craig Thomas]

I want to try something else. Just your name.

[Josh Radnor]

Josh. You know, you fall into a rut, you go, I'm here as ever with my friend Craig Thomas. You're just like, damn, this is the same thing every time. So I'm glad we mixed it up.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah, we were mixing up.

[Josh Radnor]

This is great. This is great. Well, this is a great episode to, to mix it up with because this is all. This is a We were talking about columns two episodes ago, which was a little more straightforward and linear. And this is like we're talking about Lucky Penny today. This is a podcast, by the way. We talk about How I Met yout Mother, which is a TV show that I starred in, skipped over as Ted Mosby, and Craig co created the show with his buddy and my buddy Carter Bayes. And we're making our way through. We're deep into episode. Sorry, season two. This is an episode called Lucky Penny, which is a great episode. Really funny. Really. I feel like a lot of the virtues and kind of bravura storytelling strokes, How I Met yout Mother's Best dad, are really on display here.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah. I will give Carter a ton of credit. This is very much a Carter Bayes. The brilliant Carter Bayes, a baby of his. Just the shape of going backwards in time to find out where it all started. It's kind of the whole. The whole series in miniature is in this episode. I love episodes like this, where the whole episode, it's like the mosquito and amber containing the dinosaur DNA. The whole show is in episodes like this. And it's a mystery. Whose fault is it that Ted is in this situation? How far back can you trace it? It's another mini mystery within the larger mystery of the series. I really like that about Tess. It's a good episode.

[Josh Radnor]

And also another kind of encoded thing is I believe Ted's daughter is named Penny. Isn't that right?

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Which we didn't know at the time we did this. We added that later, but, yeah, this is the seed planted that will grow into that later. Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

And just another. I know you know Ted Mosby. I often say, well, he's not real, but let's just call him real. Let's call him some sort of archetype avatar that's floating out there in the cosmos. And I just want to say, Ted, I'm so sorry they discontinued the pennies at the US Mint. I'm sure this was a hard day for him. I let it pass without much commemoration, personally, but I know that Ted probably felt the sting of that.

[Craig Thomas]

You. I forget if we were recording or we talked about this separately. Did we say this on the pod already once?

[Josh Radnor]

We did. We did.

[Craig Thomas]

But it's very much. Because it really moves me the idea that you thought of that, because I saw that news story and sort of didn't think twice. But you, as the guy that brought Ted to life in your body, you were Ted. You inhabited Ted. That. That character.

[Josh Radnor]

You.

[Craig Thomas]

You felt. You felt it emotionally.

[Josh Radnor]

You felt it in the cosmos that had. Wherever he exists nowadays, he's not happy. He lit a candle for the dearly departed U.S. penny.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah, he did. He definitely let a candle.

[Alec Lev]

Actually, from the Facebook group from Mahala, she asks, do you ever think about the fact that Lucky Penny kind of sounds like Lucky Luke and Penny.

[Craig Thomas]

Oh, boy.

[Josh Radnor]

Great observation. That's Fantastic.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah, that's a great observation, Luke and Penny. I mean, yeah, we didn't have the. We didn't know it yet, but the seeds are planted here. Of that. Yeah, for sure. That's awesome.

[Josh Radnor]

That's great. Alec, tell us, when did this episode air originally?

[Alec Lev]

February 12, 2007. Written by. I want to say Jamie Ronheimer.

[Craig Thomas]

I think so. Can you look it up to Dell Verify?

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah, I want to say lots of things, Alec. I don't just say them.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah, wait, it's right in front of me here. Here it is. No, I don't know. Yes. Jamie Ronheimer, very funny dude. Wrote this one. Yeah. This is a great one, by the way. Penny. Now, when we see an episode about a Penny, we can say old tech.

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah, exactly. Well, speaking of, there is an old tech thing that becomes like an updated tech when they're tracking Barney the marathon. Tracking the marathon. Which of course is find your friends.

[Craig Thomas]

Which is find your friends. Yeah. Rebecca was like, ooh, that's old. That's. That's outdated. That would just be your phone now.

[Josh Radnor]

That would just. Your phone. Yeah, yeah.

[Alec Lev]

There's also. But Barney making a phone call from the train, which at the time, there is no chance you could have done, but now totally could do.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

Wait, that wasn't on train, like at the. Stopped at the station. You couldn't get a signal back then.

[Craig Thomas]

Maybe. I'm gonna say it's a maybe. I don't think it was a definitely.

[Josh Radnor]

This is actually a very. An amazing inflection point, because I think 2007, when this episode aired, was the release of the iPhone. Right. You are correct. 2007, like, you know, Jonathan Haidt and all these people are marking that as a perilous and momentous kind of turn in human history at the end of a certain era. Yeah, like, we were on the air and, you know, I think we've talked about this, but, like, I might have had a flip phone when I got to How I Met yout Mother. And then the trio. We all had trios.

[Craig Thomas]

We all got the trio with the little pen. Stick. The little stick.

[Josh Radnor]

Oh, yeah, that's right. The little stylist.

[Craig Thomas]

Remember that little thing?

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah, yeah.

[Craig Thomas]

The stylus, the stick.

[Josh Radnor]

I was the last person to get an iPhone. And I remember Dave Baker kind of helping me with it and kind of like it was a little bit like you're going under. Like, you're about to go under and.

[Craig Thomas]

Be substantial or the red pill. It's a Matrix moment.

[Josh Radnor]

It's like, like, yeah, it's A moment I took very casually that I look back on now and think, huh, that really ruined my life.

[Craig Thomas]

Ruining.

[Josh Radnor]

I wish I could go back with some more guardrails. But anyway, yeah, that made me laugh. Old tech. Tracking. Tracking thing. There was also another old ref, which I like. Are we sticking with old ref?

[Craig Thomas]

Let's stick with old ref. I think it's our twist on the old. The office lady's old tech. Yeah, let's commit. Let's commit.

[Josh Radnor]

What was it like? He tried to. He bet me that Hungry like the Wolf was sung by at work.

[Craig Thomas]

And then he tried to get them to record it. He tried to get them to record it. That one you'd have to look up if you're under about 45 or so. Right. You'd have to. The kids today.

[Josh Radnor]

But if you were a kid. When we were kids, 100%. That's like a classic, hearty musical.

[Craig Thomas]

Both bands, you know, multiple hits by both bands.

[Josh Radnor]

Remember the video of each of them on mtv?

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah, look, we have some of those. It can't all be timeless, folks. It can't all be timeless. We were. Of our moment. Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

So, Craig, just take us through a little bit of what this episode. Episode is and where it came from. Where did this spring from? In the writer's room.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah. I mean, I think we wanted to tell a story in reverse the way that the series is kind of in reverse in certain ways, or at least a big go back from the year 2030. And that idea that when something goes wrong in your life, you try to be this forensic detective and go, what do I trace this back to? What can I blame this on? And it's a series of Ted thinking. Ted and Robin thinking they've found the reason there in this terrible situation of Ted being about to miss a flight to a huge potential career opportunity in Chicago. And the idea that you're sitting there pretending you had control over life and you're trying to do the detective work of, like, this is where it all happened. This is why it happened. And I think that's a very Ted Mosby way of thinking. That's part of why it's a great episode. And it is a very fun storytelling structure to just go backwards, backwards, backwards, backwards, and see how all of those little stories overlap and connect and one informs the other. And in the end, Ted realizes. He goes so far back in this attempt that he realizes he himself is. He kicked off the whole chain of events. So.

[Josh Radnor]

Right. Well, again, that's the kind of encapsulation, nutshell, meta kind of stroke in this episode, which is. I mean, if you. I've done this with many things in my life. Like, if I hadn't met this person, they brought me here and I met so. And so I've done that with how I met my wife and all this stuff. But, like, if you. If you really get granular and cosmic about it, you're like, well, it started with the Big Bang. Like, it all.

[Craig Thomas]

Where does it end?

[Josh Radnor]

It started with the Big Bang. And maybe before what caused the Big Bang? Who knows? Like, there's no end to that game.

[Craig Thomas]

That's also. That was Ted. That was Ted.

[Josh Radnor]

That was Ted.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah. He's the reason we all exist. Yeah. Before it was darkness. And then Ted had an idea of.

[Josh Radnor]

Talk about an architect. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's a fun kind of sliding doors game to play. Because it's true. Like, your life.

[Craig Thomas]

They're literally sliding doors in the episode. Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah, exactly. But your life changes in what, in seemingly casual moments, reveal themselves to be very consequential.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

You know.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah. And the ending of this episode is very poignant.

[Josh Radnor]

I know.

[Craig Thomas]

Here we are telling the episode backwards, starting at the end. But I really like that it fits the form. I really like the future narrator having the last word in this episode of, you can do all the detective work you want, 2007, Ted. But I. 20, 30 Ted. Know that it was a great thing that you missed that flight. Because had you taken that flight, you might live in Chicago. You wouldn't be telling the story to those two kids. Cause you wouldn't have met your mother.

[Josh Radnor]

You wouldn't have those kids.

[Craig Thomas]

That's a very cool. Again, a Carter Bay is very cool. Big idea. Big philosophical idea there.

[Josh Radnor]

And it's only an idea that a person who has enough sample size of life can put forward.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

Like you. You're. I don't remember in high school going, well, if this hadn't happened, that wouldn't have happened. Like, I wasn't thinking in the. I didn't have enough life to see the kind of pattern that, you know, when people, like. I mean, I think there's something about. There's a. There's a big pep talk at the center and the heart of How I Met yout Mother, which is. It's all working out in some fascinating way. And it's on. The universe is on your side, and your struggles are your teach. And you are being led somewhere by a benevolent hand. And when it looks darkest, you're. You know what I mean? Like, there's. They're quite spiritually sound lessons at the heart of it. That's why people keep watching it. And I wrote you this little ditty to sing to you in New York City. We'll be right back. This podcast is sponsored by Squarespace. Squarespace is an all in one website platform. You can do everything on Squarespace. You can build your site, accept payments, market your brand, and so much more. All with Squarespace.

[Craig Thomas]

The website for this podcast was made by our producer, Alec, who knows nothing about making websites using Squarespace.

[Josh Radnor]

Trust us. Nothing.

[Craig Thomas]

Yes, nothing. But it looks great. And I don't know how you stumbled into that. I guess the answer is Squarespace is very user friendly. I would say that our podcast more than others, we rely so much on hearing from the fans of How I Met yout Mother and the fans of the podcast. We get amazing emails, letters, voice recordings. We get stuff all through our website, care of Squarespace. And we use that on the show pretty much every episode, sometimes multiple times in the episode. It's such a huge. It's not only our website that helps promote our show, it's part of our show.

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah. Squarespace is the website made by Alec through. Squarespace is the portal through which we connect with you. It's how we hear from you, it's how we communicate with you. So we're incredibly grateful for Squarespace making this so easy. Because if it was any harder, Alec never would have been able to figure it out.

[Craig Thomas]

Absolutely not.

[Alec Lev]

And think about this. We've gotten thousands of letters that come to us and just to sort of wrap your mind, like, what do we do? Where do those letters go?

[Craig Thomas]

Right.

[Alec Lev]

Someone goes to the contact page, they click on it, they put in their story, and Squarespace connects it straight to a Google Doc that I have.

[Josh Radnor]

I don't have to do anything.

[Alec Lev]

So all those letters just exist in.

[Craig Thomas]

This gigantic spreadsheet and voice recordings, right? To the voice.

[Alec Lev]

Yeah, that's a separate thing. So people get to send in voice recordings. And to do that, I literally put a little like picture of a microphone. And I said, when someone clicks on this, make it go to our, you know, to our voice recording platform that we have. Simplest thing in the world.

[Craig Thomas]

And then that's on the show. And we hear from people from Australia and Europe and India and South America. And we like. It's our favorite part of the whole thing is here is that is that aspect.

[Josh Radnor]

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[Josh Radnor]

And now back to the show.

[Craig Thomas]

This detective work of who got us here. We start in the present and we go backwards and backwards and backwards and backwards. It is a thinking man's episode. It is a real thinker and I was excited watching it. I was excited every time Ted and Robin in the then present and the 2007 present realized wait, no, the story goes back further. I was so on the edge of my seat to see that next installment. It's such a great structure because it's like, wait, they're gonna back it up even further. What happened? Who really caused this problem?

[Josh Radnor]

And it also allows everyone to be in the Ace story like every the whole gang is in that story.

[Craig Thomas]

You know, it is interesting you drew comparison to columns which is again two episodes prior to this we were talking about how that was like a story, B story, they didn't connect that much and we had a really fucking hard time with that one. We just couldn't get it to quite sing in the way that we wanted to. When you have an episode like that it just has to have a lot of funny shit in it. And, kids, it's hard to write funny shit. You're way better off. You're way better off. If you have a story structure that is, like, suspenseful and you have a series of reveals and twists and turns. Like, that is much more our strength.

[Josh Radnor]

This one has it like an episode. Like columns. Or was Cockamouse in the Matchmaker episode? Was that the same episode?

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

So there's certain B stories that I feel like. And I don't mean this as a criticism of the writer's room. I can see them on the dry erase board as funny ideas that you're like, well, I guess that could go there. Like, that could be the B story. And you almost, like, swap it. You just drop it in.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah, right. And that's most. That's a lot of other sitcoms do it that way. It's like, these things can go together. There's no harm in combining them. But I think we are at our best when they have to go together.

[Josh Radnor]

This episode, Lucky Penny, is like a Jenga.

[Craig Thomas]

It is.

[Josh Radnor]

Nothing can be removed. Nothing can be removed. It's all perfectly placed there. And I think that's very satisfying narratively to watch.

[Craig Thomas]

It's very satisfying. And when you see one story walk into the end of one story, catch back up to the beginning of another. Like when Ted and Robin walk in eating those hot dogs that the penny's $50 value bought, and they walk into the wedding into Lily and Robin. You know, Lily. No, they walk into realizing there's a wedding dress sale, which of course, kicks off eventually Lily doing that. We have to stay up all night. I love how those fit together. I love how those are.

[Josh Radnor]

I also love episodes. These are a lot of the mystery episodes start this way. They start with running, panic. Like brunch started kind of like just weird and like, almost with like, an act of violence. Like the traping, the episode, the one that starred Alec Lev. But running.

[Alec Lev]

That's the thing.

[Josh Radnor]

What? I'm listening.

[Craig Thomas]

When they were running, Alec just woke up again.

[Josh Radnor]

Didn't it start with Lily and Marshall running? Racing, yeah. You know, there's something.

[Alec Lev]

Alec running and racing and Alec and.

[Josh Radnor]

His beloved fiance running. But there's something about those episodes that start with that high energy. And it also. I don't know, it's like a movie that opens on a car chase. You're just like, what is going on? You're immediately gripped in media rests.

[Craig Thomas]

Right. That's the old school storytelling. Going back to the Greeks. But, like. Yeah, Josh. You know what I think about when you say that, too? In this one. You do a lot of stunt work in this episode. You take a big fall.

[Josh Radnor]

I get tackled by the police.

[Craig Thomas]

You get tackled by the. You jump a turnstile, get tackled by the police. There is a lot. You are like an action star in this one. The whole episode begins with you running.

[Josh Radnor]

I can't remember if I had a stunt. I think there was a stunt person. I can't remember if I did my own stunts or not. I mean, I was the Tom Cruise of the set. I mostly waved off the stuntman, I believe.

[Craig Thomas]

I think you did, because we're on you. We see your face in those stunts, and you were really physical and really like you. It was great. I thought that was a very action role for Ted, this one.

[Josh Radnor]

I do. I do remember, even in reading the draft, I. I mean. I mean, Barney has a couple of, like, sex jokes, but the Barney story that he thinks you don't need to train for a marathon. You just run. It is so funny.

[Craig Thomas]

Okay, so that is a true story. Carter either knows the person that did it or heard about it. And I texted him. I didn't get. I don't. I haven't heard back. I was trying to remember if it was someone he knew where he was once removed. But this really happened. Somebody was at a bar drinking and said, I could run that marathon tomorrow. And did it. And was rendered, basically did it. Like, basically this story, I can't remember if it ended with the person actually being stuck in a subway, but I think basically was unable to walk the next day, was physically incapacitated from having done it. And it's just one of those stories that Carter heard that he was just probably in the back of his head. Like, that's gold. That's gotta go somewhere. And that's the interesting thing about breaking an episode like this. You come up with the structure and you say, what's a funny vignette that can we know exactly the size and shape it has to be? It has to be this funny little story that can fit exactly right here. And somehow it has to drag Ted into it and make Ted get arrested. How do we achieve that? And this was the perfect. The absolute perfect answer to that question. Neil's Pratt fall when he thinks he can stand up and falls instead of standing on that subway. Every time I see that, I have to rewind it and watch it, like, three more times. Cause he just so believes he's gonna stand up.

[Josh Radnor]

Well, the way my memory of it. Cause I was watching the actual. I was there that day. Right. So I'm watching him do it, and I remember thinking, this is unbelievably good physical comedy.

[Craig Thomas]

Oh, my God.

[Josh Radnor]

And it's such a. Like, the given circumstances, like, he ran a marathon with great hubris. He thinks it's neria, and he has lost control of his leg. It's funny.

[Craig Thomas]

That's a hubris story. That's a hubris tale.

[Josh Radnor]

It's like a Greek myth. Like, it's. And a marathon, of course, comes from ancient Greece. Yeah. Yeah, but that's really funny.

[Craig Thomas]

But that is really funny.

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah, but I remember the way it was shot was like you saw it through the subway window and you saw him just go down. But I saw him through the door. So I saw his whole body. And it was even more impressive live than it looks on the. Like, him. He just, like. I don't know. I just believed he didn't have use of his legs.

[Craig Thomas]

A ton of. Just down like a ton of bricks.

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah.

[Craig Thomas]

It's how casual his face is. His face doesn't know that fall's gonna happen.

[Josh Radnor]

Yes.

[Craig Thomas]

It's just a genius physical formation.

[Josh Radnor]

Yes. His body is split in two. His upper body is feeling one thing, and his lower body is not cooperating.

[Craig Thomas]

It's so fucking funny. Neil Patrick Harris, ladies and gentlemen. My God.

[Josh Radnor]

Shout out. Yeah.

[Craig Thomas]

Just a genius there. He's such a good physical comedian.

[Josh Radnor]

I loved when he said, I've seen where it turns around, Ted. You don't ever want to see where the subway turns around. Because the subway, if you live in New York City, by the way, we were watching it, he said 86 on the 4 and 5, I think.

[Craig Thomas]

Right, right.

[Josh Radnor]

And Jordana was like, that was my. That's her hometown spot. I mean, that's.

[Craig Thomas]

She.

[Josh Radnor]

She grew up on the Upper east side.

[Craig Thomas]

So I think the 4 and 5 no longer stops at those exact stops or something.

[Josh Radnor]

No, I think it does.

[Craig Thomas]

No. Maybe I thought it was an old.

[Josh Radnor]

Tech model, or maybe it was the sixth.

[Alec Lev]

But he has to say that watching How I Met yout Mother, when Barney says he's going to do this, and you see he's doing it, and Marshall is insisting that he's cheating, your brain is swirling, going, he's clearly definitely cheating.

[Craig Thomas]

He's definitely cheating.

[Alec Lev]

You wait to find out.

[Josh Radnor]

You're just waiting.

[Alec Lev]

And there was almost a disappointment when it wasn't paying off. It wasn't happening. It wasn't happening.

[Craig Thomas]

Then it raises the bar of how you have to pay off that story. And I think we fucking nailed it.

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah.

[Craig Thomas]

Because the dead legs thing, it's just a thing of beauty. It is just one of my favorite physical comedy moments on the whole series.

[Josh Radnor]

And again, it's kind of like you gave Barney, like, you give him this triumph, right? He gets this triumph, right.

[Craig Thomas]

He's like.

[Josh Radnor]

It's unbelievable. He's walking around the city like he owns it, Right?

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

And then you take it away. Like you. Yeah, you show that.

[Craig Thomas]

Like. Yeah, and it's funny too. Cause he's also like a real snob about the subway. You know, even like in a pre Uber age, he was just. He's riding, he's doing cab, he's doing car services. What is this subway I've heard about? And the idea that he gets imprisoned, it really is Greek. Like, he gets. It's like old Greek mythology. Like he gets imprisoned forever in the netherworld.

[Josh Radnor]

In the underworld. Is the underworld in the underworld? Yeah.

[Craig Thomas]

The river Styx. He's doomed to roam the river Styx. Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

I like it when the old woman calls him a douche. That was funny.

[Craig Thomas]

That was a very abrupt douche.

[Josh Radnor]

But it was like. It was an old woman, a pregnant woman and a kid on crutches.

[Craig Thomas]

Like, it just stacks the deck, walk into a bar.

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah, yeah, exactly.

[Craig Thomas]

It's fantastic. Robin impersonating the car alarm. And them being driven to a place of madness by the car alarm. Madness and hopelessness. They will never not. They can walk away at any point, by the way. They can leave at any point. But they've been.

[Josh Radnor]

They don't want to leave their place in line. They don't want to lose their line.

[Craig Thomas]

They like Barney first. Can't move. They're paralyzed by it. And they. That's really funny.

[Josh Radnor]

That really made me laugh when they were singing the song with the car alarm.

[Craig Thomas]

Oh, Robin's trying to make. It's a game and we'll have fun with it. Lily starts crying. That was so. Ally's so funny in that moment. And the way they fucking hate that guy.

[Josh Radnor]

Oh, my God.

[Craig Thomas]

That guy who shows up. Beep beep. The next morning. That's the guy.

[Josh Radnor]

He looks like the way you cast him. He looks like the guy that turned Barney into Barney.

[Craig Thomas]

Oh, that would have been such a great callback. It should have been that guy.

[Josh Radnor]

I don't know if it was Robin. I think it was Robin or. No, it was Lily. If we get through this, I'm gonna live my life differently.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah. Yeah. I just wanted to tell my parents I love them. Yeah. That is so funny. They can really leave at any point. It's just a wedding dress. But they just. Yeah, yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

You know what else I thought was carbo loading is ancient. Like, no one recommends carbo loading. Like eating a plate of linguine before you go running a marathon.

[Craig Thomas]

His run where he drinks the breakfast and runs and then runs to the bathroom and vomits. He's still very jaunty as he's running to vomit. Jason's so funny and really good physical comedy in this.

[Josh Radnor]

Jordana asked. Jordana was like, did he really drink that? And I was like, no, he didn't really drink that. But they must have just given him, like, a little orange smoothie, a little.

[Craig Thomas]

Orange juice or something at the bottom of that. And then. But he just. He runs so confidently that you really don't know he's gonna vomit.

[Josh Radnor]

So when he's psyching himself up in the mirror when Marshall is.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

So Jordana said this is from the Terminator.

[Craig Thomas]

No, the machine. Oh, I'm a machine from the future. Yeah. That's kind of little Terminator. A little. Just Marshall loves robots, but it's Terminator meets.

[Josh Radnor]

Like, We Are Marshall. Right? Yeah, exactly.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

So it's two movie references jammed into one mirror shot.

[Craig Thomas]

And the one from the 80s holds up better than the We Are Marshall one does.

[Josh Radnor]

Right.

[Craig Thomas]

I was like, hooray.

[Josh Radnor]

But I remember that movie was not. It had come out not too long before we were filming this. Yeah.

[Craig Thomas]

It was kind of in the air then. I don't know that it still is.

[Josh Radnor]

It was in the air, but I don't think a lot of people talk.

[Craig Thomas]

About that movie anymore.

[Josh Radnor]

But it was like We Are Marshall. Marshall was the big chant, right?

[Craig Thomas]

It was. I never even saw it, but I know it was a thing. And now it doesn't feel like that much of a thing.

[Josh Radnor]

But.

[Craig Thomas]

Okay. It's a shout out to that movie.

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah.

[Craig Thomas]

Should finally go watch that movie.

[Josh Radnor]

This shot of Marshall rubbing his nipples when Robin walks in is funny.

[Craig Thomas]

So funny. There's a lot of falling down in this episode. You go down at least twice. Ted does Barney a couple times. Barney. At least one great one. Marshall's down. At least that one.

[Josh Radnor]

I do have a stunt note.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

The way that Marshall falls does not look like he would have broken his toe, right?

[Craig Thomas]

He broken his fucking back.

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah. He would have, like, hurt his, like. Like his sacrum or something.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah, it was a funny fall, but it didn't look like a toe fall.

[Josh Radnor]

It didn't look like a toe fall. Unless. Here's What I could. Here's what I make. Score. He falls and his foot kicks into the toilet.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah, exactly. And at a really high impact. That's the only way.

[Josh Radnor]

That's the only way.

[Craig Thomas]

I broke my toe on a kitchen chair. Like, just walking around the kitchen last summer. And that is exactly. Just like full force into a kitchen chair. Like it can happen.

[Josh Radnor]

Another old ref that I actually like. That might be a little more in the air right now, but Lily makes a reference to Lilith Fair. The line at Lilith Fair in 1998.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

Which, by the way, I don't know if we talked about this, but my wife and I watched that documentary on Lilith Fair, which is fantastic.

[Craig Thomas]

Oh, cool.

[Josh Radnor]

And really worth watching.

[Craig Thomas]

Okay, I'll check that out. That was a big deal in the late 90s and came back around. Right? That's what you're saying. They reformed it.

[Josh Radnor]

I don't know if they might have redone it, but they made a documentary about it, which is really terrific.

[Craig Thomas]

Cool. I'll check that out.

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah. That was a funny reference. That's a good old ref. I stand by that one. That one a little fair.

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah. I thought the woman. Both people at the gate, the airport were terrific.

[Alec Lev]

Both funny.

[Josh Radnor]

Again, both really funny. Come in.

[Craig Thomas]

If you're an actor and just try to kill that part. She was very charming and funny, and we probably gave her more lines. Cause she just was like, you knew you were in good hands. You're certainly not taking away lines if someone's that good. And the dude, the second guy, who also doesn't let them on the plane, he was really funny.

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah, I heard. I think Tina Fey. I think it was on Amy Poehler's podcast. But she was talking about, like, things she loves. I think we talked about this in season one, but she talks about, like. I think she lives in New Jersey or New York somewhere. But there's, like, a local New York kind of morning show that she's obsessed with.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

And there's. There are two anchors that she's particularly obsessed with and has had one or both of them come to many premieres of Tina Fey stuff. But there's a very particular personality that's like a morning show person that really gets into it. And that guy just played that archetype like, oh, my God. Because also the show's on at like 4:30 or 5. Like, he's clearly a morning riser that.

[Craig Thomas]

Throws on his fun and ridiculous. Nothing else to watch. Yeah. And Robin, the way Robin gets giddy whenever she gets recognized. Oh, my God. She's just. Kobe is very funny.

[Josh Radnor]

Robin has. It's the most anonymous way to be on television you could ever be on television.

[Craig Thomas]

She can never believe it that she's recognized, but it's so, so needy of it happening.

[Josh Radnor]

Was there ever anyone that did, like, a compilation of all the names of Robin's morning show? Cause it was like, wake up, New York. Get up, New York.

[Craig Thomas]

Send those to us if anyone has a bunch of them.

[Josh Radnor]

Those are really funny.

[Alec Lev]

By the way, quick shout out to Meredith Scott. Lynn. She's the one that played.

[Josh Radnor]

Oh, yes, yes. She was terrific. Really funny and a delight on set.

[Craig Thomas]

Throwing it away, you know, not pushing. Sometimes people come into those smaller parts and, like, try to. This is my one. I gotta nail it. She was very throwing it all away. Very casual. That was why it worked and was funny.

[Josh Radnor]

I also thought her feints of, like, thinking that she was getting along the plane, but it was always talking to her mom. Yeah, those were really funny. I also really liked Kobe's trying to walk back. Like, surely you didn't dream of being. You know, and then having to kind of walk.

[Craig Thomas]

But you're.

[Josh Radnor]

You're.

[Craig Thomas]

Your outfit's really, really pretty.

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah. Kobi was always. It was. I was just about to say Kobi was always really funny when she stepped in it. And then it's like, it literally. Remember when she stepped in it, like in season eight?

[Craig Thomas]

Yes. Literally have it. Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

Again, another, like, little improvisation. These are so small because there was so little room for improvisation. But when Kobi and I were walking with the hot dog that the lucky penny paid for.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

And she says something like, in however many years, maybe we'll get, like, 30 years. We'll be able to get another hot dog or something.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

And I said, how dare you? But I don't think that was in the script. I think that was just, like, something.

[Craig Thomas]

I mean, she laughed in a very natural way because it wasn't in the script. And it's funny. You can spot those moments, those little moments where you can see her being surprised by it. It's very charming. It was very cute. The two of you. It's a good Ted and Robin in it Together episode. Even though you're kind of going, well, wait a second. What if he goes to Chicago? And somehow he gets to, like, there's a little bit of a sign of what would happen if he had to move to Chicago. I know the stakes of this are not, he's gonna move to Chicago. He's going to Chicago to get a job in New York.

[Josh Radnor]

Well, you don't realize it. Like, I thought that he was. Maybe I missed the line. I think maybe. Narrator Ted says, I was interviewing with a Chicago firm to be in New York. To stay in New York.

[Craig Thomas]

To come back to New York. Yeah. Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

And run their. Their New York office. Right, right.

[Craig Thomas]

Yes. That's. Those were the stakes. And it was spelled out. We didn't really like. I liked the Ted. That Robin was gonna go with him.

[Josh Radnor]

I know. I like that, too.

[Craig Thomas]

So they almost felt like we should have made more of that. Like, that's a big step forward in their relationship. They've probably never gone away for a little two day trip to anywhere. And, like, we kind of skipped over that. But I liked it anyway. I liked the energy of it. Like, it shows you that their relationship is escalating.

[Josh Radnor]

I liked that she was as desperate to get on the plane as he was. Like, she had taken on his. The urgency of, like, my fella needs to get to Chicago. And it meant a lot to her.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah. Cause she relates. She's ambitious, and she's like, this is a great opportunity for Ted. He's killing it. And he's being headhunted. Which also is cool. It's cool. Again. I forgot in this season how much Ted's career is kind of in the air of this season. Ted's architect career is very present even in this episode. Everything is being driven by that. I forgot how true that was of this season. I like it. I like that it's another speed. Because Ted's not out dating. He's with Robin. So we need other shit for Ted. Well, his career.

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah. When they were running to the gate, I said to my wife, I said, this is how you're supposed to arrive at the airport.

[Craig Thomas]

Airport.

[Josh Radnor]

And this was not good for her to hear. I mean, as a joke, just because she is a. And I think this is our olive theory. This is me and my wife's olive theory. I want to be at the gate for no time. I want to walk through security. I want to walk onto the plane. So I sometimes go to the airport too late.

[Craig Thomas]

I'm Jordana in this one. I cannot do that.

[Josh Radnor]

She wants to get there four hours early.

[Craig Thomas]

Oh, yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah. And sit and wait at the gate. Which I think is absurd, but we're still married.

[Craig Thomas]

How often do you miss flights, though?

[Josh Radnor]

We've only missed one. But I'll tell you why. Because I had a thing that she came to me with in Canada. I performed at a benefit in Canada. And she. We didn't realize that The Canadian cutoff was different. Like, it was different than America.

[Craig Thomas]

And it was Thanksgiving. It's earlier.

[Josh Radnor]

It was an early flight. But here's the. This is our lucky penny. I wonder if she's listening to this right now and laughing. She's probably gonna burst in and say, no, that was wrong. She doesn't sound like that.

[Craig Thomas]

Is she texting you? No, she didn't. We're watching the text, though.

[Josh Radnor]

Are they coming in the morning? When we were leaving the hotel, she stopped. She said, wait, I just want to grab a coffee. Like, they had coffee out. So she grabbed a coffee.

[Alec Lev]

She is listening, Josh. She's listening as he's talking, all caps.

[Craig Thomas]

I'm listening, so watch your words. Madness.

[Josh Radnor]

So she gets a cup of coffee and then we go to the airport. Oh, please, Josh.

[Alec Lev]

I'm gonna give her reactions in real time.

[Josh Radnor]

We missed the flight by literally, like, it was like 45 seconds. Like, it had just closed. And it was one of those things like, we can't override the baggage cut off or whatever it was.

[Craig Thomas]

That's hilarious.

[Josh Radnor]

And I have always said, well, if you didn't stop to get that cup.

[Craig Thomas]

Of coffee.

[Josh Radnor]

This is like two years ago, by the way.

[Craig Thomas]

You know, this is maddening. You know, you're just looking for trouble here.

[Josh Radnor]

This is longer than two, but. Yes, but. But this has been a running argument. You lived.

[Craig Thomas]

A lucky penny is really funny.

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah, that's really funny. But then we. We. There was another flight, like 90 minutes later that we got on, so we just ended up having breakfast, and it ended up to be a fine morning, and we got to back to New York.

[Craig Thomas]

I'm just trying to see if Jordana's weighing in. It's like, oh, fuck you. Yes.

[Alec Lev]

See what Jordana would like to say. But now he comes to the airport early with me and enjoys it.

[Craig Thomas]

Tell the truth, all cats. She changed you. You're a changed.

[Josh Radnor]

She's shaming me.

[Craig Thomas]

She's helped you evolve.

[Josh Radnor]

That's what I now you guys. Yeah, tell the truth. I'm listening. Oh, please, Josh. She says, please. I can't.

[Craig Thomas]

She is listening. To be clear, we're gonna paint the picture. She is in another room listening to this and texting. She has it up on the computer in the background. This is really true. She likes listening. Sometimes when you record this and she's texting it. Some. Some clarifications.

[Josh Radnor]

What if it. Yeah, it's like shaming and clarifications from a clinical psychologist who's never seen how I met your mother also happens to be married to J. Lol from Jordana.

[Craig Thomas]

She's enjoying this. This is. I really like the word. This is now a podcast where we just get texts from the other room for dinner.

[Josh Radnor]

And this old man, he must admit he fell in love with you in New York City.

[Craig Thomas]

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[Josh Radnor]

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[Craig Thomas]

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[Craig Thomas]

End of commercials. Back to show. By the way, we have texts coming in hot. I'm texting with Carter now. Okay, here's a clarification on where the Barney story came from. Carter is texting me. I said, wait, did you know that it happened to. And he says, lol. I think I heard that story on a date. No idea how true it is, but as soon as I heard it, I knew we'd be using it on the show. So. Okay, we can't. I take it back. We don't know for sure that a guy did it, but he did hear from a date that it happened.

[Josh Radnor]

Well, you know, it's funny. So somewhere out there there's a guy who ran a marathon and lost the use of his legs, right? For a time.

[Craig Thomas]

Okay, with the hubris of I can run the marathon without training.

[Josh Radnor]

That part is, here's what happened to me constantly.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

When you guys started taking stuff from my life and making it Ted.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

So that guy is out there telling this story. Like, this is the craziest story that ever happened to me. I decided I could run a marathon. I ran it, I finished it, and then I lost the use of my legs. People were like, oh my God, just like how I met your mother. And he's like, no, that's my story.

[Craig Thomas]

That was my story. They thieves from me. Yeah, you're right about that. It's really weird. It's really weird. All these things now they've been in pop culture for 19, 20 years. And Carter says, and yes, in the story, this guy was sitting on the subway for hours. So that subway part was part of it. Okay.

[Josh Radnor]

I mean, it's funny that the truest stuff is the best stuff.

[Craig Thomas]

And it often seems like the most far fetched. It is like truth is stranger than fiction. If you had to choose a part of this episode that happened, the one real part of this whole episode, would you have said the guy that ran the marathon and got stuck on the subway?

[Josh Radnor]

No. You'd be like the 1939 penny.

[Craig Thomas]

Right. Any other part would be a true part. And I don't think there's one other true part besides that story, which again, I hope is true from some date Carter had 25 years ago.

[Josh Radnor]

It's incredible. But it also shows that Carter has an appropriately sticky writer mind, which is like we all. If you're a writer, you have a file in your head that is like, great title, great scenario, great character tick. Like they're always going in. And when you find the right place for them, it's delightful.

[Craig Thomas]

I think the idea that there was some special wedding dress sale was like, that exists. Someone had a story like that. But it wasn't exactly. There was a few little, Little kernels of truth. Kernel of truth in here. But the realest thing was the thing that seems the most absolutely made up.

[Josh Radnor]

Well, this is a great example of a. Of a. I guess I wonder if I would love to find a. A like a. A name for these kinds of episodes. Like I always call it like this isn't quite that but like filling in the lore episodes. Kind of like How I Met Everyone Else is a great filling in the lore. You know how even showing like how Barney became. I really like how you guys run with Barney has a gambling addiction. Like got that. It was like a very reliable well to draw from really.

[Craig Thomas]

His turns on okay, 50 bucks. He's so good at that.

[Alec Lev]

In the X Files world, there's the mythology versus the monster of the week episodes. You have very few monster of the week episodes. Even if the network and studio wanted more of those and more mythology.

[Craig Thomas]

That's right. That's right. And we just. And I'm proud, like, I've said this on here before. I'm very proud of Carter and I, that we, we just, we stuck with the mythology piece more than the can the box of candies.

[Josh Radnor]

You know, I would argue that, like monster of the week, I understand why networks would demand them because they're trying to get people who just stumble across it and can watch a self contained episode for 22 minutes or 48 minutes or whatever.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

But if you want to create a show that lasts, that people are watching 20 years later, it's got to have mythology. Like, I don't think any show that people still talk about a decade after it went off the air, I think it has to have mythology to it.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah, totally. But I love that this episode has a mythology piece. And I also love that it is the best of both worlds. It is. Everybody's on one thing. Everybody's on this one through line. And they're kind of all on the same train track, to steal the train metaphor of the episode itself. They're all kind of together, but each person also has their own little vignette that's very much their own thing. It is the best. It is a great balance of two things where everybody has a thing.

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah.

[Craig Thomas]

And they're also all in the same thing at the same time. It's the best of both worlds.

[Josh Radnor]

But it also all arises out of their character. Like Barney's plot line arises out of his hubris, and Ted's plot line arises out of his, like, love of old things. And, you know, Lily trying to. Lily is. I mean, she has very expensive tastes and she has a kindergartner's teaching salary. Like, she's trying to, like, navigate.

[Craig Thomas]

And they're getting married. It keeps alive their wedding.

[Josh Radnor]

And they're getting married in. Marshall's in law school and presumably, like, taking out loans. Like, she's really trying to navigate how to, to, to, you know, make her way through that. It does.

[Craig Thomas]

It all comes from characters, even Marshall. Like, Marshall's getting married. He doesn't want to have a tummy. He doesn't already want to be like, old, like, doughy married guy. He's like, no, I have to change my body around. Like, all, all of it comes from play yeah. Comes from character.

[Josh Radnor]

And this also, this is the kind of episode where you have to have 35 episodes under your belt to do this kind of episode. Like, you could not do this in the opening 12 episodes. Like, you just don't know enough about the characters and you're not invested enough.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

So I think this is like, this, to me, was an episode where it was like season two was like, all guns firing. Like, this feels like a really, really good example of what the show was at its best and where it was headed and. And what it did differently than any other show on the air at the time.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah, this one holds up really well. I'm really proud of this one. And yeah, it's a great Ted episode too. It's all driven by Ted's career. There's this action movie, suspenseful thing happening in the present. Robin and Ted are very much together. It escalates their relationship. It keeps alive Marshall and Lily getting married. There's so many boxes. This is checking. And little subtle ones too.

[Josh Radnor]

You know, I came up with a big idea for something and I was talking to a friend of mine who has such a wild imagination, like, such a good imagination. We were talking about maybe collaborating on this thing. But he doesn't think dramatically or dramaturgically. He thinks just in big, beautiful kind of images and themes. And I was just trying to explain to him the basics of drama, which is like, the characters all have to want something. Something has to be in the way of them getting what they want. And they have to adjust their behavior to get what they want.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

And you see, like, from the get go, it's like Ted and Rom gotta get on this plane. Why? Ted has this job interview and he thinks it's his destiny. They're late. Why are they late? Okay, so what do they do? How do they talk to these gate. These literal gatekeepers, you know, like, how do they try? How does their behavior adapt and change? Like, you could really. You really can map out the wants and the obstacles.

[Craig Thomas]

It's very Greek mythology. It's a very Greek mythology down to there being a marathon and a medal. Barney is stripped of his metal at the end. Like, there's a prize. The prize is taken away.

[Josh Radnor]

The gatekeeper, their gatekeepers.

[Craig Thomas]

It is very like ancient Greek drama shit.

[Josh Radnor]

And it's also about transportation and trying to get places that you can't get to.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

It almost feels like a dream.

[Craig Thomas]

And the mythology of don't see where the subway turns around and Barney's stuck in a purgatory. There's a lot of ancient drama happening in this. I want to give one other shout out. Just we don't say this enough. Our production team for this episode, the set design, just everything about its episode. That airport was huge. That has to be that heat up half of stage 22 when we built. Cause you guys are making left turns and running down a hallway. And like, that's an enormous feat to make a set where you can actually run through the set. I'm sure we had to do things like have that big line of smart cards block you because we would have run out of set otherwise. We need to slow Ted and Robin down. But those tracking shots through that means that was a huge fucking set. Then it's like, this is how amazing our production team is. Build us that big of a set that we can have action. You know, a chase scene through an airport. And then, by the way, the next day, we need a subway car. This might have been one where we used stage 21. This might have been one where the.

[Josh Radnor]

Subway car was built up.

[Craig Thomas]

It's coming back to me right now. Every now and again, we'd be so ambitious. We'd have to, like, use part of the adjacent. The next soundstage over, which luckily was often, like, more of a In flux. It wasn't always a long running show there, so we could, like, ask for help and get extra space. Just huge shout out to Susie Greenberg, to Steve Olson. The whole production team was amazing in this episode. Like, think about how much is happening.

[Josh Radnor]

In terms of sets. And I want to stress that we would leave on like a Wednesday after shooting or leave after Tuesday.

[Craig Thomas]

10 o'.

[Josh Radnor]

Clock.

[Craig Thomas]

10 o' clock at night. Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

And you'd come back the next morning and there'd be an airport.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah, here's an entire airport with multiple locations.

[Josh Radnor]

Like, it was. So it was such weird magic that these sets would come up and go away so quickly.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah, amazing. So that's a huge part of what was special about our show.

[Josh Radnor]

All right, we're winding things down here for today, but we're going to end this episode as we end almost all episodes, which is we're gonna read a letter that we received from a fan of the show and a fan of the podcast. If you would like to let us know what How I Met yout Mother means to you, why you watch it over and again, why you're loving this podcast, watching it with us all over again. Yeah, let us know what How I Met yout Mother means to you. Just go to how we made your mother dot com. H w my m dot com and go to contact and should be pretty self explanatory. Leave us a voice note. Leave us a written letter. We love to. It's one of our favorite things is to hear from people who've loved the show for many years or even people who've just now discovering it. Craig, anything to add?

[Craig Thomas]

No, I just said it's my favorite part of the whole thing of doing this podcast. Yeah, it's great. So please let's dive in. Let's hear a cool letter from Aqu.

[Josh Radnor]

Okay, well our letter today is from Julia and she writes Dear Josh and Craig, first I'd like to congratulate you both on such a lovely first season of the podcast. Thank you. I really admire how you both speak with such wisdom and clarity and have been fascinated by backstories on the production of the show. Show My love for himyim began in middle school. Like most younger siblings, I stole many personality aspects from my older brothers music, taste, books, TV shows, and most importantly himyim. I used to watch the show with them after school on our couch, not understanding most jokes or being able to relate to most plots, but still enjoying the show as I got to spend time and laugh with them. As I got older, I found myself rewatching the show and saw it in such a different way. Having had more experiences and knowledge on life and relationships, my family to this day makes fun of me for monopolizing the TV because it plays on a continuous loop in my household most months. I'm watching it right now as I am writing this. Marshall just got slapped by Barney. Something that has really stuck with me all these years. Beyond the clever jokes, wise guidance and intricate comedy bits are the music soundtracks played throughout the seasons. From Block Party to the Shins, Band of Horses, Gold Spot, Fort Atlantic, and so many more. I've collected the songs into my playlist to listen and grown to favorite them so much. This past summer I started dating my boyfriend and we immediately bonded over two things. Music concerts and how I met your mother. Naturally. Our third date was seeing Josh perform on his tour in Pennsylvania. Unbelievable. It was such a surreal and fun experience hearing him play in person and we had the delight of being at one of the special shows where a couple got engaged on the stage. I think we talked about that on the podcast, right? Ye. Um, that was a really fun, amazing night. Yeah, funnily enough, my my boyfriend was in New York City with his family just a few weeks later and ran into NPH at a theater. He immediately called me after to Tell me how excited he was at the surprise meet. As our relationship progressed, we've continued to reference himyim too often. I always eat his olives and watch it together most nights. We always dread the Mondays I have to drive him to the train station after a weekend together, but listening to this podcast on my drive home always cheers me up and gives me something to look forward to every week. Additionally, every time we listen to music together and one of the songs from the show comes on, I quiz him on what episode the song played during. I crush him every time. Beyond entertainment and guiding my modern love story, Himyim has continued to teach me countless lessons over the years and reminds me that I still have so much time to find myself in this big world world. I recently celebrated my 24th birthday and it feels comforting knowing that the characters in season one are 27 and only just beginning to figure out their life goals and plans. Thank you so much, Craig and Josh for making my most beloved TV show that has shaped my growing up and continues to be a guidepost in my adult life. I continue to eagerly listen to the podcast episodes each Monday and I am most looking forward to in a few years for you to discuss the controversial finale episode. I don't know what she's talking about and hearing your thoughts thoughts on that storyline. Personally, I really liked the ending. Thanks Julia. If you end up reading this on the show, just know there's a girl smiling like crazy listening to this right now in her car. All the best and admiration, Julia.

[Craig Thomas]

I love everything about that letter. Thank you, Julia.

[Josh Radnor]

Thank you Julia. That's fantastic. And I'm so glad we can keep you company on your drive as you part ways from your boyfriend. But I'm glad you guys have the show to share together. I love when I think it's a great show for couples to watch together.

[Craig Thomas]

I agree.

[Josh Radnor]

And, and I also, I love that there's kind of like there are these How I Met yout mother years 27 to 36 where it's funny when, when people are in their 20s and they say, I'm 24. I'm so old. Oh my God, you know, and you're like. Which I never like. Yeah, your life hasn't started yet. You're not even 27. So anyway, thanks for that letter and thanks for all the letters and delighted to spend some time with you all and we'll see you next time. Thanks so much. I am guilty. Please acquit me. All sins are forgiven. In New York City, Howie Made, your.

[Alec Lev]

Mother is hosted and executive produced by Josh Radner and Craig Thomas and is presented and distributed by the Office Ladies Network and Auditory. This episode is also executive produced by Jenna Fisher and Angela Kinsey. The show is produced and edited by me, Alec Lev and our co producer is Doug Matica. Our audio producer and mixer is Alex Reeves at Point of Blue Studios. Our digital content producer, AKA Gen Z Master is Emily Blumberg. Artwork by John Morrow. Please follow, rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or your podcast player of choice. It really does help the show. Our theme song is New York City by our own Josh Radner with additional music by Craig Thomas and Andrew Majewski. Special thanks to Lola Kennedy and Elliot Connors. Visit how we made your mother.com to learn more and click on the contact page to send us an email or a voice message. Your stories and questions are an important part of the show. Subscribe to Josh Radner's Muse Letters on Substack and check out his music and everything [e-mail]. order Craig Thomas's debut novel, that's Not How It Happened, wherever books are sold and check out his other published [e-mail] and you can subscribe to My own Dead Fathers Society, also on Substack, to learn more about how you make difference. This show's ongoing campaign to raise money for congenital pediatric heart disease research. Check out the Make a Difference tab at the top of our website. People will in fact dance.

[Josh Radnor]

The real question it just hit me. Am I in love with you or just New York City?