How We Met NPH Pt. 2 [with Neil Patrick Harris] | S2E20 "Showdown"

Summary

How We Made Your Mother S2E20: “How We Met NPH Pt. 2”

Podcast Hosts: Josh Radnor & Craig Thomas
Special Guest: Neil Patrick Harris
Episode Focus: In-depth discussion of HIMYM’s S2E20 "Showdown," cast chemistry, behind-the-scenes stories, and Neil Patrick Harris’ process as Barney
Original Air Date: March 23, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of How We Made Your Mother welcomes back Neil Patrick Harris (NPH) to pick up the ongoing discussion about his time on How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM), focusing on the dynamic ensemble acting, memorable moments from “Showdown” (the Bob Barker/Price is Right episode), and the evolving relationships—both on- and off-camera—among the cast. Josh Radnor, Craig Thomas, and NPH candidly reflect on their working relationship, navigate misconceptions from the set, and share insights into the heart of a legendary sitcom.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Josh & Neil Dynamic: Chemistry and “Tension”

• Discussion opens with candid reflections on whether Neil ever felt Josh was annoyed by his comedic style.

  • NPH confides, “I always kind of felt that my performance annoyed you, Josh.” (02:28)
  • NPH explains he was laser-focused on comedic turns, less so on the show’s pathos: "I was very indifferent to the heart and the pathos of it. Cause I wasn’t written that way. … That was your job, right?" (02:53)
  • Josh admits, “I think it might have been a little bit, like, confusion between actor and character. … Barney was often incredibly, almost dismissive of Ted ... You were so good at playing that, that I think sometimes, like, I felt dismissed by Neil, but I was being dismissed by Barney.” (04:08)
  • Craig attributes the show’s “secret sauce” to this “chemistry” and creative tension. (04:43)

• Resolution & Mutual Respect:

  • Josh: “I never doubt that Barney is obsessed with Ted, and I never doubt that he wants the best for him.” (04:58)
  • NPH: “It required the two ... multiple perspectives of all of us to create it.” (03:56)
  • Craig: “Your guys’ specific chemistry… Whenever Ted and Barney went on adventure together… there was some kind of energy that crackled between you guys.” (09:09)

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Dealing With Fame, Adjustment, and Personal Growth

• Josh reflects on his adjustment to sudden fame, feeling less comfortable than veteran TV castmates like NPH, Alyson Hannigan, and Jason Segel:

  • “This was my fourth pilot. I was not a famous person, you know… I had a harder adjustment with, like, losing my anonymity being the center of this show.” (06:17)
  • Describes dealing with discomfort through escape (“I kept running to the jungle and doing ayahuasca…”) and apologizes if his personal struggles affected his vibe on-set. (06:17–07:46)
  • NPH responds with empathy: “I totally hear you, and I totally appreciate that.… there was so much that was going on.” (07:46)

• Theater to Sitcom “Whiplash”:

  • Josh & Neil recall acting together in “The Paris Letter” just months before HIMYM. The sudden shift from an intense, intimate theater piece to a multi-cam sitcom gave Josh “vertigo.” (08:11–08:53)
  • Neil: “We were both butt ass naked, dicks a-swinging in that play. For real.” (08:53)

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Ensemble Magic: Assignments, Ego, & Lasting Impact

• Craig compares the group dynamic to a road movie, noting each cast member brought a unique “assignment” to HIMYM (09:09)
• Josh confides his occasional insecurity, wondering if his “heart-forward” scenes were valued less than NPH’s comedic moments:
  • “Sometimes I felt like, is this valued the way that Neil’s comedy is valued? … But as the years have gone on, I realize, yes, all of the elements of the show made the show special and what it was.” (10:29–11:33)

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Behind-the-Scenes Craft: Mementos, Rituals & Technical Skills

• NPH shares what he took from the set:
  • The Barney pith helmet art, the main booth (split with Craig), and part of MacLaren’s bar seating. (17:22)
• NPH’s technical trick for editors:
  • He meticulously “rewound himself” after takes to keep continuity for props and glass placement, ensuring smooth editing: “I always quickly would try to take my sips at the same time or set my glass down at the same time.” (18:20)
  • Josh praises this as “LeBron-level memory.” (18:44)

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Episode “Showdown” & Barney’s Pathos

• Barney’s Gambling Addict Subplot:

  • NPH and Craig reminisce about the subtle runner of Barney’s compulsive gambling: “You get the sense of Barney’s terrible gambling addiction. We even flash back… He’s like, God, that feels good. Really good.” (19:14)

• Laugh Track Debate:

  • NPH: The only thing that irked him on rewatch was the laugh track. “We live in a different world with watching comedy now.” (19:34)
  • They discuss the “human laugh box” operator and how some laughs were sampled from real audiences, but agree a more nuanced approach would be preferable today. (20:39)

• Performance Highlights:

  • NPH recounts “Barney looking at Robin’s ass” as an early, subtle seed for their eventual romance—long before it was a writers’ plan: “I started looking at Kobe’s ass in the bar scenes. … I just thought that would be interesting to start folding in.” (22:00)
  • Craig: “Those energies planted the seed in our brains to go, ‘Wait a sec, this is gonna happen.’” (22:23)

• Memorable Comedic Beats:

  • Tribute to Alyson Hannigan’s “I Love Lucy”-style physical comedy with chocolates. (21:10)
  • Noting the unique chemistry in “every possible cast pairing.” (23:05)

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Legacy, Family & Future Cameos

• Neil’s kids haven’t watched all of HIMYM but are interested in performing; NPH muses about doing a family rewatch. (24:04)
• Neil requests to return to the podcast for the episode where he plays six versions of Barney at poker (“one of my favorite Barney episodes”). (26:03)

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Episode Recap: Plot, Structure, and Standout Gags

Plot Summary & Story Structure (31:09)

• The A-story: Barney’s game show dream—competing on “The Price is Right” to meet his supposed dad, Bob Barker.
• Subplots:
  • Ted struggles to write a best man speech suitable for Marshall’s conservative Minnesota family.
  • Lily’s accidental over-dieting leads Robin to try fattening her up for wedding dress fit, echoing “I Love Lucy.”
• Episode features a flash forward to Marshall & Lily’s wedding (hat mystery foreshadowed).
  • Craig: “What you’re describing are B and C stories… I really liked the Ted toast story… because it gives us the first flash-forward glimpse to Marshall and Lily’s wedding.” (31:54)

Meta & Behind-the-Scenes Nuggets

• The Price is Right plot was not a CBS corporate dictate, but born of legit love of Bob Barker. (34:40)
• “Barney’s brokenness” stands out: throwing a baseball at the TV, calling Bob Barker “pop”—“the saddest… in all of television history.” (37:57)

Best Jokes & Quotes (with Timestamps)

• NPH: “We were both butt ass naked, dicks a-swinging in that play. For real.” (08:53)
• Craig: “Whenever Ted and Barney went on an adventure together, there was some kind of energy that crackled between you guys.” (09:09)
• Josh: “I realize … all of the elements of the show made the show special … and I’ve actually gone back and kind of forgiven myself for being so hard on myself in those years.” (11:08)
• NPH: “I also asked me, and tell me this, I started looking at Kobe’s ass in the bar scenes … before you had said that Robin and Barney would have a thing.” (22:00)
• Craig: “Marshall having that tone of being unassailably right when talking about ghosts is chef’s kiss.” (36:15)
• Josh: “One of my favorite things is Marshall and Bigfoot. Ghosts. Nessie, the Loch Ness monster … Aliens guy, too, right?” (36:15)

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Reflections on Growth & Legacy

• Discuss the transformation from early-thirties actors to men in their early fifties.
  • Josh: “If you’re not different at 52 than you were at 32, something’s gone wrong, right?” (27:35)
  • Affirms that even amid friction and insecurity, the cast was always “there” for each other when the cameras rolled and created something truly special. (29:47)

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Why HIMYM Endures

• Unique energy, unreplicable chemistry, and balancing “heart and comedy” across the cast assignments (Ted’s sincerity, Barney’s escapism, Marshall’s credulity, etc.).
• Radical structure: flash-forwards, non-linear storytelling, and rapid shifts from comedy to heartbreak.
• Craig: “Some mysterious energy… it's bigger than any of us, but it is the combination of all of us.” (09:07)
• Josh: “I never had anything less than immense respect for [NPH's] comedic chops. … Some days you kind of felt like you were playing with [Michael] Jordan.” (27:41)

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Memorable Moments, Easter Eggs & Callbacks

• The Lily “Night Night” lullaby, forced Ted harmonies (39:18–40:18)
• Barney’s “practicing to stand like Bob Barker” (39:03)
• Ted threatening to just “read that thing about Jesus and the footprints” for the toast (38:32)
• Subtle foreshadowing: Robin-Barney hints, Marshall’s wedding hat, callback to “Robin Sparkles” group watch
• Ongoing meta-humor about the laugh track, sitcom conventions, legacy of Bob Barker

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Proposed Future Segments

• Neil to return for the “Six Barneys Poker” episode and the “Suits” musical (26:03–26:41)
• Possibility of bringing NPH’s kids onto the podcast for a fresh legacy perspective (25:15)

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Timestamps for Segment Navigation

• 02:28 — Conversations about on-set chemistry and friction
• 06:17 — Josh’s struggles with fame and personal growth
• 08:11 — Theater-to-sitcom “whiplash”
• 09:09 — “Hope and Crosby” metaphor for Ted/Barney
• 11:33 — Balancing assignments: heart vs. laughs
• 17:22 — NPH’s set mementos/unusual attention to continuity
• 19:34 — NPH’s mixed feelings on laugh track
• 22:00 — Subtle Robin/Barney attraction
• 24:04 — NPH’s kids, performing, and family legacy
• 31:09 — Recap of Episode “Showdown”: A/B/C storylines
• 34:40 — Origins of the Price Is Right subplot
• 36:15 — Marshall’s devotion to the supernatural
• 39:18 — Lily’s lullaby/Suitcases of wedding gags

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Final Takeaways

• Genuine, sometimes awkward but always loving cast relationships made for on-screen magic.
• “Showdown” is celebrated not just for its Bob Barker hijinks but for its sincere heart and memorable subplots.
• HIMYM’s enduring legacy comes from the unique mixture of comic bravado, heart, and the alchemy of its cast and crew.

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Notable Quote (Sum-Up):
Craig Thomas: “There was just some mysterious energy to that. And it’s bigger than any of us, but it is the combination of all of us.” (09:07)

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For more nostalgia, behind-the-scenes insight, and reflections, don’t miss future episodes and special guest returns (Barney vs. Barney at poker, anyone?).

Transcript

[Josh Radnor]

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[Neil Patrick Harris]

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[Josh Radnor]

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[Craig Thomas]

But that's weird.

[Josh Radnor]

Okay, one judgment.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

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[Josh Radnor]

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[Alec Lev]

We Made youe Mother I always kind of felt that.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

That my performance annoyed you. Josh.

[Josh Radnor]

What? I'm alone. What a pity I won't be soon in new When I see you. Please permit me to tell you everything in New York City. Tell me more. Tell me more.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Because honestly, because of the like. More because of this conversation that we're having. Because I was literally. I was rarely at work too cognizant as laser focused as I was of, like, the comedy turns and, like, doing that stuff, I was very indifferent to the heart and the pathos of it. Cause I wasn't written that way. And I know that that was your job, right?

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

And so I remember often days when we were filming and I sensed sort of frustration from you because, like, you wanted the scene to be, like, a good scene. And I was looking at you like, motherfucker, I'm doing spit takes. We're on this weird sit between two things. So. And it wasn't.

[Craig Thomas]

But that's why it was great. That was my point.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Like, I'm not, like, airing dirty laundry or anything. I'm just saying I think it required the two, like, multiple perspectives of all of us.

[Josh Radnor]

Totally, totally.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

To create it. But as it was happening, I was sort of like. I think that Josh is just kind of annoyed by the noise flying around all the time, just, like, doing bits.

[Josh Radnor]

I think it might have been a little bit, like, of confusion between actor and character. Like, Barney was often incredibly, almost dismissive of Ted. Like, and you were so good at playing that, that I think sometimes, like, I felt dismissed by Neil, but I was being dismissed by Barney. Do you know what I'm saying? Like, you know when you're like, your body can't tell the difference, even though your mind knows the difference. And I think there was. But when I look back on it, I'm so delighted by our weird chemistry.

[Craig Thomas]

It is chemistry.

[Josh Radnor]

I think that there was something in that kind of tension that you're describing that would come out sideways a little bit sometimes. That was actually the secret sauce in making that make sense.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

I 100% agree, too.

[Josh Radnor]

I never doubt that Barney is obsessed with Ted, and I never doubt that he wants the best for him. And also, sometimes, oftentimes they're on totally different pages. Like, in terms of, like, where their heads are, what they're looking to do, whether. So there was always some resistance that. That I had to play in a lot of scenes with you. And it's true there were. We were, like, inhabiting different worlds, but they were all under this larger umbrella world.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

That's totally true.

[Josh Radnor]

But I think you're right. But I don't think it was. I think it was something that worked beautifully for the show.

[Craig Thomas]

I agree.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

I concur. It's nice to have these conversations now, because while it was happening, there was just. It was. It was. It felt to me something like a disconnect.

[Josh Radnor]

And.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

And when you explain it that way, it makes perfect sense. It's not like, an unresolved issue that I have or anything. I just remember, like, being at craft service or something, and it was. And you were personally just more like, buddy, buddy with Jason and that we'd, like, say hey to each other or whatever, but, like, we were sort of doing different shows in some ways. Yeah, we were filming it, and I would think, like, it's just mad at me. I remember thinking, is Josh mad at me a lot? Like, am I doing something to annoy him?

[Josh Radnor]

I would like to relieve you of some of this by saying, one is what I just described. But two, I think that when the show came on, I remember, like, early. Like, Remember we did that photo shoot for People magazine where we were all kind of, like, arranged in different. Like. Like, you and Allie and Jason had had. That you'd had. You'd been to upfronts, you'd had shows on the air. People would recognize you from different things. Me and Kobe. Kobe, I think, like, was a little to the manner born. Like, she was just, like, kind of was, like, pretty. She's just comfortable. There was something about. You know, I had been on Broadway. This was, like, my fourth pilot. I was not a famous person, you know, And I think that I had a harder adjustment with, like, losing my anonymity being the center of this show. I think it was hard for me. And I felt that you and Allie and Jason especially, were, like, so much more comfortable with the camera, so much more comfortable with, like, being recognized in the weird ways your life changes when you get on a show like this. And I think I just. Sometimes I. You know, I kept running to the jungle and doing ayahuasca. Like, I didn't know. I didn't know how to process this in a way that felt healthy other than kind of, like, trying to, I don't know, keep it at arm's length and hurt, I guess. Like, I. If I was, like, a little pissy or something, I'm sorry. Like, I. I think that I was just trying to manage a lot of different things and emotions, and they came out sideways sometimes.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

I totally hear you, and I totally appreciate that. And I. And that makes perfect sense. And. And I don't think there was a singular thing because we're. We were being asked for almost a decade every day to be, like, remembering lines, like, doing physical comedy, doing heartfelt monologues. What scene is next? What's happening in my personal life? Like, there's so much that was going on.

[Josh Radnor]

You guys were all having kids, like, which I now understand is the biggest change your life can ever undergo. But also, Neil, you know, I don't know if we've even talked about. I think we talked about this, but like Neil and I did this John Robin Bates play, like months before we got cast as Ted and Barney. We played lovers in this play called the Paris Letter. A great play and we had a great experience. And I think there was also like this strange change between like we were doing this very intense, intimate theater piece and then suddenly we were Ted and Barney, like literally like four months later. And it was like. It was like. It gave me vertigo. You know, I forget.

[Craig Thomas]

I always forget that. That's such a crazy detail. That's. Yeah. Completely different energies.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

We were both butt ass naked dicks a swinging in that play. For real.

[Craig Thomas]

How did I miss this?

[Neil Patrick Harris]

I remember being.

[Josh Radnor]

Did you get my text about heated rivalry? I said there'd be no heated rivalry without Paris. I love.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

I just finished. You did rivalry.

[Craig Thomas]

It's good. Can I. Can I just. Can I add something? Your guys specific chemistry. And maybe what you just described was part of that. Whenever Ted and Barney went on an adventure together, Sweet Taste of Liberty being a great example or even just had a fucking scene together, there was some kind of energy that crackled between you guys and chemistry and maybe a little bit of that slight disconnect. We're not exact. You guys had different assignments, you had different missions. It was like the same sort of overall mission, but within that you had very, very different roles. Like An Ocean's Eleven kind of thing. Like the Safecracker is not exactly doing what the guys are climbing up the building is doing. And whatever that was. If there was a little bit of that, I think it added to the chemistry, whatever that mysterious thing is. Why is How I Met yout Mother still a show people talk about and care about? Why are people still debating the finale? Why are people still saying this? There was just some mysterious energy to that. And it's bigger than any of us, but it is the combination of all of us. And I think your guys specific combination as a duo was fantastic. Even just in these first two seasons, watching you two in scenes and in storylines together, I love it. You are on weird little road trip movies like Hope and Crosby. It's really interesting. And those movies only work if those two people are very different and the energies are very different. That's a road trip movie. And you guys had that.

[Josh Radnor]

You know, also, Neil, I think that like when you're, you know, that thing we were just talking about, like the crew is like Your only audience, like, they laugh a lot when you do the run through. And then it's diminishing returns. Sure. And I think when you're on a comedy, there's a kind of reflexive tendency to think whoever's getting the most laughs is the most something valuable. Or they're, they're the, like the thing that I was doing and being asked to do. And I'm really delighted that I got some really good laughs on the show. But I was like, Craig is saying my assignment was different. And sometimes I felt like, is this valued the way that Neil's comedy is valued? Is my heart forward thing as valuable? And as the years have gone on, I realize, yes, all of the elements of the show made the show special and what it was. And so it took me a long time to realize that the task that I was given, I was doing it really well. And I've actually gone back and kind of forgiven myself for being so hard on myself in those years, you know, so that's why this rewatch has been really special.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Yeah, I totally understand that. Because you would do an amazing, an amazingly executed speech about your heart and what it means. And then I would like spit up chicken and everyone would laugh at me and then they'd say cut and they'd

[Craig Thomas]

all be like, Neil, that was so funny. The amazing thing is you hadn't even eaten chicken. You just somehow you're just that good. You just had chicken come out of you.

[Josh Radnor]

No, it's true. It's like they were. There was a longer tale for my kind of what I was offering and. But yeah, I mean, I know that without you playing Barney, we don't have a nine year run. You know, like, not just because you were so great to the execs, but like you were such a powerful, mighty force on this show and I think you gave like an all timer performance, like a totally classic performance. So I'm glad to even say these words to you. Like, it feels, it feels good because I think like in the last analysis, we just made something really cool together.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah, we did.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

I totally concur.

[Josh Radnor]

We're lucky.

[Craig Thomas]

I love you guys. I love you guys. We're really lucky. And really, really, we gotta go.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

And I just want to say that

[Craig Thomas]

I love doing this. How do you do that? How do you do that?

[Josh Radnor]

And I wrote you this little diddy to sing 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 build your site, accept payments, market Your brand and so much more, all with Squarespace.

[Craig Thomas]

And all of us here at How We Made youe Mother use Squarespace for various things. I use it for my website. We use it for the show's website. And Alec, you use it for your own producer, Alec Lev, you use it for your own website, correct?

[Alec Lev]

That's correct. Yeah. We built our how we made your mother.com on it. But also.

[Josh Radnor]

Was that your first Squarespace website? Was. Was the How We Made youe Mother?

[Alec Lev]

Actually, it was my own. My own website, I think, was my first. And so I just load that up with a lot of the stuff I've done over the years. And I was looking at it the other day and was reminded of these three music videos I have on here. And if I look closely, they were directed by Josh Radner.

[Josh Radnor]

Oh, my God. The three videos that I directed that you edited.

[Alec Lev]

That is correct.

[Josh Radnor]

We edit those together. One is a Radner and Lee. One is a Rachel Yamagata video starring Alison Chani.

[Craig Thomas]

I love that video.

[Josh Radnor]

Let Me Be youe Girl.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah, that's a great video. You guys killed that.

[Josh Radnor]

One of my favorite things I've ever done. And the other was a band called Cinders. I did a video for them and

[Alec Lev]

building a website, you. So if you have things you want to show to the world and you're wondering how you can present them Squarespace, I cannot tell you. I mean, it has to be easy for me to be able to do it. It is so easy to be able to say, okay, I want you to see my videos, my. My artwork, my picture, my photos. Easiest thing in the world.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

We've known Alec a long time, and neither of us would call him, like, a brilliant guy. You know what I mean? Like, he's just, like, a guy who's.

[Craig Thomas]

He's never been accused of that.

[Josh Radnor]

No, no, he's never been accused of. But he figured this out and has built beautiful websites through Squarespace. So if Alec can do it.

[Craig Thomas]

I mean, if Alec can do it, can do it. You're a walking ad for this, Alec.

[Alec Lev]

Guys, that is. That is not in the script. I do not see that in our scripture.

[Josh Radnor]

No, you told us to riff. You told us to riff.

[Craig Thomas]

People at Squarespace wrote that. Dissing you. It's really weird. They don't even know you.

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah, we didn't even write that. That was the folk. That was the good folks at Squarespace

[Craig Thomas]

that told us to say that.

[Josh Radnor]

How did they know that?

[Craig Thomas]

I don't know.

[Alec Lev]

All right, let's finish this up.

[Josh Radnor]

And so With Squarespace, you can easily build a great looking website like Alec did, using beautiful templates and simple design tools. Even if you've never made a website before, it lets you offer services like consultations or events, accept payments, send professional invoices, and schedule appointments all in one place. Squarespace also includes tools to help people find you online, makes it easier to register and manage your domain, and gives you options to share videos like the ones I directed now, like edited, accept donations, or sell content if that's part of what you do.

[Craig Thomas]

So here it is. Ready? Wait for it. Go to squarespace.comyourmother for a free trial and use code your mother to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. And Alec, of course, you're great. We all love you. Have you ever felt like you were living just a B or B plus life? It's so dangerous to live that. More dangerous than a B or a C life? Because when you're living a B or B life, you don't change it. You think it's good enough. Is it? I'm Susie Welch. I host a podcast called Becoming you. People think okay, an A life is not available to me, but there is a way. We are all in the process of becoming ourselves. Listen to becoming you wherever you get your podcasts a year from today, what

[Josh Radnor]

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[Craig Thomas]

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[Josh Radnor]

And now back to the show. Neil, we were actually talking about this, I think last night, but what did you take from the set? Like memento from the set?

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Oh, man, I took a few things. I took the piece of art that was of Barney wearing a pith helmet at one point. That was like an old.

[Josh Radnor]

The nude painting that Lily did.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

I didn't take the nude painting. The main thing I took was the main booth. I have the other.

[Craig Thomas]

I have the other half of that here in my house. So I have weird booths that we're

[Neil Patrick Harris]

connected with names into and two of the. Of the benches and two of the chairs.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah, yeah.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

And it's. It's in our main house in East Hampton at the fun house in the playroom.

[Josh Radnor]

I did. I do know that you, you had a special relationship with Sue Because I. You're an editor's friend. I remember you. You would do this thing that I always thought was, like, so savant. Like, where you would. Do you remember. You would rewind yourself to, like, show, like, you how you picked up the drink. Like, which hand did you pick it up with? Like, you were always trying to help the editor to have a match.

[Craig Thomas]

That's genius. I didn't know you did that.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Yeah, I always quickly would try to take my sips at the same time or set my glass down at the same time. And that was just for protection. Right. Because if you forget and you're holding your glass for takes three, four, and five, but then they, like, takes one, two, and three better, they can't use the later ones or it doesn't match.

[Craig Thomas]

Sue would comment on that all the time, Neil, but I didn't know you were literally in your mind, like, reversing your steps, like, to keep it.

[Josh Radnor]

No, no, no. He. He had, like. Like the way LeBron remembers every play of the game.

[Craig Thomas]

Right. That's like.

[Josh Radnor]

That's how Neil was.

[Craig Thomas]

God, you were meant to do this.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Go, like, put back the thing and walk backwards and, like, set my coat in the place and sit back up.

[Josh Radnor]

You know what else made us laugh, Neil, is you playing that game with the Chinese guys in Atlantic City. Like, that impossible to understand game. And the reveal of Barney's gambling addiction, like, the slow.

[Craig Thomas]

Oh, God.

[Josh Radnor]

Is really funny.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah, that's a little, like, runner in season two, that Barney. You get the sense of Barney's terrible gambling addiction. We even flash back at one point and see the first time he wins, like, $1 from Marshall. He's like, God, that feels good. Really good. And then, like, later, there's this little moment where he's like, why can't I just do it a little? Which is.

[Josh Radnor]

It's.

[Craig Thomas]

There's so many parts to Barney. There's so many parts.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

The only thing that irked me watching the rewatch was the laugh track.

[Craig Thomas]

Right, Right. Yes.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

It doesn't drive me crazy, but I just. We live in a different world with watching comedy now.

[Craig Thomas]

Right. Would we do it that way now? Yeah. I don't know. I don't know.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Or is there not a more nuanced way to make the laughs? I mean, it was just coming from a keyboard of 11 different laughs or something. Right.

[Josh Radnor]

I think it was I Love Lucy.

[Craig Thomas]

The funny thing is, some of it was real laughs that we got from. Remember at the beginning of the series, we would sit an audience down and screen the episodes for Them and record their laugh. So some of it was like us reusing laughs that we had really gotten for other. How much of another episodes. I realized that's not great, but you

[Neil Patrick Harris]

could almost redo the whole series with, like, an AI overlay where AI would watch it and then make appropriate Ish laughs because there's a different laugh from like, oh, no, you didn't just do that laugh to, like, oh, isn't that sweet laugh. Oh, my gosh. She just showed her this.

[Craig Thomas]

We had a guy. We had a human with his laugh box. This guy who would come in, who was the laugh guy and had been doing it forever and was definitely coming. His industry was shrinking even as we were doing it because the laugh tracker. But he had this little box of his proprietary laugh box that only he knew how to operate. And if you asked him anything about it, he'd be like, get away from me. I'm the only one who can use this laugh box. He was a really good guy and he did a great job.

[Josh Radnor]

But I know what you're saying, Neil. You almost wish it was more like the theater. Like, it was an honest.

[Craig Thomas]

Like an honest reaction, an honest laugh. Yeah, yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

That was scaled to the actual joke. Correct.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

I will say, outside of my stuff on the showdown, one thing that I really loved was. Cause you just mentioned I Love Lucy. And there was a. I laughed out loud watching a closeup of Alison's face when she was eating all of those chocolates. She kept shoving chocolates in her mouth.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah, yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

Trying to gain weight.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

And she's like, yeah. And she's, like, crying. And the audience is laughing. And it seemed very much like the classic I Love Lucy close up of her on the conveyor belt shoving chocolates.

[Josh Radnor]

Is that when Robin says, skinny baby's gonna cry.

[Craig Thomas]

Skinny baby's gonna cry. Oh, skinny baby's gonna cry.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

I also asked me, and tell me this. I started looking at Kobe's ass in the bar scenes.

[Josh Radnor]

I remember when you started that Barney

[Craig Thomas]

started looking at the scene.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Barney started. Yeah, Barney started looking at Robin's ass when she would leave scenes. Well, before, you had said that. That Robin and Barney would have a thing together. But I don't wanna take ownership of that. Cause I wasn't angling towards that. I just thought that that would be an interesting thing to, like, start folding in.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah. No, this is what I mean, that it's a conversation, right? It's a conversation from stage 22 to the writer's room to the edit room. And we're all seeing what you're doing, and we're all seeing what the energies are. All these mysterious energies coming together. I think you absolutely started playing that and that it absolutely planted the seed in our brains to go, wait a second. This has. If we go long enough, this is gonna happen there' cause you and Koby, again, had your own completely unique chemistry. That's what's so great. Any two of you guys in a room, like, in a scene together, any two of you actors, there was a scene there. There was a history, There was a connection. Everybody had a pairing. And you and Lily, like, each of you guys with Ally had a thing. It's great. That is the true.

[Josh Radnor]

I don't know.

[Craig Thomas]

That's unreplicatable, right? Only certain shows get that.

[Josh Radnor]

And it's like generations, you know, Craig, I don't remember what episode this was, but there was a moment we flagged where. Oh, no, it's when. It's when Barney's trying to convince him not to move in together, and he comes in with a yellow legal pad, but acts like it's a thing. But he said something about Robin wearing makeup, and she says, I'm not wearing any makeup. And he looks and he says, God, you're beautiful.

[Craig Thomas]

That was a couple episodes ago. That was late.

[Josh Radnor]

That was a moment where we're like, oh, that's like a moment to flag of. Like, he. He notices her podcast.

[Craig Thomas]

We're like, oh, I think that was like. That launched a thousand ships, that moment. I think that was like, that was the moment. Dear God, you're beautiful. Dear God, you're beautiful. You're not going to make it.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

And also, Coby Smulders.

[Craig Thomas]

Come on.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Kind of amazingly beautiful.

[Craig Thomas]

The best.

[Josh Radnor]

And inside, no acting required.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

Neil, are there any other, like, as this is coming? Like, where. Where is how I met your mother? Like, oh, by the way, did your kids like it?

[Craig Thomas]

I want to know that.

[Josh Radnor]

Famous parents aside, like, did they enjoy watching it?

[Neil Patrick Harris]

They haven't seen it all. Harper. Harper watched all of the Doogie Howser episodes, which is hilarious. That's awesome. Because I was just this little chubby boy with a high pitched voice that talked like this and walked around in high tops. But how I met your mother, she claims that she's watched it. I think she's watched some of it. But this whole experience right now is making me want to do, like, my own rewatch with the kids because they're both performing. Like, Gideon was just in his high school play. He was in One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest at our School.

[Josh Radnor]

Oh, One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest. Wow, that's great.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

He was one of the orderlies, and it was great because he's a freshman, and it was for the whole high school, and he was a new freshman, and so he found his tribe a little bit, and he was really great in it. He was in Newsies at his previous school. He was crutchy in Newsies and got to sing a song. So he's been performing a bit. Harper's now in, like, an acting class, so they both have sort of acting aspirations in different directions. So I wonder what it would be like to watch How I Met yout Mother now together.

[Craig Thomas]

Well, listen, have them watch it. We'll have you back on. We'll get the other.

[Josh Radnor]

We'll have them back on.

[Craig Thomas]

Have them on.

[Josh Radnor]

That would be cool.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

They'd have a lot to say.

[Josh Radnor]

Neil. Also just a shout out to David in.

[Craig Thomas]

I was gonna say this.

[Josh Radnor]

Either something blue or something borrowed. When Scooter comes back to try to win Lily at the wedding, and he says, look me in the eye and tell me you want to marry Marshall. And she tries, and he does that thing where he won't show her his

[Craig Thomas]

ey contact so he can't be licked in the eye. And he doesn't.

[Josh Radnor]

Funny talk about, like, physical comedy.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

It makes me laugh. He's like a dog that you're trying to look at because they've done something

[Josh Radnor]

bad and you just keep like.

[Craig Thomas]

And they will not make eye contact. My dog totally does that.

[Josh Radnor]

Scooter was 100% a dog. Like that character.

[Craig Thomas]

Would you tell him we talked about that at length. Tell him we, like, couldn't stop talking about that. On the podcast episode about the Wind. That was. We. That was. He was fucking hilarious in that.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

One of my favorite Barney episodes. And can I come back onto the show when you get to it, please? Was the one where you had me play poker with six different versions of myself?

[Craig Thomas]

Oh, yes. And we had to lock off the

[Neil Patrick Harris]

shot, and I fit and I had to do, like, six different characters that all had to look like. That was such.

[Craig Thomas]

I forgot about that. Okay, you're coming back on for that

[Neil Patrick Harris]

because I had an earwig in and I had to remember that I gave nods to certain characters that were in a two shot. That was crazy.

[Craig Thomas]

Oh, my God. Well, okay, so we're having you back. You have to come on.

[Josh Radnor]

Definitely.

[Craig Thomas]

That poker one we got the hundredth episode, the Suits musical. We need you for that. That's a little ways. Neil Patrick Harris.

[Josh Radnor]

My God, Neil Patrick Harris, one of the greats.

[Craig Thomas]

One of the all time greats. Thank you for being here, buddy.

[Josh Radnor]

Thank you so much for being here.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Love to see you all.

[Josh Radnor]

You all look great and I'm glad we unpacked all that stuff.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Indeed, indeed. Me too, buddy.

[Craig Thomas]

That was so great having Neil on. When I was watching you guys talk about some of, like, your dynamics right. During the making of the show and the different, completely different roles you had and how those had different energies, I thought to myself, this is why we're doing this podcast, because only now can we talk like that. And in that way and with that perspective, I was like, right, this is why we have this podcast. And only from this vantage point could you have that conversation.

[Josh Radnor]

Did it feel that way. And I also think there's something about. There's a difference between being 31 and 51. 32 and 52, you know.

[Craig Thomas]

Oh, yes.

[Josh Radnor]

And if you're not different at 52 than you were at 32, something's gone wrong, right?

[Craig Thomas]

Yes.

[Josh Radnor]

Like, we should look back on some of our behavior and wince or blush or think, oh, I could have handled that better. And I also think, you know, I'm glad Neil brought up all that stuff because there was something about, like, when I would think about those times, I'm kind of thinking as a 32 year old, 33 year old, 37 year old, and it's nice to update it and to have a conversation with us in our early 50s, you know, with some perspective and some, like, some of that has settled, you know. And, you know, I always felt with Neil, like, no matter what was going on, I always felt when the cameras rolled, we were there. Like, we really worked well together. And I never had anything less than, like, immense respect for his comedic chops. Like, he was doing stuff that I was like. I mean, in some ways, you kind of felt like you were playing with Jordan in certain days, you know, and, you know, like Scottie Pippen was. That was hard sometimes, if I was even Pippin that day. But I was due other times. You know, I got to be the guy. And I think that, you know, anytime you put five people together for nine years, I was thinking about that. How I met your mother is like, high school plus college plus one year.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah. Like a gap year.

[Josh Radnor]

And think how. Think how much you change from your freshman year of high school.

[Craig Thomas]

Oh, yes.

[Josh Radnor]

To 23, 24 years old.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

And it was just. I mean, yeah, there were a lot of other people around, but it was just five of us. So there's bound to Be like, you know when people say, like, oh, is it the best time? It's like, yeah, but the whole show wasn't a blooper reel. Like, yeah, you spend a decade. You're gonna bring your best self some days to work and you're gonna bring your worst self. Like, people saw me when I was in some, like real crabby moods, when I was really confused about life and what was going on. I mean, a lot was going on and life was really happening. It was in session.

[Craig Thomas]

Life did not stop happening as we were still doing.

[Josh Radnor]

But it's so. It was so nice to. To be able to sift through some of that with him as, you know, older dudes who just mostly are carrying affection for that time, you know.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah, yeah, I agree. And it's. You guys were both so in your characters and sometimes your characters had to have this friction and it's like the camera stopped rolling and you went and got some mega craft services. The energy is still there of what you were just inhabiting and had been inhabiting for years prior to that. It's so interesting to me. I'm sure that that dynamic on long running shows, long running plays too. You're probably right. There's probably certain dynamics that don't let go between scenes, between shows, between seasons even.

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah. You carry the character in your body and. And even talking to Neil, I'm like, yeah, Barney's out of his body, Ted's out of my body. Like, we're not living in that, you

[Craig Thomas]

know,

[Josh Radnor]

we're dudes, like in the world with kids and lives. But it was really great to touch back with some of that and feel just some of the underlying affection that's at the heart of the whole thing.

[Craig Thomas]

I loved it. It was great.

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah. There are a couple things about the episode that we didn't get to touch on that I just want to like kind of run through that I thought were really funny and sharp. By the way, tell us real quick, like, what is this episode about?

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah, so this episode, Alec, I think you said, and everything, all that stuff. But the episode is about. I mean, the Barney Price is right part is obviously like the super memorable part. But I really like this whole episode because this is about Ted's attempt to write his best man speech for Marshall. And that's a pretty big deal. That's a pretty big thread. We keep on seeing Ted's. We see stories that Ted wants to tell for the toast and Marshall keeps shooting them down cause they're too risque for his very conservative Midwest family. And meanwhile, Lily has lost more weight than she intended to and her dress doesn't fit. So there's a ridiculous story of Robin trying to fatten Lily back up, you know, alongside Bob Barker shenanigans.

[Josh Radnor]

What you're describing are B and C stories.

[Craig Thomas]

Like these are real showdown's the part you remember. But I really liked the Ted toast story more than I. And I sort of felt more important because it also gives us the first flash forward glimpse to Marshall and Lily's wedding. Marshall's wearing a hat. Why is he wearing a hat? We'll get there. You know, isn't this also. Fuck, I'm getting confused. Ted and Robin come in covered in pasta sauce. In this one too.

[Josh Radnor]

It led us to call this a kind of three part finale.

[Craig Thomas]

Yes, this really echoed. Yeah, the two part finale echoes backwards into this or some way of saying that. So I really, I love this episode start to finish. And there's a lot more going on than just the Bob Barker stuff. That's really. That's at the end.

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah.

[Craig Thomas]

And it's definitely what you're building towards. But there's a lot of other good stuff.

[Josh Radnor]

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

[Craig Thomas]

New York City and now commercials.

[Josh Radnor]

So good, so good, so good.

[Craig Thomas]

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[Josh Radnor]

Why do we rack for the hottest deal just so many good brands?

[Craig Thomas]

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[Josh Radnor]

Plus buy online and pick up at your favorite Rack store for free. Great brands, great prices. That's why you rack.

[Craig Thomas]

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[Josh Radnor]

You can add protein cold foam to

[Craig Thomas]

your favorite drink or try one of

[Josh Radnor]

our new protein lattes or Matcha.

[Craig Thomas]

Try it today at Starbucks. End of commercials back to show.

[Josh Radnor]

I loved the shot of Lily and Marshall getting eggs from the fridge together when he's like, I'll join you.

[Craig Thomas]

I'll join you. Three steps over. Yeah. Yes. Their codependence is explored and it's insane how codependent they are. But then in the end, that's the whole point of Ted's toast. I. He's like, yeah, they're codependent. They need each other. They need each other. They couldn't even go a couple nights without seeing each other. And if that's not love, then what is? These two deserve to Be together. They need to be together. I thought that was a very sweet toast Ted did. And we got to see a wedding toast before we ever see a wedding. I love how out of order. That is a very. Him. Him telling the story out of order in an interesting way. I liked that piece a lot.

[Josh Radnor]

And then the table with the five of them and then two random people who are very close to the them.

[Craig Thomas]

Right.

[Josh Radnor]

Just like you were those other people.

[Craig Thomas]

Yes, I know.

[Josh Radnor]

The Price is Right. The decision to do the Price is Right, was that a, like, CBS vertical integration move?

[Craig Thomas]

No, I.

[Josh Radnor]

We.

[Craig Thomas]

No, we were not fed that by the corporate overlords or anything like that.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

We.

[Craig Thomas]

Every comedy writer was homesick watching Price is Right or faked being homesick to watch Price is Right. There was a lot of legitimate affection for Price is Right in that room. I think Bob Barker. The sense was he was maybe coming to the end of his tenure on that. It was like, could we do something with him? CBS loved it. They loved the sort of crossover thing. But I think we just came up with that on our own. Like, what would be the most absurd explanation for who. Barney's dad is so clearly tossed away by the mother who's facing Charlie Brown's parents. You never see the face. It's just a voice saying, I don't know that guy. And young Barney just taking that and running with it. And I love talking about that with Neil. Like, to what extent does Barney really believe that then and in the middle and at the end. It's kind of one for the ages. That question. But, no, this was our idea. This was not fed to us.

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah. I love when Ted says. I think he just says, my name is Ted Mosby. Strong opening, right? It was amazing.

[Craig Thomas]

Good, right?

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah.

[Craig Thomas]

This is, like, four times.

[Josh Radnor]

I love Marshall's. His favorite grandson's getting married. Ted. I think he could take a day off from haunting the barn to go to his favorite grandson's wedding.

[Craig Thomas]

I love that joke. That's one of my favorite jokes in the whole episode. And I forgot about it because it's so marvelous. That is such a character joke of Marshall. And Marshall also acting like, what are you, an idiot? Of course the ghost's gonna come to the wedding. Marshall having that tone of being unassailably right when talking about ghosts is chef's

[Josh Radnor]

kiss One of my favorite things is Marshall and Bigfoot. Ghosts. Nessie, the Loch Ness monster. Is he an alien? He's an aliens guy, too, right?

[Craig Thomas]

Oh, big time.

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah.

[Craig Thomas]

Aliens.

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah.

[Craig Thomas]

And Nessie, come on. Nessie's A girl. Ted. Come on. That's later. I think that's in the finale.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

I love when Ted Los locks the door on Barney after his Price is Right practice runs.

[Craig Thomas]

Oh, my God. That. I watched that twice. I rewound that and watched it again. Because the thud against the door, which I'm sure Neil really did as full throttle. Like, that could have been a sound effect. No, Neil for sure rammed headfirst into that door. Even though that's not on camera. I guarantee you he did. Or at least his shoulder. That made me laugh so fucking hard. Just the casualness with which Ted gets up and just locks the door and Marshall's giggling. That was. That was great.

[Josh Radnor]

It was great.

[Craig Thomas]

The three dudes together. That's what I mean. Like, any. Any combination of these characters, like those three dudes together being dudes. We could have done that more. I almost wish we did that more, because those little moments are great.

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah. What was. Sit down. I've got something to tell. I got to tell you guys something, but wasn't everyone seated already?

[Craig Thomas]

Everyone's already seated. Everyone's already seated. Yeah. Everyone's already seated.

[Josh Radnor]

Those little. Those little things are just so stupid and funny.

[Craig Thomas]

So funny.

[Josh Radnor]

Like, just.

[Craig Thomas]

That's Barney being in a show. Barney's imagining what should be happening in Barney's mind. They're all everybody's.

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah.

[Craig Thomas]

But. Yeah, that was when he was going to announce Bob Barker's my dad. That was what you should be sitting for.

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah. I love the soap opera Close up after the Barb Barker reveal.

[Craig Thomas]

Oh, yeah. Hilarious.

[Josh Radnor]

So funny.

[Craig Thomas]

It's heartbreaking. Neil, like Barney. Neil really played it. It's Barney's neediness in this episode. And his brokenness is what makes this episode.

[Josh Radnor]

We already said the saddest. And how I met your mother and possibly all of television history is wanting to play some catch. Pop. And throwing the baseball at the tv.

[Craig Thomas]

The sound the baseball makes clinking against the TV is what gets me. It is just plop onto the shag carpeting.

[Josh Radnor]

I thought this was an old ref. Super Size Me guy was full of it.

[Craig Thomas]

That is an old ref. I'm not sure that one's holding up very well for a bunch of different reasons. Yeah. Old ref. We gotta take the hit.

[Josh Radnor]

Kobe's skinny. Lil, Baby's gonna cry was one of my biggest laughs of the episode.

[Craig Thomas]

Taylor, Baby's gonna cry.

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah. I also love. This is something not everyone would understand. But when Ted says, I give up. I'm just gonna read that thing about Jesus and the footprints.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

That is so funny.

[Craig Thomas]

That's really funny. Throwaway. We dissect a lot of good wedding cliches in these episodes coming up. That was the beginning of the Ecclesiastes coming up. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

I love the. The foreshadowing of Marshall's hat. Yeah.

[Craig Thomas]

Why that hat?

[Josh Radnor]

Stay tuned. Oh, yeah, we talked about this. Barney trying to stand like Bob Barker. Would you say you're proud?

[Craig Thomas]

Did you notice that, too, Josh?

[Josh Radnor]

Did you notice that? I wrote it down. Barney trying to stand like Bob Barker.

[Craig Thomas]

That really got me.

[Josh Radnor]

Would you say you're proud of me? And also the Night Night Lily song with Ted being forced to sing it.

[Craig Thomas]

Oh, my God. And Ted joining in grudgingly. But I also, like. You had a great delivery of a line when. And would you say you're proud of me? And Bob Barker's like, sure, Barney, I'm proud of you. And there's this weird. Barney almost starts to cry. And you cut Ted and just goes. That was kind of a weird moment. I remember that line. I think I might have written that line because I remember feeling like that you need that you need to be seeing it through the gang's lens, because what we're doing is fucking insane.

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah.

[Craig Thomas]

He's on the Prices, right?

[Josh Radnor]

It's almost like when everyone gathers around to watch the Robin Sparkles video. Like, it's like a total.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Like.

[Josh Radnor]

Wait, what?

[Craig Thomas]

The audience has to experience it through the gang's eyes. And because it is a weird moment you have. You have to acknowledge that's a really weird moment. And it's airing on Price is Right unedited on Price Is Right. It's. Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

And he's got all these gifts that he's giving Marshall and Lily. Yes. Oh, yeah. The Night Night Lily song where Ted is being forced to both videotape it and harmonize.

[Craig Thomas]

Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

I was trying to remember if I was on set or that was just something we lose.

[Craig Thomas]

You were. No, you were. You had to time it out. You had to do it. Yeah.

[Josh Radnor]

You were there.

[Craig Thomas]

Camera standing right next to the cameraman.

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah. Yeah, that's what I said.

[Craig Thomas]

Because you had to sound that way. You were. Yeah. You know, you were in there.

[Josh Radnor]

That was really funny to me. Yeah.

[Craig Thomas]

So funny. And then the Ted grudgingly does it. He's like, all right, I'll do it. Way later in series, Marshall's lullaby to his son is Night, Night, Little Marvin. It's a completely different melody and song that we wrote many, many years later. But I'd have forgotten we made it match he has a night night song for Lily and now they have a kid and he says night little Marvin to his little son. So it's I guess maybe we did that intentionally. I can't. Couldn't even remember.

[Josh Radnor]

Oh, I wrote a song called Brooklyn Girl for Jordana and she says is there going to be a Brooklyn boy?

[Craig Thomas]

Ah yes. Write it, do it.

[Josh Radnor]

Yeah, get on right now on the spot.

[Craig Thomas]

Get the guitar.

[Josh Radnor]

I am guilty. Please acquit me. All sins are forgiven in New York City.

[Alec Lev]

How we made your mother is hosted and exactly executive produced by Josh Radner and Craig Thomas and is presented and distributed by the Office Ladies Network and Odyssey. 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 do 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 writings at craig thomas writer.com and you can subscribe to My own Dead Fathers Society, also on Substack to learn more about how you make a 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

[Craig Thomas]

the real

[Josh Radnor]

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

[Alec Lev]

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[Craig Thomas]

That's the og.

[Alec Lev]

It kicked off this whole zero Sugar energy drink thing, but Ultra is a whole lineup now. You've got Strawberry Dreams, Blue Hawaii, Hawaiian Sunrise and Vice Guava. And they all bring the Monster Energy punch. So if you've been living in the White can branch out. Ultra's got a flavor for every vibe, and every single one is Zero Sugar.

[Josh Radnor]

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