No matter how many fans may want it to be, “How I Met Your Father” is not, and never will be, “How I Met Your Mother.”
Despite the similar names and basic premise (’90s TV star narrates the misadventures of a friend group living in New York City whilst trying to find the titular parent), “HIMYF” and “HIMYM” are two different shows for audiences of two different times.
Putting the subjectivity of comedy tastes aside, looking at the numbers proves the differences. “How I Met Your Mother” had 208 episodes on the air, and eight years have passed since the final episode. On the other hand, “How I Met Your Father” only has 10 episodes so far. At the 10-episode mark of “How I Met Your Mother,” the first season wasn’t even halfway over.
This just goes to show how much television has changed since 2005. Seasons with 22 episodes seem gluttonous by today’s streaming standards. That being said, Hulu has renewed “HIMYF” for a second season with 20 episodes.
In addition to having fewer episodes, “How I Met Your Father” also has a larger cast. In addition to the six main characters, the supporting characters make the episodes feel overstuffed. Hopefully, the increased length for season two will give breathing room for the development the show needs.
This isn’t to say that “HIMYF” has no merit on its own. It’s corrected one problem of the original by including non-white main characters. Since the main group is six instead of five, it’s easier to see the cast as its own instead of direct analogs of Ted, Robin, Marshall, Lily and Barney. While it contains some references here and there, it’s welcoming enough that new viewers don’t need to sit through all nine seasons of its inspiration.
“How I Met Your Father” has the bones of a good show already, and with better execution seemingly coming soon, the future looks bright.
