Although fans were skeptical about whether How I Met Your Father could live up to the original, the Hilary Duff-lead series is currently in production on its second season, which fans are eagerly awaiting. The new series has a very similar concept, but it has also made a commitment to avoid the aspects of How I Met Your Mother that haven't aged well.
One element of HIMYM that fans love—and hope to see in HIMYF—is the running jokes and Easter eggs that the show was famous for. They kept viewers focused while the show was airing, and fans are still finding little details eight years later. Fans on Reddit have shared their thoughts on which ones were their favorites as they look back.
Sandwiches
It's kind of weird that Ted would tell his kids so many details about his sex life, but one element of his life did get censored. Redditor rough_piercing13 said their favorite joke was "Sandwiches being a euphemism for marijuana. 'That is a FAT sandwich.' 'If you were new in town and just digested an eighth of sandwich where would you go??'"
This visual gag came up repeatedly throughout the show, and several other Redditors brought it up as well. Over the course of the series, it appeared in 14 different episodes, most of which involved flashbacks to Marshall and Ted's time in college. It's a creative idea that fans absolutely loved, so it's no wonder it was so frequently referenced and upvoted on Reddit.
Salute The General
Redditor carfreak1234 shared their favorite joke from the series, explaining, "my roommates and i actively practice the private/captain/colonel/sergeant/etc running joke." For those who missed it, Robin and Ted had a habit of saluting the accidental officer when anybody used phrases like "general consensus" or "private conversation."
This joke was first mentioned in "Slapsgiving," and the sentiment behind its introduction was really relatable. It was a bit of wordplay that became important to Ted and Robin's relationship, and once they broke up, it was uncomfortable that they didn't do it. Several Redditors mentioned or upvoted the mock salute, appreciating it as both a good joke and a nice character beat.
Robin Sparkles
Robin is one of the most grounded characters on HIMYM, so it's great to see the insanity that was her childhood. Redditor rallruse said their favorite recurring joke was "Anything that has to do with Robin Sparkles." While it isn't really a joke fans could miss, it's referenced rarely enough that fans celebrate whenever it returned.
95 Redditors upvoted this answer, and several gave their favorite examples of the phenomenon, from whole episodes centering on Robin's backstory to Ted's ringtone being "Let's Go To The Mall" in season four. Despite only being the focus of four episodes, this is a beloved part of How I Met Your Mother's canon.
Interventions
Redditor edwartica shared their favorite moments in one word: "Intervention." This gag was at its best in the season four episodes of the same name, but it played out several times over the course of the show when members of the group felt they needed to address concerning behavior from each other.
There are actually six episodes that feature interventions, including season 7, episode 19's "The Broath," which several commenters referenced for how much they loved the "Quinntervention." While many of the interventions the group did in the beginning were for silly reasons (like Marshall wearing a hat for too long), they were also significant parts of the group's more serious conversations as well, making it both a fun spectacle and a surprisingly effective way to look out for each other.
The Infamous Slap Bet
One of the most prominent running jokes on How I Met Your Mother was Beorn6's favorite: "Slap Bet, gets me every time." Barney and Marshall decided to bet on a secret Robin was keeping from the group, and while neither were technically correct, it resulted in Marshall having the right to slap Barney five times in the future, which he could do whenever he wanted.
Several Redditors mentioned this plot point, with over 50 upvoting Bern6's post. While they get less enjoyable on rewatches of How I Met Your Mother, the slap bets were completely consensual and led to some great tension for the series. Neither characters nor audience members knew when the next slap was coming, and they usually managed to advance the plot.
Barney's Job—PLEASE
While there were significant plotlines revolving around Ted, Marshall, Robin, and Lily's careers, nobody knew exactly what Barney did for a living for over eight seasons before it was finally revealed in "Unpause." Until then, fans could expect MrThanos15's favorite recurring joke: "'Seriously what do you do for a living?' 'Ha! Please.'"
106 other Redditors loved this joke, judging by the upvotes, and it's not hard to see why. Barney's job—Provide Legal Exculpation and Sign Everything—provided a strong sense of mystery in the series, leading up to the reveal that Barney was working with the FBI to take down his boss (and rival).
"Right? Right?"
Although most Redditors were looking for explicit jokes, Fexxvi called out Ted's catchphrase of "Right? Right??" Evidently, the 406 users who upvoted the comment felt the phrase deserved to be recognized along with the more traditional jokes. Ted's emphatic agreement was a fun way to connect with the people around him, especially when they said complimentary things about him.
While some fans argue that he is an unlikable main character, Ted's cringeworthy moments are just as important as his highlight moments because they make him so realistic. And as the other members of the group caught on and started using the phrase in their own lives, it subtly showed how close they all were.
Big Fudge (And Its Variants)
Redditor shejmar shared that their favorite running joke was "come again for big fudge," a sentiment shared by the nearly 400 users who upvoted the comment. This was such a great running joke because fans could easily use it in their own lives, either as a signal to other fans or as a statement of disbelief.
Marshall originally earned the name by eating eight pounds of fudge in under fifteen minutes when he got into Columbia, but it was adaptable to the many changes he and the other members of the group went through in their lives. Because fans latched onto it so quickly, it was that much more impactful when Lily was referred to as Mrs. Fudge or Lil Fudge, as well as when Marshall officially became "Judge Fudge" in the finale.
Barney's (Many) One Rules
Barney managed to codify every part of his life based on the Bro Code and his Playbook, and while that was limiting in many ways, it led to some great moments. Redditor scarstarify specifically called out the many times Barney demanded, "Ted, what’s my ONE RULE?" only to have it be a completely different rule than the time before.
This is one of the clearest jokes in the series, but the more it happened, the more it started to build Barney's character as a foil to Ted's. Barney lived by rules, while Ted lived by impulse, and neither formula was perfect. It helped develop the characters, introduce new zany theories, and was memorable enough for 449 users to upvote it.
Murder Train
Many fans may be confused by what the "Murder Train" joke is, but nearly 600 users upvoted it when one Redditor simply posted those two words. For those who have forgotten, "Murder Train" is a song written by Robin's first boyfriend that he manipulated her into playing on her news program.
While it seemed like a weird joke to highlight how much sway exes can have over their former partners, it actually became a long-running part of the show, playing in six other episodes during moments of violence. It's an annoyingly catchy song, and fans love how much depth the show had when it could take a throwaway joke and make it fans' favorite gag more than eight years later.
HIMYM season 1-9 is available to stream on Hulu and Prime Video.
Source:gamerant.com