Using Magical Realism and Trusting the Audience

Josh and Craig reflect on How I Met Your Mother’s Season 1 episode “The Limo,” a fan-favorite New Year’s Eve story that they and many fans—including Andrea from Mexico—consider emblematic of the show’s emotional core. They recall the episode’s ambition to be a “simple shoot” that turned out to be one of the most technically challenging due to the cramped limo set, and share behind-the-scenes stories like Jason Segel’s triumphant foggy entrance, the difficulty of getting camera shots in the limo, and the running joke of “the circuits are jammed.” They marvel at the Emmy-winning cinematography, the comic perfection of Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name,” and how the episode balances magical realism with emotional honesty. Josh highlights the cinematic final shot and the episode’s theme—that life’s unexpected detours are all part of the journey. They praise guest stars like Kathleen Perkins (Mary Beth) and JP Manoux (Not Moby), reflect on their own formative pop culture experiences, and read fan letters, including one from a Canadian listener whose wedding was filled with HIMYM references. Jordana, Josh’s wife and a clinical psychologist, closes with an insightful commentary on the spiritual lesson embedded in Ted’s narration: not everything has a happy ending, but it’s all important.

GET YOUR MERCH!

We’ve got HWMYM merch, which is now just a FEW CLICKS AWAY.

CRAIG’S BOOK IS AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER!

Head over to CRAIG’S WEBSITE to pre-order your copy of That’s Not How It Happened today.

J

OSH IS STILL ON TOUR!

Tickets are available HERE for the final shows of the EULOGY TOUR.

And if you’re a business with big orders to fulfill, Amplifier is there to help growing consumer brands and influencers create a unique experience for their customers during the fulfillment process. Visit AMPLIFIER to learn more, and name-drop How We Made Your Mother for special pricing for your emerging brand's program.

CONNECT WITH THE SHOW:

Official Website (Send us your audio and written messages)

Substack (Join the mailing list, get announcements, and read more from Josh and Craig)

Instagram

HOW YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Donate to our ongoing campaign to support congenital heart disease research

AND MORE:

Josh’s “Museletters” on Substack

Josh’s Official Website

Josh on Spotify

Craig’s Official Website (with links to his published writing)

Alek’s “Dead Fathers Society” on Substack

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

PrettyLitter: Save 20% on your first order and get a free cat toy at prettylitter.com/HWMYM

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices