How I Met Your Mother was an instant hit when it released in 2005. The sitcom rivalled the success of another popular television series, Friends. But its popularity waned after its first few seasons - its controversial ending left the audience divided, making HIMYM the less-popular show.
And yet, Hillary Duff’s spin-off series, named How I Met Your Father, is attempting to re-create the magic that was present in the original. Although, it is safe to say the spin-off has been dubbed as ‘stale’ by many critics, who insist that the show is best for nostalgia-driven fans.
Despite criticism, the show has been renewed for a second season and is available to stream on Disney + Hotstar.
But how does the show fare in comparison to the original?
Hilary Duff’s show is enjoyable, though it doesn’t stand out in terms of its originality and depends more on the recall value of the original.
HIMYM filled a gaping gap that Friends had left behind, which went off-air the year before. It was remarkably similar, intentionally so, but it was also peppered with its sense of self. The show had an unreliable narrator as its lead who narrated the story of how he met his wife to his children.
A still from How I Met Your Father
(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)
The central premise would be the mystery around the ‘mother’ and keep the audience guessing. The problem with the show, however, became its ending. Killing the ‘mother’ undercut the whole point of the mystery – leaving the fans feeling betrayed.
Moreover, some of its jokes have certainly not aged well. Barney Stinson’s casanova-esque characterization would be met with criticism in today’s time. Even though the actor, Niel Patrick Harris, was the highest-paid cast member in the group – owing to his popularity.
How I Met Your Mother cast.
(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)
The spin-off series does not have a character that imitates Barney in any way. In which case, it stays true it’s time. Hilary Duff also manages to keep all eyes on her. But in the time of OTT, this shows attempt to perhaps fix the mistakes of the original, but it forgets to keep in mind that the world has moved on.
All in all, the freshness the its predecessor initially offered is starkly missing in the show. The sitcom scrambles to get its punchlines right much like Sophie's quest for her one true love.
So only time can tell if the show will manage to bring something new to the table despite its shortcomings.
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