How We Made Your Mother

In this bonus “General Questions” episode of How We Made Your Mother, Josh, Craig, and Alek reflect on the Season 1 episode “The Wedding,” especially the lasting impact of Ashley Williams as Victoria, even with just seconds of screen time. They explore why her character resonated so deeply, whether she was ever considered to be the mother if the show had ended early, and how the timing of her reveal was crafted to feel mythic and cinematic. They talk about writing under the pressure of a midseason pickup, the significance of Victoria’s entrance, and the show’s deeper themes of trust, surrender, and the idea that life unfolds with unseen magic. The episode also touches on fan interest in “Who’s the mother?” and how the show was structured around anticipation, not instant gratification. Questions asked during the episode: Did Craig and Carter always plan to bring Victoria back, or was it due to audience love? How did the writers gauge audience reaction in a pre-social media world? Were you ready for Victoria to be the mother if the show was canceled after 13 episodes? Did Josh do a chemistry read with Ashley Williams? What if the real love story is trusting the right person will find you, even if that means standing alone at a wedding? GET YOUR MERCH! We’ve got HWMYM merch, which is now just a FEW CLICKS AWAY [https://howyougetyourmerch.com/]. CRAIG’S BOOK IS AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER! Head over to CRAIG’S WEBSITE [https://craigthomaswriter.com/novel] to pre-order your copy of That’s Not How It Happened today. 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 [https://amplifier.com] 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 [http://www.howwemadeyourmother.com] (Send us your audio and written messages) Substack [https://howwemadeyourmother.substack.com] (Join the mailing list, get announcements, and read more from Josh and Craig) Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/howwemadeyourmother/] HOW YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE Donate [https://www.howwemadeyourmother.com/makeadifference] to our ongoing campaign to support congenital heart disease research AND MORE: Josh’s “Museletters” on Substack [https://joshradnor.substack.com] J [https://www.joshradnor.com]osh’s Official Website [https://www.joshradnor.com] Josh on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/artist/43jyNhxEcJZ2YbwioBjCbY] Craig’s Official Website [https://craigthomaswriter.com] (with links to his published writing) Alek’s “Dead Fathers Society” on Substack [https://aleklev.substack.com] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Josh Radnor and Craig Thomas revisit “The Wedding,” Season 1, Episode 12 of How I Met Your Mother, focusing on how Ted’s belief in love and planning clashes with reality, nearly derailing someone else’s wedding. They explore themes of memory, self-sabotage, and how the show captures both heartbreak and hope. The conversation covers Ted’s romantic logic, the reveal that he didn’t actually check “plus one,” and how this episode sets up the next with the introduction of Victoria. They also highlight Sue Fetterman’s editing, the odd sudden closeness of Stuart and Claudia, and how weddings stir up emotions and expectations. The episode ends with a listener letter about watching HIMYM during labor and a thoughtful question about what parts of love should be easy and what kinds of difficulty are normal. GET YOUR MERCH! We’ve got HWMYM merch, which is now just a FEW CLICKS AWAY [https://howyougetyourmerch.com/]. CRAIG’S BOOK IS AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER! Head over to CRAIG’S WEBSITE [https://craigthomaswriter.com/novel] to pre-order your copy of That’s Not How It Happened today. JOSH IS STILL ON TOUR! Tickets are available HERE [https://www.joshradnor.com/tour] 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 [https://amplifier.com] 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 [http://www.howwemadeyourmother.com] (Send us your audio and written messages) Substack [https://howwemadeyourmother.substack.com] (Join the mailing list, get announcements, and read more from Josh and Craig) Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/howwemadeyourmother/] HOW YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE Donate [https://www.howwemadeyourmother.com/makeadifference] to our ongoing campaign to support congenital heart disease research AND MORE: Josh’s “Museletters” on Substack [https://joshradnor.substack.com] Josh’s Official Website [https://www.joshradnor.com] Josh on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/artist/43jyNhxEcJZ2YbwioBjCbY] Craig’s Official Website [https://craigthomaswriter.com] (with links to his published writing) Alek’s “Dead Fathers Society” on Substack [https://aleklev.substack.com] THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: Mint Mobile: If you like your money, Mint Mobile is for you. Shop plans at mintmobile.com/yourmother [http://mintmobile.com/yourmother] HelloFresh: Go to ⁠HelloFresh.com/YOURMOTHER10FM [http://hellofresh.com/YOURMOTHER10FM]⁠ now to get 10 Free Meals with a Free Item For Life MeUndies: Slide into game changing comfort with MeUndies. Support the show by going to MeUndies.com/YOURMOTHER [MeUndies.com/YOURMOTHER] and using my code YOURMOTHER to get 20% off your first order, plus free shipping. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

In this bonus “General Questions” episode of How We Made Your Mother, Josh, Craig, and Alek reflect on gender dynamics in How I Met Your Mother, prompted by a listener who studied “The Limo” episode in an English class on 2000s sitcoms. They explore the show’s gender role reversals, Barney’s objectification of women (and how it was meant to be satirical), and the tension between authorial intent and fan interpretation. They also dive into the legacy and construction of Barney’s iconic Get Psyched mix (including whether a prop list or fan reconstructions are accurate), share their own personal “get psyched” songs and albums (with love for The Joshua Tree and Born in the USA), and talk about how Ted’s idealized New Year’s Eve reflects his need for control—and the broader theme of learning to dance with the universe. Along the way, they reminisce about Wesleyan, Ricky Gervais, Springsteen, and Sam Malone, wrapping with shout-outs to eagle-eyed HIMYM fans and an impromptu Airbnb ad. Fan Questions Asked: * What class were you studying “The Limo” in, and why that episode? * Did you and Carter write the full Get Psyched mix, or was it the props team? * What songs are on your personal Get Psyched mix? * Was “The Limo” episode satirizing New Year’s Eve pressure, or about Ted’s need for control? GET YOUR MERCH! We’ve got HWMYM merch, which is now just a FEW CLICKS AWAY [https://howyougetyourmerch.com/]. CRAIG’S BOOK IS AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER! Head over to CRAIG’S WEBSITE [https://craigthomaswriter.com/novel] to pre-order your copy of That’s Not How It Happened today. JOSH IS STILL ON TOUR! Tickets are available HERE [https://www.joshradnor.com/tour] 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 [https://amplifier.com] 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 [http://www.howwemadeyourmother.com] (Send us your audio and written messages) Substack [https://howwemadeyourmother.substack.com] (Join the mailing list, get announcements, and read more from Josh and Craig) Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/howwemadeyourmother/] HOW YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE Donate [https://www.howwemadeyourmother.com/makeadifference] to our ongoing campaign to support congenital heart disease research AND MORE: Josh’s “Museletters” on Substack [https://joshradnor.substack.com] Josh’s Official Website [https://www.joshradnor.com] Josh on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/artist/43jyNhxEcJZ2YbwioBjCbY] Craig’s Official Website [https://craigthomaswriter.com] (with links to his published writing) Alek’s “Dead Fathers Society” on Substack [https://aleklev.substack.com] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

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 [https://howyougetyourmerch.com/]. CRAIG’S BOOK IS AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER! Head over to CRAIG’S WEBSITE [https://craigthomaswriter.com/novel] to pre-order your copy of That’s Not How It Happened today. J OSH IS STILL ON TOUR! Tickets are available HERE [https://www.joshradnor.com/tour] 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 [https://amplifier.com] 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 [http://www.howwemadeyourmother.com] (Send us your audio and written messages) Substack [https://howwemadeyourmother.substack.com] (Join the mailing list, get announcements, and read more from Josh and Craig) Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/howwemadeyourmother/] HOW YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE Donate [https://www.howwemadeyourmother.com/makeadifference] to our ongoing campaign to support congenital heart disease research AND MORE: Josh’s “Museletters” on Substack [https://joshradnor.substack.com] Josh’s Official Website [https://www.joshradnor.com] Josh on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/artist/43jyNhxEcJZ2YbwioBjCbY] Craig’s Official Website [https://craigthomaswriter.com] (with links to his published writing) Alek’s “Dead Fathers Society” on Substack [https://aleklev.substack.com] THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: PrettyLitter: Save 20% on your first order and get a free cat toy at prettylitter.com/HWMYM [http://prettylitter.com/HWMYM] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

In this bonus “General Questions” episode of How We Made Your Mother, Josh Radnor, Craig Thomas, and Alek Lev dive into fan-submitted questions about “The Pineapple Incident,” covering everything from the origin of the pineapple (a mysterious “alien fruit”) to the challenges of shooting nonlinear narratives. They reminisce about the kind, collaborative atmosphere on set, the influences behind HIMYM’s story structure (like Rashomon and Memento), and how props like the yellow umbrella and blue French horn have become iconic fan symbols. The episode also includes some vacation banter, and a heartfelt discussion about gratitude, presence, and the legacy of the show. Questions We Attempt to Answer: Why a pineapple? Has the pineapple changed your lives forever? Were you inspired by any fictional work or did it come from any real life event? Can you walk us through the order of the shooting? How do you plan shooting so many scenes that need to come together to form a timeline that makes sense? GET YOUR MERCH! We’ve got HWMYM merch, which is now just a FEW CLICKS AWAY [https://howyougetyourmerch.com/]. CRAIG’S BOOK IS AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER! Head over to CRAIG’S WEBSITE [https://craigthomaswriter.com/novel] to pre-order your copy of That’s Not How It Happened today. JOSH IS STILL ON TOUR! Tickets are available HERE [https://www.joshradnor.com/tour] 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 [https://amplifier.com] 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 [http://www.howwemadeyourmother.com] (Send us your audio and written messages) Substack [https://howwemadeyourmother.substack.com] (Join the mailing list, get announcements, and read more from Josh and Craig) Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/howwemadeyourmother/] HOW YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE: Donate [https://www.howwemadeyourmother.com/makeadifference] to our ongoing campaign to support congenital heart disease research AND MORE: Josh’s “Museletters” on Substack [https://joshradnor.substack.com] Josh’s Official Website [https://www.joshradnor.com] Josh on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/artist/43jyNhxEcJZ2YbwioBjCbY]Craig’s Official Website [https://craigthomaswriter.com] (with links to his published writing) Alek’s “Dead Fathers Society” on Substack [https://aleklev.substack.com] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]