Legen…dary

by Anthony Kristensen

“Suit up” for one of the best shows that I’ve ever watched. “How I Met Your Mother” (HIMYM) takes place in New York City as the main character, Ted Mosby, tells his children the tale of how he met his wife. He tells the story, which includes his best friends, Lily Aldrin, Marshall Eriksen, Robin Scherbatsky and Barney Stinson, in a first person point of view, which provides the viewer with a better knowledge of the thoughts and emotions than that of the previously aired show “Friends.” HIMYM features many similarities to “Friends”, though HIMYM has the advantage any day of the week.

Even though the two shows have very similar plots, with HIMYM taking place in New York City and Friends taking place in Manhattan, HIMYM has the better assets. HIMYM is more funny and has the better story overall. It gives a first person point of view to the events, which gives the viewer Ted’s thoughts and feelings about the events happening in the show, which makes it more organized. “Friends” lacks having someone directly telling their thoughts and feelings on a specific subject, and in many cases during the show, this would’ve added necessary comedic effect.

HIMYM also contains more of a fictional twist on things, which makes the overall comedy less serious. In “Friends,” there are some very serious moments. These emotional moments take away from the overall entertainment value of the show because people generally want to laugh, not cry.

Additionally, the fun, quirky group of friends that we’re introduced to goes through a series of wacky adventures that leave us with highly memorable quotes like “whenever I’m sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead.” HIMYM has quotes that anyone can say and immediately think “that’s from HIMYM.”

The two shows show similarities, but at the end of the day, HIMYM is the better show in general because of the more fictional aspect, the first person point of view, and the easy to remember punch lines, such as “I request the highest of fives.”

Friends Forever

by Jamie Hetlage

A quirky blonde. A nerdy paleontologist. An OCD culinary chef. A spoiled daddy’s girl. An awkward processing manager. And a ladies man that could pick up any lady with three little words: ‘How you doin?’ This is known as the 10 season show “Friends.” This show not only has some of the best characters, but has shown us how they handle the struggles, the happiness, and the sadness they have all shared in a way that makes this show an instant classic.

“Friends” has been around since 1994, and has proved it can stand the test of time as an original comedy. On the other hand, from the storyline to the characters, HIMYM is just a copycat of “Friends.” For example, Ross is the nice nerdy guy, a professor, a know-it-all, and has an on and off again relationship with a woman in their circle of friends. Does this sound familiar? It should, because Ted is all of those things too. Just think about how the gang from “Friends” hang out at Central Perk and the group from HIMYM does the same thing at MacLaren’s Pub. The story writers of HIMYM really should’ve made a new, original show instead of copying “Friends”.

In “Friends,” you see every little part of each character, the good and the bad, from their childhoods to their early thirties. As an audience, we can appreciate the moments of reality like this that make the show relatable as well as entertaining.

“Friends” also stressed the equal importance of all of the characters which created a more dynamic show. Unlike “Friends”, HIMYM really only focused on Ted, his best friend Marshall, and his friend Barney and their lives to explain how Ted met the children’s mother. The mother was barely in the show at all even though she was the focal point of it all. The disconnect between the title of the show and the actual characters in it was confusing, whereas in “Friends”, all the characters were exactly that.

As presented, “Friends” is one of the best shows out there and is 1,000 times better than HIMYM. This was not only for how it made us feel in the inside but how the show had been presented from the characters and the fact it’s an original and nothing could ever compare to it.

friends vs himym | Piktochart Infographic Editor.