"How I Met Your Mother: Season 1"
DVD Review
by Rachel Buccicone
| MOVIE: **** (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: ***** (out of 5 stars) STARRING Josh Radnor as TED MOSBY Jason Segel as MARSHALL ERIKSEN Alyson Hannigan as LILY ALDRIN Neil Patrick Harris as BARNEY STINSON Cobie Smulders as ROBIN SCHERBATSKY Not Rated Studio: 20th Century FOX Created by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas Back to DVD Review Home |  |
The show that gave Doogie Howser his career back is now on DVD. The first season of “How I Met Your Mother” created a hit show that put an additional spin on your average sitcom.
The DVD claims it’s a “love story in reverse”, but I don’t think that accurately describes the format of “How I Met Your Mother”. Each episode usually begins with the voice of adult Ted (Josh Radnor) relating a story to his son and daughter. The story he’s telling is, of course, how he met their mother. Now, any normal person could tell a story like this in no more than a half-hour, but Ted’s story lasts the entire span of the show, that is, through Seasons One, Two, and then some. This isn’t the story of how Ted met one woman. This is the story of Ted’s life starting from when he realized he needed to begin looking for a wife.
The stories always include Ted’s circle of friends. Marshall (Jason Segel) and Lily (Alyson Hannigan) start the show off by getting engaged, thus prompting the ticking of Ted’s biological clock. Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) is the oversexed, corporate manifestation of awesomeness who comes complete with a handful of “legendary” catchphrases. A far cry from the Doogie who was so apprehensive about losing his virginity, Barney is the comedic backbone of the show. Lastly, Robin (Cobie Smulders) is a friend whom Ted tries to date a number of times.
This first season encompasses a number of Ted’s relationships and the many adventures of the group. Barney tries too often to use his “romance” skills to help Ted pick up women: one such attempt lands the two in airport jail. Ted also finds a number of women on his own including the slutty pumpkin and the woman connected with the pineapple incident. Ted even finds one that seems like THE one, but loses her to Germany. Meanwhile, Marshall and Lily do some wedding planning: one such part involves them sneaking into a high school prom.
While the premise of the show being this big, long love story is a bit of a stretch, the format falls secondary to the sitcom gold it contains. The actors and their characters have such great chemistry that you can’t help but believe they’ve been friends forever. While the show’s writing is extraordinary, the actors behind the words are what make it work.
This DVD has more quality bonus features than I’ve ever seen before. In addition to the 22 episodes, there is audio commentary for six episodes with the cast and creators. An extensive Video Yearbook featurette involves the actors, director, and creators looking back on their first season. They discuss favorite moments, casting, and any else you could want to know. The Happy Hour blooper reel is pretty hilarious. Oftentimes when you get a blooper feature, the outtakes are funnier to the actors than to the spectator, not so in this case. The DVD also has two montages: First Round and Last Call. These sum up the best moments of the show and remind me why I love it so much.
“How I Met Your Mother” combines the serious side of life with the outrageous. The show is perfectly cast and very well-written. The show is fairly family-friendly, despite Barney’s sexual endeavors. Any fan of the show would be grateful for the bonus features. If you’ve not seen the show, it’s definitely worth a look, if only for what Barney brings aboard.
Specifications: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Full Frame (1.33:1). Closed Captioned for the hearing impaired. English Language Track. English, French, and Spanish Subtitles.
