New York City or New Jersey? Love or compromise? Josh Radnor and Craig Thomas revisit the Season 4 episode “I Heart NJ,” as Ted and Stella discover that falling in love and building a life together are two very different things. Josh and Craig explore the challenges of relationships, the sacrifices that come with commitment, and why becoming a parent has completely changed their perspective on Ted’s dilemma. Along the way, they celebrate Marshall’s hilarious meltdown, Barney’s unwavering commitment to a fist bump, Robin’s increasingly ridiculous Metro News assignments, and the early seeds of two future HIMYM classics: The Playbook and The Blitz. Plus, Craig reveals how the show landed Bruce Springsteen’s “Jersey Girl,” Josh reflects on the difference between fear and intuition, and a heartfelt letter from a listener reveals just how deeply How I Met Your Mother continues to shape lives.

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Josh and Craig revisit Season 4, Episode 2, “The Best Burger in New York,” a beloved episode that turns Marshall’s search for an elusive burger into something much bigger: a story about nostalgia, aging, compromise, and trying to recapture the wonder of your younger self. They celebrate Regis Philbin’s legendary guest appearance, Jason Segel’s Amadeus-inspired burger monologue, the real New York locations that inspired the episode, and the little details that make the gang feel like a family. Josh shares his own version of Marshall’s quest involving a mysterious “lost Moby song,” while Craig remembers watching the landmarks of his twenties disappear as New York changed around him. They also discuss Marshall’s struggle between his youthful idealism and taking a job at Goliath National Bank, Neil Patrick Harris treating even the smallest Barney storyline like an A-story, and the hilarity of discovering that a contemporary critic gave this now-classic episode a D. Plus, Jordana returns with an analysis of Marshall’s burger obsession as a way of processing the grief of growing up and letting go of the person you once imagined you would become — and how friendship and love help carry us through that loss.

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Read Why on Earth Have I Seen the Same Broadway Show 13 Times? An Investigation by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
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Josh Radnor and Craig Thomas kick off Season 4 with “Do I Know You?,” revisiting Ted and Stella’s engagement and the question at the heart of the episode: how well do you really need to know someone before deciding to marry them? They dig into the now-iconic “Star Wars test,” Ted’s anxiety over whether Stella will love the things he loves, and the larger challenge of accepting that your partner won’t always share your tastes. They also explore Barney’s newly revealed feelings for Robin, Lily’s role as his emotional coach, and Neil Patrick Harris’s remarkable physical comedy, while celebrating Sarah Chalke’s chemistry with Josh and her very specific technique for a perfect pratfall. Along the way, Josh and Craig talk about the hidden craft behind seemingly effortless acting, why everyone feels so comfortably inside their characters by Season 4, and the season that earned How I Met Your Mother its only Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy nomination. Plus, Josh remembers realizing at the Emmys that every camera was already pointed at Tina Fey, Craig connects the episode’s Star Wars test to Josh watching HIMYM with Jordana for the first time, and a listener shares how the series helped her through heartbreak and an ADHD diagnosis. 

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Josh and Craig close out Season 3 with director Pamela Fryman to revisit “Miracles,” an episode about fate, near-death experiences, and the universe’s uncanny way of pushing people back toward one another. Pam remembers the extraordinary teamwork required to produce nine episodes in eleven weeks after the writers’ strike, while Josh and Craig unpack Ted’s car accident, Barney’s collision with a bus, Ted and Barney’s reconciliation, and Ted’s impulsive proposal to Stella. Chris Harris reveals the painfully true story behind the pencil-up-Barney’s-nose gag, and the trio discuss Neil Patrick Harris’s commitment, Sarah Chalke’s arrival, the episode’s memorable Radiohead and Replacements needle drops, and Pam’s daughters’ hidden cameo. Plus, Josh’s wife Jordana shares what it was like watching him rediscover the series, Pam reflects on the crew’s lasting family bond, and a listener explains how How I Met Your Mother became the soundtrack to his family’s life.

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Peter Hamby, Puck’s award-winning political correspondent, takes you deep inside the machinery of modern campaigns with the actual strategists, operatives, pollsters, lobbyists, politicians, and shadow power players working to elect the next president. Focused on the road to 2028 but ranging far beyond it, the show explores the media, money, technology, and generational forces transforming how politics is practiced—and how power is won.

Listen Here: link.pscrb.fm/f0281/TMP

Josh and Craig revisit Season 3, Episode 19, “Everything Must Go,” and Josh makes a rare confession: he didn’t love this one — especially Ted’s inexplicable devotion to those red cowboy boots. Craig explains how the episode emerged from the post-Writers’ Strike scramble to produce nine episodes in eleven weeks, resulting in a slightly chaotic collection of stories that nevertheless gave us Britney Spears’ hilarious return as Abby, Lily discovering an unexpected audience for her paintings, and some now-iconic HIMYM moments. They also reveal the remarkable real-life story behind MarshallandLilySellTheirStuff.com, where props and costumes from the show were auctioned to raise nearly $24,000 for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, remember guest stars Larry Wilmore and UCB legend Matt Besser, and celebrate the music that helped give Lily’s story its heart. Plus: Knicks mania in New York, the lost art of experiencing pop culture together, and a moving listener letter that sparks a conversation about masculinity, forgiveness, and what it means to create a space that feels safe, smart, and human.

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And check out the archived version of:

guyforceshiswifetodressinagarbagebagforthenextthreeyears.com

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Josh and Craig revisit “Rebound Bro,” the post–writers’ strike episode that sends Barney searching for a new wingman after his breakup with Ted — and finds the perfect sad-sack replacement in Randy Wharmpess, played by the incomparable Will Forte. They talk about Forte’s unique mix of sweetness and insanity, Barney and Randy’s surprisingly romantic dynamic, and how the episode’s comedy grows out of Barney’s very real heartbreak. Meanwhile, Ted learns Stella hasn’t had sex in five years, setting off a debate about trust, intimacy, and whether Ted was wrong to tell Marshall and Lily. Plus: Sarah Chalke’s incredible laugh, the frantic pace of producing the final nine episodes of Season 3 after the strike, “sweaty” sitcom plot mechanics, Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo, Geraldine Ferraro, Nell Carter, the TV reruns that raised a generation of comedy writers, and what Rocky can teach us about Barney Stinson.

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From the Emmy-nominated co-creator and Executive Producer of How I Met Your Mother, Craig Thomas’s debut novel, THAT’S NOT HOW IT HAPPENED, is a smart, funny, bighearted story about a family turned upside down after Hollywood decides to make a movie version of their lives. Told through the shifting perspectives of Paige, Rob, Emmett, and Darcy, a flawed, funny, complicated family is forced to confront past wounds and present betrayals—and questions about how we think and talk about disability, how our stories get told (and who gets to tell them), and how love stories can come in many different shapes and sizes. We’re presenting, free, the first chapter of the audiobook, narrated by Josh Radnor, Cobie Smulders, Marli Watson, and Kevin Iannucci. 

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Hear Chapter One here, then get the complete audiobook and keep listening.
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Josh and Craig revisit Season 3, Episode 17, “The Goat,” which, despite its title and Future Ted’s spectacularly unreliable memory, is really about the breakup of Ted and Barney’s friendship after Barney sleeps with Robin. They dig into Barney’s guilt, Marshall’s attempt to find a loophole in the sacred Bro Code, Ted’s surprisingly brutal reaction, and the growing connection between Barney and Robin that had been quietly building throughout the season. Craig recalls why the writers decided to make such a huge story move in Season 3 and how the frantic post-WGA-strike schedule pushed them to take some of the show’s biggest creative swings. They also talk about friendship breakups being every bit as painful as romantic ones, the creation of the real-life bestselling Bro Code, Barney’s mysterious job, the goat story that technically hasn’t happened yet, and the show’s fascination with memory and time. Plus, longtime second second AD Chris Hissong looks back on nine seasons of wrangling the enormous and often insane background action of How I Met Your Mother.

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For everyone who has found How We Made Your Mother in the last few weeks, maybe from our episodes with Sarah Chalke and Bob Odenkirk, we just wanted to drop our original rewatch of the HIMYM pilot. And if you are enjoying this look back with Josh and Craig, please follow in your podcast app of choice and start from the very beginning. 

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Here are the O.G. show notes…

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This week, Josh Radnor and Craig Thomas kick off the official rewatch of the PILOT episode of How I Met Your Mother! They reflect on the origin of the series, the narrative complexity of the show’s storytelling, and the way the pilot sets up the entire series—from Ted’s romantic optimism to Barney’s legendary schemes.

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They also revisit memories from filming, discuss the impact of the show’s themes on fans, and answer the big question: If they could rename the first episode, what would it be?
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Josh and Craig revisit “Sandcastles in the Sand,” exploring the very real phenomenon of “revertigo,” Robin’s transformation around her gloriously awful ex-boyfriend Simon, and James Van Der Beek’s hilarious, deeply committed performance. Cobie Smulders shares memories of filming the star-studded music video with Van Der Beek, Alan Thicke, and Tiffany, while Craig reveals the surprisingly emotional story behind writing the song—with help from his one-year-old son, Elliot. Plus: the origins of “Murder Train,” the introduction of Punchy, Robin and Barney’s shared emotional armor, and the kiss that launches the final stretch of Season 3.

Listen to HOW I MET YOUR MUSIC on Apple Music or Spotify.

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