Five 'How I Met Your Mother' Details You Missed

It feels as though it was only yesterday How I Met Your Mother bowed out from television. We understand Ted couldn’t keep on telling his kids this long-winded story for much longer, but for nine years the show stayed consistently strong, humorous and entertaining as we patiently waited for the reveal of how Ted met his soulmate and mother of his children. Since the show in its entirety has been uploaded onto Netflix it has given us the enjoyment of binge-watching the series to unravel details that were missed during the shows original run from 2005 to 2014.

Scroll down to read five interesting details you also may have missed when first watching the show.

The Countdown

There wasn’t a single viewer that didn’t shed a tear when Lily told Marshall his Dad had passed away from a heart attack. Jason Segel was brilliant in this scene and his reaction was completely improvised in the moment. The scene was shot once and the actor didn’t know what was coming. The viewers, on the other hand, had a chance to figure it out in the episode as numbers appear throughout the episode in the form of a countdown from 50. They appear in many forms in the background of scenes on books, files, doors and finally, Lily’s taxi reads '001' as she steps out to delivers the news.

The Frozen Clock

The apartment is one of the leading sets of the show along with Mclarens pub. At the beginning of the season it is the home of Ted, Marshall and Lily. The cast rotate in and out of living there throughout the show’s run, however, the majority of the décor remains consistent. This includes the large black clock above the fireplace. It is not uncommon for clocks to be stopped on television sets as shooting a singular scene can last for hours; in this case, the clock is purposefully frozen to 4:20. In a flashback scene, we see the clock already frozen to this time as Marshall and Ted are moving in and yet to hang it on the wall. The time is a comedic reference to one of the gangs habits frequently referenced to in their college days as ‘eating a sandwich.’

Guest Appearances

While you could name numerous celebrities that have made guest appearances on the show, you may have missed the fact that the leading casts members partners and spouses have also had recurring roles. Firstly, Sandy Rivers (played by Alexis Denisof) is Robin’s co-worker but is in reality actually Lily’s husband. Secondly, Gary Blauman (played by Taran Killmam) is Robin’s husband in real life. Lastly, Scooter (played by David Burtka) is Lilys creepy ex-boyfriend and Barney’s husband.

Unique Websites

Throughout the show, long-winded, there are many unique websites that binge-watching as part of the plot. The most memorable one may be 'tedmosebyisajerk.com' created by a woman Barney wronged whilst using Ted’s name. Others include Barney’s video resume and Marshall’s slap bet countdown. All of these websites and more have been created by the show runners, whilst a few have stopped working since the show ended, the majority can still be visited online today.

The Extras

By this episode in the final season, the friends (and cast) have all been together for nine years. The jokes at one another’s expense had yet to die down, and one of the longest running gags of the show is the America vs Canada battle between Barney and Robin. This time the whole group gets involved in making fun of Robin’s 'great white North'. To emphasize how long this took, you see the entire love story of two extras in the background at Mclarens bar. Throughout the shots you see a proposal, pregnancy, their son’s graduation and one of their eventual deaths. After all that, I’m sure the group was yet to finish making fun of Canada.

Are there any other small details that you’ve noticed upon re-watching the show? The show’s creators certainly loved paying attention to detail to keep the story entertaining for up to nine years, it is one of the many features of the show that has had contributed to the show’s lasting popularity.