No, But How I Met Your Mother REALLY Thinks You Didn't Watch Friends
I realize that How I Met Your Mother is (probably) drawing to a close, so producers may feel that there's no longer any point in pretending to be markedly different from its romcom sitcom forebear, Friends, and might as well just straight-up steal from them. Maybe they think of these blatant lifts as homage? Or maybe they truly, honestly think that enough time has passed that you've forgotten Friends episodes you loved once upon a time (...and can watch in syndication virtually any night of the week). I can't say what their motivation was, but I can say, for the second consecutive episode, How I Met Your Mother has been suspiciously similar to Friends.
Two shows took a stab at the "guy's new lady demands that he stop being friends with his ex" storyline. Who wrote it better?
Who Did It First?
The Friends episode "The One With The Kips" aired October 29, 1998. Fourteen years and one week later, How I Met Your Mother aired "The Autumn Of Breakups."
Winner: Friends.
Who Did It Funnier?
Okay, here's where things get tricky, because...kind of neither? The (common) story is that a guy -- Ross (David Schwimmer) in the original; Ted (Josh Radnor) last night -- has taken up with a lady who is suspicious of the fact that he is still very close with his ex; consequently, she informs him if that they are to be married, he must ankle the other woman. So in both cases, the new woman's demand is expedient for the plot, but painful for everyone involved. "Funny" is sort of beside the point.
Winner: Friends. There's no fighting the chemistry between Ross and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), who have to go through this wrenching ordeal together. Ted does the bulk of his mulling with Lily (Alyson Hannigan) and Marshall (Jason Segel), whose only purpose in the episode is to be bossy and smug.
Who Made It More Believable?
Ross has enough respect for Rachel to tell her that he needs to cut ties with her in order to make it work with his wife Emily (Helen Baxendale), even though in the end he decides that the sacrifice isn't worth it. On the other hand, Ted keeps the truth from Robin (Cobie Smulders), though he, like Ross, also decides that the ultimatum augurs poorly for a possible marriage, and breaks up with Victoria (Ashley Williams). This is a woman he's just proposed to, and yet in the course of an evening, he decides to reverse that decision. Granted, it is Ted, a known romantic/idiot, but still.
Winner: Friends.
Whose Stakes Were Higher?
A marriage hangs in the balance on both shows...but Ross and Emily were, technically, already married. Ted and Victoria were only engaged, and only for a second.
Winner: Friends.
Whose Outcome Was More Satisfying?
Given that their reunion took place as she was fleeing her wedding to another man, Ted and Victoria were never really credible as a couple that was meant to be -- besides which, since their sweet reconciliation at the end of last season, Victoria's been kind of a shrewish pain in the ass for no reason. Emily had pretty strong reasons to be wary and resentful of Ross (he said Rachel's name instead of Emily's at their wedding), but even so, it was hard to side with her over Rachel when, clearly, Rachel and Ross were destined.
Winner: Friends.
So...Who Wrote It Better?
On Friends, the disputed ex was a woman Ross had loved his whole life and once thought he'd have children with. On HIMYM, it's someone who -- while pretty awesome -- has made it clear on several occasions that her goals are not Ted's and that she doesn't foresee ever liking him That Way again. So what's the obstacle? There really isn't one.
Winner: Friends.