Pilot (How I Met Your Mother episode)
Encyclopedia
"Pilot" is the first episode of the television series How I Met Your Mother
. It originally aired on September 19, 2005.
telling his children the story of how he met their mother. The story begins in 2005, with Ted's best friend and roommate Marshall Eriksen
proposing to his girlfriend Lily Aldrin
, prompting Ted to begin a search to find his own soulmate. At a pub called MacLarens, alongside his friend Barney Stinson
, Ted meets budding news anchor Robin Scherbatsky
, with whom he is instantly smitten. Ted asks her out on a date, and the date is successful. The date concludes with Robin being called away for a news story.
Ted's friends tell him that he was supposed to kiss Robin before she left. Ted goes to Robin's house (“Suited up”, much to Barney's delight), with the company of Marshall, Lily and Barney. He stops at the restaurant of their first date and symbolically steals the blue French horn (factually a mellophone, not a French horn) on the wall and continues on to Robin's apartment with the gang. Things are going great and they are about to kiss when Ted inexplicably tells Robin that he loves her, prematurely destroying his chances with her. After a lingering goodbye, and with the afterthought that he may or may not have missed “the signal” (missing out for the second time on his first kiss with her), Future Ted tells his children that is the story of how he met their aunt Robin.
explains they stick by the decision because they didn't want the show to be about “will they or won’t they” like Friends and that, despite their chemistry, it would have been “criminal” for Ted to decide he was ready to find someone and to have it happen so quickly.
.
Nielsen Media gave it a viewership rating of 7.9/8 for households with 3.3 rating for adults age 18-49.
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
. It originally aired on September 19, 2005.
Plot
The episode (and series) begins in 2030 with an older Ted MosbyTed Mosby
Theodore Evelyn "Ted" Mosby is the titular fictional character of the U.S. television sitcom How I Met Your Mother, portrayed by Josh Radnor...
telling his children the story of how he met their mother. The story begins in 2005, with Ted's best friend and roommate Marshall Eriksen
Marshall Eriksen
Marshall Eriksen is a fictional character in the American sitcom How I Met Your Mother, created by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas and portrayed by Jason Segel.-Character profile:Marshall is an easy-going, naive optimist from St. Cloud, Minnesota...
proposing to his girlfriend Lily Aldrin
Lily Aldrin
Lillian "Lily" Aldrin is a fictional character created by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas for the CBS television series How I Met Your Mother, portrayed by American actress Alyson Hannigan. She is the wife of Marshall Eriksen and the best friend of Robin Scherbatsky...
, prompting Ted to begin a search to find his own soulmate. At a pub called MacLarens, alongside his friend Barney Stinson
Barney Stinson
Barnabas "Barney" Stinson is a fictional character created by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas for the CBS television series How I Met Your Mother, portrayed by Neil Patrick Harris. The character has been extremely well received by critics and has been credited for much of the show's success...
, Ted meets budding news anchor Robin Scherbatsky
Robin Scherbatsky
Robin Charles Scherbatsky, Jr. is a fictional character created by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas for the CBS television series How I Met Your Mother, portrayed by Canadian actress Cobie Smulders.- Early life :...
, with whom he is instantly smitten. Ted asks her out on a date, and the date is successful. The date concludes with Robin being called away for a news story.
Ted's friends tell him that he was supposed to kiss Robin before she left. Ted goes to Robin's house (“Suited up”, much to Barney's delight), with the company of Marshall, Lily and Barney. He stops at the restaurant of their first date and symbolically steals the blue French horn (factually a mellophone, not a French horn) on the wall and continues on to Robin's apartment with the gang. Things are going great and they are about to kiss when Ted inexplicably tells Robin that he loves her, prematurely destroying his chances with her. After a lingering goodbye, and with the afterthought that he may or may not have missed “the signal” (missing out for the second time on his first kiss with her), Future Ted tells his children that is the story of how he met their aunt Robin.
Production
When asked if he regretted revealing that Robin ultimately becomes Ted's platonic friend in the pilot episode, series creator Craig ThomasCraig Thomas (screenwriter)
Craig Thomas is an American television writer, he, along with writing partner Carter Bays, has written episodes of American Dad!, Oliver Beene, Quintuplets and the hit CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, which they created in 2005. He has been nominated for six primetime Emmy Awards...
explains they stick by the decision because they didn't want the show to be about “will they or won’t they” like Friends and that, despite their chemistry, it would have been “criminal” for Ted to decide he was ready to find someone and to have it happen so quickly.
Reception
The episode received generally favorable reviews, garnering a score of 69 from MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
.
Nielsen Media gave it a viewership rating of 7.9/8 for households with 3.3 rating for adults age 18-49.
Music
- Theme Song: The Solids - “Hey Beautiful”
- Otis ReddingOtis ReddingOtis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B...
- “Cigarettes and Coffee” (included only in broadcast episode) - Kool Blues - “I Want to Be Ready”
- The PretendersThe PretendersThe Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers...
- “Back on the Chain GangBack on the Chain Gang"Back on the Chain Gang" is a song by the English-American band The Pretenders, released as single by Sire Records in November 1982. The song was also released on The King of Comedy soundtrack album in March 1983 and later included on The Pretenders' next album Learning to Crawl in January 1984...
”
- Otis Redding
Continuity
- Robin's recently dumped friend reappears in “Zip, Zip, ZipZip, Zip, Zip"Zip, Zip, Zip" is the 14th episode in the first season of the television series How I Met Your Mother. It originally aired on February 6, 2006.-Plot:...
,” again recently dumped. - Ted talks about having to take the leapThe Leap (How I Met Your Mother)"The Leap" is the 24th and final episode of season 4 of the How I Met Your Mother TV series and 88th overall. It originally aired on May 18, 2009.- Plot :...
. - Barney is introduced to Ted's kids and the audience as “Uncle Barney.” Forty-two seconds later, Ted expresses concern about being single forever and comments that Lily and Marshall’s kids will think of him as “that weird middle-aged guy their kids call Uncle Ted.” Barney’s inability to commit to relationships is a recurring theme.
- This episode does not use the opening used in the rest of the series. Instead of the yellow-tinted montage of the photographs containing all five main characters, a series of non-tinted photographs of Ted, Marshall, and some unnamed female friends is shown. As of the finale of season 6How I Met Your Mother (season 6)The sixth season of the American television comedy series How I Met Your Mother premiered on September 20, 2010 and concluded on May 16, 2011 on CBS.-Main cast:* Josh Radnor as Ted Mosby * Jason Segel as Marshall Eriksen...
, the only other episode which doesn't use the standard opening is “HopelessHopeless (How I Met Your Mother)"Hopeless" is the 21st episode of the sixth season of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother and the 133rd episode overall. It aired on April 18, 2011.-Plot:...
.” The DVD release changed the opening to the usual version.
Barney's Blog
- Barney tells Ted that his suiting up will be going in Barney's blog; it is indeed the first entry made in the blog and in the same entry, he talks of his new love of LebaneseLebanese peopleThe Lebanese people are a nation and ethnic group of Levantine people originating in what is today the country of Lebanon, including those who had inhabited Mount Lebanon prior to the creation of the modern Lebanese state....
girls.
Recurring elements introduced in this episode
- The blue French hornHorn (instrument)The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
, is referenced when Ted brings a whole musical ensemble with blue instruments to Robin's apartment as a surprise in “Come OnCome On (How I Met Your Mother episode)"Come On" is the 22nd and final episode in the first season of the television series How I Met Your Mother. It originally aired on May 15, 2006.- Plot :...
.” - Ranjit, the cab driver, who drives a limo for them on New Year's Eve in the later episode “The LimoThe Limo (How I Met Your Mother episode)"The Limo" is the 11th episode in the first season of the television series How I Met Your Mother. It originally aired on December 19, 2005.- Plot :...
,” is one of several cab drivers whose name Barney reads on their cab licenses. - Marshall doing the robotRobot (dance)The robot is an illusionary street dance style – often confused with popping – that attempts to imitate a dancing robot or mannequin...
. - Barney's catchphrase “Suit up!,” which has been modified and used in many later episodes.
- The “Have You Met Ted?” game, which is used by Barney and Ted to introduce women to Ted, and later is adapted for other characters (Robin, Marshall and Barney).
- Barney insisting that he is Ted's best friend.
- Dibs—Marshall calls dibs on a Pop Tart and later a pudding cup (in “Come OnCome On (How I Met Your Mother episode)"Come On" is the 22nd and final episode in the first season of the television series How I Met Your Mother. It originally aired on May 15, 2006.- Plot :...
”) and he, Lily, and Barney call “no dibs” on cleaning up after Ted if he vomits, in “The Pineapple IncidentThe Pineapple Incident"The Pineapple Incident" is the 10th episode in the first season of the television series How I Met Your Mother. It originally aired on November 28, 2005...
.” - Barney breaking up words by saying “wait for it” in between syllables.
- Barney's phrase “What up!”
- References to Barney's blog.
- Barney's love of laser tagLaser tagLaser tag is a team or individual sport or recreational activity where players attempt to score points by tagging targets, typically with a hand-held infrared-emitting targeting device. Infrared-sensitive targets are commonly worn by each player and are sometimes integrated within the arena in...
. - Lily shaking her head at Barney when he raises his hand for a high five.
- This is the first episode in which Future Ted ruins the ending of a possible relationship story. Here, he tells us that Robin is not the mother, but merely “Aunt Robin.” In the episode “Okay AwesomeOkay Awesome"Okay Awesome" is the fifth episode in the first season of the television series How I Met Your Mother. It originally aired on October 17, 2005.- Plot :...
,” he also states that the coat-check girl was not the mother, and in “Cupcake” he states that his attempt at a long-distance relationship didn't work out. - The scene where Marshall opened the champagne bottle and the cork hit Lily's eye was shown in the episode “Zoo or FalseZoo or False"Zoo or False" is the nineteenth episode of the fifth season of the CBS situation comedy How I Met Your Mother and 107th episode overall. It aired on April 12, 2010...
” and it was also shown that Marshall accidentally hit Lily many times. - The scene where Future Ted's kids saying what is shown from the episode Last Cigarette EverLast Cigarette Ever"Last Cigarette Ever" is the eleventh episode of the fifth season of the CBS situation comedy How I Met Your Mother and 99th episode overall. It aired on December 14, 2009.- Plot :...
. - Ted clutching his left side of his chest as if his heart is 'breaking'