‘How I Met Your Father’: 8 ‘HIMYM’ Easter Eggs in Season 1
The first season of Hulu’s How I Met Your Mother spinoff, How I Met Your Father, has concluded. And as promised by the spinoff’s creators, the 10 episodes included dozens of HIMYM callbacks to satisfy longtime fans. Check out these eight HIMYM Easter eggs hidden in How I Met Your Father — did you notice them all?
The ‘HIMYM’ theme song
How I Met Your Father hits fans with a dose of HIMYM nostalgia from the very first second. The Hulu show’s theme song likely sounds familiar, as it’s the same tune used in HIMYM’s intro — a clip of the song “Hey Beautiful” by The Solids. However, the version in HIMYF is a slightly different cover with a female vocalist.
The pineapple cutting board
A subtle, blink-and-you-miss-it Easter egg appeared in How I Met Your Father Episode 1. While Sophie (Hilary Duff) and Valentina (Francia Raisa) talk in their kitchen, viewers can see a pineapple-shaped cutting board hanging on the wall. This refers to How I Met Your Mother’s infamous Pineapple Incident, where Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) woke up with a mysterious pineapple next to his bed.
The Pineapple Incident was one of How I Met Your Mother’s many unresolved mysteries. However, in How I Met Your Father’s finale, The Captain (Kyle MacLachlan) finally puts the case to rest by saying someone (a drunken Ted) stole the pineapple off his porch.
Swords in the iconic apartment
The premiere episode also features a not-so-subtle HIMYM callback — the apartment. HIMYF’s Jesse (Chris Lowell) and Sid (Suraj Sharma) live in the same apartment where Ted, Lily Aldrin (Alyson Hannigan), and Marshall Eriksen (Jason Segel) once resided. Jesse even references Lily and Marshall by saying he rented the apartment from an “old married couple” in a Wesleyan alumni group.
Much of the apartment has changed since Lily and Marshall moved out. However, two key props stayed behind — the swords on the brick wall. Ted and Marshall got into a fight with these swords, as did Lily and Robin Sherbatsky (Cobie Smulders).
A couple with an umbrella
A yellow umbrella has come to symbolize HIMYM, as Ted and his future wife, Tracy (Cristin Milioti), unknowingly traded one back and forth years before meeting. Although there are no yellow umbrellas walking around in How I Met Your Father, Sophie’s apartment does feature a black-and-white photo of a couple with a light-colored umbrella. It seems safe to say that umbrella is probably yellow.
Glen McKenna scotch whisky
In the pilot episode, Sophie meets her date, Ian (Daniel Augustin), at a cafe, where “Glen McKenna: Aged 30 years” can be seen on the wall. That name likely sounds familiar to HIMYM fans, as the scotch whisky received several mentions in the CBS series. Ted saved a bottle for years to enjoy with his friends.
The HIMYF finale includes a more obvious Glen McKenna Easter egg. During the Captain’s meeting with the divorce lawyer, he drinks a bottle that he had saved for a special occasion.
Jumping the turnstiles
How I Met Your Father Episode 4 nearly pulls a scene right from HIMYM. Hoping to show Ellen (Tien Tran) how life works in New York City, Jesse teaches her to jump over the turnstile in the subway station. Ted also jumped over the turnstile once in HIMYM; but it led to him getting arrested. Fortunately, Jesse and Ellen don’t have the same fate.
Goliath Corporation
At the end of season 1, Ellen interviews at a grocery business called Goliath Corporation. This references Goliath National Bank, where Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) spent years working a shady job.
Speaking to TVLIne, HIMYF co-creator Elizabeth Berger said it’s “too early to say” if GNB will have a connection to Ellen’s new job. However, it could certainly open the door for a Barney cameo.
“Once Amazon bought Whole Foods, it felt like, ‘Who can’t own an organic grocery store?'” co-creator Isaac Aptaker added.
‘HIMYM’ catchphrases
HIMYM had no shortage of iconic catchphrases, from “legen — wait for it — dary” to “lawyered.” How I Met Your Father recycles not one, but two of these sayings. First, when Ian texts Sophie as she’s trying to move on, Sophie and Valentina utter the phrase, “You son of a b****.” On HIMYM, Lily often said this when she was angry.
Later, in episode 4, Jesse introduces Ellen to a woman at Sophie’s birthday party with the line, “Haaaave you met Ellen?” This serves as a callback to Barney’s favorite wingman phrase: “Haaaave you met Ted?”
Fans can likely expect plenty more Easter eggs in How I Met Your Father Season 2, which will include double the episodes. How I Met Your Father Season 1 is now streaming on Hulu.
