How I Met Your Mother fans across the country are mourning the loss of their favorite show and it’s removal from Netflix; myself included. The show has become an all-American new classic as one of the best comedies, centered around Ted Mosby and his quest for true love and marriage. The group dynamic is fun, making everyone want to be a part of it; including Marshmallow and Lilypad (the most adorable couple on the planet), the forever bachelor Barney Stinson, along with Canadian news anchor Robin Scherbatsky (of course we can’t forget her stint as a teen pop star and her hit single “Let’s go to the Mall”). The group has become very popular, but what about Ted? I was shocked to realize that in a room full of HIMYM admirers, I was the only one who liked Ted. Do people really think he is a bad guy? Am I his only fan?
I agree, Ted can be a complete idiot at times. Like, the biggest idiot. From dumping a girl on her birthday on her answering machine, only to date her again to dump her AGAIN on her BIRTHDAY, to telling Robin he loved her on the first date. Come on, Ted. He can really make dumb mistakes, astronomically dumb. Even with all of these mistakes I still love him. He’s the type of character that you just have to love and can relate to. We all make poor decisions and mess up in life, and with all of these bumps in the road Ted’s ultimate goal and intentions is to fall in love and start a family. Is he incredibly awkward along the way? Well of course, but aren’t we all? I find his awkwardness endearing. Ted is the narrator of the story and by default is the main subject of criticism and humor because it is his own life story.
Not only is Ted the protagonist and center of the storyline he is the voice that narrates most of the show, and we get a more personal connection to the character from that. Ted haters tend to read him as pretentious, becoming the biggest character flaw recognized. Simply, I just interpret it as a dry sarcastic humor. Critics are fed up with Ted’s constant grammar correction comments, but it really is just him being funny and giving his friends a hard time. He isn’t correcting them to show off his intelligence but instead is just making a joke.
So let’s give Ted a break. Forgive him for all his crazy escapades and enjoy the comedy from it all. I forgive him and will go on, if need be as Ted’s biggest fan because I love that hopelessly romantic, devastatingly awkward, slyly sarcastic weirdo and will always be his biggest, and sometimes only fan. #JusticeForTed