“Friends” and “How I Met Your Mother” are very similar. Both are about a young group of friends who go about their daily lives together in New York. Both are about the complicated love relationships that arise within the circle of friends. But the similarities go even further: the two series even share central jokes. For example, the dubious retrieval method “The Naked Man” can be found not only in Barney’s (Neil Patrick Harris) playbook, but also in a failed hit-up on Joey (Matt LeBlanc).
The characters and their stories also have a lot in common. So Barney and Joey are both established as womanizers. Ross (David Schwimmer) and Ted (Josh Radnor) face career setbacks before becoming professors. And didn’t Ted and Robin’s (Cobie Smulders) relationship remind us a bit of Ross and Rachel’s (Jennifer Aniston)?
The problem is obvious: “Friends” came before “How I Met Your Mother.” The cult sitcom appeared between 1994 and 2004. The stories about Ted and his friends were only broadcast from 2005. “How I Met Your Mother” has always faced accusations that it stole large chunks of the other big hit sitcom. The creators have responded to the accusations with a charming dig at the series!
“Bar funnier than cafe!”
The response to the allegations can be found in one of the series’ most iconic episodes. Or don’t you remember “Swarley”, the unloved nickname Barney had to put up with? If not, we are happy to help you! In the seventh episode of season two, Marshall begins dating Chloe (Morena Baccarin). Chloe works at a coffee shop that Marshall visits every morning. When he meets Ted and Barney at the coffee shop, he finds a little heart next to his name on his coffee mug. He then invites Chloe on a date.
As Marshall gets a heart, Barney’s coffee mug says “Swarley”, greatly upsetting him. Naturally, Ted and Marshall insist on making the name Barney’s new nickname. For fans of the series, the episode is not only important because of the Swarley joke: it tells a lot about the relationship between Marshall and Lily, who tries to boycott the dates with Chloe over the course of the episode. In addition, at the beginning of the episode you will find the ironic answer to the accusations that “How I Met Your Mother” stole from “Friends”.
Right in the first scene, Barney, Marshall, and Ted are bored in the cafe. A short while later, Barney says, “hanging out in a coffee shop isn’t as much fun as hanging out in a bar.” A little dig at “Friends” where the group of friends always meet at Café Central Perk while Ted and his friends pass the time at MacLaren’s bar. The explanation behind it is clear: “Friends” may have been around before – but have taken this type of sitcom to a new level!