Postmodernism in How I Met Your Mother

How I Met Your Mother, a popular television show that recently ended its ninth season in 2014, provides examples of a meta-story and several elements of postmodernism. A meta-story is often defined as a story (or stories) within a story that may lead to a greater, master idea. Postmodernism is defined as the ideals constructed from the assumed truth to explain a reality.

Ted, the main character, describes the story to his children of how he met their mother. Ted relives these stories through the narration of a series of flashbacks and through conversations with his kids. The show often pauses and allows Ted to explain the situation, or to skip through time to make his assertion. Ted is introduced as a character who longs to find his soulmate. Through this style of film, How I Met Your Mother presents an illustration of the components of an effective meta-story and postmodernism.

The pilot episode of How I Met Your Mother begins with future Ted in 2030 explaining to his kids the story of how he met their mother. Ted then flashes back to 2005 to the place where he meets his future clique and his journey to find his true love. He proceeds with his narrative, often switching back to scenes where his children ask him questions about the stories. Ted also describes his true love quest as though that is his main purpose in life (as societal beliefs may force us to believe), and as one knows, true love is often far away or nonexistent. Additionally, the show's technique allows Ted to 'pause and fast forward' time, in which he is then able to freely express his opinions to his children and manipulate how the story may be crafted.

Furthermore, in the series finale of How I Met Your Mother, the narrative of Ted and his children takes a shocking turn (which ties the show together). After Ted finally finishes his nine-year long story, his now teenagers pose an angering inquiry. They question Ted about his choice of why he had started the story of how he met their mother when he was meeting the members of his friend group, particularly Robin (who in the show the kids call 'Aunt Robin'). His daughter and son then reveal why --- because Ted has been in love with Robin all along. Ted, agreeing with such thought, dashes to go find Robin. This scene is where the show ends. Ted believes that Robin is the one, and with such ideal Ted accepts because that is what he has believed about true love.