General Questions | S1E5 "Okay Awesome"
Explicit content warning
04/24/25 • 38 min
1 Listener
In this bonus General Questions episode, Josh, Craig, and Alek answer fan-submitted questions about “Okay Awesome,” diving into Marshall’s dance moves, the role of improv in the show, and the legacy of HIMYM props. They also explore the emotional roots of the episode’s themes—like fear of adulthood and holding on to youthful joy—and reflect on how memory, nostalgia, and storytelling shape the way we grow up. Plus, an all-time great listener question from Maya Rupert inspires a hilarious and heartfelt conversation about each host’s personal “Okay Awesome” list: things everyone is supposed to love... but they just don’t.
Questions We Try to Answer:
- Was Marshall’s dance outlined in the script or mostly improvised?
- How much improv or ad-libbing happened on HIMYM?
- Did being a writer help Josh and Jason stay focused on acting?
- Did Josh invent the “grabbing the heart” gesture, or was it scripted?
- Who kept Barney’s silver club shirt, and what happened to the props after the show ended?
- How do you feel about Marshall and Lily jumping out the window—does that break the reality of the show?
- Was that moment a turning point for how HIMYM used the narrator to play with memory?
- Was Lily’s storyline about growing up based on real experience?
- At what moment did you realize you had passed from the joy of youth into adulthood?
- What’s on your personal “Okay Awesome” list—things you’re supposed to like, but don’t?
CONNECT WITH THE SHOW:
Official Website (Send us your audio and written messages)
Substack (Join the mailing list, get announcements, and read more from Josh and Craig)
HOW YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE:
Donate to our ongoing campaign to support congenital heart disease research
AND MORE:
Josh’s “Museletters” on Substack
Craig’s Official Website (with links to his published writing)
Alek’s “Dead Fathers Society” on Substack
Advertising inquiries:
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this bonus General Questions episode, Josh, Craig, and Alek answer fan-submitted questions about “Okay Awesome,” diving into Marshall’s dance moves, the role of improv in the show, and the legacy of HIMYM props. They also explore the emotional roots of the episode’s themes—like fear of adulthood and holding on to youthful joy—and reflect on how memory, nostalgia, and storytelling shape the way we grow up. Plus, an all-time great listener question from Maya Rupert inspires a hilarious and heartfelt conversation about each host’s personal “Okay Awesome” list: things everyone is supposed to love... but they just don’t.
Questions We Try to Answer:
- Was Marshall’s dance outlined in the script or mostly improvised?
- How much improv or ad-libbing happened on HIMYM?
- Did being a writer help Josh and Jason stay focused on acting?
- Did Josh invent the “grabbing the heart” gesture, or was it scripted?
- Who kept Barney’s silver club shirt, and what happened to the props after the show ended?
- How do you feel about Marshall and Lily jumping out the window—does that break the reality of the show?
- Was that moment a turning point for how HIMYM used the narrator to play with memory?
- Was Lily’s storyline about growing up based on real experience?
- At what moment did you realize you had passed from the joy of youth into adulthood?
- What’s on your personal “Okay Awesome” list—things you’re supposed to like, but don’t?
CONNECT WITH THE SHOW:
Official Website (Send us your audio and written messages)
Substack (Join the mailing list, get announcements, and read more from Josh and Craig)
HOW YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE:
Donate to our ongoing campaign to support congenital heart disease research
AND MORE:
Josh’s “Museletters” on Substack
Craig’s Official Website (with links to his published writing)
Alek’s “Dead Fathers Society” on Substack
Advertising inquiries:
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Previous Episode
How We Couldn't Hear You | S1E5 "Okay Awesome"
In this episode of How We Made Your Mother, Josh and Craig take a deep dive into “Okay Awesome,” HIMYM’s first “club episode” and the debut script of longtime writer Chris Harris. They revisit the origin of the show’s loudest joke—the nightclub subtitles gag—and reflect on the real-life friendship themes that drive the plot, as Marshall and Ted struggle to stay connected across diverging life paths. They also discuss Robin’s need for validation, the debut of HIMYM’s iconic narrative tricks, the magic of Jason Segel’s dance moves, and why Alyson Hannigan’s Lily might be the show’s emotional center. It’s a loud, fast, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt look at what HIMYM was always about: holding onto your people as life pulls you in new directions. (Or at least that’s what ChatGPT thinks this episode is about.)
CONNECT WITH THE SHOW:
Official Website (Send us your audio and written messages)
Substack (Join the mailing list, get announcements, and read more from Josh and Craig)
HOW YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE:
Donate to our ongoing campaign to support congenital heart disease research
AND MORE:
Josh’s “Museletters” on Substack
Craig’s Official Website (with links to his published writing)
Alek’s “Dead Fathers Society” on Substack
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:
Mint Mobile - If you like your money, Mint Mobile is for you. Shop plans at mintmobile.com/yourmother
Advertising inquiries:
AND IN CASE IT HELPS:
03:11 The Impact of Fan Testimonials
06:02 Celebrating Chris Harris and the Writing Process
10:04 Narrative Techniques and Humor in Storytelling
12:57 Exploring Themes of Friendship and Connection
23:02 The Role of Humor in Relationships
24:15 The Art of Unique Line Readings
32:34 Navigating Success and Friendship in Your 20s
38:06 Emotional Conversations and Growth
42:39 The Heart of the Show: Friendship and Connection
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Next Episode
How We Stayed Up All Night | S1E6 "The Slutty Pumpkin"
In this episode of How We Made Your Mother, Josh and Craig revisit “The Slutty Pumpkin,” a fan-favorite early episode of HIMYM written by Brenda Hsueh. They explore how the episode deepens Ted and Robin’s characters—Ted’s relentless romantic hopefulness and Robin’s fear of losing her independence—while also setting up major relationship themes that carry through the series. They reflect on the inspiration behind Ted’s ritualistic loyalty to the pumpkin party, the show’s early use of attachment theory (before it was trendy), the origins of classic bits like Marshmallow and Lilypad, and why Ted’s unreasonable optimism often becomes his superpower. Plus, they share behind-the-scenes stories about Jason Segel’s eyeliner, Neil Patrick Harris’s love of magic props, and the surprising indie rock influences that shaped the emotional tone of the series.
CONNECT WITH THE SHOW:
Official Website (Send us your audio and written messages)
Substack (Join the mailing list, get announcements, and read more from Josh and Craig)
HOW YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE:
Donate to our ongoing campaign to support congenital heart disease research
AND MORE:
Josh’s “Museletters” on Substack
Craig’s Official Website (with links to his published writing)
Alek’s “Dead Fathers Society” on Substack
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:
Nutrafol - Start your hair growth journey with Nutrafol at nutrafol.com and use the code YOURMOTHER
PrettyLitter - Save 20% on your first order and get a free cat toy at prettylitter.com/HWMYM
Advertising inquiries:
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/how-we-made-your-mother-627800/general-questions-s1e5-okay-awesome-89897620"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to general questions | s1e5 "okay awesome" on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy