How We Made a Cartoon | S1E3 "The Sweet Taste of Liberty"
Explicit content warning
04/07/25 • 66 min
1 Listener
In this episode of How We Made Your Mother, Josh and Craig revisit “The Sweet Taste of Liberty” and talk about how it marked a shift in tone for the show. The episode introduced Barney’s cartoonish side, the “legend—wait for it—dary” catchphrase, and a more outrageous style of storytelling. They discuss the influence of writers Chris Miller and Phil Lord, the origins of Barney’s character, and the episode’s mission to answer two big questions: Why is this wild man part of the friend group? And how do Robin and Lily become friends?
The conversation also explores how Ted became more reactive in this episode, the challenge of balancing sitcom energy with character growth, and how early episodes were still “auditioning” the show’s style. They end with heartfelt letters from listeners about how How I Met Your Mother impacted their lives—and Craig shares his personal story about making the show while navigating his own family’s medical crisis, adding emotional depth to the series and the podcast.
Make sure to listen through to the end, when Craig Thomas will announce the permanent fundraising campaign of this podcast, How You Make a Difference, raising money for congenital heart disease.
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 SPONSOR:
Nutrafol: Start your hair growth journey with Nutrafol at nutrafol.com and use the code YOURMOTHER.
Advertising inquiries:
AND IN CASE IT HELPS:
00:00 Emotional Growth Through Television
07:14 The Creative Process Behind 'How I Met Your Mother'
14:00 Character Dynamics and Relationships
21:04 The Evolution of Storytelling in Sitcoms
30:54 The Creative Process Behind Iconic Moments
32:41 Balancing Character Arcs and Storytelling
35:49 The Role of Chaos and Creation in Relationships
39:03 Exploring Vulnerability and Masculinity
43:23 Fan Impact and Personal Stories
55:08 The Timelessness of Love and Resilience
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode of How We Made Your Mother, Josh and Craig revisit “The Sweet Taste of Liberty” and talk about how it marked a shift in tone for the show. The episode introduced Barney’s cartoonish side, the “legend—wait for it—dary” catchphrase, and a more outrageous style of storytelling. They discuss the influence of writers Chris Miller and Phil Lord, the origins of Barney’s character, and the episode’s mission to answer two big questions: Why is this wild man part of the friend group? And how do Robin and Lily become friends?
The conversation also explores how Ted became more reactive in this episode, the challenge of balancing sitcom energy with character growth, and how early episodes were still “auditioning” the show’s style. They end with heartfelt letters from listeners about how How I Met Your Mother impacted their lives—and Craig shares his personal story about making the show while navigating his own family’s medical crisis, adding emotional depth to the series and the podcast.
Make sure to listen through to the end, when Craig Thomas will announce the permanent fundraising campaign of this podcast, How You Make a Difference, raising money for congenital heart disease.
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 SPONSOR:
Nutrafol: Start your hair growth journey with Nutrafol at nutrafol.com and use the code YOURMOTHER.
Advertising inquiries:
AND IN CASE IT HELPS:
00:00 Emotional Growth Through Television
07:14 The Creative Process Behind 'How I Met Your Mother'
14:00 Character Dynamics and Relationships
21:04 The Evolution of Storytelling in Sitcoms
30:54 The Creative Process Behind Iconic Moments
32:41 Balancing Character Arcs and Storytelling
35:49 The Role of Chaos and Creation in Relationships
39:03 Exploring Vulnerability and Masculinity
43:23 Fan Impact and Personal Stories
55:08 The Timelessness of Love and Resilience
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Previous Episode
General Questions | S1E2 "Purple Giraffe"
In this bonus General Questions episode of How We Made Your Mother, Josh, Craig, and Alek respond to listener questions all about “Purple Giraffe.” They cover everything from how Josh and Cobie developed their early on-screen chemistry to the symbolism of the rooftop and the origin of the show’s callbacks. The team also weighs in on the fan-created “purple vs. yellow” theory, share behind-the-scenes wardrobe details, and talk about how real-life relationships and experiences made their way into the show’s characters.
They reflect on what it felt like filming the second episode after the pilot, how the roof became such a central location, and the challenge of balancing screen time in a packed episode. It’s a mix of thoughtful answers, personal stories, and a few very specific snack preferences.
Questions We Attempt to Answer in This Episode:
How did Josh and Cobie build their chemistry so quickly on screen?
How did you keep track of callbacks throughout the series?
What’s your favorite kind of dip?
What were you actually drinking at the bar?
Was the mood different filming episode 2 compared to the pilot?
What inspired the rooftop setting, and do you have personal connections to it?
How did you approach casting smaller roles like Carlos?
What’s the story behind John Bernthal’s early appearance on the show?
How did wardrobe choices affect your performance, especially for Ted?
Why did Marshall and Lily’s relationship start out so strong and established?
What’s the purple vs. yellow theory, and did you plan it?
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
Next Episode
General Questions | S1E3 "The Sweet Taste of Liberty"
In this bonus General Questions episode of How We Made Your Mother, Josh, Craig, and Alek dive deep into how How I Met Your Mother actually got made. They walk through the production week—from table reads to rewrites, from blocking to shooting—and share behind-the-scenes memories from the early days of the show. They also revisit the creation of the show’s opening credits, the music choices that almost happened, and the story behind Barney’s first big catchphrase. A true behind-the-scenes look at how television comes together—complete with New York Street, Liberty Bell licking, and Barney zipped in a suitcase.
Questions We Attempt to Answer in This Episode:
How far into filming did you create the opening sequence and bar photos?
Was the opening montage made just for this episode?
Is the basement in this episode the same as Stella’s house later in the series?
Did the studio or network have to approve the title sequence?
What was a typical production week like for Josh and Craig?
How did scripts get delivered to the cast?
Did actors ever feel responsible for jokes being cut after table reads?
What sets were permanent and which ones changed?
What was it like filming on New York Street?
Where did the idea of picking up girls at the airport come from?
Is Barney actually successful at picking up women in the early episodes?
How many takes did it take to film the police room scene with Neil?
Were there a lot of bloopers in season one?
Was Ted too bummed out in this episode?
Why do they keep hanging out with Barney?
Who came up with “legend—wait for it—dary”?
Did Chris Miller and Phil Lord invent some of Barney’s signature language?
How many HIMYM fans have actually tried to lick the Liberty Bell?
Why was there drink service on a flight from NYC to Philly?
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:
AND IN CASE IT HELPS:
00:00 Introduction and Overview of the Episode
01:41 Behind the Scenes of Episode Production
06:45 The Table Read Experience
10:10 Script Revisions and Feedback Process
17:00 Shooting Schedule and Production Insights
21:32 The Writer's Room: Crafting Ideas and Characters
22:01 Barney's Character: The Comedic Genius
26:00 Memorable Scenes: Bloopers and Behind-the-Scenes Fun
30:08 The Evolution of Humor: Legendary Moments
34:21 Friendship Dynamics: Ted and Barney's Relationship
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/how-we-made-a-cartoon-s1e3-the-sweet-taste-of-liberty-89020531"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to how we made a cartoon | s1e3 "the sweet taste of liberty" on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy