The first season of a show is always a tricky one. Most creators need to find their footing and experiment with different concepts, character pairings, and storylines to see what works best. First seasons may also serve as a bad example for the show’s overall quality, as many classic characters are later additions to the show.
Such is the case with How I Met Your Mother. Now, HIMYM’s first season is certainly not bad. In fact, it’s arguably one of the show’s best. But it is still without many of the show’s most beloved characters. These are just a few of them. The ten best characters that weren’t in the first season of the show.
Tracy
We mean, how can we not include The Mother herself? How I Met Your Mother was building and building to the reveal of the titular mother, and Tracy did not disappoint in the slightest. She was everything we wanted for Ted - smart, cute, and certainly a little dorky.
And the inclusion of Cristin Milioti was a truly inspired bit of casting, as she imbued Tracy with all the necessary qualities. How I Met Your Mother may not have stuck the landing, but even the most ardent haters of the ending can admit that Tracy was a wonderful character.
Zoey
Zoey Pierson was arguably one of Ted’s best girlfriends (if that’s a thing you can, or should, judge). She served as Ted’s primary love slash fiercest enemy throughout season six, making her first appearance in Architect of Destruction and her final in season nine’s Gary Blauman.
Zoey was a complex character, and we loved the conflicted relationship she had with Ted. It added some much needed drama and complexity following the middling fifth season, and she helped return to the show to its post-season 5 brilliance.
The Captain
If we’re mentioning Zoey, then we may as well mention The Captain, her weird and bizarrely hilarious ex-husband. The Captain’s real name is George Van Smoot, and he only earned the nickname “The Captain” due to his love of boating.
One of the primary characteristics of The Captain is his creepy, unsymmetrical face, as the gang believes that he has a friendly smile but psychotic eyes. It’s kind of wacky observations you’d expect from a Seinfeld episode, and we love it. And we love The Captain as well.
James Stinson
James is Barney’s half-brother and was introduced in season two’s Single Stamina. It’s weird that such an important character was left for season two, but whatever. James shares a mother with Barney but was conceived by Sam Gibbs, something that causes a lot of confusion and consternation within Barney.
James is a great character, he fits in well with the gang, and the casting of Wayne Brady was a wonderful surprise. You simply can’t go wrong with Wayne Brady.
Quinn
Another huge addition to Barney’s character was Quinn, whom some fans believe should have ended up with Barney. Quinn Garvey made her first appearance in season seven’s The Drunk Train, working as a stripper at the Lusty Leopard.
She quickly formed a personal bond with Barney and eventually became his fiancée. It was around this time that Barney was embarking on some much-welcomed (and needed) character development, and Quinn was at the heart of it. Oh, what could have been…
Stella
Stella Zinman was another one of Ted’s major girlfriends and his primary significant other throughout season three. She made her first appearance in that season’s Ten Sessions, which is when Ted began the process of removing his wonderful butterfly tattoo.
Much of the hilarity (and drama) stemmed from their physical distance from each other, as Ted was required to travel between Manhattan and New Jersey to be with her. We were also led to believe that Stella may be the mother, as Ted proposed to her at the end of season three. But we all know how that went…
Nora
Nora is another one of Barney’s ex-girlfriends, and many fans remain split on whether he should have ended up with her or Quinn. She certainly gives Quinn a run for her money! Nora first appeared in season six’s Desperation Day when Robin organized a little singles’ night at MacLaren’s.
This is where she met Barney, and while she initially rejected his advances, the two eventually formed a very close and intimate bond. Unfortunately, their relationship is broken off once Barney admits that he slept with Robin.
Arthur Hobbs
The How I Met Your Mother casting department once again showed off their brilliance by hiring Bob Odenkirk as Arthur Hobbs, Barney and Marshall’s boss at Goliath National Bank and Nicholson, Hewitt & West.
Arthur is known for his aggression and confrontational style of management, which often results in him shouting at this employees and demeaning them in front of the office. He also tends to fire anyone he doesn’t find a personal connection with, regardless of their job performance. And Odenkirk brings the goods. As he always does.
Cindy
Cindy isn’t one of Ted’s major girlfriends, but arguably one of his most important. Ted meets Cindy while lecturing at Columbia, and she makes her first appearance in season five’s Girls Versus Suits (AKA the series’ 100th episode).
The fact that Ted meets Cindy such an important episode surely isn’t coincidence, as his relationship with Cindy eventually leads to him meeting Tracy. That’s because Tracy is/was Cindy’s roommate, and she recommends Tracy’s band to Ted after Barney and Robin’s wedding band pulled out at the last minute.
Hammond Druthers
It’s always nice to see Bryan Cranston flexing his comedic chops. Hammond only appeared in three episodes of the show (and one of those appearances was a flashback!), yet the horribly obnoxious and arrogant character was an immediate hit thanks to Bryan Cranston’s mesmerizing performance.
This man can clearly do it all and disappear into any role, and we saw that when he later appeared as Walter White in Breaking Bad. Yes, this was before Breaking Bad. Doesn’t that make you feel old?
