The Best Sitcom On Hulu, According To Quentin Tarantino

Although writer/director Quentin Tarantino is most famous for his contributions to the medium of film, he does have some TV hot takes to occasionally share with the world. He shocked everyone when he revealed he didn't care much for "True Detective," not even the first season that he seemed right up his alley. He confused the world even more when he revealed that his favorite show is a CBS sitcom about late twenty-somethings dating around in New York City. 

"Hands down, my favorite show is 'How I Met Your Mother,'" he said in a 2012 interview. "I've been watching that since the very first episode, so that's the one show that I always keep watching." Given this was in 2012, when the show still had a season left to go, some fans have wondered if Tarantino kept this opinion. The series finale of "HIMYM" was divisive, after all, so perhaps Tarantino's love for the series declined after it finished. 

In a later 2015 interview with Vulture, after the finale aired, Tarantino stated, "The last two shows that I watched all the way were 'Justified' and 'How I Met Your Mother.'" He didn't clarify his thoughts on the ending of either show, but the fact that he didn't immediately jump on the opportunity to rag on the "HIMYM" finale implies that, hey, maybe he's one of the dozens of fans who appreciated the bold swing for what it was. Then again, perhaps he hated the finale and was simply being polite. 

At first glance, "HIMYM" doesn't seem like Tarantino's thing. There's not much violence or revenge involved, nor does Samuel L. Jackson ever make an appearance. But on further exploration, there are some hallmark qualities of the show we can imagine Tarantino appreciating. For one, there's the charming, high-effort dialogue that the best "HIMYM" episodes all feature. Just as the characters in "Pulp Fiction" are constantly musing about relatable things, the characters in "HIMYM" are always putting the plot on pause to remark on some strange "rule" they've noticed about the world around them, usually in a dating context.

There are constant moments in "HIMYM" where the dialogue is riveting, where it truly feels like you're listening in on some real friends arguing at the bar together. A highlight is in season 5's "Rabbit vs Duck," which features an extended sequence where the gang argues over whether ducks or rabbits are better. It's not the same tone or style Tarantino's known for, of course, but it feels similarly inspired, and sometimes feels way too specific to not have been based on something the writers heard in real life. My favorite moment is the way Robin cuts Marshall off about a minute in. It's a line delivery so perfect it's easy to see it gaining Tarantino's respect: 

The other special element to "HIMYM" is the way it plays around with time, a trick Tarantino's famous for. Even before the particularly ambitious time-hopping final season, "HIMYM" would often structure episodes not in a strict chronological order but through different characters' perspectives. Season 2's "Brunch," for instance, begins and ends in a single restaurant, with the middle of the episode going back and explaining how the situation at the restaurant came about. The rest of the show's filled with similar tricks, displaying a level of complexity in its plotting that very few sitcoms, or TV shows in general, can match. It's little wonder Tarantino was impressed.