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"How I Met Your Mother" tells the tale of Ted Mosby's search for "the one." That story is slow going, but along the way, you get lots of intimate glimpses into the lives of his closest friends. Viewers have met his friend's mothers as well. Those moms are pretty colorful ladies. They offer a different perspective on the people with whom Ted shares his life. They provide the back stories that move the plot along. They also help explain some of the "How I Met Your Mother" gang's quirkiest behaviors.Marshall's Mom, Judy Eriksen
Judy Eriksen is a widow living in St. Cloud Minnesota. Her husband Marvin Sr. died earlier in the season. That's when viewers got a good sneak peek into her life. They also learned a bit about why Marshall is the big baby he is today. After the funeral, Marshall refused to go home. He stayed in his old room and played video games all day. Judy gave him whatever he wanted and treated him like a child. (Isn't that exactly what Lily does at times?) Playing mommy to a married man got old after a while. Judy was happy when her son finally went home to his wife.
Lily's Mom, Janice Aldrin
Janice Aldrin used to be married to Lily's father, Mickey. That marriage crashed and burned a long time ago. You rarely see Lily interact with either of her parents. Janice did make an appearance at Lily's bridal shower and wedding. Still, most of what viewers know about Janice comes from bits and pieces tossed out during Lily and Marshall's conversations.
Viewers learned from Marshall that Janice has a cat. At least she used to have a cat until Marshall let it jump out of a window. Lily also revealed that her mom wouldn't buy her an Easy Bake Oven when she was a little girl. Could that be the root of Lily's shopping addiction? It really bothered her until Marshall bought her one for Christmas.
Barney's Mom, Loretta Stinson
Loretta Stinson freely admits she used to be a bit loose. Although she uses a slightly harsher term. She's pretty loose with the truth as well. She gave her sons a strange explanation as to why one son was black and one was white....something to do with ice cream. She told Barney that Bob Barker was his dad. (They were watching "The Price is Right" at the time.) These and other details she's shared show that the apple really doesn't fall very far from the tree. It also shows that Loretta Stinson was clearly the force behind Barney's colorful behavior.
Robin's Mom, ?
Who knows if Robin even has a mom. She's never mentioned her name. Her father, Robin, Sr. influenced her the most. That started the day she was born when he gave her his name. He also tried to raise her like a boy. Perhaps that's why Robin tries so hard. Where was Robin's mother while all this was going on? Who knows?
Ted's Mom, Virginia Mosby
Viewers really got to know Virginia Mosby at her Hippie-style second wedding. She was "..so baked" the audience saw wedded bliss and more. Like her son, she seemed in love with the idea of love. "He's so cool and he picked me..." she raved to Ted.
Virginia's new hubby, Clint, proudly unveiled a naked portrait of the two of them and talked about her "...trembling bosoms." Clearly Ted's nesting instinct and drive to find "the one" came from his mother. It hit him hard that his mother had married twice and he'd not even found "the one." He disappeared from the wedding and was gone for for 72 hours. (From Shaker Heights to Upstate New York and back perhaps?) That's when he bought his future home.
Source:
"How I Met Your Mother" reruns
cbs.com: "How I Met Your Mother" recapas
