Rachel Bilson may not have made a mark with her short stint on HIMYM but her controversial comments have dragged her into the limelight after all.

For the past 3 decades, sitcoms have somewhat guided the modern television arena, for better or worse. Whether it be F.R.I.E.N.D.S, That ’70s Show, Modern Family, or HIMYM, the uptake in comedy has been a steady sight to see for the current demography of fans and audiences across the board.

How I Met Your Mother [Credit: CBS]

While television drama like Breaking Bad and Succession still make their mark on television, other shows like Barry, New Girl, and Hacks still manage to find a place among the modern topography of a realism-adhering audience.

But despite the existence of modern comedies, fans somehow still find a way to go back to the comfort of the older classics and the influence they have had in our years growing up.

HIMYM actress comes under fire for s3xist comment

Rachel Bilson and Josh Radnor in How I Met Your Mother [Credit: CBS]

The legacy of How I Met Your Mother is vast and controversial, especially over its confounding and rushed Season 8 finale. However, the larger arc of the series still remains a delightful experience for the veteran fans of the sitcom. One of the aspects of its storyline involves frequent guest stars who act as a stand-in for Ted’s eternal search for love or Barney’s one-night stands.

Rachel Bilson also guest starred in one such episode as Cindy, who is later discovered to be the roommate of the show’s titular and elusive Mother. The actress, as beloved her arc may have been on the show, drew flak from fans due to her somewhat controversial comments on her podcast Broad Ideas With Rachel Bilson & Olivia Allen.

During an October 2, 2024, episode on the podcast, Bilson shared her opinions about men and their history of s*xual partners, saying:

I don’t know. Well, if it’s really low, at this day and age, you’d be like, ‘A little weird.’ Like, if a dude, I don’t know, this is gonna sound so judgmental, but if a dude’s like in his 40s and he’s slept with like four women?

Although she clarified that such a circumstance would be considered acceptable if the said men were in a long-term relationship, her comments had already done some serious damage. One of the detractors of her statements was Whoopi Goldberg who personally took offense to Rachel Bilson’s claims and said on The View (via Entertainment Weekly):

I’m sorry, I think it’s very odd that you’re concerned that he’s had s*xual partners — any s*xual partners. Why is it your business … If he’s happy with you and you’re having a good time, why are you b****ing?

Goldberg’s criticism managed to reel back Bilson as she immediately addressed the situation and withdrew her initial statement, calling it “a flippant comment.”

How I Met Your Mother: A saga of hate and confusion

How I Met Your Mother feat. Josh Radnor and Cobie Smulders [Credit: CBS]

How I Met Your Mother was a somewhat confusing era for the lovers of American sitcoms. The series which ran for a steady 9 seasons since its launch in 2005 spent the entire arc without answering the biggest question of the show.

In hindsight, the finale seems rushed and essentially unsatisfactory in terms of storytelling and build-up corresponding to the titular “mother”.

However, that simple misgiving does not take away from the comedic genius of the series. HIMYM still has one of the best cast line-ups among all the ensemble sitcoms of the 21st century.

The memorable one-liner zingers of Neil Patrick Harris’s arc as Barney Stinson are just one of the many aspects of the show that keep it relevant even 11 years down the line.

Despite its rushed ending and controversial finale, the series holds up as fans keep coming back to it a decade later. While the original ending did kill off the Mother to make room for Ted and Robin’s union after the latter’s divorce from Barney, there still exists an alternate ending where Ted and the Mother live happily ever after and Robin and Barney eventually find their way back to each other – as surmised from Ted’s voice-over narration.

This ending, much preferred over the original one – as hated and debated as it may be – lessens the sting that HIMYM left after its March 31st, 2014 finale.