From the legendary early years of the show to its controversial finale, "How I Met Your Mother" was one of the most popular sitcoms on television for almost a decade, gathering its own cult following along the way and redefining "true story" for millions of people. With over 200 episodes spanning nine seasons, the show had its fair share of not-so-great moments (Season 9, I'm looking at you), but its penchant for outrageously entertaining shenanigans and heart-breaking plot twists constantly shone through, so let's celebrate the episodes that made us fall in love with Teddy Westside and the gang.
- Honorable Mentions: "Home Wreckers" (Season 5, Episode 20); "Bad News" (Season 6, Episode 13)
"Home Wreckers" gave us a look into Ted's building (no pun intended) desperation for his life to go according to plan. He's in his thirties but still single, childless, and living in the city, so he decides to change that when he buys an old, run-down house in Westchester, which we find out is his future family's home. It also provided some much-needed love from Ted for his mother, as the gang's families are often dismissed as unimportant throughout the show, especially Ted's. "Bad News" deserves an honorable mention solely for its end, when Marshall breaks down at the news of his father's death, which is easily one of the saddest moments in the series. - 10. "Showdown" (Season 2, Episode 20)
Coming in at number 10 is one of the most fun episodes of the whole show. Nothing much happens in terms of plot development -- besides Barney realizing Bob Barker is not his father -- but this episode epitomized the show's silly, entertaining early days before things got more serious in the later seasons. - 9. "Symphony of Illumination" (Season 7, Episode 12)
We'd known for years that Robin never wanted kids, and we still felt her pain when she found out she could never have them. Even though Ted didn't know why she was sad, he still did the most "Ted" thing possible and went all out to cheer her up; perhaps his most genuine, heartfelt act of love for Robin throughout all nine seasons.
8. "10 Sessions" (Season 3, Episode 13)
Meet Stella Zinman, the cute doctor who almost marries Ted but then leaves him at the altar for her ex-boyfriend Tony...before we all hated her! Her chemistry with Ted in this episode is fantastic, and their two-minute date at the end rivals Ted's super-date (another great musical number). It's charming, romantic Ted at his best...before Stella rips his heart out. - 7. "Pilot" (Season 1, Episode 1)
The episode that started it all and gave us the best way to get out of a bad first date (Mosby-ing > Lemon Law), no list of "HIMYM"'s best episodes would be complete without its first. From the lovably goofy chemistry between Marshall and Lilly, to Barney's antics ("Haaaaave you met Ted?"), and Ted's mild insanity, the writers roped us in instantly. - 6. "The Time Travelers" (Season 8, Episode 20)
Ah, how we love the gang's musical numbers. Though it's not as epic as "Nothing Suits Me Like a Suit," the episode on the whole is infinitely more compelling. What starts as Marshall and Robin arguing over a drink's name and Ted deciding whether or not to go with Barney to Robots Verses Wrestlers ends with a melancholy clue to the Mother's ultimate fate and a lonely, depressed Ted. And a legendary Billy Joel cover. - 5. "How Your Mother Met Me" (Season 9, Episode 16)
In what was unquestionably the worst season, perhaps the lone bright spot, the show's 200th episode did everything right. It returned to the flashback style of storytelling that made the show so great, it explained all the times Ted and Tracy were so tantalizingly close, and it finally gave the Mother her well-deserved screen time. Oh, and the Mother got her own chance to show off her voice, with a lovely rendition of "La Vie En Rose" to close out the episode. - 4. "Legendaddy" (Season 6, Episode 19)
Over the years, we grew accustomed to Barney always providing comedic relief, a constant beacon of light, even when everyone else had troubles. So when Barney got his chance to get emotional, we ate every second of it up. Finally confronting his absent father and his abandonment issues, Barney holds nothing back in one of the show's more emotional moments. - 3. "The Pineapple Incident" (Season 1, Episode 10)
Ted wakes up with a strange girl in his bed and a pineapple on his nightstand...what? One of Ted's most amusing (read: far too inappropriate to tell one's children) stories kept us theorizing about the pineapple's origin for years before a Season 9 deleted scene cleared things up. This episode really set a tone for many future episodes through its hysterical use of flashback storytelling, which the show uses constantly the rest of the way. - 2. "The Playbook" (Season 5, Episode 8)
In an effort to rebound from his breakup with Robin, Barney turns to his greatest friend, the Playbook, his most sacred tome, detailing all his various schemes to pick up women (my personal favorite is the Mrs. Stinsfire). We were all blown away at his "Scuba Diver" play, and we remain eternally grateful for one of the introduction of one of the show's best long-running jokes. And that happens to be a great segue into... - 1. "Slap Bet" (Season 2, Episode 9)
Kids, have I ever told you about the time the writers gave us the best two long-running jokes in one episode? The show's first foray into musical numbers was easily its best. Between Barney and Marshall's slap bet and Robin's history as the Canadian version of Hannah Montana, this has to be the fan-favorite episode. I can't even get near a mall anymore without hearing this song in my head. If the video had turned out to be porn like Barney thought, I wonder if that would have been a deal-breaker for Ted...
