The Best Episodes of How I Met Your Mother
Last Updated: May 31, 2019
The year is 2030. Ted Mosby is relaying the story of how he met his wife to his daughter and son. The story starts in the year 2005, when then twenty-seven year old architect Ted was spurred on to want to get married after his best friends from his college days at Wesleyan, lawyer Marshall Eriksen, who was his roommate at the time and kindergarten teacher Lily Aldrin, got engaged after nine years of dating each other. Ted's new quest in life was much to the dismay of his womanizing friend, Barney Stinson. But soon after Marshall and Lily's engagement, Ted believed that his life mate was going to be news reporter and aspiring news anchor Robin Scherbatsky, who, despite having had a romantic relationship with her after this time, ended up being who the kids know as their "Aunt" Robin. As Ted relays the story to his kids, the constants are that their Uncle Marshall, Aunt Lily, Uncle Barney and Aunt Robin are always in the picture and thus have something to do with how he got together with their mother.
#1 - The Final Page: Part Two
Season 8 - Episode 12
Christmas approaches and Ted wrestles with whether to tell Robin about Barney's intentions involving Patrice, while Marshall and Lily get an early Yule gift, a night away from Marvin, but a case of separation anxiety strikes and threatens to ruin the evening.
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#2 - Slap Bet
Season 2 - Episode 9
Ted and Barney discusses their viewpoints on knowing things about women. Barney thinks that the more you know the more likely you are to find a deal breaker. Ted wants to know the deal breakers right away, as Robin refuses to go to the mall to cover her secret.
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#3 - How Your Mother Met Me
Season 9 - Episode 16
On the 200th episode, The Mother recounts how she met Ted and what she’s been up to for the past eight years.
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#4 - The Magician's Code: Part Two
Season 7 - Episode 24
Ted is conflicted when Victoria approaches him on her wedding day and asks him to elope. Meanwhile, Barney and Quinn are arrested by airport security while on the way to Hawaii when Barney refuses to open a box they are traveling with.
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#5 - The Bro Mitzvah
Season 8 - Episode 22
The gang works together to plan a legendary bachelor party for Barney.
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#6 - Slapsgiving
Season 3 - Episode 9
Lily and Marshall have their first Thanksgiving as a married couple; Barney is tortured by the slap bet countdown clock, worrying about when the slap will be dished out.
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#7 - The Playbook
Season 5 - Episode 8
After his relationship with Robin ends, Barney dusts off his "playbook" to help him back into the dating scene
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#8 - Come On
Season 1 - Episode 22
Ted tries to keep Robin from going on a camping trip so that she can spend time with him. Barney enlists the help of an old flame to perform a rain dance. At the same time Marshall finds out about Lily's interview for the fellowship in San Francisco.
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#9 - The Magician's Code: Part One
Season 7 - Episode 23
When Lily goes into labor, Ted and Robin distract her by telling her stories while Marshall hurries back from Atlantic City.
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#10 - Oh Honey
Season 6 - Episode 15
Barney gets emotional when he opens up to Honey about his life. Ted admits to having feelings for Zoey to the group.
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#11 - Symphony of Illumination
Season 7 - Episode 12
Robin receives bad news and decides to hide it from the gang. Marshall hangs Christmas decorations in his house in the suburbs with some help from his neighbor.
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#12 - Something New
Season 8 - Episode 24
As the gang prepares to go to Robin and Barney’s wedding, Ted invites Lily to see the house he's finally finished fixing up. Meanwhile, Robin and Barney’s night of relaxation is ruined by an obnoxious couple, and Marshall takes the baby on a last-minute trip to Minnesota to see his family.
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#13 - The Pineapple Incident
Season 1 - Episode 10
After being forced into knocking back 5 shots, so he will stop thinking, Ted goes on a partying rampage. The next morning he wakes up with a woman in his bed, but he does not know who it is. So he turns to his friends to try and piece the night together and work out who the woman is in his bed.
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#14 - Game Night
Season 1 - Episode 15
A mysterious tape arrives for Barney from one of his numerous ex-girlfriends, and the entire gang watches it. But, in order for them all to find out how she broke Barney's heart and made him into a suit-wearing bachelor, everyone must share their most embarrassing moment.
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#15 - The Naked Man
Season 4 - Episode 9
The gang learns a new way to get their dates to sleep with them after Ted walks in on Robin's date sitting naked on the couch.
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#16 - Drumroll, Please
Season 1 - Episode 13
Ted finds a new woman at the wedding. They want to remember the evening so they don't exchange last names or numbers; but Ted takes a big fall when he tries to find out her name.
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#17 - Bachelor Party
Season 2 - Episode 19
Robin attends Lily's bridal shower and finds the gift that she brought is out of place. Barney hires a stripper for Marshall's bachelor party.
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#18 - Blitzgiving
Season 6 - Episode 10
When Ted leaves the bar early to prepare a Thanksgiving feast for his friends, the gang winds up partying all night with The Blitz, an old friend from college who has bad luck. As a result Ted is forced to spend Thanksgiving with Zoey.
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#19 - Mary the Paralegal
Season 1 - Episode 19
Robin is nominated to receive an award for a news report and everyone needs a date to take to the show. Barney introduces Ted to Mary as a date that Ted can take to the show. Originally Ted is opposed to the idea of just trying to save face in front of Robin but when she shows up with a date he changes his mind. Robin asks Mary lots of questions, and Ted begins to really like Mary, despite her occupation.
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#20 - Swarley
Season 2 - Episode 7
Marshall goes on his first real date post-breakup with Lily. Not only do Ted and Barney try to warn him that this girl has got the crazy eyes, but Lily decides to do everything she can to find out about this her and break them up. Also, Barney gets a new name.
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#21 - The Final Page: Part One
Season 8 - Episode 11
Robin takes steps to have Patrice fired from WWN, while Marshall puts a jinx on Barney. Later, Ted invites his architecture professor to the dedication of the GNB building, and Marshall and Lily bump into an oddball acquaintance from college.
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#22 - Showdown
Season 2 - Episode 20
Thinking that Bob Barker may be his father, Barney is overjoyed to be a contestant on The Price is Right. Marshall and Lily try sleeping apart prior to the wedding.
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#23 - Something Borrowed
Season 2 - Episode 21
With everything going wrong on Lily and Marshall's wedding day, to everyone's surprise it's confirmed bachelor Barney who tries to fix it all.
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#24 - Ten Sessions
Season 3 - Episode 13
Ted pursues a woman named Stella, but only gets attention from her receptionist Abby.
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#25 - Girls Vs. Suits
Season 5 - Episode 12
When Barney debates giving up wearing suits in order to land a hot bartender, his conflicted feelings lead to an amazingly awesome musical number. Meanwhile, Ted gets one step closer to meeting the future mother of his kids.
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