The BEST episodes of How I Met Your Mother season 5

Every episode of How I Met Your Mother season 5, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of How I Met Your Mother season 5!

A father tells his children, through a series of flashbacks, the journey that he and his four best friends undertook, which would lead him to meet their mother.

Last Updated: 11/18/2024Network: CBSStatus: Ended
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The Playbook
star
7.98
6256 votes

#1 - The Playbook

Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/16/2009

After his relationship with Robin ends, Barney dusts off his "playbook" to help him back into the dating scene

Directors: Pamela Fryman
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Girls Vs. Suits
star
7.79
6432 votes

#2 - Girls Vs. Suits

Season 5 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/11/2010

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.

Directors: Pamela Fryman
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Of Course
star
7.75
7025 votes

#3 - Of Course

Season 5 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/8/2010

When Robin confesses that she is still angry with Barney for the way he handled their break-up, she enlists the help of Anita, a self-help author who plans to beat Barney at his own game.

Directors: Pamela Fryman
Writer: Matt Kuhn
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Rough Patch
star
7.70
6064 votes

#4 - The Rough Patch

Season 5 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/9/2009

Lily comes up with a perfect plan to break up the relationship between Barney and Robin when they have a rough patch, but she needs help from Robin's famous friend, Alan Thicke, in order to make it work.

Directors: Pamela Fryman
Writer: Chris Harris
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Jenkins
star
7.68
5913 votes

#5 - Jenkins

Season 5 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/18/2010

When Lily refuses to believe that Jenkins, Marshall's attractive female colleague, kissed him, Marshall insists Jenkins tell Lily what really happened. Meanwhile, Robin finds out that a drinking game has been made up about her.

Writer: Greg Malins
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Perfect Week
star
7.68
6335 votes

#6 - Perfect Week

Season 5 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/1/2010

When Barney is about to complete the perfect week - landing seven different girls in seven days - the gang roots him on in order to forget about their own miserable week.

Directors: Pamela Fryman
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Robin 101
star
7.66
6474 votes

#7 - Robin 101

Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/5/2009

When Robin fears that Barney is cheating on her, she soon discovers that he is spending his evenings with Ted learning everything there is to know on how to date her.

Directors: Pamela Fryman
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Definitions
star
7.65
6711 votes

#8 - Definitions

Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/21/2009

After sharing a kiss at the beginning of the summer, Robin and Barney are unsure how to handle their mutual attraction. After some consideration they tell the gang they have decided to remain just friends, but secretly continue seeing each other. They are able to get away with their secret romance for a couple months, but are discovered when Ted, Marshall and Lily walk in on them together. They explain to the gang that they are happy with their casual relationship, and didn’t want to complicate it by defining it. This is unacceptable to Lily, who pressures them to label their situation, and ultimately locks them in Robin’s room to force them to address it. Meanwhile, Ted is anxious about his first days as a professor at Columbia, which is made worse when he shows up at the wrong class and starts his lecture.

Directors: Pamela Fryman
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Slapsgiving 2: Revenge of the Slap
star
7.65
6274 votes

#9 - Slapsgiving 2: Revenge of the Slap

Season 5 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/23/2009

Barney freaks out when Marshall bequeaths a "slap bet" slap to Ted and Robin. Meanwhile, Lily's estranged father shows up for Thanksgiving.

Directors: Pamela Fryman
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Double Date
star
7.64
6415 votes

#10 - Double Date

Season 5 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/28/2009

Barney takes Marshall, and Robin to a strip club where they find a stripper who looks almost exactly like Lily. Meanwhile, Ted discovers he had been fixed up with the same woman, Jen seven years earlier.

Directors: Pamela Fryman
Writer: Matt Kuhn
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Say Cheese
star
7.64
6691 votes

#11 - Say Cheese

Season 5 - Episode 18 - Aired 3/22/2010

When Ted ruins Lily's birthday dinner celebration by bringing a date, Lily goes to great lengths to keep her out of the traditional photo she takes every year of the gang.

Directors: Pamela Fryman
Writer: Robia Rashid
Watch Now:Apple TV
The Sexless Innkeeper
star
7.62
6063 votes

#12 - The Sexless Innkeeper

Season 5 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/12/2009

Marshall and Lily want to hook up with Barney and Robin for double-dating and fun, but their desperate eagerness to please is a huge turn-off. Meanwhile, when a succession of girls come to his apartment and immediately fall asleep, Ted is bummed to learn he is a "Sexless Innkeeper" whose "dates" are only interested in a comfy place to crash

Directors: Pamela Fryman
Watch Now:Apple TV
Bagpipes
star
7.62
6172 votes

#13 - Bagpipes

Season 5 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/2/2009

Even though they do their best in order to be the perfect couple, Barney's attitude of know-it-all lands him in trouble with Robin and they are forced to seek Marshall and Lily for advice.

Directors: Pamela Fryman
Writer: Robia Rashid
Watch Now:Apple TV
Zoo or False
star
7.61
6602 votes

#14 - Zoo or False

Season 5 - Episode 19 - Aired 4/12/2010

When Marshall gets mugged, Lily decides she wants to get a gun for protection, so Marshall comes up with a convoluted story about the mugging to deter Lily from following through.

Directors: Pamela Fryman
Watch Now:Apple TV
Doppelgangers
star
7.61
6049 votes

#15 - Doppelgangers

Season 5 - Episode 24 - Aired 5/24/2010

Marshall and Lily make a secret pact to start trying to have a baby if they ever finally see Barney's doppelganger. Meanwhile, Robin finally gets an offer for her dream job.

Directors: Pamela Fryman
Watch Now:Apple TV
Robots Vs. Wrestlers
star
7.58
6587 votes

#16 - Robots Vs. Wrestlers

Season 5 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/10/2010

When Ted, Marshall, Lily and Barney crash a highfalutin party at a swanky New York apartment, Ted gets the chance to mingle with the snooty guests and show off his intellectual side.

Directors: Rob Greenberg
Watch Now:Apple TV
Home Wreckers
star
7.56
6738 votes

#17 - Home Wreckers

Season 5 - Episode 20 - Aired 4/19/2010

When Ted attends his mother's wedding, he is extremely disturbed by her overly affectionate relationship with her fiancé, which forces him to think about his own life and make an impulsive decision.

Directors: Pamela Fryman
Writer: Chris Harris
Watch Now:Apple TV
The Window
star
7.55
5900 votes

#18 - The Window

Season 5 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/7/2009

When a perfect girl finally shows up, the gang tries everything to help Ted, while Marshall takes action when he discovers a letter written by younger himself.

Directors: Pamela Fryman
Writer: Joe Kelly
Watch Now:Apple TV
Last Cigarette Ever
star
7.54
6023 votes

#19 - Last Cigarette Ever

Season 5 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/14/2009

When Marshall picks up smoking again, it prompts Lily, Ted and Barney, ex-smokers all, to succumb as well. Meanwhile, Robin gets a new co-anchor at her show...

Directors: Pamela Fryman
Watch Now:Apple TV
The Wedding Bride
star
7.53
6436 votes

#20 - The Wedding Bride

Season 5 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/17/2010

When Ted takes a date to see a new hit movie, "The Wedding Bride," he is shocked to learn the story is loosely based on his life, and that it was written by Tony, the man Stella left him for at the altar.

Directors: Pamela Fryman
Watch Now:Apple TV
Duel Citizenship
star
7.53
6075 votes

#21 - Duel Citizenship

Season 5 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/19/2009

Barney tries his best hoping to convince Robin into becoming an American citizen, while Ted and Marshall's road trip takes an unexpected turn for the worst when Marshall invites Lily to come along.

Directors: Pamela Fryman
Writer: Chuck Tatham
Watch Now:Apple TV
Hooked
star
7.52
6766 votes

#22 - Hooked

Season 5 - Episode 16 - Aired 3/1/2010

When the gang tries to convince Ted that he is being strung along by Tiffany, they reflect about relationships where each of them has been in the same situation.

Directors: Pamela Fryman
Watch Now:Apple TV
Rabbit or Duck
star
7.45
6348 votes

#23 - Rabbit or Duck

Season 5 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/8/2010

When Lily and Marshall forget to fix up Ted on a blind date for Valentine's Day, they use one of Barney's many discarded girls to see if they may become Ted's future wife. Meanwhile, Robin's obnoxious colleague invites her to a party at his apartment.

Directors: Pamela Fryman
Watch Now:Apple TV
Twin Beds
star
7.45
6721 votes

#24 - Twin Beds

Season 5 - Episode 21 - Aired 5/3/2010

When Ted and Barney jeopardize Robin's new relationship by professing their love for her, Robin realizes that she is finally over them. Meanwhile, after spending a weekend sleeping in twin beds, Marshall and Lily decide to get twin beds at home.

Directors: Pamela Fryman
Watch Now:Apple TV