How I Met Your Mother aired a total of 208 episodes stretched over its nine-season run. Though many of the episodes were hilarious, heartwarming, and full of relatable scenarios, there are some that are better than others. Rather than picking our own favorites, we’re turning to IMDb for answers.
Registered users on the popular entertainment website can assign every episode of How I Met Your Mother a star rating, on a scale of 1 to 10. IMDb then compiles these ratings into a weighted average, and those scores are what we’ll be looking at today.
With that said, it’s time to gather ‘round a table at MacLaren’s and dive into the 10 best episodes of How I Met Your Mother according to its fans.
Game Night
In this Season 1 episode, Marshall hosts a game night that leads to a string of embarrassing secrets. This all comes out after Lily receives a tape from Barney’s ex-girlfriend that reveals that he was a love-struck, non-suit-wearing hippie back in the day.
While everybody gets busy sharing stories of their own, Robin hardcore judges Ted’s girlfriend, Victoria, whom she meets for the first time.
This hilarious Barney-centric episode helped add layers to his character that were too funny to forget, earning “Game Night” a 9.1 rating.
Spoiler Alert
Season 3 had the gang revealing each other’s flaws. This comes about after Ted dates a girl named Cathy who talks way too much. It doesn’t take long for Lily to learn that she chews loudly, Marshall to discover he sings too much, Ted to find he corrects people a lot, and Robin to realize she says “literally” too much. Barney has a whole slew of quirks that bother the gang, including talking in falsetto, using his catchphrases, and not listening to his friends.
The subplot has Marshall debating about what he should do after he forgets the password that will let him check his bar exam results.
The relatability and hilarity of the plot earned this episode a 9.1-star score.
Girls vs. Suits
This Season 5 episode has Barney falling for a bartender. The problem? She doesn’t like men who wear suits, so Barney must learn to give up his go-to choice of clothing. Lily, Marshall, and Robin also get busy, debating about whether or not the woman Barney is after is attractive or not.
Meanwhile, Ted begins to fall for a Ph.D. student named Cindy, who unbeknownst to Ted at the time, is roommates with the Mother.
This episode received high praise and a 9.1 rating on IMDb, with many additionally applauding the finale fantasy musical number performed by Neil Patrick Harris, “Nothing Suits Me Like a Suit.”
Blitzgiving
This Turkey Day episode, taken from Season 6, has Ted getting cursed with “The Blitz” — a phenomenon in which whenever a specific person leaves the room, something amazing always happens. Though Ted is the first culprit of the curse, Barney soon believes he’s the one afflicted with it after he heads to Zoey’s for Thanksgiving without the rest of the group.
Zoey and Ted also turn their enemy status to friendship in this episode, though the road there takes alot of work.
“Blitzgiving” rightfully earned itself a 9.1 rating on IMDb.
The Pineapple Incident
Season 1’s “Pineapple Incident” sees Ted trying to figure out what happened the night before, having blacked out after taking too many shots.
The only clues that have been left behind are a girl beside him in bed (whom he at first believes in Robin) and a pineapple on the nightstand. He and the rest of the gang try to recount the story, remembering bits and pieces but never truly understanding how the pineapple ties into everything.
This episode was the second most-watched one in the series’ history behind the show’s finale.
The Naked Man
Robin’s date tries “The Naked Man” move on her in this Season 4 episode: the idea that if a guy just waits in a room naked during a first date, the girl will find it funny and decide to play along.
Ted and Barney are shocked to learn this works and debate about whether or not to try it out for themselves. Robin defends her choice to sleep with Mitch, and Marshall and Lily join in on the discussion for good measure.
This one incident created a whole episode worth of hilarity, and that had it earning a 9.2 on IMDb.
The Playbook
Barney’s prized possession is his playbook: a giant list of ways to pick up women. Unfortunately for him, Lily gets hold of it to enact revenge on Barney after he gets with a girl she had been planning to introduce to Ted for three years.
Though Lily’s original plan is to post Barney’s secret playbook on the internet, her curiosity gets the best of her when Barney begins staging the “Scuba Diver,” a play that’s not in the book she’s confiscated.
This Season 5 episode was praised by critics and fans alike for containing a funny narrative that fit well into the series and also expertly stood on its own.
The Final Page: Part Two
This Season 8 episode has Ted torn over whether or not he should reveal Barney’s proposal plans to Robin, who most definitely won’t be happy to hear her ex-boyfriend and enemy are getting engaged. Meanwhile, Lily and Marshall attempt to have a night out without baby Marvin, however, this proves incredibly difficult as they continue to encounter things that remind them of him.
It all ends with Barney employing a play called “The Robin” from his playbook — a giant scheme he created to get Robin back. He then proposes to her on the roof, and the couple celebrates.
This and more earned the episode a 9.4-star rating.
Slap Bet
This beloved Season 2 episode has Ted trying to uncover Robin’s big secret. Spoiler alert: She was a Canadian pop star who frequently performed in malls under the alias “Robin Sparkles.”
Meanwhile, Barney and Marshall compete in a slap bet under the rule of Lily, the Slap Bet Commissioner. Marshall wins the game between the two and is then given five slaps to use whenever he so pleases.
This episode was truly funny, and the slaps given to Marshall were pulled out and referenced in many future episodes, earning it a 9.5.
How Your Mother Met Me
The only other episode to receive a high 9.5-star rating was the Season 9 episode, “How Your Mother Met Me.” This caught viewers up to speed with what happened in the Mother’s life during all the major events that went on in Ted’s own world. It all begins on her 21st birthday when she learns her boyfriend has passed away, and it all ends in a flash-forward that depicts the eve of her wedding.
The way the writers packed the with Mother depth in combination with all the tie-ins to Ted’s own life earned this episode a fitting 9.5 rating on IMDb.
