While there are both good and bad episodes ofHow I Met Your Mother, only a handful can be considered masterpieces.Every season ofHow I Met Your Motherhas its peaks and valleys, but like any sitcom, certain episodes stand out and define the show.
Everyone has their own list ofbest episodes ofHow I Met Your Mother, but we can all agree that certain episodes are just iconic and should not be left out. This includes emotional, game-changing moments that directly impacted the rest of the series as well as standalone episodes that were just hilarious.
10"The Best Burger In New York”
Season 4, Episode 2
“The Best Burger in New York” focuses on the gang’s attempts to help a depressed and unemployed Marshall on his nostalgic journey to find a burger he once ate years ago. FromRegis Philbin’sHow I Met Your Mothercameoto Robin’s desperate need to eat,“The Best Burger in New York” is full of hilarious moments.
This episode also provides us with some interesting context on the earlier days of Ted and Marshall’s friendship. While we see a lot of the pair during their college years,we don’t learn so much about their beginnings in New York.“The Best Burger in New York” is a great episode that viewers can watch without needing to see the rest of the show.
9"Stuff”
Season 2, Episode 16
Both subplots in “Stuff” are brilliantly enjoyable. On one side of the story,Ted and Robin’s relationship inHow I Met Your Motherhits turbulence when the pair start arguing over keeping gifts from exes, and on the other,Barney torments Lily with his one-man play aftershe forces him to sit through a performance of her own.
Barney repeating the word “moist” and sharing a story of a robot falling in love with a toaster oven is ridiculous,but also comedy gold. It’s also really interesting to learn that Robin’s dogs all came from her past lovers, and while it’s disappointing she gets rid of them in this episode because of Ted, at least she gets more again in the finale.
8"The Pineapple Incident”
Season 1, Episode 10
“The Pineapple Incident” marks the beginning of one ofHow I Met Your Mother’s recurring jokesand mysteries throughout the show, which doesn’t actually get a conclusion for several seasons. AfterTed wakes up from a one-night stand with whom he believes to be Robin,he tries to piece together the events of the night before.
“The Pineapple Incident” also introduces the running joke that Ted has been “vomit free since ‘93,” something that, throughout the rest of the show, is widely debated due to him being an unreliable narrator and failing to remember his past escapades properly.
As he tries to figure out who the girl in his bed is,Ted is also confused why he has a pineapple on his nightstand.There are many hilarious moments in this episode: Barney and Ted’s theory that Carl is a vampire, Ted sharing his karaoke fact with anyone who will listen, and him returning to McClarens every time someone puts him to bed.
7"Monday Night Football”
Season 2, Episode 14
“Monday Night Football” has a ridiculous premise, which sees the gang attempt to watch the Super Bowl one day late and avoid any spoilers,but it’s one that many groups of friends have possibly considered doing before. It’s hilarious to see each member of the gang attempt to stop themselves from finding out the final score.
Ultimately, none of them succeed, but they enjoy the game anyway.
For example, Robin somehow convinces those at the TV station to alter her teleprompter so she doesn’t find out.Ted also creates the stupidly funny Sensory Deprivator 5000 headgear,and the scene in which he tries to collect the chicken wings is absolutely hysterical. Ultimately, none of them succeed, but they enjoy the game anyway.
6"Spoiler Alert”
Season 3, Episode 8
“Spoiler Alert” is full oficonicHow I Met Your Motherphrasesand audio gags.Ted introduces his new girlfriend, Cathy, who talks non-stop,but this is something only the other members of the gang start to notice. As Marshall stresses about accessing his results on the bar exam, the gang starts lashing out at one another and pointing out their flaws.
The sound of glass smashing as each of them becomes aware of something is hilarious,especially when flashbacks reveal that Cathy is far chattier than audiences realize at the start of the episode. Marshall singing everything is brilliant, too, and the sing-songy way of him remembering his password is a great vocal stim.
5"Girls Vs. Suits”
Season 5, Episode 12
“Girls vs. Suits” is a fantastic episode and one of the show’s most iconic outings.After Barney meets the new suit-hating bartender at McClarens, he sets off a plan of action to trick herinto believing he isn’t obsessed with his statement garments. Interestingly, this isNeil Patrick Harris’ favoriteHow I Met Your Motherepisode.
This episode also sees Ted make some progress in finally finding his “one,”although it’s still a while off. Ted goes out on a date with Cindy in “Girls vs. Suits,” and it’s comical to see him pick out and fawn over little things in her apartment, initially unaware that they all belong to Tracy instead.
4"The Playbook”
Season 5, Episode 8
Barney’s playbook inHow I Met Your Motheris a notable part of his character, and in the season 5 episode “The Playbook,” we finally get to see the physical collection of his womanizing gimmicks.The episode brilliantly jumps back and forth in time,confusing audiences at first with the image of Barney at McClarens in a full scuba suit.
10 Highest-Rated Episodes Of How I Met Your Mother (According to IMDb - July 2025)
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“Girls vs. Suits”
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The Lorenzo Von Matterhorn is by far one of Barney’s most ludicrous and extensive plays,and this episode highlights just what extent the character will go to just to woo an unassuming woman. Hilariously, the Scuba Diver play actually ends up being an elaborate con on Lily.
3"Three Days Of Snow”
Season 4, Episode 13
“Three Days of Snow” is a reallywholesome episode for Lily and Marshall’s relationship. While Ted and Barney take over McClarens during a snowstorm,Marshall and Lily struggle to uphold their adorable traditions when it comes to one of them flying into an airport.It’s briefly heartbreaking whenHow I Met Your Motherreveals the events of the episode are actually spread across three days.
However,there’s still a happy ending.Lily still manages to arrive with a keg (as an alternative to a six-pack),and Marshall ensures he collects her from the airport, but this time, with a full marching band in tow.This episode is brilliant, and it hilariously points out just how unprepared Ted is for a settled-down life like his best friends, despite his claims.
2"Slap Bet”
Season 2, Episode 9
While all theSlap Bet episodes ofHow I Met Your Motherare great, there’s nothing quite like the one that starts it all. “Slap Bet” is not only the origin of Barney and Marshall’s iconic agreement, but it also introduces Robin’s legendary teenage alter ego, Robin Sparkles. While violent,using the threat of an unexpected slap is a hilarious punishment for Barney.
It’s great to see Robin and Barney make more of a connection in this episode, even if it is because Barney’s adamant that her deep secret is porn-related.As sitcom characters go, the way Robin’s backstory is developed is fascinating and inventive,and audiences always remember Barney’s hysterically funny face as he realizes he’s watching the music video of “Let’s Go to the Mall.”
Season 6, Episode 13
There are loads of amazing episodes ofHow I Met Your Mother, but the one undisputed masterpiece is season 6’s “Bad News.” Throughout the episode, Lily and Marshall worry over their difficulties in getting pregnantand make several visits to the doctor. However, they’re unaware of the looming countdown in the background of every scene.
The death of Marshall’s father is heartbreaking. The scene in which Lily arrives to break the news is gutting, and the actors’ performances are even more impressive consideringHow I Met Your Mother’s saddestmoment ever was improvised. While there are some comical moments, like Barney at the doctor’s office, “Bad News” achieves its masterpiece status for its deeply profound subject matter.
