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The Best Episodes of How I Met Your Mother

Every episode of How I Met Your Mother ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of How I Met Your Mother!

Binge this in 3d 6h•Peaking at 8.8/10

A father recounts to his children - through a series of flashbacks - the journey he and his four best friends took leading up to him meeting their mother.

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    How I Met Your Mother Season 2 Episode 9 - Slap Bet
    8.8/10(41 votes)

    #1 - Slap Bet

    S2:E9

    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.

    Director:Pamela Fryman
    Writer:Kourtney Kang

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  2. How I Met Your Mother Season 1 Episode 10 - The Pineapple Incident
    8.5/10(46 votes)

    #2 - The Pineapple Incident

    S1:E10

    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.

    Director:Pamela Fryman
    Writers:Carter Bays, Craig Thomas

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  3. How I Met Your Mother Season 5 Episode 8 - The Playbook
    8.5/10(34 votes)

    #3 - The Playbook

    S5:E8

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

    Director:Pamela Fryman
    Writers:Carter Bays, Craig Thomas

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  4. How I Met Your Mother Season 8 Episode 12 - The Final Page (2)
    8.5/10(35 votes)

    #4 - The Final Page (2)

    S8:E12

    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.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. How I Met Your Mother Season 6 Episode 10 - Blitzgiving
    8.4/10(32 votes)

    #5 - Blitzgiving

    S6:E10

    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.

    Director:Pamela Fryman
    Writers:Carter Bays, Craig Thomas

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  6. How I Met Your Mother Season 2 Episode 4 - Ted Mosby, Architect
    8.3/10(40 votes)

    #6 - Ted Mosby, Architect

    S2:E4

    After Ted and Robin's first big fight, Barney tries to convince Ted that being an architect is an easy in to picking up chicks. Lily and Robin start following his trail after discovering that Ted hit it off with a girl named Anna shortly afterward.

    Director:Pamela Fryman
    Writer:Kristin Newman

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of How I Met Your Mother

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  7. How I Met Your Mother Season 2 Episode 21 - Something Borrowed
    8.3/10(32 votes)

    #7 - Something Borrowed

    S2:E21

    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.

    Director:Pamela Fryman
    Writer:Greg Malins

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  8. How I Met Your Mother Season 2 Episode 22 - Something Blue
    8.3/10(31 votes)

    #8 - Something Blue

    S2:E22

    It's still Marshall and Lily's big wedding day but now we're at the reception. Robin tries to tell a story but keeps getting interrupted. Barney tries his hardest to figure out Ted and Robin's secret.

    Director:Pamela Fryman
    Writers:Carter Bays, Craig Thomas

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  9. How I Met Your Mother Season 3 Episode 5 - How I Met Everyone Else
    8.3/10(31 votes)

    #9 - How I Met Everyone Else

    S3:E5

    Amid sharing stories with her about how members of the gang met each other, Ted's hot new girlfriend has a reaction to the meeting that gets her a high ranking on Barney's crazy scale.

    Director:Pamela Fryman
    Writer:Gloria Calderón Kellett

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  10. How I Met Your Mother Season 3 Episode 8 - Spoiler Alert
    8.3/10(33 votes)

    #10 - Spoiler Alert

    S3:E8

    Marshall awaits his bar exam results; Ted introduces his latest girlfriend to the gang, who all see the flaw that Ted has missed

    Director:Pamela Fryman
    Writer:Stephen Lloyd

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  11. How I Met Your Mother Season 1 Episode 15 - Game Night
    8.2/10(45 votes)

    #11 - Game Night

    S1:E15

    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.

    Director:Pamela Fryman
    Writer:Chris Harris

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  12. How I Met Your Mother Season 1 Episode 22 - Come On
    8.2/10(44 votes)

    #12 - Come On

    S1:E22

    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.

    Director:Pamela Fryman
    Writers:Carter Bays, Craig Thomas

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  13. How I Met Your Mother Season 2 Episode 5 - World's Greatest Couple
    8.2/10(39 votes)

    #13 - World's Greatest Couple

    S2:E5

    Marshall tries to get used to being single in a world that is very coupled-oriented. Barney intended one-night-stand won't go away. Barney uses Lily to get out of his "horrifying" situation. Lily finds a place to stay.

    Director:Pamela Fryman
    Writer:Brenda Hsueh

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  14. How I Met Your Mother Season 2 Episode 20 - Showdown
    8.2/10(30 votes)

    #14 - Showdown

    S2:E20

    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.

    Director:Pamela Fryman
    Writer:Gloria Calderón Kellett

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  15. How I Met Your Mother Season 3 Episode 9 - Slapsgiving
    8.2/10(33 votes)

    #15 - Slapsgiving

    S3:E9

    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.

    Director:Pamela Fryman
    Writer:Matt Kuhn

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  16. How I Met Your Mother Season 3 Episode 13 - Ten Sessions
    8.2/10(33 votes)

    #16 - Ten Sessions

    S3:E13

    Ted pursues a woman named Stella, but only gets attention from her receptionist Abby.

    Director:Pamela Fryman
    Writers:Carter Bays, Craig Thomas, Chris Harris

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  17. How I Met Your Mother Season 5 Episode 12 - Girls vs. Suits
    8.2/10(31 votes)

    #17 - Girls vs. Suits

    S5:E12

    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.

    Director:Pamela Fryman
    Writers:Carter Bays, Craig Thomas

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  18. How I Met Your Mother Season 5 Episode 14 - Perfect Week
    8.2/10(30 votes)

    #18 - Perfect Week

    S5:E14

    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.

    Director:Pamela Fryman
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. How I Met Your Mother Season 4 Episode 1 - Do I Know You?
    8.1/10(31 votes)

    #19 - Do I Know You?

    S4:E1

    Ted and Stella get engaged, but Ted soon learns that he doesn't know anything about her. Meanwhile, Barney confesses to Lily that he's in love with Robin.

    Director:Pamela Fryman
    Writers:Carter Bays, Craig Thomas

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  20. How I Met Your Mother Season 4 Episode 4 - Intervention
    8.1/10(31 votes)

    #20 - Intervention

    S4:E4

    When Ted is packing his stuff for his move to New Jersey, he discovers that the gang was going to hold an intervention for his engagement to Stella and demands they hold it anyway.

    Director:Michael J. Shea
    Writer:Stephen Lloyd

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  21. How I Met Your Mother Season 4 Episode 12 - Benefits
    8.1/10(31 votes)

    #21 - Benefits

    S4:E12

    Ted and Robin discover that sex with each other solve their fights as roommates, which makes Barney very jealous and angry. Meanwhile, Marshall reveals that he's too embarrassed to use the office bathroom.

    Director:Pamela Fryman
    Writer:Kourtney Kang

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  22. How I Met Your Mother Season 5 Episode 24 - Doppelgangers
    8.1/10(30 votes)

    #22 - Doppelgangers

    S5:E24

    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.

    Director:Pamela Fryman
    Writers:Carter Bays, Craig Thomas

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  23. How I Met Your Mother Season 7 Episode 10 - Tick Tick Tick
    8.1/10(31 votes)

    #23 - Tick Tick Tick

    S7:E10

    Barney and Robin are afraid to break the news to Nora and Kevin that they cheated with each other and want to get back together, while Ted and Marshall get stoned together at a concert.

    Director:Pamela Fryman
    Writer:Chris Harris

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  24. How I Met Your Mother Season 9 Episode 16 - How Your Mother Met Me
    8.1/10(44 votes)

    #24 - How Your Mother Met Me

    S9:E16

    The mother reveals how she met Ted and what she has been doing over the past eight years.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  25. How I Met Your Mother Season 1 Episode 19 - Mary the Paralegal
    8.0/10(43 votes)

    #25 - Mary the Paralegal

    S1:E19

    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.

    Director:Pamela Fryman
    Writer:Chris Harris

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Best Episodes Summary

"Slap Bet" is the best rated episode of "How I Met Your Mother". It scored 8.8/10 based on 41 votes. Directed by Pamela Fryman and written by Kourtney Kang, it aired on 11/20/2006. This episode scored 0.3 points higher than the second highest rated, "The Pineapple Incident".