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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!

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.

Genre:Comedy
Network:CBS

Top Episode Ratings Summary

The best episode of "How I Met Your Mother" is "How Your Mother Met Me", rated 9.5/10 from 11237 user votes. It was directed by N/A and written by N/A. "How Your Mother Met Me" aired on 1/27/2014 and is rated 0.1 point(s) higher than the second highest rated, "Slap Bet".

  • How Your Mother Met Me
    9.5/10 11,237 votes

    #1 - How Your Mother Met Me

    Season 9 Episode 16 - Aired 1/27/2014

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

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Slap Bet
    9.4/10 8,338 votes

    #2 - Slap Bet

    Season 2 Episode 9 - Aired 11/20/2006

    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

  • The Playbook
    9.3/10 7,536 votes

    #3 - 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

    Director: Pamela Fryman

    Writer: Carter Bays, Craig Thomas

  • The Final Page (2)
    9.3/10 7,751 votes

    #4 - The Final Page (2)

    Season 8 Episode 12 - Aired 12/17/2012

    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: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • The Pineapple Incident
    9.1/10 7,158 votes

    #5 - The Pineapple Incident

    Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 11/28/2005

    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

    Writer: Carter Bays, Craig Thomas

  • The Naked Man
    9.1/10 6,002 votes

    #6 - The Naked Man

    Season 4 Episode 9 - Aired 11/24/2008

    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.

    Director: Pamela Fryman

    Writer: Joe Kelly

  • Game Night
    9.0/10 5,934 votes

    #7 - Game Night

    Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 2/27/2006

    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

  • Spoiler Alert
    9.0/10 5,309 votes

    #8 - Spoiler Alert

    Season 3 Episode 8 - Aired 11/12/2007

    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

  • Girls vs. Suits
    9.0/10 6,080 votes

    #9 - 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.

    Director: Pamela Fryman

    Writer: Carter Bays, Craig Thomas

  • Blitzgiving
    9.0/10 5,543 votes

    #10 - Blitzgiving

    Season 6 Episode 10 - Aired 11/22/2010

    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

    Writer: Carter Bays, Craig Thomas

  • Swarley
    8.9/10 5,713 votes

    #11 - Swarley

    Season 2 Episode 7 - Aired 11/6/2006

    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.

    Director: Pamela Fryman

    Writer: Greg Malins

  • How I Met Everyone Else
    8.9/10 5,243 votes

    #12 - How I Met Everyone Else

    Season 3 Episode 5 - Aired 10/22/2007

    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

  • Slapsgiving
    8.9/10 5,028 votes

    #13 - Slapsgiving

    Season 3 Episode 9 - Aired 11/19/2007

    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

  • Bad News
    8.9/10 5,321 votes

    #14 - Bad News

    Season 6 Episode 13 - Aired 1/3/2011

    Afraid they will never get pregnant, Lily and Marshall decide to see a specialist. Robin begins her new job.

    Director: Pamela Fryman

    Writer: N/A

  • Tick Tick Tick
    8.9/10 5,415 votes

    #15 - Tick Tick Tick

    Season 7 Episode 10 - Aired 11/14/2011

    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

  • Showdown
    8.8/10 4,538 votes

    #16 - Showdown

    Season 2 Episode 20 - Aired 4/30/2007

    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: N/A

  • Ducky Tie
    8.8/10 4,810 votes

    #17 - Ducky Tie

    Season 7 Episode 3 - Aired 9/26/2011

    Barney faces having to wear Marshall's ducky tie if he loses a bet with him. Meanwhile, Ted hopes to apologize to an ex for cheating on her.

    Director: Pamela Fryman

    Writer: Carter Bays, Craig Thomas

  • The End of the Aisle
    8.8/10 5,399 votes

    #18 - The End of the Aisle

    Season 9 Episode 22 - Aired 3/24/2014

    With only a half an hour left before the wedding, Robin and Barney panic; Lily and Marshall rewrite their wedding vows.

    Director: Pamela Fryman

    Writer: Carter Bays, Craig Thomas

  • Drumroll, Please
    8.7/10 5,317 votes

    #19 - Drumroll, Please

    Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 1/23/2006

    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.

    Director: Pamela Fryman

    Writer: Gloria Calderón Kellett

  • Mary the Paralegal
    8.7/10 5,113 votes

    #20 - Mary the Paralegal

    Season 1 Episode 19 - Aired 4/24/2006

    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

  • Come On
    8.7/10 5,300 votes

    #21 - Come On

    Season 1 Episode 22 - Aired 5/15/2006

    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

    Writer: Carter Bays, Craig Thomas

  • Ted Mosby, Architect
    8.7/10 4,890 votes

    #22 - Ted Mosby, Architect

    Season 2 Episode 4 - Aired 10/9/2006

    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

  • World's Greatest Couple
    8.7/10 4,696 votes

    #23 - World's Greatest Couple

    Season 2 Episode 5 - Aired 10/16/2006

    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

  • Something Borrowed
    8.7/10 4,312 votes

    #24 - Something Borrowed

    Season 2 Episode 21 - Aired 5/7/2007

    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

  • Something Blue
    8.7/10 4,387 votes

    #25 - Something Blue

    Season 2 Episode 22 - Aired 5/14/2007

    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

    Writer: Carter Bays, Craig Thomas