5 How I Met Your Mother Episodes That Are Timeless & 5 We Want to Forget

5 How I Met Your Mother Episodes That Are Timeless and 5 We Want to Forget

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the episodes of “How I Met Your Mother” that will forever be legendary and those we’d rather slap out of existence.

#5: Timeless: “How Your Mother Met Me”

Some of the best “HIMYM” episodes put a fresh spin on Ted’s story of meeting his future wife, like this season three episode that adds more background to the gang. However, they perfect this tactic in season 9 with an episode that beautifully ties Tracy’s story to events we’ve already seen, this time from her perspective. We follow her through love, loss, and more as she and Ted keep narrowly missing one another. In just one episode, the writers make us root for Tracy just as much as we have for the gang all these years. Ted might always go on about destiny and fate, but this episode makes you believe he could be right.

#5: Forget: “Field Trip”

There’s not much to love about this episode; the one saving grace might be Marshall convincing his boss not to give up on Mother Earth. Meanwhile, Ted takes his class on a painfully dull field trip that Barney hijacks because, for a very fickle reason, he suspects Nora is lying about her age. Although, watching them use the class to settle their petty disputes is pretty funny. But Robin’s storyline is one we’d rather forget. Beyond the ethical issues of a therapist dating their client, it’s hard to see how they’d move past the awkwardness of that relationship shift. Robin flipping the roles to level the playing field doesn’t make it any better.

#4: Timeless: “Swarley”

This episode is so wholesome that it never fails to make us smile. Sure, Marshall and Lily are still broken up, but his cheesy interactions with barista Chloe are just too cute—at first, anyway. Also, let’s not forget the hilarious “Swarley” running gag that never gets old. Honestly, it’s a shame Swarley didn’t make more appearances! The “crazy eyes” plot point isn’t great, but it wraps up sweetly. Chloe might turn out to be a bit… intense, but Marshall learns that while the eyes may be the window to the soul, they don’t define the heart. Even if Lily has the craziest eyes ever, they’re the ones he wants to look into forever.

#4: Forget: “The Stamp Tramp”

So many Barney moments give us the ick that it’s hard to choose just one. However, just as we thought maybe this character was starting to show some growth, they hit us with some of his most offensive moments yet. Episodes like “The Pre-Nup,” “Nannies,” and “The Stamp Tramp” are all kinds of wrong. In the latter, after breaking up with Quinn, Barney gets pursued by other adult entertainment venues, leading to a storyline that objectifies women while Barney rakes in freebies with Robin’s help. Meanwhile, Marshall’s faith in people is shattered after he sticks his neck out for a friend. Elsewhere, Ted spirals over whether his “stamps of approval” ever meant anything.

#3: Timeless: “Spoiler Alert”

Any moment the gang gets competitive is always hilarious. It’s also pretty funny when they turn on each other like they do here. Ted dates a chatty Cathy (literally, her name is Cathy), who his friends find annoying. This leads to everyone sharing the things that irritate them the most about each other. Once all those little quirks are out there, it doesn’t take long for everyone to be at each other’s throats. In a subplot, Marshall loses the password to check if he passed the bar, but his habit of singing everything ends up saving the day. It’s a sweet episode that shows the strength of their friendships while serving up plenty of laughs.

#3: Forget: “The Bracket”

The whole “turning a no into a yes” thing with Stella in “Ten Sessions” was more painful than lasering off a butterfly tattoo. Equally brutal is the following episode, where Barney tries to figure out which of the women he’s slept with is sabotaging his plays. Robin shaming the women Barney lied to is bad enough, but the group turning the search for the saboteur into a game is worse. It essentially turns into a montage that just reminds us how disgusting Barney can be. The fact that it’s all played for laughs makes it even more uncomfortable. Frustratingly, Barney faces no real consequences, and it definitely doesn’t make him change his ways.

#2: Timeless: “Slap Bet”

The Slap Bet has to be one of the best running gags in the series, and it’s not just because it gave us this song. It also introduced us to Canadian teen pop singing sensation Robin Sparkles. When Robin gets all weird about going to a mall, Ted makes it his mission to find out why. Meanwhile, Marshall and Barney bet on what she might be hiding. Eventually, Robin comes clean, introducing her friends to her alter-ego. Now, Barney, who preemptively slapped Marshall, ends up with a new proposition. We have to side with Ted on this one, but we’re certainly glad Barney didn’t! Also, “Let's Go to the Mall” is a banger!

#2: Forget: “The Burning Beekeeper”

The main problem with this episode is that it’s way too chaotic. The creators are typically pretty smart with their storytelling devices, but here, it felt like they were trying to pack too much into one episode. Set during Marshall and Lily’s housewarming party, the episode keeps showing the same timeframe from different rooms. This leads to a bunch of disjointed scenes that all build up to one big moment. We could have forgiven the messy structure if the episode had been funnier. In a Reddit AMA, co-creator Carter Bays admitted that this was the episode he regretted most because the rushed production didn’t allow them to do the idea justice.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Timeless: “Bad News”
A Brilliantly Innovative Use of a Countdown That Ultimately Shattered Our Hearts into a Million Pieces

Forget: “The Naked Man”
We Estimate That 2 Out of 3 People Would prefer to Forget This ‘Move’ Ever Existed

Timeless: “The Final Page: Part Two”
A Perfect Snapshot Moment in Barney & Robin’s Relationship

Forget: “The Slutty Pumpkin Returns”
This Episode Felt As Forced As Their Relationship

#1: Timeless: “The Pineapple Incident”

We’d argue that this episode was the moment we knew we were hooked for the long run. While Ted is busy pining for Robin, Barney convinces him to stop overthinking. With some liquid courage, Ted takes his advice a bit too well. The next morning, he wakes up to find a mysterious woman in his bed and a pineapple on his bedside table. The gang jumps in to help Ted piece together what happened the night before. While the woman’s identity is eventually revealed, the pineapple mystery takes several seasons and a deleted scene to explain. This episode perfectly captures what made “HIMYM” so beloved: a great mix of humor, a clever storyline, and cringe-worthy relatability.

#1: Forget: “Slapsgiving 3: Slappointment in Slapmarra”

Let’s be honest: we wish we could forget most of the final season. It was mostly filler leading up to one of TV’s most divisive finales. We had to slog through episodes like “No Questions Asked” and “Bedtime Stories,” which even a Lin-Manuel Miranda cameo couldn’t save. Still, perhaps the most offensive of all was the “Slapsgiving” episode. Marshall concocts some story about training to execute the “Slap of a Million Exploding Suns.” Intended as a parody of martial arts movies, it instead relied on lazy stereotypes and offensive tropes. This led to an apology from the creators after

#HowIMetYourRacism started trending. The only bright spot was the Boyz II Men appearance at the end.

Which “How I Met Your Mother” episode do you think is a rabbit and which is a duck? Let us know in the comments.