The last ever episode of How I Met Your Mother airs tonight and, despite the fact that this last series has been a bit hit and miss, I am starting to feel very nostalgic about the end of this particular era. So, to commemorate, I have put together a list (in no particular order) of the best episodes!
- ‘How Lily Stole Christmas’ (Series 2, Episode 11) – shows often struggle to deal with holiday cheer but Thanksgiving and Christmas have given HIMYM some of its greatest moments. I have a particular soft spot for this episode because it explores the relationship between Ted and Lily, a friendship neglected in the later series.
- ‘Slap Bet’ (Series 2, Episode 9) – the running joke of the slap bet might have grown a little stale but this originating episode, which is also the moment where Robin Sparkles is unveiled unto the world, is easily one the shows funniest episodes and has great moments for all five stars.
- ‘Sandcastles in the Sand’ (Series 3, Episode 16) – two Robin Sparkles episodes in a row?! To be fair, it is easily the most effective of the show’s running gags and this episode in particular gets onto the list because it contains my favourite joke from the series: ‘We’re called The Foreskins – because there’s four of us and we don’t wear shirts’.
- ‘Symphony of Illumination’ (Series 7, Episode 12) – the mark of a great sitcom is the ability to deal with darker emotions, and this episode, in which Robin confronts with the reality of a life without kids, did split the audience. For my money, it’s a great example of a show confident in dealing with sadness and loss.
- ‘The Pineapple Incident’ (Series 1, Episode 10) – the show’s use of flashbacks is (apologies in advance for the pun) legendary, but this early episode is probably the best example in its history. I, for one, hope they never explain the pineapple! Notable mention to ‘Ted Mosby: Architect’, an equally great flashback-y episode.
- ‘Ten Sessions’ (Series 3, Episode 13) – Ted’s romantic life is clearly the least interesting part of the show but occasionally, his naive romance works and the two minute date with Stella is one of those moments. It has special resonance for me because the greatest song of all time, ‘Thirteen’ by Big Star, is playing in the background so it tends to make me teary.
- ‘Three Days of Snow’ (Series 4, Episode 13) – the whole ‘telling the story from the future’ thing is more often than not a little clunky. But this episode demonstrates how good it can be when it works well. It also has one of the most romantic Marshall/Lily moments which (spoiler alert) makes me cry every time.
- ‘Shelter Island’ (Series 4, Episode 5) – the start of Ted’s romance with Stella might be great but the ending is even better. This episode packs a lot of punch into half an hour; it has vulnerable Barney, painfully honest Robin, slow-on-the-uptake Ted and a parting shot to end all parting shots.
- ‘How Your Mother Met Me’ (Series 9, Episode 16) – like I said in the set up, this final series has been a little off its game but this episode, where we finally get the mother’s backstory, was maybe worth the wait? The only problem was that, in twenty five minutes, the mother proved herself to be far more interesting than Ted has been for a long time!
- ‘Last Words’ (Series 6, Episode 14) – as I said above, the show is sometimes at its best when it’s dealing with sadness. The death of Marshall’s dad, which genuinely came out of nowhere, really reinvigorated my love for the show at a time where I might have given up. Jason Segal really pulled it out of the bag.
Honourable mentions go to the five that just missed the cut: ‘Swarley’ for romantic reunions; ‘Drumroll Please’ for another one of those romantic moments; ‘Arrivederci, Fiero’ for the best of college-age nostalgia; ‘Slapsgiving’ for Robin/Ted angst and slapping; ‘The Stinsons’ for Barney back-story.
GIANTLAWNMOWER 