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Episode guide

Essential How I Met Your Mother Episodes

CBS, 2005 to 2014

Our 7 character guides for How I Met Your Mother point to 25 key episodes across 9 seasons. Of those, 9 turn up in two or more guides, so they come first, followed by every episode in air order.

Season and episode numbers follow the original broadcast order.

The essentials(9)

Episodes that matter to more than one character, the most shared first.

  1. Season 1, Episode 1

    "Pilot"

    In 6 guides
    • Ted Mosby: Inspired by Marshall's engagement, Ted meets Robin and blurts out that he loves her on their very first date.
    • Barney Stinson: Barney introduces himself as Ted's wingman and first tells everyone to suit up.
    • Lily Aldrin: Lily says yes to Marshall's proposal and spends the night with a black eye from a champagne cork.
    • Marshall Eriksen: Marshall proposes to Lily and then accidentally hits her in the eye with the champagne cork.
    • Robin Scherbatsky: Robin meets Ted at MacLaren's and gets a stolen blue French horn on their first date.
    • Ranjit: Ranjit makes his first appearance as a cab driver in the show's opening episode.

  2. Season 2, Episode 9

    "Slap Bet"

    In 3 guides
    • Barney Stinson: Barney loses a bet to Marshall and is sentenced to five slaps that can come at any time.
    • Marshall Eriksen: Marshall wins the slap bet against Barney while the gang uncovers Robin's secret pop star past.
    • Robin Scherbatsky: Barney uncovers Robin's secret past as the Canadian teen pop star Robin Sparkles.

  3. Season 9, Episode 22

    "The End of the Aisle"

    In 3 guides
    • Barney Stinson: After the last slap and a few panic attacks, Barney marries Robin.
    • Marshall Eriksen: Marshall lands the long-awaited final slap on Barney just before the wedding.
    • Robin Scherbatsky: After a last-minute panic, Robin marries Barney.

  4. Season 9, Episode 23

    "Last Forever"

    In 3 guides
    • Ted Mosby: Ted finally meets Tracy at the train station, and the story of how he met the Mother comes to an end.
    • Robin Scherbatsky: Robin and Barney divorce, Robin drifts from the group, and Ted shows up at her window years later.
    • Tracy McConnell: Tracy meets Ted at the train station, and the finale reveals the rest of their life together.

  5. Season 1, Episode 22

    "Come On"

    In 2 guides
    • Ted Mosby: Ted goes all out to win Robin over, including an elaborate rain dance, and the season ends with them finally together.
    • Lily Aldrin: Lily's secret application for an art fellowship in San Francisco leads to a breakup with Marshall.

  6. Season 2, Episode 21

    "Something Borrowed"

    In 2 guides
    • Lily Aldrin: Lily finally marries Marshall after a series of wedding day disasters.
    • Marshall Eriksen: Marshall and Lily's wedding day goes wrong in every possible way before they finally say their vows.

  7. Season 2, Episode 22

    "Something Blue"

    In 2 guides
    • Ted Mosby: Ted and Robin reveal to the gang that they have quietly broken up.
    • Robin Scherbatsky: Robin and Ted reveal that they have broken up.

  8. Season 7, Episode 23

    "The Magician's Code"

    In 2 guides
    • Lily Aldrin: Lily goes into labor while Marshall is stuck in Atlantic City, and their son Marvin is born.
    • Marshall Eriksen: Marshall races home from Atlantic City with Barney in time for the birth of his son, Marvin.

  9. Season 8, Episode 11

    "The Final Page"

    In 2 guides
    • Barney Stinson: Barney burns the Playbook and proposes to Robin.
    • Robin Scherbatsky: Barney reveals that his relationship with Patrice was a ruse and proposes to Robin, who says yes.

Every key episode by season(25)

Season 1(4 episodes)

  1. Season 1, Episode 1

    "Pilot"

    An essential, in the guides for Ted Mosby, Barney Stinson, Lily Aldrin, Marshall Eriksen, Robin Scherbatsky, and Ranjit. Read the notes

  2. Season 1, Episode 11

    "The Limo"

    • Ranjit: Ranjit drives the gang's New Year's Eve limo from party to party as midnight closes in.

  3. Season 1, Episode 15

    "Game Night"

    • Barney Stinson: A flashback reveals the heartbreak that turned a sweet, idealistic young Barney into a suit-wearing womanizer.

  4. Season 1, Episode 22

    "Come On"

    An essential, in the guides for Ted Mosby and Lily Aldrin. Read the notes

Season 2(3 episodes)

  1. Season 2, Episode 9

    "Slap Bet"

    An essential, in the guides for Barney Stinson, Marshall Eriksen, and Robin Scherbatsky. Read the notes

  2. Season 2, Episode 21

    "Something Borrowed"

    An essential, in the guides for Lily Aldrin and Marshall Eriksen. Read the notes

  3. Season 2, Episode 22

    "Something Blue"

    An essential, in the guides for Ted Mosby and Robin Scherbatsky. Read the notes

Season 3(2 episodes)

  1. Season 3, Episode 13

    "Ten Sessions"

    • Ranjit: Ranjit helps Ted squeeze a whole date with Stella into two minutes.

  2. Season 3, Episode 17

    "The Goat"

    • Ranjit: Ranjit overhears that Barney slept with Robin and gives him a furious tongue-lashing in Persian.

Season 4(2 episodes)

  1. Season 4, Episode 5

    "Shelter Island"

    • Ted Mosby: Ted's rushed wedding to Stella ends with her running off with her ex, Tony.

  2. Season 4, Episode 24

    "The Leap"

    • Ted Mosby: Struggling to keep his firm alive, Ted takes the leap into a new career teaching architecture.

Season 5(1 episode)

  1. Season 5, Episode 4

    "The Sexless Innkeeper"

    • Ranjit: Ranjit and his wife Falguni join Marshall and Lily for a double date.

Season 6(3 episodes)

  1. Season 6, Episode 13

    "Bad News"

    • Marshall Eriksen: The good news about Marshall and Lily's fertility is followed by the sudden death of Marshall's father.

  2. Season 6, Episode 19

    "Legendaddy"

    • Barney Stinson: Barney finally meets his father, Jerome Whittaker, as father and son.

  3. Season 6, Episode 24

    "Challenge Accepted"

    • Lily Aldrin: After months of trying, Lily discovers she is pregnant.

Season 7(1 episode)

  1. Season 7, Episode 23

    "The Magician's Code"

    An essential, in the guides for Lily Aldrin and Marshall Eriksen. Read the notes

Season 8(2 episodes)

  1. Season 8, Episode 11

    "The Final Page"

    An essential, in the guides for Barney Stinson and Robin Scherbatsky. Read the notes

  2. Season 8, Episode 24

    "Something New"

    • Tracy McConnell: The Mother is seen on screen for the first time, buying a ticket to Farhampton.

Season 9(7 episodes)

  1. Season 9, Episode 1

    "The Locket"

    • Tracy McConnell: Tracy meets Lily on the train to the wedding weekend without either knowing who the other is.

  2. Season 9, Episode 8

    "The Lighthouse"

    • Tracy McConnell: A flash forward shows Ted proposing to Tracy at the top of the Farhampton lighthouse.

  3. Season 9, Episode 13

    "Bass Player Wanted"

    • Tracy McConnell: Tracy gives a hitchhiking Marshall and baby Marvin a ride to the Farhampton Inn.

  4. Season 9, Episode 16

    "How Your Mother Met Me"

    • Tracy McConnell: The 200th episode tells Tracy's life story leading up to the weekend she meets Ted.

  5. Season 9, Episode 21

    "Gary Blauman"

    • Ranjit: Future Ted reveals Ranjit's investments made him rich enough to buy his limo company.

  6. Season 9, Episode 22

    "The End of the Aisle"

    An essential, in the guides for Barney Stinson, Marshall Eriksen, and Robin Scherbatsky. Read the notes

  7. Season 9, Episode 23

    "Last Forever"

    An essential, in the guides for Ted Mosby, Robin Scherbatsky, and Tracy McConnell. Read the notes

Seen them all? Test yourself with the How I Met Your Mother trivia quiz, or meet the How I Met Your Mother characters.

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