While the show did lose some of its precocious innocence, I actually think the show is better for it. When you hit your 30s, you're not precociously innocent anymore (well, I assume so) and it would have been impossible to maintain that level of freshness. So here are the best episodes of seasons 4, 5, 6 and 7.
While almost every sitcom has done the "friends with benefits" thing, HIMYM subverted the sitcom trope during Ted and Robin's experience with it. Normally, one of them would have fallen for the other and it would lead to one of them getting hurt. But it's actually Barney who gets hurt because of his crush on Robin. Sure, Ted and Robin do experience some awkwardness but Barney is the emotional backbone of the show, smashing TVs for cathartic purposes. Marshall's plot about not wanting to go to the bathroom at work is realistic and funny and it's probably the only time I enjoyed seeing Kim Kardashian on the screen (and quoting Shakespeare!).
One thing that drew me to the show when it first aired was that it took romance and love seriously. The show wasn't afraid to have heartwarming and gooey scenes with high romantic value. Three Days of Snow is one such episode, with that ending airport scene as a major season 4 highlight. Marshall and Lily's relationship is the focus as they figure out whether to hold on to their many adorable rituals. This episode also features one of the coolest "Barney and Ted bro-ing about town" plots with their opening of Puzzles Bar. It's great stuff especially since Marshall and Robin get to have some scenes together.
I never realized how strong season 4 is until just now when I had to narrow the 24 episodes down to 3. There are so many classic ones. But The Front Porch takes the cake simply for all the Robin scenes in background of Ted and Lily's fight. Whether you like this episode really depends on your thoughts on Lily: meddlesome but well-intentioned or horrifically manipulative? I belong in the former camp simply because she does know what's best for everyone (especially Ted who is a danger to himself romantically). Marshall and Barney and their love for nightshirts is classic, especially with the great The Big Lebowski references. This episode is really funny (Laura Prepon as the horrible Karen is a delight) and ends with a great Ted and Robin scene.
Other season 4 highlights: The Fight, Shelter Island, As Fast As She Can, Murtaugh and Wooo!.
This episode has one of the best group scenes in How I Met Your Mother history: the intense, almost violent debate of rabbits vs. ducks. Obviously, ducks are better, Marshall! I like when the show has these random discussions (like season 4's 50 reasons to have sex or season 2's candy euphemisms for breasts). Robin's hate-crush on Don is entertaining especially because Don is such an annoyingly charming and charmingly annoying guy. Barney's magic phone is really funny, a fun way to see him suffer the consequences of his sex schemes. Ted's desire for an arranged marriage is perfect for him, the frustrated hopeless romantic. Marshall and Lily are great when they act like his parents.
Stunt casting can be poisonous to a show. When a celebrity guest star takes over the show, leaving the core cast to play second fiddle, it can be really irritating and insulting to the audience. But Jennifer Lopez's turn as Anita in this episode is a great use of the stunt casting. She's the catalyst for the plot, sure, but she doesn't overshadow the episode. The emotional backbone of the show is the guys realizing that, yes, Robin did mourn over her relationship with Barney and that she kept it private in face of Barney parading bimbos in front of her. Marshall's new song" I said-a bang bang bangitty-bang" is so catchy and hilarious. I also liked the "Super Date" song, a reminder that this show can be sweet and satirical at the same time. And I think we can all agree that JLo is not only smoking hot but really good in this episode.
A major theme of HIMYM is selling out and how sometimes it's kind of okay. Marshall takes a corporate job to support his future family. Ted becomes a professor instead of small business owner. Robin chooses her new boyfriend over her best friends (two of which are her ex-boyfriends). But this episode is about not forgetting that it's also okay to go back to your sillier, goofier side. As Ted parties with other intellectuals (including Arianna Huffington and Peter Bogdanovich), he leaves his more low-brow friends behind. But Ted can't deny the awesomeness of Robots versus Wrestlers for too long and neither can Robin. This silly episode gets some emotional weight with Lily and Marshall secretly making a plan to start a family.
Other season 5 highlights: Home Wreckers, The Sexless Innkeeper, Girls versus Suits (the 100th), Jenkins and The Playbook.
Man, it was extremely hard to choose 3 top episodes of season 6. It's my favorite season; almost every episode is a winner (episode 20, The Exploding Meatball Sub is mediocre). Last Words is another example of HIMYM's fearless decision to keep the proceedings as emotionally rich as possible as a nice balance to absurd humor. As Marshall struggles with his dad's death, Lily attempts to make peace with her disapproving mother-in-law and Robin becomes the woman who literally has everything you could possibly need in her bag. Both of those subplots are excellent. Ted and Barney trying to get Marshall to laugh is inappropriate but realistic in that sometimes you don't know what to do in these situations. This episode has some solid laughs for sure; it manages to be sad and melancholy without being completely depressing.
Like JLo in season 5, Katy Perry's turn in this episode is another good use of celebrity guest casting. She has some solid scenes but she's not the main point of the episode, which is the story of Ted and Zoey's first kiss. It's romantic, it's funny, it's zany--episodes like this really make you feel like a part of the gang. One of my favorite parts of the episode: how the gang expects each other to hate whoever they hate. Also, Marshall's family getting involved in the romantic problems of Ted. Katy Perry herself is so innocently naive and beautiful, it's hard not to love her. The "who's your daddy" scene between she and Barney is terrific.
I always found it funny that Barney depends on daddy issues to get laid because he has a mountain of them. In this episode, we meet Jerome played by an exceptional John Lithgow. He's Barney's dad but he's not the cool cat Barney hoped him to be. Barney's transformation from sex-crazed sociopath to a fully functioning adult has been a recurring theme of the show, dating all the way back to season 3. This episode was a landmark one for the character, as he gets to work out some of his issues. The B-plot has the other characters talking about holes in their intelligence (Robin not believing in the North Pole, etc) and like always, it's always fun to see the gang riffing off each other and cracking jokes.
Other season 6 highlights: Blitzgiving, A Change of Heart, Glitter, The Perfect Cocktail and Hopeless
We last saw Victoria six years ago and her return in this episode is both surprising and welcome. The episode is great because of its narrative style--Ted tries to tell the story of his and Victoria's encounter and the gang keeps getting distracted. This episode has some great running gags. While most if not all episodes are really funny, there are a few special few that just keep on piling on the jokes, the gags and the callbacks. This episode is one of them. Barney betting that he can see and/or touch Lily's breasts--it's so funny and typical. I think season 7, while it has some hiccups, is a lot stronger than some people gave it credit for during its airing.
This episode abandons Bob Saget narrating as Older Ted in favor of Robin narrating to her imagined kids. Like Last Words and Nothing Good Happens After 2 A.M., the episode is emotionally grounded, maybe more so than usual. I thought this was a risky, bold episode but it pays off. Only a show like HIMYM could pull off a show like this; on any other sitcom, it would come off as trying too hard to be deep or a cheap attempt to get some awards attention. But Symphony of Illumination is a beautifully melancholy episode, one that works because of the audience's attachment to the characters. I could have done without the silly Marshall subplot but comic relief is necessary I guess.
There have been times when I think about what I thought as a high school student about what I'd be doing in my 20s. I'd laugh because those old goals were impossibly high and I'd realize that I'm also satisfied doing what I'm doing now. That's what Trilogy Time was about--the gang was looking back to when the present was the future. It's an interesting narrative device, allowing for some hysterical imagined flash-forwards that are both ludicrous and plausible. This episode is a good example of how the show can find the nuances of being an almost adult and portray them authentically and hilariously.
Other season 7 highlights: The Drunk Train, No Pressure, History vs. Mystery, Tailgate and The Best Man.
Hope you enjoyed my list! I can't wait for the premiere tomorrow! Leave your comments below.
