My twenty favourite HIMYM episodes (Part 1)
Because I live in England, I'll have to wait another half an eternity for season 8 of HIMYM to air over here. To fill the void, I've narrowed down my 20 favourite episodes. This is Part 1, numbers 20 - 16.
Spoilers for all seven seasons.
20. The Three Days Rule (4.21)
The Plot: Ted meets a girl called Holli at McClarens. Marshall and Barney both insist that Ted wait three days before contacting her. Ted ignores them and begins texting Holli right away, and the relationship starts to heat up. But then Robin makes a discovery; Holli isn't...well, Holli.
Reasons I love it: The Red cowboy boots return. Marshall and Barney keep trying to have sex with Ted. "Marsha" and "Billy" ("Nobody sprained any muscles there"). Ted clearly doesn't know what LOL means. Stan. The gay dreams prank. "A still-in-the-closet eighty year old wouldn't be into that mess". "I'm cuddly, Bitch!"
19. Challenge Accepted (6.24)
The Plot: The Arcadian is about to be demolished, but Ted is thinking about getting back together with Zoey. Knowing that no good can come of this, Robin and Barney set out to stop him. Meanwhile, Lily gets violently sick after eating the same food as Marshall, who is about to go to a job interview.
Reasons I love it: "After some awkward pawing around, that buildings going to fake an implosion, say Oh Baby that was great and go to sleep." The construction worker refusing to call Ted anything but "hotshot". Lily's epic dash to stop Marshall from eating the soup, only to find it's his third bowl. "When it's stomach stuff, you just say under the weather, or people picture you doing unspeakable things". Cut to the bar, where they are imagining Lily doing unspeakable things. The job interview. Robin and Barney discussing Ted and Zoey, but really talking about their own relationship. The conversation about running back to the past. The mother fake-out. BOTH of the reveals (I didn't see either of them coming).
18. Definitions (5.1)
The Plot: Ted begins his teaching job at the university, but ends up giving his lecture to the wrong class. Lily tries to get Barney and Robin to talk about where their relationship is going.
Reasons I love it: Ted's dream sequence, then waking up to find Barney asking for condoms. Robin and Barney finally getting together. The Indiana Jones hat and whip. "I'm always punching guys. Girls. I'll punch a baby, I don't care." Ted not knowing how to spell Professor, and his internal monolgue as the class watches.The entire scene where he lectures Architecture to Economics 305. The ending - "No, Ted. They didn't realise they weren't lying.
17. Spoiler Alert (3.8)
The Plot: Ted is dating Cathy, who has an annoying habit that is apparent to everyone but him. The gang soon begin to notice each others' annoying habits, while Marshall nervously waits to find out if he passed the bar exam to become a lawyer. When the results come out, he realises he's lost his password.
Reasons I love it: Ted's imaginary scenarios about what Cathy did to offend his friends. Cathy's actual flaw - never shutting up. "I didn't want her to choke. At first." Lily's loud chewing, and the various ways of describing it. "What parent leaves a ten year old alone for the weekend?" "And your mom was perfect." Barney going to great lengths to get Marshall to watch a video of a dog pooping on a baby. Marshall singing about everything he does. The glass shattering noise. The group argument and all the annoying habits that are demonstrated during it. Ted's final epiphany - if you love someone enough, their annoying habits don't bother you.
16. Doppelgangers (5.24)
The Plot: Marshall and Lily think that the universe is giving them the green light to start having children when they see Barney's doppelganger...who turns out to not be a doppleganger. Robin is offered her dream job, but there's just one problem...it's in Chicago.
Reasons I love it: The telepathic conversations. Ted going blond. "You guys banging?" (both times). The imaginary bedroom scene. Kristoff...Doppelganger. "Say yes to this...can I move back in?" "Yes". Ted's doppelganger speech. All of the Lily/Marshall/Barney street performer scene. Lily seeing what she wants to see, and the gang going along with it. The song "Lifesize". "Marshall Erikson, put a baby in my belly."