Arts & Life, Film & Television

Looking back at ‘How I Met Your Mother’

“The Pineapple Incident” – Season 1, Episode 10

One of the biggest mysteries in the series took place in season one. After a night of heavy drinking, Ted blacks out and wakes up lying beside a woman he does not know and a pineapple on his nightstand. Throughout the episode Ted tries to discover what exactly happened the night before. With the help of Marshall Eriksen (Jason Segel) and Lily Aldrin (Alyson Hannigan) Ted slowly begins to discover how a sprained his ankle and why he is now the owner of partially burned coat. The mystery of the pineapple’s origin, though, goes unsolved.
“Swarly” – Season 2, Episode 7

Most people have gotten their names mixed up at a coffee shop, but not often does mundane occurrence become a form of comedy. Barney Stinson’s (Neil Patrick Harris) name is misheard and is dubbed “Swarly” on his coffee cup. For the duration of the episode, the new nickname prompts many jokes including other pun related nicknames like “Bob Swarly.” Barney tries to find ways to get rid of the nickname but the HIMYM gang simply won’t let it go. At the end of the episode everyone at the coffee shop shouts “Swarly” to Barney and it irks him to the core.
“Slap Bet” – Season 2, Episode 9

While the episode is called “Slap Bet,” the title is not indicative of its real genius. This episode introduces one of the longest running gags in the series, a fictional character named Robin Sparkles. Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders) refuses to go to the mall and immediately the gang knows something isn’t right. Robin’s friends proceed to make theories of why Robin won’t go to the mall, including that she might have been involved in pornography and that she might have been married in a mall. By the end of the episode the gang searches the depths of the internet to discover Robin’s secret is much worse. Robin was once a Canadian pop-star sensation named Robin Sparkles. Some of her singles included annoying but catchy “Let’s go to the Mall” and love ballad “Sandcastles in The Sand.”
“Girls versus Suits”- Season 5, Episode 12

“Girls versus Suits” marks the 100th episode of the series and features a musical number titled “Nothing Suits me like a Suit”, performed by the very entertaining Neil Patrick Harris. His character, Barney, is in mourning for the loss of one of his beloved suits and he goes out to explore the town. He returns home with an attractive bartender who, after discovering his suit obsession, gives makes him choose between two of his favorite things: women and suits. Being extremely shallow, he chooses suits and breaks into song, accompanied by the rest of the HIMYM cast. This episode reminds fans that as much as they want to hate Barney, it’s impossible because everything about him is simply “legendary.”
“Symphony of Illumination” – Season 7, Episode 12

While the show is a comedy, the characters became more like real people as time progressed. The structure of this episode is similar to when Ted tells his children’s stories, but in this case Robin is the narrator. The episode begins with Robin telling her two children about the time she found out she was pregnant. By the end of the episode the viewer discovers the children she has been talking to are only figments of her imagination because she is infertile. Of all the hilarity throughout the previous seasons, this is possibly one of the saddest episodes while it is also one of the most touching because of the support she is given by the gang.

The ending of any television show can be depressing, and in this case, it’s bittersweet. When the series ends there will be a total of 208 episodes, so the series which is sure to live on in syndication for years to come.

The one hour series finale will air on Monday, March 31.

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