Charlie Garner

Opinion Editor

avg6206@psu.edu 

“How I Met Your Mother” is a very popular sitcom that ran from 2005 to 2014, and it is also my personal favorite show of all time. The show has so many memorable episodes that people talk about, and a lot of the holiday episodes fall into this category. So, I am just going to be discussing my opinions on each of the Christmas episodes in “How I Met Your Mother.” 

Season 2, Episode 11: How Lily Stole Christmas

The first Christmas-themed episode came in season two, which is one of my favorite seasons of the show and is one of my favorite episodes from the season I enjoy rewatching. It very much focuses on the friendship between Ted and Lily, and it is the main reason why this episode stands out to me. Everyone seems to focus on the friendship between Ted and Marshall, but Ted and Lily’s friendship is mostly overlooked and underrated. They do have a fight throughout the episode, but they make up in the end, and it is very wholesome. 

Season 4, Episode 11: Little Minnesota

This episode also focuses on an underrated friendship in the show. And that is the friendship between Marshall and Robin. Later on in the show, the characters make the argument that Marshall and Robin are not super close friends. Well, I think the writers forgot about this episode. Marshall tries his hardest to make Robin not feel homesick for the holidays, and it is very endearing to watch. We also get to meet Ted’s sister in this episode, and we get to see how their relationship is as Ted tries to be more trusting of her. 

Season 6, Episode 12: False Positive

Right before two pretty devastating episodes, “False Positive” follows the group in each of their crises. Since it comes right before two of the saddest episodes of the series, this episode is kind of easy to forget. The way Ted motivates the rest of his friends to do the right thing, though, is nice. 

Season 7, Episode 12: Symphony of Illumination

This episode is probably one of the saddest in the entire show, and it is a Christmas episode! How could they do this to me? Anyway, it is very centered on Robin and her personal struggles. After she has a pregnancy scare, Robin goes to the doctor and learns that she can never have children. She has very conflicting feelings on the matter because she never wanted kids to begin with, but finding out that it can never be a real option is still hard for her to hear. Throughout the episode, Robin imagines if she and Barney did have kids and how she would tell them the story of this episode’s plot. She does not tell her friends at first, but they can all tell that something is wrong, especially Ted. The highlight of the episode is certainly the ending scene where Ted makes a Christmas light show for Robin to cheer her up. It may be sad, but it ends in a very wholesome and satisfying way. 

Season 8, Episode 11&12: The Final Page 

In one of my favorite episodes from the show, Barney performs a very elaborate proposal for Robin, which we find out was an all-season-long plot. It is probably my favorite proposal in any TV show and one of the most memorable moments from “How I Met Your Mother.” Even though the writers ruined them, Barney and Robin will always be one of the best couples.