Few installments in any sitcom come with as much fanfare and legacy as Neil Patrick Harris’ favorite How I Met Your Mother episode. Known for its creative storytelling, heartfelt character arcs, and unforgettable comedic beats, HIMYM carved out a special place in TV history over its nine-season run. But even among its many standout moments, one episode — a dazzling, over-the-top musical spectacular — has become the ultimate fan-favorite and a personal highlight for the show’s breakout star, Neil Patrick Harris, who played the always-suave Barney Stinson. 3v4c2x

Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) is the obvious How I Met Your Mother villain - at least, that's what most people think. As the womanizing playboy with a Rolodex of inappropriate schemes, Barney’s flaws are loud, flashy, and impossible to miss. He’s a walking punchline, a bundle of toxic masculinity wrapped in expensive suits and absurd pickup lines. Over the years, HIMYM frequently acknowledged Barney’s bad behavior and often made him the butt of the joke. However, while fans were busy scrutinizing Barney’s playbook, one of the show’s other central characters was getting away with some deeply questionable behavior, all hidden behind a warm, seemingly wholesome persona.

For fans craving a sitcom like How I Met Your Mother, it’s tough to find a show that perfectly balances fast-paced banter, quirky ensemble dynamics, and an emotional core wrapped in romantic misadventures. HIMYM struck a delicate tone - equal parts zany and heartfelt, always keeping you invested in a friend group as they navigated adult life in New York. Sure, it had its controversies (especially the incredibly divisive ending), but there’s a reason fans still rewatch it years later. Shows that try to copy the formula usually fall flat - but there’s one short-lived gem that managed to capture the same chaotic, lovable spirit in its own way.

Quentin Tarantino has a favorite television show, and it may come as a surprise to fans of the Oscar-winning director. Quentin Tarantino has made 10 movies in his career, though he prefers to think of the Kill Bill movies as one film, and Death Proof was originally released as a double feature with Planet Terror for Grindhouse. While his films vary wildly in story structure, setting, and characters, they also have quite a bit in common. They're pulpy, violent, hilarious, fast-moving, and unbeholden to the usual storytelling conventions found in mainstream movies.

Through the first quarter of the 21st century, various sitcoms have staked their claim to be the next Friends, but How I Met Your Mother is the one that came closest. The show clearly took a large helping of inspiration from its forerunner, as the New York-based story about a group of friends in their late twenties/early thirties who frequent the same local hangout for a drink most nights of the week, to dish on one another’s love lives. Many fans of both shows have even drawn parallels between most of their main characters.

How I Met Your Mother boasts wickedly timed humor and a hopeful heart, but it is one of the most popular sitcoms ever that has aged the poorest, in part thanks to its notorious finale and endgame couple. Infamously, after nine seasons of Ted (Josh Radnor) recounting the years that led up to him meeting his two children's mother Tracy (Cristin Milioti), it is revealed that he has been an unreliable narrator all along. Tracy ed away some years ago, and Ted is actually determining how his kids would feel about him rekindling things with Robin (Cobie Smulders).

With How I Met Your Father being a spinoff of the original show, many wonder how connected it really is to How I Met Your Mother.

How I Met Your Mother's finale is one of the most controversial in television history, but why did so many people hate it?

One of the best parts of watching a TV show with twists and turns is coming up with theories about what will happen next. These classic series like Game of Thrones or How I Met Your Mother exemplify why audiences are so drawn to projects that intertwine secrets and mysteries into the DNA of the story. A good show will be compelling and enjoyable to watch, whether these fan theories are proven wrong or right. The payoff of the shocking reveals is part of what keeps us returning to these series long after they're over.

It has been over 10 years since How I Met Your Mother season 9 finished the series. But what would a 10th season look like?