CBS's and if that sounds familiar, it's because it's the exact same premise as Friends.)
The story follows Ted, a nice guy with bad luck in the dating department. However, just how nice is Ted? Throughout the show, he has done some bad things to his friends. Here are 5 times Ted was a great friend, and 5 times he was the absolute worst.
Worst: Brings Random Girls To The Group's Special Occasions
In the season 4 episode, "Say Cheese", Ted brings over a random girl to Lily's birthday, and she and Marshall get a little angry. They tell Ted how he brings over random girls to the group's special occasions such as Robin's birthday, or the time they met Sting.
Ted always makes the same excuse for bringing the girls - they might be 'the one'. And even though the girl is nothing but nice the whole evening (except writing the wrong name on the cake and writing Lily's age as 42), Ted definitely should not have brought her there.
Best: Put Up The Christmas Light Show For Robin
Robin had always disliked children, so much so that it led to her break up with Ted since he wanted kids. In the season 7 episode, "Symphony of Illumination", she finds out that she is unable to have kids. It's a heartbreaking revelation, and it's one she doesn't share with anybody, at least for a while.
When Ted sees that Robin is upset about something and isn't telling him anything, he spends hours setting up a light show for her, set to Highway to Hell by AC/DC. He tells her she doesn't have to tell him anything, but she can't stop him from trying to cheer her up. It was an extremely sweet and kind thing to do, and Robin bursts into tears upon seeing the gesture.
Worst: Called Lily A "Grinch"
One of the worst things Lily did was dump Marshall, move to San Francisco, and call off the wedding just weeks before they were to be married. When Lily returns, however, she finds a message Ted sent to Marshall when they were broken up, in the season 2 episode, "How Lily Stole Christmas".
In the recording, Ted calls Lily a really bad word, which he tells his kids was 'grinch'. While Lily did leave Marshall broken-hearted and Marshall had the worst time of his life, it does not in any way justify Ted calling Lily that word. Even worse, he teaches the word to his cousin's kids.
Best: Gives Lily His Stamp Of Approval
In a season 8 episode, the group calls Ted a 'Stamp Tramp', which means he takes credit for telling someone about a new thing or trend, that he himself learned about from someone else. He gives his 'stamp of approval' to an already approved thing, and the group makes fun of him about it.
However, Lily finds out that in college, Marshall was about to stop dating Lily, but Ted convinced him not to, saying she was something special, and to not give up on her so easily. Lily tears up that Ted gave her a stamp of approval, and he's the reason baby Marvin even exists.
Worst: Made Robin Get Rid Of Her Dogs
After Robin asks Ted to get rid of all the stuff he got from his ex-girlfriends, in the season 2 episode, "Stuff", he does so, albeit halfheartedly. But when he learns that Robin's dogs were gifts from her exes, he asks her to get rid of the dogs. He compares old pillows and hoodies to actual living creatures.
The group sides with Robin, and rightly so, but Robin sees Ted is uncomfortable with the dogs around. Even worse, once Robin does send her dogs away to live on a farm (no, really, they're alive), she finds out Ted did not throw away any of his ex's stuff.
Best: Sells His Car And Gives Marshall The Money
In "The Chain of Screaming", Marshall has been stressed out from his demanding corporate job, and when he gets yelled at by his boss, he asks the gang what he should do. Ted, meanwhile has bought a car despite everyone telling him he won't be able to use it.
Barney convinces him to yell at someone to release his pent up rage, but Marshall ends up yelling at his boss and quits his job. Ted then sells his car and loans some money to Marshall, so he can look after himself and Lily until he can get a job. It was such a sweet thing to do for a friend going through a rough time.
Worst: Endangers Barney's Job By Siding With Zoey
If there's one thing everybody can agree on, it's that Ted has the worst choice in women, often dating those girls who are terrible for him - Robin didn't want kids, Stella had feelings for her ex, and Jeannette was plain crazy. One of his terrible choices was Zoey, who he dated in season 6.
Zoey was protesting to save the very building who Ted was trying to demolish to complete his dream of building a skyscraper in New York City. However, Ted, for a brief time, s Zoey's side and refused to work on the building, which put Barney's job at risk, since he was the one who referred him. Barney loved his job and Ted endangered it, all for someone who ended up betraying Ted.
Best: Gives Lily and Marshall The Apartment
In season 7, Ted tells Robin that he still loves her, but she replies that she doesn't. Robin moves out and is temporarily living with Lily and Marshall at their place in the suburbs, while Ted tries out a bunch of new things such as woodworking and grilling, to distract him from Robin's absence.
However, he realizes that the only thing he can do is move on, and gives the apartment to Lily and Marshall, who were unhappy from being so far from the gang in Long Island. Ted reveals that he never took Marshall's name off the lease, and he's now giving it back.
Worst: Fought With Marshall Over The Apartment
In the very first episode of the series, Marshall proposes to Lily and they get engaged. In "The Duel", when Lily moves in with them, Ted feels threatened that Lily and Marshall may force him out of the apartment to raise a family, and he orders an English phone booth to establish he still lives in the apartment.
Even though Marshall could have taken the initiative, Ted could have talked to them about it, especially since Lily didn't even want to live there. They were Ted's best friends, and he shouldn't have been so petty and insecure.
Best: Taught Barney How to Drive
In the season 2 episode, "Arrivederci, Fiero", Marshall and the gang reminisce about the memories they had in Marshall's car, a Pontiac Fiero, which broke down just before reaching the impressive milestone of completing 300,000 km.
In one of the memories, Ted offers Barney to learn how to drive, and it was sweet to see him look out for Barney, almost like a brother, especially once viewers realize how rough Barney's childhood was, growing up without a dad.