10 Best How I Met Your Mother Holiday Episodes

Remember the early days of this show, when its best shot at distinguishing itself from the many Friends clones clogging the airwaves was these ambitious, always-satisfying experiments with narrative structure?

Following the lead set by deconstructive sitcom supreme Arrested Development, How I Met Your Mother’s early seasons featured episodes like The Pineapple Incident and this Paddy’s Day outing which cut between a bored Marshall and Lily attempting to be civilized adults on the annual holiday icon for its drunken debauchery whilst Ted and Barney enjoyed an amoral night on the town wherein Ted’s sins seem to be rewarded by the universe—only for a second act unspooling of events to reveal the reality behind his blurred perceptions.

It’s a nifty trick which elevates this instalment to one of the show’s most memorable early outings, and it remains one of TV’s best celebrations of St Patrick’s Day.