How I Met Your MotherLists about the sitcom about Ted Mosby, architect, and his pals Barney, Marshall, Lily, and Robin, as they lived, laughed, and loved in New York City, which aired on CBS from 2005 to 2014. It was—wait for it—legendary.
Updated December 27, 2019 117.0K votes 20.6K voters 498.2K views
Over 20.6K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Real Reasons Why 'How I Met Your Mother' Is Better Than 'Friends'
Voting Rules
Vote up all the reasons why you'd rather spend time with the 'HIMYM' gang.
It's no secret Friends and How I Met Your Mother share a familiar premise. The characters also embody similar roles (if you think Joey Tribbiani isn't a less-damaged version of Barney Stinson, we're at a loss). Though Friends managed to rack up more awards than How I Met Your Mother, let's be real: HIMYM is the better series.
HIMYM has a dedicated following and numerous fan theories based on the show's long-running mystery of who the titular mother is. The series flips the format of a sitcom on its head and manages to craft a show where viewers can enjoy out-of-sequence episodes, yet still need to watch from start-to-finish to fully appreciate the story. Conversely, Friends has short story arcs and stagnant character growth. HIMYM doles out more life lessons than an after-school special, teaching millennials across the globe the importance of male tenderness and adult friendship.
Friends is a classic - and "Smelly Cat" will forever hold a special place in all of our hearts - but no one grows up wishing to find a love like Ross and Rachel (unless you'd prefer a life of deleted answering machine messages and entitlement). And we're going to guess we can't hack the rent in a comparably giant apartment either. In fact, we're willing to slap-bet on it.
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11,833 VOTES
Long-Running Inside Jokes In 'HIMYM' Are A Hallmark Of The Series
Friends has some comedic moments for sure. Smelly Cat is an absolute classic (so much so Taylor Swift covered it during her 1989 tour). It still can't hold a candle to HIMYM's long-running inside jokes, though.
The writers of HIMYM use season call-backs and in-jokes to make viewers feel like they're hanging out with the characters at MacLaren's. From the slap-bet and replacing all instances of weed with eating sandwiches to the ducky tie, Xing Hai Shi Bu Xing, and the Pineapple Incident, you can't fully appreciate the series without watching the whole thing.
11,833 votes
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10,725 VOTES
The Redemption Of Barney Stinson Won An Emmy Nomination
Barney is one of the most captivating characters on modern television - after all, Neil Patrick Harris received both Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for his role. Barney is a wholly unlikeable character; he's one of those friends you can't figure out why you ever befriended in the first place.
Throughout the series, Barney struggles with his selfishness, but we don't figure out the source until HIMYM peels back the layers. His hard-partying ways turn from hysterical to sad by the time "The Drunk Train" and "Now We're Even" roll around, but then something changes.
We watch as Barney mends things with his father, stops lying to his mother, and eventually abandons the Bro Bible and his apartment to settle down with Robin. Despite his temporary lapse into his old ways after their divorce, the minute he meets his daughter, he instantly becomes a protective father.
It's also worth mentioning Barney is simultaneously a feminist while being a womanizer. He supports his stripping wife-to-be, as well as Robin's penchant for cigars and a good glass of scotch. He is a flawed - but fundamentally good - human, while the characters on Friends lack the same kind of depth.
10,725 votes
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5,914 VOTES
'HIMYM' Is Actually An Accurate Portrayal Of New York
In what world could a barista and a chef afford a massive apartment near Central Park? Do they make apartments as big as the one they always fight over in Friends? Though the apartment on HIMYM is large and has revolving occupancy like the one on Friends, the series as a whole captures the real New Yorker experience.
Though previously a little-known secret held by bridge-and-tunnel 20-somethings, HIMYM introduced the drunk train to the entire nation in Season 7 (if you doubt its existence, hop on the Metro North or LIRR at around 2:45 am on a Friday).
Every Midwestern transplant who remembers a time before high rent prices and overwhelming stress relates to Season 4's "The Best Burger in New York." Also, Season 3's "Dowisetreepla" is a nod to the thousands of Craiglist ads touting made-up neighborhoods to bolster rent prices.
5,914 votes
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8,570 VOTES
The Framing Narrative Provides A Well-Rounded, Rewarding Story
Friends never has any flash-forwards. We don't see what happens to the characters after Rachel exits the plane. It leaves the show feeling relatively incomplete and unmoved.
The writers could have dived into Monica's childhood trauma or Rachel's spoiled upbringing, and used these to flesh out the characters; instead, they focus flashbacks on moronic Flock of Seagulls haircuts.
HIMYM uses flashbacks and flash-forwards to deeply develop their characters - whether it's comedic or not. We learn Marshall becomes a lawyer before he passes the bar, which gives us more perspective; and Ted eventually remodels the house he impulsively buys to start a family. In Friends, we have less sympathy for the characters because we aren't as aware of their lives.
You can't help but love a self-aware sitcom. HIMYM, cognizant of its similarities to Friends, poked fun at the '90s sitcom in the Season 2 episode "Swarley." While they're sitting in the coffee shop, Barney mentions how hanging out in a coffee shop isn't nearly as cool as a bar.
Friends doesn't like to laugh at itself. Sure, Brad Pitt guest-starred in an episode while involved with Jennifer Aniston, but we all know how their relationship ended.
Unlike Friends, which more or less resets at the end of each episode, HIMYM has a long-running mystery: Who the heck is the mother of Ted's children? The series uses this to mask each gutting heartbreak with the overarching theme of love prevailing.
Friends does have Ross and Rachel's relationship, which always seems like an inevitable end game. The feel-good ending is something anyone could expect. However, this isn't the case for HIMYM. Ted's main love interest is supposedly "Aunt Robin" in the pilot - not Mom - and the pair becomes an inevitable failure until the much-contested final episode. This makes for a more nuanced, realistic relationship faltering due to fate.
