Neil Patrick Harris’ Favorite How I Met Your Mother Episode

How I Met Your Mother featured dozens of zany, out-there episodes, but main cast member Neil Patrick Harris’ favorite of all these was season 5’s “Girls Versus Suits.” The episode featured a large subplot for Harris’ character, Barney. In the episode, Barney is forced to choose between a romance with a bartender and his beloved collection of designer suits, once the bartender explains that after her series of flings with “Wall Street guys,” she no longer dates men who wear suits.

Longtime viewers of the show would, of course, know that this was an impossible choice for Barney. Both a lover of suits while also an incurable womanizer known for struggling to settle down with characters like Robin, the ask for Barney to choose between his formal wear and a beautiful woman was too much to bear. However, the dilemma did lead to one of the more unique, memorable climaxes for a HIMYM episode.

At the end of the How I Met Your Mother episode, after the bartender issues her ultimatum regarding Barney’s suits, Barney and the gang enter a musical fantasy sequence, a sequence that is likely the reason Neil Patrick Harris loves the episode so much. An avid lover of Broadway and musical theater, Harris was likely delighted at the opportunity to showcase his musical chops. Additionally, as the sequence is an ode to not only Barney as a character, but old-school musical theater, Neil Patrick Harris likely enjoyed the campy, referential nature of the number, as well as the episode’s genius cameo appearances.

While the How I Met Your Mother cast has several other favorite episodes, it’s clear Neil Patrick Harris enjoys “Girls Versus Suits,” due to his professional background. Before Neil Patrick Harris appeared on the show, he had a long-standing career in musical theater. The sequence, which features the song “Nothin’ Suits Me Like a Suit,” allowed Neil Patrick Harris to sing, dance, and act his way through a non-stop celebration of classic Broadway. Besides being something Neil Patrick Harris was never allowed to do on the show previously, the sequence was likely a welcome change for the actor as the show reached its 100^th episode.

Additionally, the episode also featured a cameo from acclaimed stylist Tim Gunn as Barney’s personal tailor. A fan of Gunn’s, Neil Patrick Harris likely was thrilled at the chance to share the screen with Gunn, who attempted to save one of Barney’s beloved suits after it is accidentally ripped. The self-referential nature of this cameo, which may not be the last cameo Barney is involved in, in addition to the all-out musical number, were all perfectly (forgive the pun) tailored to Neil Patrick Harris’ sensibilities.

In many ways, it’s easy to see why “Girls Versus Suits,” was one of Neil Patrick Harris’s favorite episodes of HIMYM. Between the musical theater references, the off-the-wall celebrity cameos, and the focus on singing and dancing, the entire episode is, to borrow a phrase, perfectly suited to Neil Patrick Harris’s talents. Overall, though How I Met Your Mother has many candidates for top-tier episodes, “Girls Versus Suits” being Neil Patrick Harris’s makes perfect sense.

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