Welcome to my countdown of every "How I Met Your Mother" episode, from worst to best. This will be an 11 part series. In this first installment, I will reveal numbers 205 to 186, or the 20 worst episodes of the series. Of course, there isn’t much to like in this crop of episodes, but I tried to be nice… to a point. The truth is, there aren’t too many awful episodes in the series, so it was tough to kick a few of these off so early. One worthy point to note is that no episode in the first four seasons finds itself in my bottom twenty. With this in mind, here are numbers 205 to 186.

Episodes were judged on their dramatic and comedic strength, relevance to the overarching plot, character and world building, creativity, social commentary and a number of other factors.

SPOILER ALERT!

205. “Who Wants to Be a Godparent?” (Season 8, Episode 4)

This mess of an episode is the lowest of "How I Met Your Mother's" many season eight lows. The show did see a steady dip in quality about halfway through its run, but “Who Wants to Be a Godparent?” is just inexcusable. I hate that Marshall and Lily go from being stern about parenthood, to going completely soft only two minutes later. It was a really bad moment for the couple that held the show together. I’d also like to say that Ted should be a no-brainer for the godfather spot, given all of his history with Marshall and Lily. This episode would have been better off being talked about in a more meaningful episode as something that happened off-screen. Actually, if no material from this disgrace saw the light of day, I think we would all be better off.

204. “The Autumn of Break-Ups” (Season 8, Episode 5)

The episode that follows “Who Wants to Be a Godparent?” is the second worst one in the series, “The Autumn of Break-Ups.” Ted’s only compatible girlfriend until the Mother, Victoria, goes totally out of character in this one so that the writers would have a reason to write her off of the show, which is a pretty big slap in the face for anyone who liked the character. In the B-plot, Barney takes a dog as his wingman. I understand that he’s not in the right frame of mind after his break-up with Quinn, but the cute animal gag was already used and done by this point in the series, and rather than being funny, this time it just comes off as being sad in all the wrong ways.

203. “Slapsgiving 3: Slappointment in Slapmarra” (Season 9, Episode 14)

Season nine was full of filler episodes that banked on the show’s early success to stay afloat. The prime example of that phenomenon is this episode, the third slap-centric episode of the series. However, unlike the other episodes of season nine, which at least give us either some sort of plot advancement or an appearance by the Mother, this bomb takes place almost entirely away from the Farhampton Inn. The slap bet deserves better. Oh, and what was with Jason Segel awkwardly breaking the fourth wall to introduce Boyz II Men?

202. “The Wedding Bride” (Season 5, Episode 23)

I know this episode has its fans, but I can’t understand the hype. First of all, I was under the impression that Tony and Ted were cool with each other. Tony making Ted out to be a jerk in his movie makes no sense. In addition, I’ve always found Royce to be one of the most annoying one-time characters that the show ever brought on. Maybe it’s because she finds “The Wedding Bride” to be so funny. Then again, so do all the other characters. I guess my biggest beef with this episode is that we’re supposed to buy into people thinking “The Wedding Bride” is funny. As viewers, we may find the fictional movie funny because the characters in that movie are based on characters we know. However, the random characters within the show don’t have this point of view, so they, based on the poor quality of the movie, shouldn’t think it’s funny. Maybe I’m overthinking it, but I still think this episode is supremely unfunny and poorly written.

201. “Nannies” (Season 8, Episode 3)

This is one of the more forgettable episodes of the show for me. One thing I do remember is Barney trying to hook up with nannies, as another means of trying to get over his break-up with Quinn. Eventually, he hooks up with Mrs. Buckminster, an elderly British nanny… yeah, he was really falling apart in early season eight. One good thing I will say about this one is that Lily’s father Mickey really shows his best side. He’s a character that I mostly enjoy every time that he appears, so to see him be a strong grandfather is touching. Still though, Barney and Mrs. Buckminster in bed together is irredeemable and just plain disturbing.

200. “Canning Randy” (Season 6, Episode 7)

“Canning Randy” wouldn’t be a bad episode if it only had one story. Will Forte’s title character actually has a pretty nice story that stretches beyond the series’ run, as Future Ted explains. Other than that, though, it’s probably one of the more annoying episodes to watch, thanks in large part to Zoey, who is easily one of the most irritating characters in the history of "How I Met Your Mother." Her constant meddling got old the second it started, and it may be at its worst in this episode. Special mention must be handed off to Laura Bell Bundy’s Becky, whose shining moment comes in this episode in the form of a commercial for the Farhampton Boat Show.

199. “Coming Back” (Season 9, Episode 2)

Any episode with Daphne, Marshall’s season nine driving partner, is at an automatic disadvantage in these rankings. Certain characters, as you may have already seen, can do that. She’s not at her absolute worst here, but she’s still really annoying. James, Barney’s brother, also is heavily featured here, but unfortunately I think this is his weakest episode. Even worse is the cake sculpture version of James, which, ironically, is far from tasteful. We do see the Mother with Ted for the first time in a flash forward, but she would have moments of much more impact in later episodes. Overall, the episode doesn’t do much but leave a lot of potential on the table.

198. “A Change of Heart” (Season 6, Episode 18)

Once again, there are definitely some good things in this episode. Being that it is an episode that plays with the viewers’ heads in the final twist, I can at least respect the A-plot. This plot is brought on by the death of Marshall’s father, which happens earlier in season six, so we get a nice connection. Most of the episode revolves around the early relationship between Barney and Nora, who may be my second favorite couple in the whole series. Still, the episode is ultimately dragged down by the worst B-plot in "How I Met Your Mother"history: Robin dates a guy who acts like a dog. Right down to licking her face and peeing on fire hydrants. What more do I need to say?

197. “Zoo or False” (Season 5, Episode 19)

Zoo or False has a B-plot as its main story. The story of whether or not Marshall was mugged by a monkey is as bad as Robin dating a guy who acts like a dog on one hand. However, the stakes get elevated when Marshall reveals that the monkey story is just a front so that Lily won’t buy a gun for protection… or is it? We never really find out. Generally I like the secrecy that the show throws at its audience (see “The Pineapple Incident"), but in this case it bugs me a little bit. The story isn’t quite interesting enough or laid out in a way that makes the secret something that should be left in the dark like other episodes (still see the “The Pineapple Incident”). Other than this, the episode is fairly forgettable, and so it lands low in these rankings.

196. “The Exploding Meatball Sub” (Season 6, Episode 20)

The title of the episode relates to a Barney revenge story that falls flat for me, and it seems like a lot of people don’t really like this one. The prospect of Lily leaving Marshall again is also quite troubling, but I think that may actually be this episode’s strongest aspect. When she comes back to Marshall, I think it shows that Lily has grown up a lot since her season one departure. So against all odds, an episode about exploding meatball subs actually serves as a small showcase for Lily’s character development. Still, the namesake of the episode is weak, and every appearance by Zoey is just unbearable.

195. “Bad Crazy” (Season 8, Episode 16)

This episode features Ted’s final girlfriend, Jeanette, before he met the Mother. Just like most of his previous girlfriends, Jeanette is more annoying than she is interesting, and her presence automatically hurts the watching experience. However, I will admit that the revelation that she is a cop is pretty funny, and Ted in a Boba Fett costume can also get a laugh. Robin and Lily’s story, which involves Mike Tyson, is poorly done. We know from other episodes what the two of them look like in the future. So why in this episode do they look exactly the same in 2013 as they do in 2030?

194. “Unfinished” (Season 6, Episode 3)

Robin’s season five boyfriend was her co-host Don, who had taken a job in Chicago that was turned down earlier by Robin herself. The title is partly called “Unfinished” because Robin feels that her relationship with Don ended abruptly, and, in turn, was unfinished. As a viewer, I agree that their relationship had a disappointing ending, so I am happy that they addressed Robin’s feelings on it so head-on. Barney and Ted’s Goliath National Bank subplot would have ripple effects across the rest of the series, but it’s a little too wacky here for me to completely appreciate.

193. “Rally” (Season 9, Episode 18)

There are a few really solid moments in this episode, but none of them are in the present day. The Mother makes two separate appearances, including one with the children that Ted is telling the story to, so that’s pretty cool. We see Marshall and Lily at a later time, which brings on seeing baby Marvin moving into college. Perhaps the most noteworthy flash-forward is a scene between the married Robin and Barney, in a scene that connects directly to the series finale. It’s disheartening, though, that the story makes so little linear progression as it builds on the futures of our main characters. Once again, it’s a season nine episode that has potential but doesn’t totally deliver.

192. “The Stamp Tramp” (Season 8, Episode 7)

Marshall’s friend Brad is always a good time, so his return in this episode is a welcome surprise. Speaking of surprises, his storyline actually has a solid twist when watching it for the first time. This episode also sets up an episode that I really enjoy ("Twelve Horny Women"), but more on that later. Barney and Robin’s story, regarding Barney needing a new strip club to go to, isn’t that engaging. There’s not much else to say, other than expressing the idea that “The Stamp Tramp” contributed to the pretty weak stretch of episodes that made season eight the weakest season of "How I Met Your Mother."

191. “The Perfect Cocktail” (Season 6, Episode 22)

“The Perfect Cocktail” actually makes Zoey a somewhat sympathetic character, which is no small feat. She grew up in the Arcadian, which is the building that needs to be destroyed for Ted’s GNB tower idea to become a reality. Seeing another side to a generally unlikable character raises the episode a bit, but Ted putting his dream aside in the end to satisfy her is extremely weak on his part. Not to mention, seeing Marshall align with Zoey in this episode made me root against Marshall, which was something I hated to do. I love the return of the cockamouse, though.

190. “Bedtime Stories” (Season 9, Episode 11)

If I were only judging creativity, “Bedtime Stories” may be a top ten episode of "How I Met Your Mother." A whole episode in rhyme? Now that’s some writing that I can respect a lot. This episode is just that gimmick, though, as it may be the least substantive episode in the entire series. It is truly the definition of filler, but it is awesome to see a special guest appearance by expert rhymer Lin-Manuel Miranda.

189. “The Pre-Nup” (Season 8, Episode 2)

It shouldn’t be surprising to see another episode from the terrible start to season eight show up this low on the list. Each member of the group, other than Marshall and Lily, is in a terrible relationship in this episode, and they really play up how annoying each combination is. Luckily, one of the couples breaks up: Barney and Quinn. In season seven’s finale, “The Magician’s Code,” a far superior episode, Barney and Quinn get engaged, and right at the start of the next season the relationship ends. Honestly, what is with this show and marriages getting called off? Since I didn’t like them together in the first place, I didn’t really care to see them split, but the repetition got old by this point in the series.

188. “Karma” (Season 7, Episode 18)

It’s still very strange to me that Barney fell for Quinn. She was a stripper, which we see most prominently in this episode, who didn’t exactly have a heart of gold. Coming off of a relationship with the very classy Nora, I’m really surprised he stooped down to Quinn’s level. I mostly remember this episode as the one where Ted gives the apartment back to Marshall and Lily, as Ted himself moves out for good.

187. “Rabbit or Duck” (Season 5, Episode 15)

If it wasn’t for some really creepy imagery, this episode might have been ranked a little higher. A lot of focus is squared on Robin and Don in this one. Don tries “the naked man,” a callback to a better episode, but later realizes that going classy may be the easier way to Robin’s heart. Honestly, I think Don had some solid character development throughout his run on the show for a side player, and this is where he sees the most growth. Unfortunately, the sight of him with rabbit ears and a duck bill is a tad too haunting for me to totally get behind this episode as one of the better ones.

186. “Ring Up!” (Season 8, Episode 14)

Ashley Benson is featured in this episode as Ted’s 20-year-old hookup, who turns out to be Barney’s stepsister. This naturally makes for some entertaining banter between the two, but this episode as a whole gets lost in the massive momentum that picked up in mid-season eight. The highlight of this episode for me is the quick musical number performed by Cobie Smulders. She actually has a great voice, but it gets shown off more effectively in other episodes.