How I Met Your Mother: Things You Forgot Happened In Season 1

How I Met Your Mother's series finale graced (or desecrated, according to many) TV screens in 2014. The pilot episode aired in 2005. Given all the suit-ups, challenges accepted, wait-for-its, and Ted Mosby pity parties that happened in the intervening years, viewers have likely forgotten most of what happened way back in the first season. We certainly had, until we went back, studied the footage, made notes, and wrote down the events we were most surprised to realize we'd forgotten.

All shows have to hit the ground running if they're interested in sticking around. The first season of How I Met Your Mother is no exception: A lot happens in these episodes. The series' subsequent nine-year run speaks for itself — a run that, may we remind you, goes toe-to-toe in terms of length with sitcom all-stars like Seinfeld – and is a testament to How I Met Your Mother's strong first outing. We're here to reacquaint you with the events of that very first season, from the blue French horns to the rain dances.

After Ted, being Ted, tells Robin he loves her shortly after meeting her, he recalibrates and tries to take a more casual approach in episode two. Thus, he invites her to an apartment party — nothing, apparently, says casual quite like an apartment party.

In true sitcom fashion, Ted, Lily, and Marshall end up throwing back-to-back-to-back parties, while Marshall attempts to finish an important paper for law school. Things get worse when Robin does not show up the first two parties, necessitating a third. While these first two shindigs bring in lots of people, not many guests show up for party number three, as it takes place on a Sunday night (and, you know, people probably want a break after partying for three nights in a row). It is this party that Robin attends. Later on the roof, Ted and Robin kiss. Ted, utterly failing to be casual, comes to the conclusion that he wants to be with Robin long-term — but she's career-focused and might not even want to get married at all. They decide to be friends, as they're both on different relationship wavelengths.

Love Solutions is a matchmaker algorithm that claims to have a 100 percent success rating ... until Ted Mosby throws his name into the database. The compatibility rate for his matches isn't high enough to match Ted with another person — but he does manage to sneakily print out a 9.6 match. Ted, indulging his stalker-ish tendencies, makes a doctor's appointment with his 9.6 match, and discovers she's getting married that weekend. The episode ends with an optimistic Ted, who believes he'll end up on Love Solutions' love wall someday with the other happily matched-up couples. Later in the season, Love Solutions finds Ted a match. He sets a date, reschedules it, and then bails on his perfect match ... because he still has feelings for Robin.

In the same episode, there's an unknown creature, part mouse, part cockroach, terrorizing the apartment. On top of having whiskers and a hard shell, it can fly. The "cockamouse" deserves a mention on this list, as it is an odd and likely forgotten plot point that happens in the first season.

Nights when the group is separated tend to be the most momentous ones of all — but not always in the way you'd expect. Case in point: Lily and Marshall spend virtually an entire episode in the bathroom.

Because making plans and following through can feel overwhelming, Lily and Marshall bail on complex out-of-town anniversary plans and opt to stay home. As they're feeling introspective about their relationship and its future, this is a solid idea — too bad it's thrown into chaos when Ted and his then-girlfriend Victoria come to the apartment for a little alone time. This forces Lily and Marshall into the bathroom until Ted and Victoria move to the bedroom. Much embarrassing pillow talk is overheard and gagged at. Thus, for an entire episode and during their anniversary, Marshall and Lily celebrate ... in their bathroom. Now that's romance, baby.

Ted Mosby does arguably the stupidest thing he's ever done in season one, when he cheats on Victoria and lies to Robin. As any fan knows, there's a lot of competition for that title. After finding out Robin still has feelings for him (due to an inadvertent comment from Lily), Ted goes to Robin's apartment. He's keyed up from this revelation, and from tension in his relationship with Victoria. All of this results in him lying to Robin that he and Victoria have broken up. They kiss, Ted takes a breather in the bathroom, and emerges, convinced he's about to hook up with Robin — only to find Robin with his phone, finishing a conversation with Victoria. She tells him to get out. This ends Ted and Victoria's relationship, and imparts one of the series' most important lessons: Nothing good happens after 2 AM. With one careless and lustful swing of the bat, Ted hurts two people he cares about.

Season one ends with a split: Lilypad and Marshmallow break up after Marshall hears her accept an art fellowship in San Francisco. This might not seem like a big deal, but Lily applied to a fellowship in a different state without telling Marshall, despite the fact of their looming wedding. The easiest solution would have been postponing the wedding, but it appears both Marshall and Lily have their doubts about tying the knot. Meanwhile, Ted professes his love to Robin (again) with a blue orchestra and enough red roses to populate a garden. Robin initially says no, but Ted doesn't stop trying. Knowing that she's about to head off on a company camping trip and that one of her colleagues who is interested in dating her will be there, Ted attempts a rain dance ... which works. Robin and Ted reconcile, and once again become a couple.

Elated, Ted returns to his apartment .. to find Marshall sitting on the stoop, holding a ring and crying in the rain. Lily has left for California, and their engagement has been called off.