Well folks, television has wrapped up for the summer, and Hubby and I have gone into mourning. We’re always looking for new-to-us shows to watch over the summer, when the binging is prime. Especially this summer when we’ll likely be home a little more than usual, and awake at stranger hours. Plus, the best thing about watching a show that every episode is available is the fact you’re not necessarily committing to a certain amount of time. After my kids are in bed and I want to veg in front of the TV, I’m not going to start Braveheart and get tired 30 minutes in, but I have more than just one new Modern Family episode and then nothing else to see.

That being said, if you’re looking for a new-to-you Netflix binge, and haven’t tried How I Met Your Mother, you should try it next. I first started watching HIMYM in the 8th season or so. I knew I was way behind, but Hubby and I spent a few weeks crushing the first 7 1/2 seasons to catch up, and then watched the last season and a half as they came out. I’m not gonna lie, at first I thought Ted was annoying but grew to love him, just like everyone else in the show. And the only highlight I needed to commit me to the show forever was Neil Patrick Harris. He’s pretty much awesome.

Here are a few reasons I think you’ll agree that HIMYM is a great binge-watching experience:

1. It’s a great mix of funny and heart-warming. I think there’s a balance in each episode (and the overall show) of something hilarious and something with the “awww” factor. I’m usually laughing at something Barney says, or something ridiculous Marshall does. But I also just really want Ted to end up with a good girl.

2. It’s easy to watch. I feel like I can pop in on pretty much any episode and enjoy it. I’ve only watched the seasons in order all the way through once, and it was fairly quickly, so I feel like I’ve forgotten a fair number of details. But that doesn’t make me enjoy the HIMYM experience any less. I’m not totally lost as to what’s happening, or missing out on a thousand inside jokes; the few that there are often show up with a flashback of how they started.

3. Relationships. There are so many relationship dynamics that you get to experience when watching through the entire show, romantic and otherwise. It’s like some other shows (I’m looking at you, Friends.) in that by the end, it feels like everyone has slept with everyone else, and there’s nothing left sacred. But Lily and Marshall are untouched, and the ridiculous rivalry between Marshall and Barney over which of them is Ted’s best friend (spoiler: it’s clearly Marshall) never fails to add a little hilarity to an episode.

4. Surprises! Everyone likes a good surprise on a TV show, whether it’s a crazy new storyline introduced in a season finale, or a disappointing lack of culmination of something you thought was being built up (be honest: even the disappointing surprises pull you in deeper). HIMYM is full of surprises… mostly relationship surprises… but a few other good ones as well! I like how unpredictable it is at times.

5. Great supporting characters. Even the side characters on this show are well thought out and add a lot to an episode. Whether it’s bartender Carl, Robin’s womanizing boss Sandy, or Ted’s aptly-named high school friend Punchy, the characters who are woven throughout our favorite five’s lives add some depth and even more humor to the show. We get to love them almost as much as we love the fab five!

So there are your reasons to watch it if you haven’t. Or even if you have! I’ve heard some criticism from sometimes-viewers that Ted is annoying, or that the show moves slowly, but I think if you watch it start to finish, you’ll love it!