# Blitzgiving

"Blitzgiving" is the tenth episode of the sixth season of the American sitcom How I Met Your Mother, and the 122nd episode overall. It aired on CBS on November 22, 2010 to an audience of 8.73 million viewers. It was written by Theresa Mulligan Rosenthal and directed by Pamela Fryman.
The episode features Ted's (Josh Radnor) friend Steve (Jorge Garcia) and enemy Zoey (Jennifer Morrison) celebrates Thanksgiving with the gang. The episode was met with praise from critics.

## Plot

It is the day before Thanksgiving, and Ted is hosting his first Thanksgiving for the group, and tries his best to make it memorable. He makes a special turkey by stuffing it with a smaller turkey, calling it a "turturkeykey". Just as he is about to call it an early night, Marshall and the group tell him not to leave the bar, or he will get the curse of "The Blitz". Future Ted explains how an old college friend, Steve Henry, had the curse of The Blitz; whenever he would leave the room with a group, something amazing would happen.
The next morning, Ted wakes up to chaos in his apartment. The place is a mess, and he discovers Zoey sleeping in the bathtub. Lily explains that after Ted left the bar, Zoey came in, and instead of seeking revenge, the group ended up having a great time with her and Steve. Ted soon realizes that he's been hit by the curse of The Blitz, missing out on an unforgettable night.
With the oven broken, the gang scrambles to find a place to cook the turkey. Lily recalls that Zoey had invited them over for Thanksgiving since her husband is spending the holiday with his daughter. Meanwhile, Barney, feeling uneasy about possibly being cursed as well, takes a separate cab to Zoey's. He soon realizes he's become "The Blitz" when he learns about a Thanksgiving Day parade they encountered earlier.
At Zoey's apartment, Ted and Zoey argue leading to him comparing her to a fairy-tale evil stepmother, which strikes a nerve. Zoey, hurt, demands they leave. As they walk away, Ted reflects on his insult and realizes it cuts deeper than he intended—Zoey feels rejected by her stepdaughter during the holidays. Understanding her pain, Ted decides to return and ask for her forgiveness, recognizing the importance of family and connection.
After dinner, Barney and Steve head towards the elevator. Steve remembers that he forgot his jacket and turns to retrieve it. Just then, a girl from the neighboring apartment darts into the elevator, with Barney inside. As the door closes, her dress gets stuck between the doors and rips apart. Steve realizes that he has been "Blitzed" again.

## Production

"Blitzgiving" was written by Theresa Mulligan Rosenthal and directed by Pamela Fryman.

### Casting

"Blitzgiving" stars Josh Radnor as Ted Mosby, alongside fellow series regulars Jason Segel as Marshall Eriksen, Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson, Alyson Hannigan as Lily Aldrin, and Cobie Smulders as Robin Scherbatsky. The episode guest stars Jorge Garcia as the titular character Steve Henry / The Blitz. Garcia's role on Lost is referenced in the episode with a mention of the numbers 4 8 15 16 23 42. The character returned in a cameo appearance the season 9 episode "Gary Blauman".
Jennifer Morrison appears as recurring character Zoey Pierson. Following her role on House Morrison wanted a more comedic role.

## Release

"Blitzgiving" first aired in the United States on CBS on November 22, 2010 to an audience of 8.73 million viewers.
In Australia the episode was aired alongside "The Mermaid Theory" by Seven Network on March 10, 2011. It was viewed live by 811 thousand viewers 93 thousand less than "The Mermaid Theory".

### Critical response

Reviews for the episode were positive. Angel Cohn of Television Without Pity also put the episode at A−, saying the writers did well to insert Lost references and help Garcia discover more comedic skills. Donna Bowman of The A.V. Club graded the episode at A−, praising the story development and the various ideas put in that actually worked together. She also noted similarity's between Steve and Garcia's Lost character Hurley Reyes.
Robert Canning of IGN gave the episode a rating of 8 out of 10 and praised the episode's humor and casting of Garcia. Canning additionally praised the premise of "the blitz" and its accompanying flashbacks.
According to Collider's Amy Brown and Ryan Heffernan the episode is the tenth highest rated of the series on IMDb.