The Limo

How I met Your Mother: It's New Year's Eve 2005 and Ted rents a limo for him and the gang and plans out the ideal way to ring in the New Year. Unfortunately, things don't go as planned.

## Recap

New Year's Eve is typically a complete letdown. Ted plans to change this, however, so he rents a limousine for the gang to ride around New York City in. Ted also plans for the gang to go to five separate parties, and to celebrate New Year's at the best party. Ranjit is the limo driver, having "moved up" in the world from a taxi driver. Robin leaves the limo because she has plans with her boyfriend Derek.

Lily is disappointed that Robin had to leave, so Barney presents his Get Psyched Mix CD, which, as Barney explains, is why he is always upbeat and "psyched." Barney puts in the CD, and "Shot Through The Heart" by Bon Jovi blares out of the speakers. The group goes to the first party, where Ted meets up with a co-worker named Marybeth, who is his date for the night. Barney also finds a date at the party, a foreign woman named Natalya. From there, they head to party number two.

The gang leaves party two, disappointed. They also leave Natalya at the party, but when Barney asks them to go back for her, Lily says that no one liked her, and Ted says that they have a tight schedule to keep if they are to make it to every party before midnight. Ted receives a call from Robin, however, who tells him that Derek stood her up, because he had to work tonight. Ted instantly directs Ranjit to turn the limo around to go pick Robin up. When they get Robin, Ted offers to kiss her at midnight since she won't be with her boyfriend. Robin mentions that she is starving, so Ted suggests they stop off at Gray's Papaya for hot dogs. Lily, however, has to go home to change out of her uncomfortable shoes. She and Marshall vow to find each other by midnight.

The group is about to head to party number three when they spot recording artist Moby outside. Ted rolls down the window and asks Moby what he's doing, to which Moby answers that he's going to a New Year's party. Ted offers to give Moby a ride, and Moby accepts. In the limo, the gang is excited to be hanging out with Moby, and he ends up inviting them to his party. Marshall, worried about Lily, goes to party three to find her.

On their way to Moby's party, Moby compliments Barney's Get Psyched Mix, agreeing that it should be "all rise." Soon after that, however, the gang quickly learns that the man they picked up is in fact *not* Moby, after he brandishes a gun and speaks erratically. Holding the gun, Not-Moby says that there's a guy at the party who owes him money. The gang eagerly drops him off at the party, wanting to get away from this crazy person. Marshall's phone, which he had left in the limo, begins ringing, and Barney answers it, and tells Lily that Marshall went looking for her at party number three. Lily doesn't see Marshall but does see someone she thinks is Moby, who also happens to have a gun. Ted quickly grabs the phone and tells Lily to get out of there. Lily runs back to the limo, and they learn that she was actually at party number four, which coincidentally was also the party that Not-Moby was going to.

The limo heads for party number three to find Marshall, and Barney realizes that Not-Moby stole his Get Psyched Mix, while the limo gets a flat tire. As Ranjit goes to fix the tire, Barney begins acting melancholy and introspective, apparently lost without his Get Psyched Mix. Robin, who realizes how hard Ted has worked to make this New Year's a great night, tries to keep spirits high by singing "Shot Through The Heart", and Ted voraciously joins in. Marybeth stands up through the sun roof to "get some air." Ted joins her, apologizing for the mishaps they've faced, and Marybeth bluntly asks Ted how long he has been in love with Robin. Ted insists he isn't, but Marybeth decides to leave.

With fifteen minutes until midnight, still with a flat tire, Lily decides to "call" Marshall, and starts yelling his name out of the sun roof of the limo. Eventually, she hears Marshall call back to her, as he triumphantly returns to the limo. Marshall explains that when he couldn't find Lily at party three, he walked to party number four, where he found Barney's Get Psyched Mix, and also got "Moby's" autograph on his shirt (signed "Eric"). Marshall then went to party number five, which was awesome, and they definitely need to go there. Ranjit finally fixes the flat tire, and they also learn that Natalya was actually asleep in the front seat the whole time. With eight minutes until midnight, Ranjit vows to reach party number five by midnight.

Three minutes later, the limo is stuck in bumper to bumper traffic. Accepting that the gang won't make it to party number five, Ted pops open a bottle of champagne and declares that the best party is inside the limousine with all of them. Right after they cheers their champagne, Derek appears at the limo's window, much to Robin's shock. As they count down to midnight, Ted leaves the limo and walks down the street. Robin follows him, saying that she thought they had a deal that they were going to kiss at midnight. When Ted asks about Derek, Robin says that he kept her waiting, so she can do the same. The two then share a kiss.