Season 2, Episode 15: Lucky Penny

Ted, you don’t ever want to see where the subway turns around.

Ted and Robin reminisce about the reasons why they’re running late to the airport.

Ted and Robin are heading out to Chicago to have an interview with an architecture firm that wants him to run their New York office.  But, they’re running late for the flight because Ted had to be in court that morning because he’d jumped a subway turnstile.  Which brings us to the fact that it’s all Barney’s fault.

Barney- Marshall was planning on running the New York City Marathon, but he broke his toe.  Of course, Barney says that you don’t need to train for a marathon you “just run it.”  So they challenge him to run in Marshall’s place.  The next morning they follow Barney’s tracking chip on the computer and watch him make some seriously good time.  So they go down to the marathon route and watch Barney effortlessly run past.  Barney finishes and decides to ride the subway because he gets to ride for free all day.  But, while he’s sitting on the subway his legs go numb and he can’t get off, so he calls Ted to come and get him.  But when Ted gets to the subway station the train is leaving so Ted jumps the turnstile and ends up having to go to court.

Ted finds one other flight, but it’s on the other side of the airport, so they end up running across the airport.  Then Ted brings up that Barney wouldn’t have run the marathon if Marshall hadn’t broken his toe.  So it’s Robin’s fault.

Robin & Marshall- Marshall realized he’d gained some weight and decides to run the NYC Marathon as a way to get in shape.  He trains for months, running all the time and learning all the things runners do.  Because of the amount of running he was doing, his feet and nipples were chafing so he rubbed petroleum jelly on his feet and was rubbing it on his chest when Robin came in and surprised him, causing him to fall down and break his toe.

So technically, it’s Robin fault.  But Robin blames Lily.

Lily- Robin was home during the middle of the day because the night before Lily and Robin camped out for a wedding dress blowout.  But while they were sitting outside the door some guy’s car alarm went off and continued to go off, all night long.  She was too tired to go all the way out to her apartment so she went to Ted’s to crash for a while, and there stumbled upon Marshall.

So technically, it’s Lily’s fault.  They get to the second flight and while waiting to find out if they can get seats they discuss how it’s really Ted’s fault.

Ted- While riding the subway, Ted found a 1939 penny and he and Robin took it to a collector and $1.50 for it.  So while they were walking home, they saw the wedding dress store.

So really, it’s all Ted’s fault.  Then they find out there are no extra seats on the plane.  So Ted’s destiny was to not go to Chicago.  Ted didn’t get the job.  But Future Ted explains that three months later the guy who did get the job had to relocate to Chicago.  And Ted’s destiny was to stay in New York and meet The Mother.

The Mother- Okay, not really leading to The Mother.  More like explaining that he met The Mother in New York.  Which we already could assume.