Lucky Penny

Infobox Television episode
Title = Lucky Penny
Series = How I Met Your Mother
Season = 2
Episode = 15
Airdate = February 12, 2007
Production = 2ALH15
Writer = Jamie Rhonheimer
Director = Pamela Fryman
Guests = Meredith Scott Lynn (Phyllis), Gabrielle Allan (Pregnant Lady), Connie Sawyer (Old Lady), Carrick Quinn (Transit Cop), John Rosenfeld (Guy), Kelly Perine (Fred), Jason Medwin (Thug)
Prev = Monday Night Football
Next = Stuff

"Lucky Penny" is the 15^th episode in the second season of the television series "How I Met Your Mother". It originally aired on February 12, 2007.

ummary

Ted and Robin are running through the airport, trying to catch a plane to Chicago, where Ted has an interview with a large architecture firm for a high ranking job. As they reach their gate, the attendant tells them that she cannot let them on the flight. They explain that Ted had to attend a court date that morning for jumping a subway turn style, and she asks them to wait while she talks with the flight. While they wait, Robin suggests that their lateness was in fact Barney's fault. The show then flashbacks a few months to when Marshall had just broken his toe. He is especially disappointed, as he had been training hard in order to run the New York City Marathon. Barney complains about his moaning, and states that running a marathon is easy, even without training. Marshall then bets Barney he cannot complete the marathon, and because of his gambling problem, Barney accepts.

The next day, to the group's surprise, Barney completes the marathon quite easily, and shows no signs of being tired. Marshall pays up on the bet, and tells Barney that marathon runners get to ride the subway free that day. Despite mocking at first, Barney decides to ride the subway and show off the medal he was given for finishing the marathon.

Later, Ted receives a call from Barney, who is stuck on the subway, after finding he is suddenly unable to move his legs. Ted agrees to come and get him, but in his rush, does not pay to use the subway, and so jumps the turn style, explaining his court date in the present, but is tackled by a cop before he can help Barney, leaving him trapped on the train.

The story then returns to the present, where Ted agrees the whole situation is Barney's fault. The attendant then tells them that their flight has already left, but they maybe able to catch another flight leaving shortly. While making their way to the other gate, Ted suggests that their lateness might actually be due to Robin.

The story flashes back again, to April 2006, where Marshall decides to run the marathon to get into shape, with help from Lily and a guide book. One piece of advice suggests that the runner should apply petroleum jelly to areas affected by chafing, including the nipples. While following this advice, Robin walks in on Marshall, surprising him so much he falls, breaking his toe.In the present, Ted summarizes that if Marshall hadn't broken his toe, Barney would not have run, and not been stuck on the subway, so Ted would not have had to go to court, and they would not have been late. Robin then blames Lily.

In another flashback, Robin and Ted spot a line of people camping outside a wedding dress store for a big sale. When they tell Lily, she decides to go as well, and Robin agrees to camp out with her for the night. However, a car alarm keeps them from getting any sleep, so Robin decides to sleep at Ted's apartment that day, where she finds Marshall, causing him to break his toe.

Meanwhile, Ted and Robin reach the second flight in time, and ask if there are any seats. While the attendant searches, Ted realizes it wasn't Lily's fault, but his own. On the subway, he finds a penny from 1939, and believing it to be valuable, sells it to a collector, but only gets $1.50, so can only afford hot dogs from the other side of town. This is when they see the line for the dress store.

Deciding it is his own fault for missing the first flight, Ted is then told there are no seats on the second flight, and so misses his interview, and doesn't get the job. However, 'Future Ted' then tells the audience that the guy who got the job had to move to Chicago, meaning Ted would not have met his future wife, suggesting it wasn't his destiny to get the job after all.

Music

* Oppenheimer - "Nine Words"

Cultural references

* When Marshall gives himself a pep talk before going for a run, he says to himself, "You are Marshall!" which refers to the film "We Are Marshall" and the football team's chant "We are Marshall."

Continuity

* Ted tells Robin about the 1939 penny that he found on the subway in "The Scorpion and the Toad".

Trivia

* After the marathon Barney is seen wearing a finisher's medal. While Barney participated in the 2006 marathon, he is in fact wearing a finisher's medal from the 2004 marathon

External links

* " [http://www.tv.com/how-i-met-your-mother/lucky-penny/episode/943848/summary.html Lucky Penny] " at TV.com
* " [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0946316/ Lucky Penny] " at the Internet Movie Database