Rally (How I Met Your Mother)

Plot

On New Years Eve 2021, Ted and The Mother are in a limo heading to a party. Ted opens champagne to toast his wife's new book, ignoring her warning to go easy. He explains he made a vow in the past, and Future Ted recounts the story to his children. In 2013, ten hours before the wedding, Ted and Robin find Barney passed out outside his room.

Unable to wake him, the gang must revive him before wedding pictures in two hours. Marshall, disgusted, vows never to get that drunk again; Future Ted notes Marshall broke that vow in 2020 while running for the New York Supreme Court. Ted recalls Barney's hangover cure, "Stinson's Hangover Fixer Elixir," which has cured all their worst hangovers, but its secret ingredient is known only to Barney. Ted and Marshall gather the known ingredients while Robin and Lily try to wake Barney.

Their attempts include taking him outside, which results in him falling down the stairs. Lily joins Marshall's vow; Future Ted says she broke it on Marvin's first day of college in 2030. Ted and Marshall need grease as the last ingredient. The chef says they have none, but Ted notes bacon produces grease.

The chef will only make more bacon if all the current batch is eaten before breakfast ends. Ted, who never ate bacon due to his mother's lie about an allergy, reluctantly tries it, then devours it. They obtain the grease, and Ted attempts to eat the next batch. Future Ted states this was the first and last time he ate bacon.

Critical reception

Critics were split on the episode. Bill Kuchman of Popculturology commended the show for successfully fleshing out Barney's character. Donna Bowman of The A.V. Club awarded it an A. Max Nicholson of IGN gave it a 7.5/10, noting it stalled the plot but offered a few revealing flash-forwards.