Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Written By: Chris Harris
Original Air Date: February 26, 2007
Watch It On: Netflix
What It’s About: Marshall’s (Jason Segel) cherished 1988 Pontiac Fiero has finally bitten the dust just before hitting 200,000 miles. While Marshall mourns, the gang recalls their own memories of the beloved car. Ted (Josh Radnor) thinks back to his and Marshall’s first year of college when Marshall offered to drop him off home in Ohio on his way to Minnesota for Christmas break, sparking the most epic road trip in sitcom history.
Why It’s So Good: Say what you will about the lackluster state of HIMYM‘s last few seasons, but the first three seasons of this show were sitcom gold. “Arrividerci, Fiero” is no different and arguably the best episode of the series (a neck-and-neck tie with “Slap Bet,” aka “Robin Sparkles”). During flashbacks of Ted’s and Marshall’s getting-to-know-you road trip, aka “The 100k Fiasco,” a Proclaimers cassette is lodged in the player and stuck on the Australian pop band’s number one hit, “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).” Anyone stuck in a car for days at a time, whose only entertainment is a B-Grade ’80s pop hit, might get a little loopy.
Don’t Forget the B-Plot: While the gang recants their memories of the Fiero, Lily (Alyson Hannigan) and Robin (Cobie Smulders) feel it’s time to come clean about something that happened while driving it one night when they first met. The girls were on their way back from picking up Thai food and thus broke the cardinal rule of the Fiero, which is NO FOOD OR DRINK IN THE FIERO. When Lily accidentally jolts the breaks, Thai food, of course, goes everywhere. They quickly come up with a plan to cover up the smell, and break out cigars they find in the glove compartment (which Marshall was saving for hit 200,000 mile-mark) and smoke the stench away, then blaming the muskiness on a made-up homeless man, who they claim, tried to steal the Fiero and threw up all over the back seat.
The Best Moments: Zitch Dog! After getting bored with the Proclaimers, Ted and Marshall decide it’s time for a good old fashioned road trip game. Ted suggests “Zitchg Dog,” which is just a spin on the “Punch Bug” game. Marshall is killing it with beginner’s luck when the two have to pull over in the middle of the night during a snowstorm. In order to conserve gas, Marshall turns off the heat, forcing them to cuddle in the passenger’s seat, only to be woken the next day by a dog.
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Photos: CBS/Netflix
