'How I Met Your Mother' New Year's Eve Episode: How to Watch 'The Limo'
How I Met Your Mother has one of the most iconic New Year's Eve episodes in sitcom history, and you can stream it this year on Hulu. The episode is available here at any of Hulu's subscription tiers, from ad-supported to the all-out live TV package. If you're looking to mark the turning of 2022 into 2023, there's no better way to do it.
How I Met Your Mother premiered in 2005 and it was a major hit almost immediately. Season 1, Episode 11, "The Limo" helped set the tone for the series to come. It found all of its main characters grappling with their expectations for New Year's Eve and then finding that they didn't really know what to expect. It first aired on Dec. 19, 2005, and while the world has changed a lot since then, there's still a lot about this episode that hits close to home.
How I Met Your Mother starred Josh Radnor as Ted Mosby, Cobie Smulders as Robin Scherbatsky, Alyson Hannigan as Lily Aldrin, Jason Segel as Marshall Eriksen and Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson. The show was about a group of friends living in New York City and struggling with their careers, love lives and their general path in life. The show's infamous framing device found a future version of Ted – voiced by Bob Saget – telling the story of his 20s and 30s to his children in voice over.
In Season 1, this framing device was more firmly in place than ever, as it still felt like the mysterious "mother" might drop into the narrative at any moment. "The Limo" centered heavily on Ted's romantic aspirations as he hired a limo to drive him and his friends around NYC so they could party together. They plan to visit five different parties throughout the night, but, of course, this marathon proves more difficult than they anticipated.
How I Met Your Mother stayed popular throughout its nine-season run, though the looming threat of its framing device became a bit of a meme in pop culture. Many fans joked that the writers had bitten off more than they could chew with this drawn-out mystery, and some were disappointed with the way the series wrapped up in 2013. The show makes for a decent binge-watch for those interested, and the whole thing is available on DVD for fans that want to avoid streaming. At the time of this writing, Season 1 is going for just $11.44 here. Otherwise, you can stream the series on Hulu now at any subscription level.