“It girl” Serena van der Woodsen has returned to Manhattan after a mysterious and self-imposed exile to boarding school. Serena’s best friend, Blair Waldorf, has conflicted feelings about her friend’s return since she has enjoyed being the Queen Bee during Serena’s absence and might not be ready to relinquish her new position on the social ladder, not to mention the fact that she has always suspected there may be unspoken feelings between Serena and her longtime boyfriend, Nate.

Ted finally finishes telling his kids the story of how he met their mother.

Ted finally finishes telling his kids the story of how he met their mother.

With only a half an hour left before the wedding, Robin and Barney panic; Lily and Marshall rewrite their wedding vows.

When Gary Blauman shows up at the wedding, it sends the gang into a frenzy as they each recall an encounter with him.

Marshall asks Barney and Ted for help figuring out where Lily went in the middle of the night during their argument.

Robin and Lily have a fight on the morning of the wedding; Barney can’t decide what suit to wear; the gang watches a movie that Ted didn’t want them to see.

The gang must figure out how to make the Stinson Hangover Fixer Elixir to help Barney recover on the day of the wedding.

Robin and Ted reminisce about past relationships as they search for a drunken Barney on the day of the wedding; Lily and Marshall come to a resolution; Barney befriends two men who are eager to meet women.

The mother reveals how she met Ted and what she has been doing over the past eight years.

Robin and Ted try to get Barney to reveal secrets after he drinks too much; Marshall tries to avoid fighting with Lily.

In an attempt to deliver a devastating final slap to Barney, Marshall explains how he mastered the Slap of A Million Exploding Suns.

A man at the wedding intentionally stirs up trouble; Marshall finally arrives at the Farhampton Inn.

Robin is dismayed when Barney wants to have their rehearsal dinner at a laser tag arena; Ted aggravates Lily by not following through with a promise.

Marshall tries to get Marvin to sleep by reciting rhyming bedtime stories.

Barney concocts a plan when his father arrives at the hotel; Ted thinks he is being framed when a wedding-related duty gets messed up.

During a flashback, the gang wonders how the Ted, Robin and Barney love triangle will play out; Barney accepts challenges from Robin and Lily.

When Robin and Loretta’s conflict escalates, Barney is caught in the middle. Meanwhile, Marshall and Daphne deal with a stowaway on their road trip, and Ted and Cassie try to enjoy a trip to a lighthouse.

When Daphne sends a troubling text message to Lily, Marshall enlists the gang’s help to remove the message while enforcing the “No Questions Asked” rule.

When Ted finds himself with three prospects to be his date for the wedding weekend, he chooses poorly. Meanwhile, Barney and Robin have a confrontation with their minister, and Marshall learns more about his driving companion, Daphne.

Barney is upset after Robin wins James’s wedding ring during the poker game, and Ted argues with Marshall and Lily over whether he gave them a wedding gift.

While Barney works through his anger at Ted after finding out he still has feelings for Robin, Marshall Skypes in to act as a judge and help settle their dispute. Meanwhile, Lily realizes she is Robin’s only girlfriend.

When Lily discovers Ted’s list of things he wants to do in New York before he moves for Chicago, she becomes frustrated that she is the only person who knows about his plans. Meanwhile, Robin and Barney realize they have very little time together before their relatives arrive for their wedding.

When James reveals that he is getting divorced, Robin worries about how Barney will take the news. Meanwhile, Marshall races to find a way to get to New York in time for the wedding, and Ted deals with being alone at a romantic hotel.

On their way to Long Island for their wedding weekend, Robin and Barney come across a startling family discovery. Meanwhile, Marshall sees something online that changes the course of his journey east, while Lily confronts Ted about letting go of Robin.

As the gang prepares to go to Robin and Barney’s wedding, Ted invites Lily to see the house he’s finally finished fixing up. Meanwhile, Robin and Barney’s night of relaxation is ruined by an obnoxious couple, and Marshall takes the baby on a last-minute trip to Minnesota to see his family.

Robin desperately tries to locate the item that she buried in Central Park years earlier to wear as her “Something Old” for the wedding. Meanwhile, Marshall and Lily ask Ted to help them pack for Italy, and Barney invites Robin’s father to play Laser Tag in order to bond with him.

The gang works together to plan a legendary bachelor party for Barney.

When The Captain asks Lily to move to Rome for a year as his art consultant, she fears that Marshall will resent her. Meanwhile, Ted and Barney become obsessed with a girl who is hiding her amazing body under a puffy coat.

Ted and Barney’s future versions attempt to persuade present day Ted to go see Robots Versus Wrestlers. Marshall and Robin have a dance-off.

Barney reluctantly attempts to sell his apartment by holding an open house, during which Ted and Marshall get mistaken for a couple. Tension arises between Lily and Marshall when her new job causes her to spend less time at home.

Barney’s legendary relationship playbook, which Robin thought was destroyed, rears its head when Ted and Jeanette break up and Barney decides to use his chick manual to help Ted find a new girlfriend.

“The Ashtray” is the 17th episode of the eighth season of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, and the 177th episode overall.

Ted is reluctant to break up with his crazy girlfriend Jeanette. Meanwhile, Robin becomes attached to Marvin after finally holding him for the first time.

Barney uncovers the lost episode of Robin’s “Underneath the Tunes” as Robin Sparkles. Meanwhile, Marshall and Lily are concerned that Ted’s new girlfriend is a stalker.

Barney begs Ted to continue seeing his much younger, much wilder girlfriend, even though Ted has nothing in common with her. Meanwhile, Robin must adjust to the power of the bling.

When Robin learns that Barney never asked her father’s permission before proposing, she insists that he seek his approval before announcing their engagement. Meanwhile, Ted keeps his feelings concealed by throwing himself into planning their wedding.

Christmas approaches and Ted wrestles with whether to tell Robin about Barney’s intentions involving Patrice, while Marshall and Lily get an early Yule gift, a night away from Marvin, but a case of separation anxiety strikes and threatens to ruin the evening.

Robin takes steps to have Patrice fired from WWN, while Marshall puts a jinx on Barney. Later, Ted invites his architecture professor to the dedication of the GNB building, and Marshall and Lily bump into an oddball acquaintance from college.

Barney’s developing relationship with Patrice leaves Robin questioning his motives. Marshall’s widowed mother gets back into the dating pool, but he thinks she may be swimming with a shark.