Ep 11. How Lily Stole Christmas

In How I Met Your Mother season 2 episode 11, titled How Lily Stole Christmas, the gang is excited about their Christmas plans until they realize that Lily has ruined everything. Ted and Robin had planned an expensive gift for each other, but Lily decides to take matters into her own hands and cancel their reservations at a fancy restaurant. She claims that they should be spending time together rather than wasting money on each other. Meanwhile, Marshall gets a job as a volunteer fireman and is eager to demonstrate his newfound heroism to everyone.

As the night goes on, the gang's plans continue to fall apart. When they arrive at Lily and Marshall's apartment for their annual White Elephant gift exchange, Lily reveals that she had thrown away everyone's presents in a fit of rage earlier that day. With the group in disarray, they try to make the most of their evening together. Ted and Robin desperately try to find a new place to spend Christmas Eve, but all of their options fall through. As they wander the streets of New York, they run into several familiar faces, including Ted's ex-girlfriend, whom they try to avoid.

Back at the apartment, Marshall is still trying to impress everyone with his firefighting skills. He volunteers to be Santa Claus for Lily's kindergarten class, but things quickly go downhill when he accidentally sets the classroom on fire. He ends up making things worse by trying to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher, causing a cloud of smoke to fill the room. The children are traumatized, and Marshall is left feeling like a failure.

Despite all of the chaos, the gang eventually comes together to salvage their Christmas Eve. Lily realizes that she may have gone too far with her selfishness and vows to make it up to everyone. She creates makeshift gifts for the group, including a mixtape for Ted and baking cookies for everyone. Marshall apologizes for his disastrous attempt at being a hero, and they all sit down to watch a cheesy holiday movie together.

How Lily Stole Christmas shows just how important it is to appreciate the people in your life and to embrace the true meaning of the holiday season. Even when things don't go as planned, there is always room for love and forgiveness. With its heartwarming message and hilarious moments, this episode is a perfect addition to any holiday binge-watch list.