And here we are at the end of a slightly strike-shortened season with an episode that feels a little short and just barely delivers goods, but still has some pretty good laughs. Overall, it was a good season, and I'm sure we're all glad the show's been renewed for a fourth. Onward!

We open with Ted about to get into a cab as Radiohead's "(Nice Dream)" is playing. It's such a beautiful song that I'm surprised nobody's used it in a movie ad or other major TV show before. Or maybe they have and I missed it. I just saw Radiohead in Dallas last night, no lie. They didn't play this song, but they made up for it by playing all of In Rainbows as well as "Fake Plastic Trees" and a high-energy rant of "Wolf at the Door." But enough about Radiohead and their complete and total awesomeness (which even this show recognizes). You want to hear about Ted Mosby. SagetTed tells his kids in voiceover that this is a story about the cab ride that changed his life. He bends down to tie his shoelace as several cabs pass by. SagetTed wonders what would have happen if he had taken one of those, including a grimy, beaten-down car with "TAXI" spray painted on the side. He finally settles on a cab and, SagetTed says, it changed his life. The cab stops at an intersection and Ted looks out the rear right window. He sees something surprising, but we don't see what it is. He freezes and the music stops. "But first we need to back up a little," SagetTed says.

We side-whoosh to the apartment where Ted sighs deeply as he walks in. He asks if there's any beer in the fridge. Marshall, Lily and Robin are all sitting in the living room. Lily says it's 10 in the morning. On a weekend, I hope. Marshall is reading a copy of The New York Examiner, which has a cover story with the headline, "Nude cabbie vows to kill again." A police sketch of a bald guy with glasses and an eyepatch is shown. Marshall asks if Ted can bring him one. Ted explains that something bad just happened. He says that he and Stella were having breakfast together... immediate side-whoosh to the patio outside Popover Pantry, where they're eating. Stella tells Ted that her sister just broke up with her boyfriend. Ted immediately goes on a rant about how much he hated that guy, who was a vegan and was all hippie-dippy. "He's an idiot," Ted says dismissively. Stella says that her sister is marrying the guy, but she wanted Ted's honest opinion. Ted tries to backtrack and say that the guy is nice and kinda wise.