Unlike the disappointment many Star Wars fans felt after seeing The Phantom Menace, having waited so long for a new installment, I'm pretty confident fans of How I Met Your Mother felt anything but Jar Jar Binked when it came to tonight's new episode, "Trilogy Time."

The force is strong with show writer Kourtney Kang, who did very well to bring us back from the dark side of countless weeks with no new episodes. 

Some programs like their linear scripts, but our favorite comedy showed once again it loves to rock a flashback. Things got off to a great start tonight in present day, though, with the peeping Tom obsessing over Barney and his seven o'clock smile.

The revelation that he was, in fact, routinely relieving himself of some pent up gas to prevent breaking wind in front of Quinn was as good an opening scene as we've been treated to all season. 

For an episode that jumped around so often, requiring multiple scene and costume changes, I thought the attention to detail was outstanding. From the size of Lily's engagement ring to Barney's flip phone with antenna, such accessories did very well to add some subtle flare to what were already very entertaining scenes.

Titled as this episode was, one could have expected to be inundated with one Star Wars reference after another, but Obi Wan Kang-obi showed she knows her way around Trilogy subculture and slipped in a couple of very nice fanboy references in the form of the very real Stormtrooper fantasy and the debate over the changes made to the cantina scene with Han Solo and Greedo. 

Marshall and Lily's scenes got funnier with each installment, culminating with one of the best How I Met Your Mother quotes of the week, when - Marshall aboard his boat - told Ted he was "just that good." Robin, too, was great in her scenes as Rhiannon which was also a well chosen name for Ted's dream girl who, of course, would have a name rooted in mythology.

I also loved seeing horned up Robin from back in the day when she and Ted were still together and then again when she was dating Barney and forced to wear the stormtrooper suit.

How amazing was the speed with which Barney went from sweaty to suited up when Ted and Marshall came to his apartment thinking he was at decoupage class? 

Ah, yes, our resident Han Solo piloted us through an episode with many a twist and turn and continuously delivered. Whether it was uttering the same line over and over again while closing the door on a number of beautiful women or the scene in his kitchen with Quinn where they smashed mugs and shared gassy hugs, tonight was a strong performance from our gritty veteran.

Back boobs were one of his best inventions yet, but were we to believe each time he emerged from the kitchen in Ted and Marshall's apartment that he and said lady friend had just finished making the jump to light speed sex? 

While Barney was pretty unstoppable tonight, the case for Ted stealing the show could be made.

His hoarder scene was beyond words. The combover, the cat food and the stacks of bundled New York Times were the epitome of that epic detail I mentioned earlier. The call though he made to comment on the amount of cinnamon in his microwavable entree dessert was all time funny. Then to cap things off we saw that in 2015 Ted has a baby girl! Loved it!

Did anyone else notice Barney in that scene and how seemed to make sure he concealed his left hand at al costs. It was as if they didn't want us to know whether he was married or not at that point in the future. Go back and watch if you missed it. My guess is that he will be, but he didn't have a ring on in the final scene with Quinn so I took that to be present day. 

Man, this was a treat of an episode after such a long wait. I can't wait to read what you all thought. Sorry if unlike Kourtney Kang, I was not too subtle with my Star Wars references, I just couldn't help myself. 

How dare you, Lily?!?

On this Monday's episode of How I Met Your Mother, Marshall's better half will do something so dastardly and unfair to her husband that we can't even print it here.

Elsewhere, with Ted settled in to his new apartment, Barney will decide the pair should go out every night; while Robin hits a high point in her career.

Watch the following promo to see what Lily actually does and then, as always, return to TV Fanatic soon after the episode airs for an updated section of How I Met Your Mother quotes...

How I Met Your Mother Promo: "Now We're Even"

Tonight's How I Met Your Mother explored one of the great conundrums of relationships: Is there such a thing a sleep cheating? Can one be held accountable by one's significant other for subconscious coitus with another person?

After the startling revelation that it was Ranjit who was the object of the rapid thigh movement behind Lily's rapid eye movement, Marshall had no choice but to accept that it was his wife's turn to ride the Crazy Go Round. I liked the common thread of good fathers Marshall found, linking the men in Lily's dreams together, even if it was not the case.

While Lily's pregnancy-induced promiscuity was one score Marshall could not challenge, Ted and Barney's Game of Life debate was itself legendary and worthy of being the subject of "Now We're Even." Each feat of awesomeness and the arbitrary point amount awarded to such was more and more hilarious the longer the tallying went on.

And it was mighty big of Barney to award Ted 9,000 points for sleeping with Robin before he did, wasn't it?

My favorite storyline of the night, though, was Barney's quest to make each night legendary and their coinciding themes. My personal favorites were the night they ate everything on the menu and the night they partied with the mole people. Amidst all the hilarity, however, were two sort of serious moments:

1. Barney's admission that each night he is tortured with not knowing what Quinn is doing at work.
2. Ted's text to Robin saying he was glad she was alright. 

I did think Robin landing the helicopter was a bit far fetched, even by this show's standards, but it was nice to see her finally get the fame she deserved. There were, however, a few random moments of brilliance which more than made up for that one hiccup in reality.

In order of appearance they were:

• Ted spilling the bowl of hot soup on himself while naked. (I think it was Matzo Ball, no?)
• Barney's Speedy Gonzales-esque reappearance in the booth at hearing Marshall mention Lily's sex dream. 
• Barney's comment about inception with no knowledge of the movie. 
• Barney's Fred Sanford voice when he told Ted, "You're locked out Dummy!" 
•  Ted trying to impress while in a dress. 

Sure, tonight's episode was pretty much filler, but I still gave it a heap load of points for all that it entailed. Don't forget to rate tonight's best How I Met Your Mother quotes and be sure to let us know what you thought of the episode. 

How I Met Your Mother is building to an epic season seven finale. And it's gonna need a full hour to tell the two key stories at the center of it.

First, we'll welcome baby Eriksen, as Lily gives birth, going into labor while surrounded by Ted and Robin and then, much to her irritated chagrin, experiencing the painful miracle of life with her father (Chris Elliott) by her side.

Then, it's on to Barney's wedding day, as viewers will finally learn the identity of his bride. We see the legendary bachelor alongside Quinn in a couple of the following photos... but no way she ends up as Mrs. Stinson. Right?!?

The sitcom returns with a new episode on Monday, April 30. In the meantime, catch up now via our How I Met Your Mother quotes page.

How I Met Your Mother is about to get crazy. But, don't worry.

As the title of the episode proves, it's a "Good Crazy."

On the final installment before the two-part HIMYM season finale, Marshall will freak out over impending fatherhood... while ordering a lot of shots alongside Barney on a road trip. Elsewhere, Robin and Ted will arrive at an understanding about their relationship.

Watch the official CBS promo now:

How I Met Your Mother Promo: "Good Crazy"

The men of How I Met Your Mother deserved matching straight jackets after their behavior tonight.

On "Good Crazy" Ted could not stop envisioning Robin, no matter who he spoke to, Barney all of a sudden took issue with Quinn's profession and Marshall wrote some new chapters to What To Expect When You Are Expecting.

I'll admit I was a little surprised to still see Ted struggling with his Robin issues. While that scenario seemed a bit drawn out, I've been waiting for the stripper pole to come between Barney and Quinn at some point, so I guess the timing of the two here canceled each other out. Along with Marshall driving Lily crazy by playing daddy to a watermelon, tonight's storylines did well to take some steps toward the revelation of the mother while paying homage to some classic throw backs.

The attempts to cleanse Ted's palate of Robin did provide the setting for the amazing line of thought that took Ted from his date's ex, Wayne with no manners, to The Boy Wonder, namely Robin. That was a special. I don't think it was news to anyone to learn Ted and Robin still love each other, they just aren't in love with each other and that is fine. 

While I don't profess to be the biggest expert when it comes to following the yellow umbrella, one line tonight did set off a bell in my head.

It was when Barney was trying to sell Ted on the merits of online dating. Barney tried to dash any fantasy Ted might have had of meeting some cute travel agent while reading a newspaper at a book store by telling him that kind of thing doesn't happen. This image just seemed too specific of a scenario not to mean something, so I noted it in my best How I Met Your Mother quotes of the episode.  

Perhaps he meets the mother on the day of Barney's wedding while doing the New York Times crossword? I will defer to you Mother Experts here. Am I making too much of this one line or was there something there? 

One thing was certain, Barney's new love just hit the tip of the relationship woe iceberg. Recall that Quinn had mentioned off hand once that she would consider retiring from stripping if she was to say, get married? Barney loves her, but in a panic to regain her love, I fear he is going to propose to Quinn without fully addressing their issues.

It has been said that Ted would never have met the mother if it wasn't for Barney's wedding, but it has also been widely agreed upon that said wedding does not end well. Tonight's drama seemed to start the ball rolling in that direction didn't you think? 

With all the hints as to what the future might hold for the MacLaren's mates, there were several throw back references that resurfaced in amazing fashion. First and foremost had to be the reappearance of the Ducky Tie. Mistakenly assumed lost forever, Barney showed the power the quacker clad accessory wielded when a promise to wear it again got Marshall to turn off his phone and get drunk.

No, he didn't just get drunk, we saw what was likely Marshall's last cigarette along with the return of BEERCULES! Marshall screaming all hail his alter ego's name while tossing chips in the air was hard to beat, but his line about Barney being the owner of the Paramus Waldorf and the two of them hooking the dealer up was tops for me. 

Other moments I loved were:

• Barney nose to nose with grandma Lois. 
• Lily swaddled in bed like a burrito. 
• Barney asking Ted if he was 39'ing with a very short woman.
• Condolence High Fives.
• Barney's bearded sailor disguise.

Despite all these great moments and others alike, and having enjoyed previous entertaining filler episodes, I felt like the writers may be feeling pressed for time as they still need to deliver on storyline advances they have promised.

Having waited so long for some clarity with regard to the mother, I just hope things are revealed in a way so that meets our ever-growing expectations.

Many fans, pregnant with anticipation, tuned in to watch the season finale of their beloved How I Met Your Mother tonight.

The delivery of what was just the first half of the evening's culmination was a thing of beauty. Carter Bays, Craig Thomas and their ward of talented writers have been warming this bun in their creative ovens for some time now. "The Magician's Code Part One" was no illusion and delivered in roses. 

As usual, we were treated to an array of amazing vintage pop culture references - like when the ATM switched over to The Legend of Zelda on Marshall. Without a doubt, though, the best sequence of the episode was the collection of stories with which Ted and Robin tried to distract Lily. Topping my list were the Door Story, the Halloween they decided to all go as The Breakfast Club but failed to coordinate their costumes and, of course, the time Barney tried to pick up girls as the Terminator. 

Help me out here, friends: I couldn't help but think the story about the mystery door was a reference to something. I even went as far as to try and Shazam the background music. Did I miss something or was I reading too much into the story and got Malcoviched?

While scratching my head on that one, I also had to kick myself for thinking Barney was going to appear as any version of the Terminator other than the naked one from the movie's opening scene. Him kneeling there in the buck with the trash blowing by was almost too much amazing to handle. 

Robin and Ted once again made it hard to believe they don't end up together, as they played so well off one another all episode long. I know it isn't meant to be, but at least they are friends again. I would also like to take this opportunity to send an, E-High-Five to Cobie Smulders's trainer. Our favorite gal from the Great White North looked simply stunning as she hilariously recounted the times she went elbows deep during foaling season. 

While Barney's tender speech about Marshall was almost out done by the bus driver's amazing Cocoon 2 line, in the end Barney was the winner as he lived up to his promise and got the big guy to the hospital in time. For his heroics, the most awesome honor of helping to name the newest addition to the gang was bestowed upon him and together we were introduced to Marvin Waitforit Eriksen.

I'll be right back with the recap of part two of tonight's finale. In the meantime check out tonight's best How I Met your Mother quotes. 

While part one of tonight's finale delivered on the much anticipated birth of Marshall and Lily's son without too much misdirection, "The Magician's Code Part Two" had a few tricks up its sleeve that will keep us wondering into next season. 

At the opening of the episode, narrator Ted announced to his kids that they were going to hear the story of a wedding day that went horribly wrong. First thought, of course, was that he was talking about Barney's nuptials to Robin (as we later would learn).

As the half hour progressed, however, it was no longer so cut and dry as Ted, on the advice of Robin, called Victoria, who later showed up in her wedding dress and drove off into the sunset with her former flame. 

Prior to that turn of events and the other revelations made at the end of the episode, we caught up with Marshall and Lily, who were relishing having their new son home, but also confounded by Marvin's unpredictable bladder. Ted's line about Marshall ("That guy is a dad!") was just epic and so very true to life. 

Barney's run in with the TSA at the airport, on the other hand, was a bit of a departure from reality, but just another typical day in the awesome life of Barney Stinson. You just knew the magic trick had something to do with his plan to propose to Quinn, but the build up and eventual pay off were still executed to perfection. Barney's magical stylings accompanied by his disbelieving "whats" were one of my favorite parts of the finale. 

Robin and Ted shared some more quality one on one time, but it was the scene where Barney asked Robin if she was okay with his decision to marry Quinn that really took the gravity of the finale to another level. As we closed out another great season, we were lead to believe that Ted had finally met the mother of his children and Barney and Robin at last decided to tie the knot. Knowing this team of writers as we do, though, I wouldn't be so quick to close the book on those mysteries just yet.

As always, I look forward to reading what you all thought and be sure to check out the best How I Met Your Mother quotes this week offered up. Until next season, may your summer be filled with the highest of fives.

So that's Barney's bride!

The How I Met Your Mother season 7 finale delivered multiple surprises, from the return of Victoria to the reveal of Robin as the future Mrs. Stinson. Really, could it have been anyone else?

Now, in an interview with TV Line, executive producer Craig Thomas teases what it will all mean for season eight and beyond. Warning: spoilers ahead...

-------------------------------------------

Will there be wedding bells? Yes. "There’s going to be twists and turns built into that day."

Will Quinn return? Yes, even though Becki Newton has been cast on The Goodwin Games. The Season 8 premiere will pick up on the same day as this finale. “There’s a lot of great stories to tell just in that one day," Thomas says. "Episode 2 will leap ahead to September, and we’ll see where everybody is four months later.”

There will be a "significant arc" for Robin involving a new love interest.

The Season 8 premiere will "show all of the ramifications of" Ted learning that Victoria did not leave a note for her fiancé upon leaving him and turning his car around to fix that.

For a lot more from Thomas, visit TV Line now and then grade the HIMYM finale:

Another change is on the way for Two and a Half Men, but this one has nothing to do with drugs and strippers.

The sitcom has been moved to Thursday nights on the CBS 2012-2013 schedule, while The Mentalist fans will also need to adjust to a new time slot. Read on for full listings and return to TV Fanatic throughout the day for photos and trailers of the new shows on tap...

Monday
8 p.m. How I Met Your Mother
8:30 p.m. Partners (New Show)
9 p.m. 2 Broke Girls
9:30 p.m. Mike & Molly
10 p.m. Hawaii Five-0

Tuesday:
8 p.m. NCIS
9 p.m. NCIS: Los Angeles
10 p.m. Vegas (New Show)

Wendesday
8 p.m. Survivor
9 p.m. Criminal Minds
10 p.m. CSI

Thursday
8 p.m. The Big Bang Theory
8: 30 p.m. Two and a Half Men
9 p.m. Person of Interest
10 p.m. Elementary (New Show)

Friday
8 p.m. CSI: NY
9 p.m. Made in Jersey (New Show)
10 p.m. Blue Bloods

Sunday
8 p.m. The Amazing Race
9 p.m. The Good Wife
10 p.m. The Mentalist

Michael Trucco will appear on multiple episodes of How I Met Your Mother Season 8.

The Fairly Legal star - who last appeared on HIMYM as Robin's "Crush" in 2011 and who also spent time on Castle as a love interest for Beckett - will reprise his role on the sitcom this fall, TV Line confirms.

No many more details are available, but the site report Trucco will stop by for "a chunk" of Season 8, most likely causing problems for Barney and Robin before their inevitable trip to the altar, as viewers witnessed on the Season 7 finale.

How I Met Your Mother returns with new episodes on Monday, September 24.

Considering the events on the How I Met Your Mother Season 7 finale, this only seems appropriate:

Ashley Williams has booked a return to the CBS sitcom as Victoria. According to TV Line, the actress/character will appear on multiple episodes this fall.

When we last saw Victoria, she was ditching her wedding with Ted after a flood of romantic memories hit both halves of the former couple.

But producer Craig Thomas has said the "ramifications of that decision" will hit home on the How I Met Your Mother Season 8 premiere after Ted learns that Victoria never alerted her fiancé to her plans.

The beloved sitcom returns on September 24.

How I Met Your Mother Season 8 kicks off on September 24. But who cares? Let's talk How I Met Your Mother Season 9!

Yes, already.

At her session with the Television Critics Association today, CBS President Nina Tassler - who strode on to the stage holding a stuffed monkey in mockery of how much NBC is playing up its actual monkey from Animal Practice - said she's "very optimistic" that the sitcom will return in the fall of 2014.

Moreover, showrunners Carter Bays and Craig Thomas are writing “a strategic wrap-up” to the series, which has teased fans for years with the reveal of the actual Mother.

Among other tidbits out of CBS today:

• Elementary producer Rob Doherty says he may have cast a woman in the role of Dr. Watson, but any sexual relationship between this iconic sidekick and Jonny Lee Miller's Sherlock is "completely off the table," adding: It’s just not in my head for Season 1 and, looking ahead... I just don’t feel like that’s a part of the show.”
• Tassler is aware of delayed start-time annoyance during NFL season and CBS will employ Tweets, texts and on-screen messages to alert viewers to when these might occur. The Mentalist, which is moving to Sundays, will also have full episodes available on CBS.com this fall.
• Canceling CSI: Miami was a "very big deal" and a "tough choice." Tassler acknowledged.
• There will be  “more humor” and “New York event-type stories” on CSI: NY this season.

With talk of How I Met Your Mother Season 9 already making fans giddy, producer Craig Thomas gave viewers another reason to be excited at the Television Critics Association press tour yesterday:

He's planning to release a series soundtrack titled, naturally, "How I Met Your Music."

"We've been asked by the fans for years, 'When is a soundtrack going to come out?'" Thomas said. "We've never been able to make it happen. Finally, we decided, 'Look, it could be the last year of the show, we don't know if there could be more. This is the time to do it.' We compiled everything. It's 20 tracks, 40 minutes of music. On premiere night, the soundtrack is going to go up on iTunes."

That would be Monday, September 24. Mark your calendars!

Thomas added that the final song list is not yet complete, but you can expect a complete version of the theme song, along with every Robin Sparkles single, "Nothing Suits Me Like a Suit" and the Puzzles theme song.

Joe Manganiello is set to take another bite out of How I Met Your Mother.

The True Blood werewolf will reprise the role of Marshall's law school friend, Brad, on two Season 8 episodes, according to TV Line. We last saw him back on Season 5 when he took Robin on an awkward date.

What brings Brad back into the picture this fall? It's unclear, but he won't be alone.

Michael Trucco and Ashley Williams have also booked returns to the CBS sitcom, which kicks off a new season on September 24.

Ashley Williams will play a role on How I Met Your Mother Season 8. And so will the man her character left at the altar.

Entertainment Weekly reports that Thomas Lennon will come on board the CBS sitcom as Klaus, the groom-to-be who Williams' Victoria left at the altar on the How I Met Your Mother Season 7 finale.

On the September 24 premiere, Ted will learn that Victoria didn't even tell Klaus she was ditching the wedding.

Lennon, meanwhile, will forever be known to most as Lt. Jim Dangle on Reno 911! (above), but he has also appeared on episodes of Children’s Hospital, New Girl and in the movie What to Expect When You’re Expecting.

Welcome back to the latest rundown of FrenEmmy nominees.

Over the course of the last few weeks, TV Fanatic has been recognizing those unrecognized by the Emmy Awards, the actors, actresses and programs that have inexplicably been shutout by television's biggest event.

With an aim of awarding various stars and shows we feel are noteworthy, we've posted nominees in the categories of: Best Drama Series, Lead Actor in a Drama, Lead Actress in a Drama, Supporting Actor in a Drama and Supporting Actress in a Drama, Best Comedy Series, Lead Actor in a Comedy and Lead Actress in a Comedy.

Now, in a category that we admit is biased toward a couple (GREAT)  shows, we present a list of Supporting Actors in a Comedy who have somehow never been nominated by the Emmys.

Vote for your favorite:

Welcome back to the 1st annual Tournament of TV Fanatic!

It's time for you, TV Fanatics, to choose your top CBS star! We'll be conducting surveys among fan favorites from across the network. The concept is easy: Pick your favorite of the two pairs in each poll. That's it!

Round 1 so far: Mark Harmon-Jon Cryer, Chris O'Donnell-Kaley Cuoco, Simon Baker-Kat Dennings, Julianna Margulies-Michael Emerson, Jim Parsons-Pauley Perrette, Melissa McCarthy-Alex O'Loughlin, and LL Cool J-AJ Cook.

On tap today? Our #2 seed, How I Met Your Mother's Neil Patrick Harris, against #15 Tom Selleck of Blue Bloods! Which actor do you love most? VOTE, then check out the full CBS bracket below:

We will post polls of these respective matchups daily, and then after each round, update the bracket as some stars advance, while others are eliminated, until the winner is crowned. Make sense?

It's easy, fun and all decided by YOU! Here's the Tournament of TVF CBS field:

The second (quarterfinal) round will begin tomorrow afternoon! All polls remain open until then!

NOTE: If your favorite didn't make the cut, there will also be a wild card round, on top of NBC, Fox, ABC and miscellaneous (HBO, USA, etc.) brackets! Leave a comment with your nominations.

Let's run it back one more time, shall we, TV Fanatics?

Over the past couple weeks, since the Emmy nominations were revealed on July 19, we've been singling out various actors, actresses and television shows in the first-ever FrenEmmys, our answer to TV's biggest night and a chance to recognize stars that have never been nominated by that ceremony.

Go ahead and sort through our nominees for Best Drama Series, Lead Actor in a Drama, Lead Actress in a Drama, Supporting Actor in a Drama and Supporting Actress in a Drama, Best Comedy Series, Lead Actor in a Comedy, Lead Actress in a Comedy and Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy.

And now let's turn our attention to some of the funniest women on the small screen.

The following actresses crack us up on a weekly basis... yet none has ever received any Emmy love.

Vote now on who is most deserving of the FrenEmmy for Supporting Actress in a Comedy:

Welcome back, fans, to the 1st annual Tournament of TV Fanatic!

It's time for you, TV Fanatics, to choose your favorite CBS star! We will be conducting surveys among fan favorites from across the network. The concept is easy: Pick your favorite of the two pairs in each poll. That's it!

Mark Harmon and Kaley Cuoco, Simon Baker and Julianna Margulies and Alex O'Loughlin and Pauley Perette kicked off second round. Today, it's HIMYM's Neil Patrick Harris against Criminal Minds' AJ Cook!

Which star do you love more? VOTE:

On tap tomorrow: the semifinals! Here's the updated CBS bracket: