SPOILER ALERT: If you aren’t completely caught up on the show, don’t read this review!

Last night’s episode of “How I Met Your Mother”, Symphony of Illumination, was a Robin roller-coaster ride. Coming off of the cliffhanger at the end of last week’s episode – in which Robin told Barney she was pregnant – we knew that this episode was going to be a big one. Robin’s pregnancy could pose a number questions, especially what effect it would have on the recent Robin / Kevin / Barney love triangle. Is the baby Kevin’s, and if it is, does that mean the end of Barney and Robin as we know it?

Recap

Well, right off the bat Robin clarified who the baby’s father was, admitting to Barney that the baby couldn’t be Kevin’s because they hadn’t had sex yet. Barney takes the news surprisingly well, excited at the thought of becoming a Dad. To prove to Robin how great having a kid coud be, Barney brings her along on Lilly’s trip to We B Babies. But Barney’s enthusiasm disappears when he sees a former swinger friend, Insane Duane, in the store with his wife and multiple kids. Insane Duane admits that, since he had kids, he hasn’t been to a bar in years. That’s all Barney needs to hear.

Barney and Robin at "We B Baby"

Robin and Barney go to see the doctor together, ready to hear the worst but hoping for good news. When the doctor tells them that Robin isn’t pregnant, the two do a celebratory happy dance on the spot. But Robin’s relief is short-lived. Days later, she gets a call from the doctor who informs her that she won’t ever be able to have kids. Though this is huge news, Robin keeps it from the others, who are left to guess what is really on her mind. At first Robin seems fine with the fact that she’s barren because she’s always been clear about never wanting to have children. But a return trip to We B Babies makes Robin realize the magnitude of her condition, and she suddenly is missing the possibility of one day having kids. In fact, she’s so upset about it that she ends up telling the story to her two imaginary future kids (cleverly mimicking the way Future Ted is telling each “How I Met Your Mother” episode to his future son and daughter). After much resistance, Robin accepts Ted’s attempts to comfort her. She still refuses to talk about what is bothering her, but allows Ted to keep her company in NYC for Christmas.

Marshall stuck on the roof with his Christmas lights

Throughout Robin’s emotional ordeal, comic relief is provided by Marshall’s side-story involving Christmas decorating at the Long Island house and a neighborhood kid named Scott. Scott pretends to help Marshall hang christmas lights and acts like the son Marshall has always wanted. But when Marshall accidentally drops his cell phone off the roof, Scott pulls the ladder away from the house, trapping Marshall without a way to call for help. While Marshall is stranded atop the house, Scott hosts a wild party in Marshall’s house.

Review

One of the greatest strengths of “How I Met Your Mother”, now halfway through it’s seventh season, is that it doesn’t shy away from some of life’s toughest issues. At some point over the course of the show, each character has had to deal with their own big issues – Barney finally meeting his father, Lilly’s breakup with Marshall to pursue her art career (thank God that didn’t take), and Ted’s constant quest for his soul mate (still ongoing). And just last year, mid-way through the season, Marshall’s father passed away. So when last night’s episode came along and it was Robin’s turn for some trouble, it was nothing new to HIMYM fans.

First of all, I loved how the episode started off with a twist on the typical opening, with Robin telling her future kids the story of tonight’s episode. In telling them the story of “how I met your father,” Robin seems to finally put to rest the question of whether or not Barney and Robin end up together. In fact, this opening seemed to confirm that Robin was really pregnant, that Barney really was the father, and that things were going to be a whole lot different from now on.

Robin's future kids listen to her tell the story

But a trip to the doctor not only dismissed Robin’s pregnancy, it gave the episode a 180 spin with the news that Robin was barren. Throughout the episode, Robin’s emotions were all over the place and she took the audience along with her. Though there were brief periods of happiness, the overall feeling of the episode was quite a downer, but that’s okay. I don’t take joy in seeing Robin or the others struggle, but I appreciate the fact that the writers aren’t afraid to delve into the darker side of life that sitcoms so frequently avoid. In the end, these major issues lead to more dynamic characters and greater character development.

To be honest, I was hoping that the pregnancy scare was real. Some people may find that shocking, but I’m ready for some of the characters on HIMYM to change, especially Robin and Barney. After six-and-a-half seasons, everybody is getting older (along with the show itself), and with age comes change. I’m ready for Ted, Robin and Barney to either settle down or get closer to it as the end nears. Still, I can understand why the writers turned Robin’s pregnancy into a fake-out. Last March, HIMYM got picked up for two more seasons, putting it into at least May 2013. Robin being pregnant would probably pose a problem with so much time left before the show finally signs off.

Overall, “Symphony of Illumination” was a solid episode, resolving the pregnancy issue while simultaneously exploring Robin’s attitude towards having kids. Putting characters through hard times makes them more relatable, which leads to more of a connection for the audience and a more enjoyable show. As “How I Met Your Mother” hits the mid-season break of it’s seventh season, it once again proves that a great sitcom doesnt’ always have to stay away from the harshness of reality.

On Monday night CBS premiered it’s newest season of “How I Met Your Mother”, which included a bonus 2nd episode following the first one. Things picked up right where they had left off at the end of last season: Barney is reconnecting with Nora, Lilly and Marshall are dealing with one of the first steps of having a baby (figuring out when / how to tell everyone the good news), Ted is readying himself to restart his search for “The One,” and Robin is coming to the realization that she may still have feelings for Barney.

This first episode proves that the writers and cast of “How I Met Your Mother” still have plenty of funny left in them, despite entering the seventh season of the show. Throughout the course of these two new episodes there was a good mix of classic and new material to keep both diehard fans and new viewers laughing.

However, the most promising aspect of the “How I Met Your Mother” premiere wasn’t the comedy, but rather the directions that our beloved character’s stories are headed.

Barney tries to land a 2nd date with Nora

Just as the monotony of Barney’s playboy characteristic had reached a breaking point, the writers have breathed new life into his character by flashing forward to his own wedding as well as bringing Nora back into the picture. It was a relief to see that finally Barney might start to settle down and put his past six seasons of womanizing behind him. That’s not to say that there’s a need to entirely drop that aspect of Barney – there is still room for boob jokes and sexual innuendos, and the writers seem to realize that. Still, it will be a welcome change of pace to see how Barney’s relationship with Nora (and Robin) will develop as the season continues.

Lilly and Marshall’s baby story line is progressing nicely too. The last season (or two) has been spent watching them go through the pre-pregnancy jitters, every minute of which was funny and enjoyable to watch. But now that it’s certain that they are pregnant, it will be exciting to watch the couple throughout the season as Lilly (and Marshall) deal with pregnant life. Plus, is there any doubt about Marshall being the most hilarious, awesome dad ever?

After focusing on Robin and Ted’s careers last season, it appears that this one will go back to following their quests for love. Though Ted’s endless quest for his soulmate is beginning to drag a bit, it is obviously essential for the continuation of the show (or is it, really?). Still, it will be interesting to see how Robin’s lingering feelings for Barney play into the Barney / Nora / Robin love triangle.

All-in-all, it looks like we’re in for another funny, interesting, heart-warming, and dare-I-say moving seventh season of “How I Met Your Mother.” Who knows how much longer they’ll be able to maintain the “Met Your Mother” gag, but for now they’ve still got us hooked.

Oh yeah, and one more thing – let the awesome guest appearances begin:

Martin Short as Marshall's new boss, Garrison Cootes

Network television continues to limp towards its season finale, as a slew of once popular shows in their later seasons hit or tied series lows.

“Chuck” drew a 1.3 in the demo and just over 4 million viewers. It’s renewal prospects are up in the air given the new management at NBC, and the shocking fact that most of their shows are non-competitive. The fate of “The Event” (1.1 demo, 3.7 million) is more certain, as is “Law and Order: LA” (1.2 demo, 5 million viewers), as in certain to be canceled in the coming weeks.

CBS has seen its fortunes dwindle on Monday also since the departure of Charlie Sheen, making you wonder if they’ll demand his return. A “Two and a Half Men” repeat scored a 1.7 in the demo, and 6.3 million viewers overall. New eps weren’t good either for the eye net, “How I Met Your Mother” hit a low with a 2.5 in the demo and 6.3 million viewers, while “Mad Love” was dismal with a 1.8 in the demo and just over 5 million viewers. Once mighty freshman hit “Mike and Molly” suffered (2.2 demo, 7.5 million viewer) and the network that paid more than $2 million for the right to syndicate “Hawaii 5-0″ might want its money back (2.2 demo, 9 million viewers).

ABC rode “Dancing with the Stars” to a nightly victory. “Stars” averaged a 4.1 in the demo over two hours, and gave a bump to “Castle,” which led the 10 pm hour with a 3.1 and 12.6 million viewers.

Over at Fox, just-renewed-”House” hit lows as well, drawing a 2.9 in the demo, and 7.7 million viewers. It

The TV Renewal/Cancellation Scorecard has been updated to reflect these ratings.

“Dancing with the Stars” remained big Monday night, drawing a 5.2 in the 18-49 demo and 23 million viewers, leading all other shows for the week not named “American Idol.” “Castle” once again benefitted from the lead-in, drawing a season high 3.2 in the demo and more than 12.5 million viewers.

NBC aired a special in place of the recently-fading “Chuck,” while new episodes of “The Event” (1.2 demo) and “Harry’s Law” (1.6 demo) failed to make a dent.

Even in repeats, “Two and a Half Men” was the third most-watched program, further proving he’ll likely return. As the only original on CBS, “Mad Love” continued to underperform, with a 2.1 in the demo.

*

8 pm

Dancing with the Stats (8-10): 5.2 demo, 22.7 million viewers

*How I Met Your Mother: 1.9 demo, 5.6 million viewers

*House: 1.6 demo, 4.7 million viewers

All Together Now: 1.0, 4.3 million viewers

*90210: 0.3 demo, 0.8 million viewers

8:30 pm

Mad Love: 2.1 demo, 5.6 million viewers

9 pm

*Two and a Half Men: 2.3 demo, 7.6 million viewers

The Event: 1.2 demo, 4.3 million viewers

*The Chicago Code: 1.2 demo, 4 million viewers

*Gossip Girl: 0.2 demo, 0.5 million viewers

9:30 pm

*Mike and Molly: 1.9 demo, 7 million viewers

10 pm

Castle: 3.2 demo, 12.5 million viewers

Harry’s Law: 1.6 demo, 8 million viewers

*Hawaii Five-0: 1.5 demo, 5.7 million viewers

CBS is continuing its trend of multi-season renewals for its top rated comedies, picking up “How I Met Your Mother” for an additional two seasons, bringing it through the 2012-2013 season.

CBS previously offered a two season renewal to “Two and a Half Men,” and earlier this year picked up “The Big Bang Theory” for an unprecedented three years.

The deal will carry “Mother” through its eighth season; hopefully by that time Ted will have met the mother. That may be his deadline; star Jason Siegel has previously signaled the eighth season, when his current contract expires, as his likely exit.

“How I Met Your Mother” is the fourth highest-rated show on CBS, behind “NCIS,” “Two and a Half Men,” and “The Big Bang Theory.”

After touring with ex Kinks frontman Ray Davies, The 88 has set the rock music world abuzz. The Los Angeles-based band has performed on “Conan” and their songs have appeared on hit shows like “How I Met Your Mother,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Community.” Blast caught up with Adam Merrin of The 88 to get an insight into the band.

BLAST: How did The 88 form?

The 88: Keith and I recorded a song together on the last day of high school, and we’ve been playing ever since.  We met Anthony through a recommendation from a friend.  The first time we heard him play, it was obvious that he was the right guy for The 88.  He’s one of the best drummers around.  Todd was in an L.A. band called The Green and Yellow TV, who we used to play shows with.  They had just broken up, and our original bassist, Carlos Torres, had just left The 88, so the timing was perfect.  We asked Todd to join, and the rest is history.

BLAST: How did the name come about?

The 88: “Rocket 88” is a rhythm and blues song that was recorded in 1951, which has been claimed to be the first rock and roll song.  There are also 88 keys on a piano, and since the instrument has always played an important part in our band, the name 88 seemed to be fitting in more ways than one.

BLAST: How would you describe your sound to someone who hasn’t heard you before?

The 88: Psychedelic, skygazer.

BLAST: How did the tour go?

The 88: Our last big tour in the U.S. was with Ray Davies.  Not only did we get to open up for him, but we got to be his backing band playing Kinks songs with him for his encore.  Here’s a little “behinds the scenes” clip of us playing “Animal Farm” on the tour bus from the tour.

BLAST: Favorite cities to perform at?

The 88: Eighty Eight, Kentucky.

BLAST: What goes into making a good live show, in your opinion?

The 88: Green M&M’s.

BLAST: You performed on CONAN, what was that like? What is it like performing on TV?

The 88: It goes by so quickly.  You’re there from 8 in the morning till 5 at night, and the performance is only 3 minutes.  It just happens so fast, and then it’s over.  We had a great time, and I’m so proud that we’ve been able to accomplish these types of things without the help of a major label.  Things are definitely changing in a positive way in the music business these days.

BLAST: “Love Is the Thing” was recorded entirely on an IPhone. What made you come up with that idea? Can you describe that process and will record any more songs that way?

The 88: We just wanted to try something different.  We’ve been recording the same way for a long time now, so it was refreshing to approach the process in an entirely new way.  Now that we’ve tried that, it’ll be fun to think of another way to record a song.

BLAST: Also, you chronicled the whole process on “Love is the Thing” on Youtube. Why did you decide to share that experience via Youtube?

The 88: I thought it would be a great way to share with people how easy the process is.  You don’t have to be a professional recording engineer to do it.  Anyone that owns an iPhone can record with the FourTrack program.  It’s simple, and it’s another great creative outlet for anyone that’s interested in making music.

BLAST: Anything else you think I should know or what to share?

The 88: We just released a new album called “The 88.” It was one of the most exciting albums to record, and we hope you that you will like it!

A week after a full season pickup, The Event shrank from a 2.2 to a 2.0 demo rating, with less than 6 million viewers tuning in. Chase fell even lower, to a 1.3 demo rating. More people tuned in to Univision than NBC Monday.

ABC was the night’s most watched net in the demo and total viewers. Dancing With the Stars attracted a 4.2 demo and 20 million viewers from 8-10 p.m.. Castle was the most watched show at 10, with 11.3 million viewers and a 2.9 demo.

CBS lost ground, as Hawaii 5-0 continued to drop, falling to a 2.8 demo and 10.2 million viewers; it’s getting low for CBS, while Mike and Molly is seeming like the net’s hit this season.

8 pm

Dancing with the Stars (8-10 pm): 4.2 demo, 20 million viewers

How I Met Your Mother: 3.2 demo, 8.3 million viewers

Chuck: 1.9 demo, 5.5 million viewers

House (Repeat): 1.4 demo, 4 million viewers

8:30 pm

Rules of Engagement: 3.0 demo, 8.2 million viewers

9 pm

Two and a Half Men: 4.3 demo, 13.7 million viewers

The Event: 2.0 demo, 5.97 million viewers

Lie to Me: 1.6 demo, 4.3 million viewers

9:30 pm

Mike and Molly: 3.7 demo, 10.8 million viewers

10 pm

Castle: 2.9 demo, 11.3 million viewers

Hawaii 5-0: 2.8 demo, 10.2 million viewers

Chase: 1.3 demo, 4.9 million viewers

The same day NBC’s new mystery series “The Event” was picked up for a full season, it held steady from the week before, with 6.4 million viewers and a 2.2 demo rating. That ends the heavy decline it’s suffered week-to-week this season. “Chuck” and “Chase” also held from last week, with “Chuck” drawing a 1.9 rating and 5.3 million viewers, with “Chase” averaging a 1.6 with 5.2 million viewers. NBC was in fourth place for the night.

“ABC” was in first, with “Dancing with the Stars” averaging 19.8 million viewers and a 4.0 rating from 8-10, and “Castle” in a close second at 10, with a 2.7 rating and 11.6 million viewers.

CBS was second for the night, with “Two and a Half Men” leading the night with 13.4 million viewers and a 4.3 demo rating. At 8, “How I Met Your Mother” was down with a 3.2 rating and 8 million viewers. “Rules of Engagement” was low with a 2.9 rating and 7.8 million viewers. At 9:30, “Mike and Molly” held up, with a 3.4 rating and 11 million viewers, but “Hawaii 5-0″ dropped under a 3 with a 2.9 rating and 10.6 million viewers.

“House” was strong for Fox with a 3.5 rating and 9.5 million viewers, but “Lie to Me” was low, with a 2.0 rating and 5.7 million viewers.

Last night was the first major night of television premieres for the 2010-2011 television season, featuring several new and returning shows. NBC’s new conspiracy thriller “The Event,” the network’s attempt to create a serial like “Lost,” premiered strongly, and “Hawaii Five-0″ started out strong for CBS as well.

The 11th season of “Dancing with the Stars” averaged 21 million viewers and a 4.4 rating in the 18-49 demo from 8-9 p.m. House returned for its seventh season with 10.5 million viewers and a 4.1 18-49 rating, down from its last season averages of 12.8 million viewers and a 4.9 rating. “How I Met Your Mother” returned to 8.8 million viewers with a 3.6 rating, even with its season average last year. On NBC, “Chuck” was trailed with 6 million viewers and a 2.1 rating, also in line with last season. “90210″ was a distant fifth for the CW with 2 million viewers and a 1.0 rating.

“Rules of Engagement” had its first fall premiere in three years at 8:30 p.m., and averaged 8 million viewers and a 3.1 rating.

At 9 p.m. The eighth season of “Two and a Half Men” led all shows in the 18-49 demo with a 4.8 rating and 14.5 million viewers. The Event started off on a strong note with 11 million viewers and a 3.7 demo rating. That’s a solid start, but for a serialized drama with a lot of built up hype, it remains to be seen how it will hold up with viewers in coming weeks. “Flashforward” premiered to over 12 million viewers last year before falling to under 6 million by the end of the season.

Despite critical hype, Fox’s Lone Star was dead on arrival. It was watched by 4 million viewers and garnered just a 1.3 in the 18-49 demo. With those numbers, the show is likely to be yanked in coming weeks. “Gossip Girl” was last in the hour with a 1.0 rating and 1.8 million viewers.

CBS also found success with the premiere of “Mike and Molly,” which attracted 12 million viewers and a 3.9 rating at 9:30 p.m. The success continued with its update of “Hawaii Five-0″ at 10 p.m., which led the hours in viewers and the demo with a 3.8 rating and 13.8 million viewers.

On ABC, the third season of “Castle” returned with 11 million viewers and a 2.8 in the demo, while NBC’s new procedural about a U.S. Marshall “Chase” also faltered out of the gate, with a 2.5 rating in the demo and just over 7.5 million viewers.

Yesterday, I was browsing through some Twitter pages. I was watching How I Met Your Mother at the same time, so, naturally, I went on to Neil Patrick Harris’ page to see what he’s been talking about/been up to/see if he’s said anything about Glee.

This was the first tweet I saw. I’ve anonymized the Twitter handle of the person NPH was talking to for reasons that will soon become apparent. “@anonymous No trouble at all, actually. Those who aren’t understanding have more to learn.”

Now, I don’t know the Tweeter in question, and I’m sure you don’t either. But I’m a nosy person, and I wanted to know what they were talking about. That’s why I love Twitter; it let’s me be a creep without anyone knowing (unless I write a blog post about it ).

So, I read the next tweet, also addressed to the same person: “@anonymous Stand tall. Be proud of who you are. Don’t break promises. Want to learn. Represent well. But more than anything, be safe.”

This one was even more intriguing than the first. So, I clicked on it and scrolled down the Tweeter’s profile to see what NPH was helping him with.

Here’s what I found, across three tweets: “@actuallynph hey do you have any advice for someone coming out as gay? my family wouldnt understand and im a musician in australia, so theyve been pretty proud of me so far. I’m nearly 18, i know im young i dont know who to go to everyone i seem to know is either fake or full of shit and i admire you so much that i thought i’d ask you.”

Got to love NPH. Legen…wait for it…dary role model.

Yesterday’s 61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony really got us excited about the fall TV season, and tonight is going to triple that feeling.

“House” premieres at 8 p.m. on FOX, alongside “Heroes” on NBC, “Dancing with the Stars” on ABC and “How I Met Your Mother” on CBS. Your DVR can usually only record two shows, so good luck.

At 8:30, check out “Accidentally on Purpose” on CBS. The jury’s still out on it, so let us know what you think in the comments section.

Then at 9 we have “Two and a Half Men.” Comedy Central is also starting to show “Scrubs” season 8.

“The Big Bang Theory,” has its season premiere at 9:30 on CBS.

Things get going again at 10 with “Castle” on ABC and “CSI: Miami” on CBS. Travel Channel’s “Madventures” also starts up at 10.

Also, tonight at 10, we have the premiere of a 5-part miniseries on The Sundance Channel. “Brick City,” is executive produced by Forest Whitaker.

Finally, don’t miss The Late Show with David Letterman tonight with special guest (actually) President Barack Obama.

It should be no surprise to any “How I Met Your Mother” fans that the identity of Ted Mosby’s wife has still not been revealed, but once again we feel closer than ever to finding out who carried Ted’s children. As Ted announces in his usual end-of-show-monologue, “This was the year I was stood up at the altar, got in a fight with the crazy bar tender, and was beaten up by a goat. A girl goat at that, but it was the best year of my life.” It seems once again that the season’s culmination of events has lead Ted to finally be in the right place and the right time to meet his future bride.

After failing to land his first gig as a solo architect, Lily asks Ted why he doesn’t just give it up and just try something else. The episode, titled “The Leap” comes from Ted’s metaphorical leap from his “life plan” depicted by a literal leap when the fivesome (Marshall, Robin, Barney, Lily and Ted) finally have the guts to jump from the roof of their apartment to the roof next door “" something it has taken them years to gain up the courage to do. So Ted decides to quit his architecture firm and become a professor and we are told that his future wife was in his first class, and four seasons later the story is still “just beginning”.

The harsh thing is that the search for Ted’s future Mrs. Mosby has become little more than just a title for the show. The epic quest has been overshadowed by a force much greater and deep down (or maybe not even that deep) fans of the show hope that Ted delays meeting his wife as long as possible because it means more time to watch the hilarity that is Barney Stinson’s life.

It’s not much of a secret that Neil Patrick Harris steals the show in almost every episode “"- backed up by the fact that he is the only cast member to receive acting nods from the Emmys and Golden Globes. From day one we have watched as he bed hopped his way through Manhattan and fist bumped after every inappropriate quip. This season we were treated to a different side of Barney as he gradually accepted he was feeling more than just carnal lust for a female. I spent the fourth season of “How I Met Your Mother” with absolutely no interest in Ted’s quest for true love but enthralled by the fact that Barney was falling head over heels for Robin Scherbatsky.

I, along with millions of other “How I Met Your Mother followers,” were hoping for just one moment during last night’s finale. All season long legions of fans have been tuning in for teasing bits of the Barney and Robin love debacle, hoping against all logical hope that some day we’d be offered sweet relief. We watched as he tried to reform his promiscuous ways, saved her from being deported and awww’d through every jealous tanrum he threw when Robin paired up with any other male. In typical “How I Met Your Mother” fashion they finally gave us what we had been crossing our fingers for”¦ kind of.

The set up has been building for episodes now, but the biggest implication of Barney and Robin becoming a reality was two weeks ago when Barney tore up his list of sexual conquests, saying that his days of male whoredom were over and questioning, “What now?” right as Robin walked into the bar. Hearts were a flutter when the finale began with Barney asking for Ted’s permission to officially tell Robin how he feels.

We are let down when we find out that Robin overheard the admission and decides to “pull a Mosby” by telling Barney that she’s in love with him so he will run away. Luckily, Barney pushes the issue, but as two typical commitment-phobes, no concrete resolution is met. I felt some satisfaction in Robin’s admission that she really did have feelings for Barney and the kiss was epic. The union was never made official though which downplayed the awesomeness the pairing was supposed to inspire.

I’m hoping next season will put all of our minds at ease and I am interested to see how much longer they can post pone Ted meeting his children’s mother (how long have they been sitting on that couch listening to him talk now anyways?). In “How I Met Your Mother” terms this finale was typically legen “" wait for it, wait for it”¦yeah, just going to keep waiting for it.