Set in Manhattan, How I Met Your Mother focuses on a future Ted Mosby recounting to his son and daughter the events that led to him meeting their mother. Each episode flits back and forth in time to showcase the hi-jinks and escapades of five friends living in New York. Season 8 starts with the beginning of the end as we glimpse the future wedding of Barney to his bride, shockingly revealed at the climax of the previous season to be Robin. Back in the present, the gang contend with ‘The Autumn of Break-Ups’ as relationships helplessly fall apart, whilst Lily and Marshal host a quiz show to decide who would make the best godparent for their new-born son... With weddings, revelations and clues aplenty, could we finally be on the cusp of learning just how Ted met the mother of his children...?

The eighth season of How I Met Your Mother opens with the episode Farhampton, which we discover is the place that Ted will finally meet the mother of his children.

In one of the audio commentaries the writers explain that until around the middle of the eighth season they weren't sure whether a ninth season would be commissioned and so the majority of this season was designed to go either way - that they'd wrap everything up or carry on writing for one final season. As it turns out a ninth season was in the offing and so they also explain that the ninth season will take place over the weekend of Barney and Robin's wedding.

While the whole season has several story arcs for each character, each episode also has its own contained storyline. There isn't a dull or wasted episode in this collection, but personal highlights include the episodes:

The Final Page: This double-length episode sees Barney finally propose to Robin. The fact he does this is no surprise to fans as it was revealed at the end of last season. What is impressive is the way in which he does it. For a lot of the first episode Barney can't talk (thanks to being "Jinxed" in an ongoing game the group play) Unable to talk until one the group say his name and free him, Barney sits in silence, unable to make smutty innuendo at his friends expense. This episode also sees Seth Green (who played Oz in Buffy the Vampire Slayer opposite Alyson Hannigan's Willow) turn up in an interesting cameo.

P.S. I Love You: When the talk moves to stalkers we discover that Robin use to be one... Years ago when she was Canadian teen-pop sensation Robin Sparkles, she changed her image virtually overnight when she went goth and wrote a rock song full of teen angst about the love for the man she had stalked for years.

Bad Crazy: Ted tells his kids how he dated one last woman before meeting their mother. This woman was a psycho. Meanwhile Robin's fear of holding her friends baby comes to ahead when she is asked to watch him. Throughout the episode we are given flashes into the future where Lilly and Robin meet up once in a while to share a bottle of wine and talk about the old days. But every time they meet Robin has more and more shocking details she must get off her chest about what happened when she was left looking after the baby.

The Time Travelers: Another poignant and moving episode, the humour comes from Ted and Barney sat in the bar, only to be joined by future Teds and Barneys, who come to tell him that he needs to go out to an event with Barney. Of course, these future versions are all in his head, but they are all trying to talk him into going out for the evening with Barney.

The Bro Mitzvah: Barney's not expecting much from his stag night. He's the one that's good at organising parties, not his friends, so it's no surprise that what Ted and Marshall have planned is a little on the dull side. But when the stripper arrives and it's an ex of Barney's everything goes to Hell. Robin finds out and calls off the marriage.

Guest appearances in this season include Seth Green, Alexis Denisof, Ashley Benson, Ray Wise and Mike Tyson.

Extras on disc one include Deleted Scenes (2 min, 04 sec); and an audio commentary on the first episode, Farhampton. On disc two we get Deleted Scenes (3 min, 23 sec); The Making of PS I Love You (11 min, 47 sec behind the scenes featurette); PS I Love You Music Video (2 min, 40 sec); and audio commentary on The Final Page. Disc three contains more Deleted Scenes (4 min, 52 sec); Where We Make Your Mother: Set Tour with Josh Radnor (8 min, 56 sec); and Gag Reel (4 min, 40 sec).

So, another excellent series that will be warmly welcomed by fans.

8

Darren Rea