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'How I Met Your Mother: Season Eight'
(Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Neil Patrick Harris, Cobie Smulders, Alyson Hannigan, et al / 3-Disc DVD / NR / 2013 / 20th Century Fox)

Overview: In the uproarious Eighth Season of How I Met Your Mother, the arrival of baby Marvin reminds Marshall and Lily of things they need, like sleep, better jobs and sex! Meanwhile Barney uses his playbook to win over Robin, but not her scary dad. Marshall tries to right a wrong in court in hopes of becoming a judge, and Robin's past is judged. Ted designs an amazing building, and also has designs on Barney's half-sister! But does he meet his future wife?

DVD Verdict: Well, if you didn't already know, in "Something New" (the final episode) we get to see the mother being revealed - but let's not get ahead of ourselves!

In truth, there were some major bumps in the road, but 'How I Met Your Mother' finally got there. After eight seasons, they finally lived up to their title. Well, technically, Ted hasn't met her yet, but we can finally put a face to this highly anticipated character. We can finally picture the couple that gave this show its premise. Of course, there's a lot to be said about the closing moments of Season 8, but I'll save that for last.

This was a difficult season to grade, because the peaks and valleys were so steep that you didn't know whether the writers had completely lost their minds or were completely genius. Let me put it this way: I look at Season 8 as two halves separated by the hour long mid-season finale. The first half was clumsy, ridiculous and unfunny. The second half was clever, creative, vintage 'How I Met Your Mother.'

So, what dragged it down? Well, I was thrilled to have Victoria back on the show. Unfortunately, the writers decided to make her a shell of her former self, portraying her as demanding, pushy and illogical. Gone was the charm the character once possessed, and gone was the chemistry she and Ted once shared. Victoria was a major disappointment for me, and she was out the door before she could even make her presence felt. I also thought the ultimatum she gave Ted about Robin was a major cop out by the writers. They messed up big time with Victoria, plain and simple. The character deserved much better.

Now onto the big talking point, eight long years in the making - the mother. And I think she's absolutely perfect. I'm sure we've all had it in our heads what we thought the mother should look like. I envisioned someone that was charming and cute, but not so attractive to the point where she'd be out of Ted's league. After all, Ted is the everyman. He's an average looking guy, has a cheesy sense of humor, has a normal job and has what might be considered a nerd's interests (Star Wars, crossword puzzles, poetry, etc.). This woman is a wonderful, natural fit for Professor Mosby.

In December I was writing my eulogy for the show I love so much. And then something strange happened ... it got good again. Really good. And I'm fully aware that this isn't a unanimous opinion; I've read the comments, I've heard the criticism. But as a long-time fan of this show, I thought the last 14 episodes of Season 8 were excellent television. These are all widescreen Presentations (1.78:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs and comes with the Special Features of:

•Deleted Scenes
•Commentary on "Farhampton"
•The Making of "P.S. I Love You"
•"P.S. I Love You" Music Video
•Commentary on "The Final Page"
•Where We Make Your Mother: Set Tour with Actor Josh Radnor
•Gag Reel

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