How I Met Your Mother

While this week's episode of How I Met Your Mother had Ted as merely a supporting character with absolutely no mother storyline, it was still classic HIMYM to us.

Why?  Because the episode used so many of the classic Bays and Thomas storytelling devices:

• Reminiscent of the sandwiches, Future Ted called the upstairs neighbors having loud sex, bagpiping.  We hope they make a clever reference to this in a future episode
• The clever Marshall and Lily fight sequence where copies of the couple fighting around the room appeared.  Felt very HIMYM to us.
• The entire sequence in which Barney explained how he would have handled Lily was nothing short of amazing.  Marshall then attempting to re-enact it?  Ever more amazing.

You can catch up on the full events with our "Bagpipes" recap, but trust us, you need to watch this episode.  Who cares if there was no mother or overall plotline development, it was classic HIMYM.

Now for some of the best How I Met Your Mother quotes from the episode:

Robin: Okay, this is ridiculous. I can't believe these two are still bagpiping
Ted: Enough! It's been six hours1 It must be that new tantric bagpiping that Sting is into
Robin: She keeps yelling at him to play the bigpipes louder, but it sounds like she's bagpiping him pretty hard. There's a glass of water in my bedroom that's vibrating like Jurassic Park
Ted: You have neighbors, so shut the bagpipes up! | permalink

Robin [to Barney]: Why is there bag of panties labeled "April 2006" in your closet?
| permalink

Barney: There are so many great things to do with the human mouth, why waste it on talking? | permalink

JoAnna Garcia is coming to How I Met Your Mother as an old friend, and potential conquest, for Ted Mosby on How I Met Your Mother later this season, reports say.

As first reported by TV Guide, the Privileged alum will play Ted's college buddy, Maggie, in "The Window."

Maggie is described as the perfect "girl next door" type, the one every guy wants to marry as soon as he meets her. Only no one has. Ted senses an opportunity.

When he learns that Maggie is not a relationship for once in her life, ecstatic Ted rushes to make a move before his narrow "window of opportunity" closes for good.

Will he succeed? That's doubtful, as Garcia is only signed on for a single episode. But some funny How I Met Your Mother quotes should come out of it at least.

Josh Radnor's Ted Mosby has always had a thing for old friend Maggie (Joanna Garcia).

Garcia, who has also appeared on Gossip Girl this season, joins Rachel Bilson, Tim Gunn, Chris Elliott and Kenny Rogers as How I Met Your Mother guest stars this season.

How I Met Your Mother is one of the funniest shows on TV. But this isn't a joking matter:

On the sitcom's November 9 installment, Barney Stinson gives in to what producer Carter Bays refers to as a "relationship gut." Having already gotten the girl (Robin), the character really lets himself go, risking diabetes and heart disease.

"It’s a phenomenon that a lot of people can relate to, certainly more than a few people on our writing staff. It’s relationship gut,” Bays told People magazine.

The show's co-creator added that Neal Patrick Harris was more than game to don a fat suit:

“He was loving it. He was like, ‘Give me the biggest fat suit you’ve got.’”

In probably the scariest set of upcoming photos we've ever received for How I Met Your Mother, Barney will be kissing Lily, while Marshall is busy locking lips with Robin.

Wait, what!?  Just check out the following photos for yourself of the two guys swapping girls:

Okay, now that we scared you with that we can tell you the premise!  In the upcoming episode, "Bagpipes," Robin and Barney have a fight and Lily and Marshall help mediate things.

Meanwhile, this leads to Barney trying to picture what his life would be like married to Lily, while Marshall does the same with Robin.  So don't worry folks, your favorite couples are safe.

Here's some more pictures from the upcoming episode:

Last night's episode of How I Met Your Mother took a break from the usual Ted's persuit of the mother, for a little road tripping break.  When Marshall and Ted got word their favorite pizza place in Chicago was closing, they decided to have a throwback to their old college days and road trip out there.  Only problem this time?  Lily decided to tag along.

Meanwhile, Robin got news she might get deported back to Canada due to a bar fight she got into.  Barney decides to help her pass the US Citizenship test by getting the Canadian out of her.

Find out how the road trip went and whether Robin will be staying in America in our "Duel Citizenship" recap.  Some of our favorite highlights from the episode:

• Pretty much every Canadian joke Barney got to make this episode... and there were plenty
• The flashback to Ted and Marshall singing along to "I Would Walk 500 Miles" in the old Fiero.  Classic.
• Everything related to Tantrum, even Lily clinging to the roof of the car after the credits.

Now for the best How I Met Your Mother quotes of the episode:

Ted [about him and Marshall]: We were like Lewis and Clark, if Lewis and Clark peed in water bottles and had a bong made out of a cantaloupe | permalink

Robin: How do you know the Canadian citizenship test is easy?
Barney: It's Canada. Question one, do you want to be Canadian? Question two, really? | permalink

Barney: Canada's not so bad. If they play their cards right they may even become a state one day | permalink

On Monday's episode of How I Met Your Mother, "Duel Citizenship," Barney attempts to make Robin more American in order to help her become a US citizen.

Meanwhile, Ted and Marshall plan a road trip to Chicago to go to their favorite pizza restaurant, while Lily decides to tag along.

Watch the following promo clip for the upcoming hilarious-looking episode:

We also go our hands on the following episode stills:

We're about to meet Lily's grandmother (fun!), as well as a potential love interest for Robin (danger, Barney!) on How I Met Your Mother.

First, as we've documented, the sitcom will take viewers into Lily's family's home for its November 23 Thanksgiving episode. Once there, Marion Ross will portray the character's grandmother.

She was most recently seen as Ida Holden on Brothers & Sisters.

Meanwhile, the show is about to give Barney some competition for Robin.

The sitcom is casting for Don, a new character that will serve as Robin's new co-anchor on her early morning news show. Expect sparks to fly between the co-workers, either of passion or of deep-seeded hatred.

Which, sorry Barney, often leads to passion.

** UPDATE: Christina Pickle has taken over instead of Ross, now that the character's role on the show has been greatly reduced.

On the November 23 episode of How I Met Your Mother, we'll meet Lily's dad Mickey, played by Chris Elliott.

But that's not the only relative celebrating Thanksgiving with viewers, as the show will take fans inside Lily's grandparents' home. Once there, we'll learn that Mickey’s antics have led to grandma breaking her hip and losing her retirement fund.

Also, according to TV Guide Magazine, the sitcom will flashback to to an 11-year-old Lily, as we learn what sort of influence her shady dad had on her.

Viewers should also prepare to be taken back to Lily’s wedding day, which featured a revolting interaction between Mickey and Lily's best friend, Sandy.

On last night's episode of How I Met Your Mother, the show continued to explore the new couples angle of the show as Lily and Marshall persued Barney and Robin as their new best couple friend.

Poor Lily and Marshall thought it was the best night of their life, while Barney and Robin were ready to kill themselves.  Just check out some of the evenings photos from the double date:

Meanwhile, Ted realized he was the sexless inkeeper when he picked up a girl at the bar that used him for his apartment and provided him with, well, no sex.  You can find out what happened in both plotlines in our recap of "The Sexless Innkeeper."

Now for some of the classic How I Met Your Mother quotes at Ted, Marshall and Lily's expense.

Ted: Barney, are you wearing sweat pants?
Barney: Maybe, but they're Armani! | permalink

Barney: The US Navy discovered aliens at the bottom of the ocean and for reasons I can't explain, they selected Robin and I to lead the expedition
Lily: That sounds like stuff you say to women when you're trying to get rid of them
Marshall: That's exactly what is sounds like, but if it's true that sounds totally awesome
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Random Girl: How's grading?
Ted: You just gotta make it fun, every time I see a grammatical error, I do a shot. Right now I'm smashed and I blame the public school system. | permalink

Barney: Ahh tweed, the official fabric of the eunuch | permalink

The role of Lily's father on How I Met Your Mother has been cast.

Actor/comedian Chris Elliott has landed the pivotal role, as he'll appear on the November 23 episode of the sitcom, which focuses on an awkward family reunion hosted by Lily’s grandparents.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the half hour will feature childhood flashbacks that shed light on Lily’s troubled relationship with her dad.

Elliott's face should be familiar to TV and movie fans. He's probably best known for his roles in There's Something About Mary and Cabin Boy.