'Mother' of a Commitment

Going into this week's season premiere of How I Met Your Mother, I was a little concerned about reports that put Barney and Robin in a relationship this season. How can Barney be Barney if he's in a serious, committed relationship? And how would I feel about these two together? Last night's opener showed that HIMYM knows how to tackle a show-stopping obstacle with humor and continued intrigue. Barney and Robin's inability to have "the talk" to define their relationship was hilarious! And, the ramifications were even funnier. Barney punched a guy who was 100x larger than he is! They both got uncomfortable anytime someone mentioned the words "boyfriend" and "girlfriend." When Lily locked them in the bedroom until they defined it, they "lied" to the gang in order to get out of the room. Of course, as Lily pointed out, they're really only lying to themselves. I wonder how long it will take for both of them to realize this fact?

Meanwhile, Ted started his new job: Professor of Economics Architecture. Loved the way he flip-flopped between being their buddy and being their authority figure. As is usually the case, Barney's advice (in this case, that Ted shouldn't take questions on the first day because it shows weakness) came back and bit Ted 7 minutes into the class. Then again, had he not listened to Barney, he might not have been in that classroom long enough to make the necessary impression to meet the mother. She was in that class, so Ted's accidental foray into economics was fate lending a hand. I can't wait to see what she does next.

How I Met Your Mother airs Mondays on CBS. If you missed last night's season premiere, watch it for free at cbs.com.