The mother’s identity may or may not be revealed on How I Met Your Mother next season, but one thing is certain: a variety show.

“It’s going to happen. I don’t know when, but it looks like it’s finally coming,” Cobie Smulders tells TVGuide.com. “I talked to [creators and executive producers Carter Bays and Craig Thomas]: ‘Are we doing a variety show?’ We are. Don’t you worry!”Check out photos of Cobie SmuldersThat’s welcome news to fans, who have been waiting for one to come to fruition ever since the sitcom referenced a failed Canadian variety show starring Alan Thicke and Smulders’ Robin (during her bubblegum pop Robin Sparkles days) last November. Smulders, who says she’s been impatiently waiting too, thinks the idea fell to the wayside last season to focus on the time-jumping show’s big musical 100th episode.”Those episodes are such big undertakings. They have to write the song, we have to record the song, do the choreography, shoot the music video. Then we have to shoot the episode reference to the music video,” Smulders says. “I’m not doubting that having a variety show is going to be any less than that. I’m looking forward to it. And we haven’t seen Robin Sparkles in a while. It’s so much fun to do those shows. Those are my favorite episodes when we get to change it up and just go, “‘Let’s sing a song about suits today!’”The 28-year-old actress is also trying something different during her summer hiatus: theater. Smulders, who studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art three years ago, is appearing in the off-Broadway play Love, Loss, and What I Wore, which offers a nice change of pace for her.”In the sitcom world, there’s so much room for mistakes. There’s the beauty where you can experiment, but there’s something great about theater where you’ve got one shot and however it’s going to be is how it’s going to be,” she says. “It’s been really fun because you do get to wear a lot of different hats [in this play] since we’re storytelling as different characters. It’s fun to switch it up and get into different head space from Robin and be, like, a schizophrenic for one night.”Watch clips from How I Met Your MotherNot that playing Robin is any less fun. After all, the resident single gal has seen her share of significant others over the last five seasons and is still on the quest to land her dream broadcasting job — one of which she gave up in the season finale to stay with her co-anchor/beau Don (Benjamin Koldyke). Don, of course, took the job, causing Robin to dump him. “I hope for her to have success in her work because I feel like that’s what’s most important to her,” Smulders says. “I think she’s slowly realizing that the relationship thing is too, but she’s a really driven woman.”So will Robin ever settle down — and with whom?”Maybe she’ll turn out to be a lesbian! That’s her doppelgänger. That’d be interesting for me to play — straight Robin, lesbian Robin, Robin Sparkles. Love, Loss will prepare me for it!” Smulders laughs. “I don’t know in what form Robin will find love, but hopefully it’ll be the right one. I don’t know if it’ll be Ted, Barney, Marshall or Lily — it can be anyone in our cast at this point because I make out with every single person! Listen, Robin is a slut! She gets around. Season 6, hopefully she closes her legs a little bit!”

Segel’s contract with the hit comedy expires in 2013, he said, and he doesn’t plan to stick around to play bumbling married guy Marshall Eriksen one minute longer.

“I think after eight years, I’ll feel like I honorably did my commitment. It’s funny — it’s the greatest problem in the world to have. Jeez, I’m the luckiest guy in the world. But when your idol is Peter Sellers, playing one character for eight years isn’t what you’re trying to do,” he told the magazine.

Segel, who has more than six movies in development including the upcoming Muppets big screen revival, said he’s done about all he can do with the character of Marshall.

“I don’t really feel like I have that much more to offer with this character. Maybe if we got divorced or something, but that’s not gonna happen,” he added. “It’s gonna be some iteration of, like, my TV wife opens the fridge, and she’s like, “What happened to the birthday cake?” And I walk in with a little frosting here [points to corner of mouth] like, “What birthday cake?”

Segel also detailed a few dark ideas he pitched to producers for how to end ‘How I Met Your Mother.’ The first one has the show’s mysterious mother dying before Ted’s kids ever get to meet her. Another has Ted and his kids stuck in purgatory with Ted doomed to tell his story over and over again for eternity. And yet another … well, I’ll just let Segel explain:
In a recent interview with GQ, ‘How I Met Your Mother’ co-star Jason Segel said he plans to leave the show in three years to focus on other projects.

Segel’s contract with the hit comedy expires in 2013, he said, and he doesn’t plan to stick around to play bumbling married guy Marshall Eriksen one minute longer.

“I think after eight years, I’ll feel like I honorably did my commitment. It’s funny — it’s the greatest problem in the world to have. Jeez, I’m the luckiest guy in the world. But when your idol is Peter Sellers, playing one character for eight years isn’t what you’re trying to do,” he told the magazine.

Segel, who has more than six movies in development including the upcoming Muppets big screen revival, said he’s done about all he can do with the character of Marshall.

“I don’t really feel like I have that much more to offer with this character. Maybe if we got divorced or something, but that’s not gonna happen,” he added. “It’s gonna be some iteration of, like, my TV wife opens the fridge, and she’s like, “What happened to the birthday cake?” And I walk in with a little frosting here [points to corner of mouth] like, “What birthday cake?”

Segel also detailed a few dark ideas he pitched to producers for how to end ‘How I Met Your Mother.’ The first one has the show’s mysterious mother dying before Ted’s kids ever get to meet her. Another has Ted and his kids stuck in purgatory with Ted doomed to tell his story over and over again for eternity. And yet another … well, I’ll just let Segel explain: In a recent interview with GQ, ‘How I Met Your Mother’ co-star Jason Segel said he plans to leave the show in three years to focus on other projects.

Segel’s contract with the hit comedy expires in 2013, he said, and he doesn’t plan to stick around to play bumbling married guy Marshall Eriksen one minute longer.

“I think after eight years, I’ll feel like I honorably did my commitment. It’s funny — it’s the greatest problem in the world to have. Jeez, I’m the luckiest guy in the world. But when your idol is Peter Sellers, playing one character for eight years isn’t what you’re trying to do,” he told the magazine.

Segel, who has more than six movies in development including the upcoming Muppets big screen revival, said he’s done about all he can do with the character of Marshall.

“I don’t really feel like I have that much more to offer with this character. Maybe if we got divorced or something, but that’s not gonna happen,” he added. “It’s gonna be some iteration of, like, my TV wife opens the fridge, and she’s like, “What happened to the birthday cake?” And I walk in with a little frosting here [points to corner of mouth] like, “What birthday cake?”

Segel also detailed a few dark ideas he pitched to producers for how to end ‘How I Met Your Mother.’ The first one has the show’s mysterious mother dying before Ted’s kids ever get to meet her. Another has Ted and his kids stuck in purgatory with Ted doomed to tell his story over and over again for eternity. And yet another … well, I’ll just let Segel explain:

“And then my other suggestion, which they never used, which I think would be so funny, is — it’s the future, right? I think in one of those scenes, they should open the window, and it should be, like, a post-apocalyptic wasteland outside. It should be like ‘I Am Legend.’ Horrible mutants.”

“And then my other suggestion, which they never used, which I think would be so funny, is — it’s the future, right? I think in one of those scenes, they should open the window, and it should be, like, a post-apocalyptic wasteland outside. It should be like ‘I Am Legend.’ Horrible mutants.”
“And then my other suggestion, which they never used, which I think would be so funny, is — it’s the future, right? I think in one of those scenes, they should open the window, and it should be, like, a post-apocalyptic wasteland outside. It should be like ‘I Am Legend.’ Horrible mutants.”

The bottom line is friendship and the closeness these five have that often – almost always  – transcends other relationships. That is understandable with Barney, whose relationships last no more than a microsecond. And of course Marshall and Lily are the glue – a relationship that thrives with three footloose friends, except when they are looking for the perfect couple to befriend.

How sad that Robin turns down the job for love – not  necessarily love for Don but perhaps for love of her four best friends. What do you think – was it Don or the gang ? Or both ? I really could nto call this one, could you ?

That said, if it was love for Don, what a blow ! He never said come with me and we will build a life together and a career for you too ! It could be done. I know because my sister and her husband, Pat and Joe Harper, were co-anchors on WPIX in New York City – the first husband and wife co-anchor news team in television history !

Robin chose love over career, Don didn’t – game, set and match. For a moment several episodes ago I thought Don could become part of the gang. Wrong !!  We never got to know Don well, and now I know why – there wasn’t a  lot there. Robin better get a hold of herself and decide what she wants in life. Otherwise she could be susceptible to the next pretty face that comes along and dings her.

The Wedding Bride was hilarious. The screenwriter really cast a shallow “Ted” whom any self-respecting girl would have nothing to do with. Then being left at the altar as his bride-to-be shuffled off with her ex-boy friend – was this a bad dream or what ! I think it said a lot more about Stella than “Ted”, like maybe getting him to propose in order to drive her ex to action ? Could she be so devious – my vote is a strong yes.

Nonetheless, Ted’s explanation of what happened (his baggage) almost lost him a young lady who – for a moment – seemed to be part of a promising relationship. Pancakes appear to have saved the day. The bottom line is that someone or something often gives you a hand with your baggage and things work out.

What is Marshall’s baggage – that he is too nice, loaning money to thieves ? There is no doubt that Lily should be in charge of the cash.

I would have liked to see this sub-theme developed more, or maybe I just missed it. Please blog in and let us know your thoughts on this next-to-last season ending episode.

You have to hand it to Don. Robin not only was Barney’s girl, but also Ted’s and she shares an apartment with him (well, not any more). That news comes after Don learns that Ted isn’t gay, so it must be all the harder to take.

And to top it all, they are still best friends.

A lot of guys could not handle all that, and Don has a moment of hesitation for sure. But to his credit he overcomes his doubts and Robin is his new roomie !!! 

That leaves Ted with the lovely blue French Horn that he stole for Robin. And she takes everything with her as she moves, but the french horn. That was sad

I can’t help but think we haven’t heard the last of the French Horn or the yellow umbrella, or Barney’s playbook, the Bro Code.  One of the appealing sides on HIMYM is the way they reintroduce past themes into new episodes.

And what’s all this from Barney wanting Robin back, and then Ted joins that chorus too !!! This could be for fear that Robin will no longer be part of the best friends group. What are the odds that Don will be joining the group rather than Robin leaving it ? Would love to hear your thoughts on this.

Finally, we get a little bit of marriage fatigue from Lily and Marshall. Twin beds? Come, on you’re kidding me. What’s next, separate rooms? No way. It was timely to see this side of the marriage just when Robin is entering into the adventure of a new relationship.    

Overall, I thought this was one of the best episodes of Season 5. Can’t wait for the Season Finale !!!!

What did you all think?

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Yep, another guest star. Don’t know when Michelle Boyd will be appearing…not even sure this has been officially announed, but she leaked it herself through her Twitter!

Last week, she posted the following entries on her personal Twitter account:

On set shooting HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER today! #squee #happyactress    8:06 AM Mar 12th

Aw yeah, baby. http://yfrog.com/jy5f2j Also, @alydenisof and @actuallynph are terrific. Not that you thought differently. 10:44 PM Mar 12th

Wrapped!! AMAZING guest stars I got to act alongside today, but am scared of spoilerage. Can’t wait for it to air!  10:50 PM Mar 12th

If HIMYM is trying to keep things underwraps, maybe they should start monitoring their stars’ Twitter usage!

Also, YOU should start monitoring OUR Twitter usage . And our Facebook usage for that matter.

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Check out the video of his Oscar performance below.

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