"The Disappearing Salami"

How I Met Your Mother's season finale happened last night. Lily and Marshall had the baby. Barney and Quinn are in love. Ted and Victoria find each other in the nick of time. There are weddings, but we still don't know who is marrying whom.

Then this happened.

Thank you, Mr. Flanagan, for allowing Barney to believe that making a salami disappear was the best magic trick of all.

Girls Vs. Suits

Grey's Anatomy had a musical episode this week, worthy of a good, kick ass send up from the folks over at Childrens Hospital. (Corddry, please do this!). The Hollywood Reporter posted video via The Daily Beast showcasing prime time programs that went musical. Favorite one for me? Barney on How I Met Your Mother singing about his love for suits over...(gasp!)...chicks!

I'm late in the HIMYM love, so I missed this. It's worthy of a look see. How I love Neil Patrick Harris! (And you, too, Jason Segal!).

'Mad Love'

When I first clapped eyes on a screener of Mad Love a few weeks back, one thought popped into my head: CBS already has How I Met Your Mother. Mad Love has all the familiar components on the check list. 1) New York? Check. 2) Horny young professionals? Check. 3) Love at first sight? Yup. 4) Narration? Yes. So, why are they giving us the same boilerplate concept, especially, at least for now, on Monday nights? (And note that this show was created and ready for mid-season long before Sheen's troubles put Two and a Half Men in a tailspin.)

Mad Love feels like the kind of show a network puts on when they've run out of ideas. However, the cast is fine. Sarah Chalke looks great in this role, playing Kate, the love interest of Ben, portrayed by Jason Biggs. Judy Greer and Tyler Labine are pretty cute as a bickering duo who will undoubtedly fall in love with each other. The pilot felt mired by contrivances: boy meets girl, love at first sight, tired Empire State Building romantic meet up, men are jerks, or no they're not. Also, I don't see any real chemistry between Chalke and Biggs. Yes, she looks at him longingly with the sparkle in her eyes, but the undertow of attraction just isn't there. I don't feel it, nor do I believe they are characters in love.

I don't like being hard on a pilot episode. They are usually sketchy. They introduce us to the characters and the situation of their lives. The storyline is an idea that needs to grow on the viewer so we care and come back for more.

I'll give Mad Love a chance. Besides, with Two and a Half Men down four episodes due to Sheen's absence, CBS will need all the shows they can get their hands on right now.

How I Met Your Mother Season Finale

Here's my shout out to the wonderful season finale of How I Met Your Mother last night. It was an episode of leaps of faith that defied the fear of plunging into the abyss. Ted's story with the surprise party, his dedication to a lame career boosting project, and the goal fight, really hit home for me. Sometimes you are so stuck on an old goal, an old vision, you begin to hate everything in your life. You have to change something, make that jump despite being frightened of the consequences, frightened of leaving your comfort zone, and frightened of abandoning a dream you're used to chasing, but had grown out of long ago. Thanks to Marshall's sudden decision to make his own jump across the precipice, and Lily's sage wisdom (mixed with eye rolls of snark), the message of this episode really put some thought in my mind. Seriously. This show. A sitcom I watch only occasionally, really made me think.

Barney and Robin's funny "Mosby" tango was also a great plunge into fearful territory, admitting their love, yet not admitting it. How I adore Neil Patrick Harris and his Barney ways.

I guess we are only seeing the beginning of how everyone's mother's were met. More to come next season.