How I Met Your Mother The Complete Season 7

CBS's How I Met Your Mother started out as one of the best sitcoms on television, and then sagged a bit in the middle. However, by season seven, owing to a deeper level of emotion, and some development in the characters' lives, the series had regained its momentum, beginning to build towards a climax (even though it's uncertain if that climax will happen in season eight, or nine, or...). Now, all twenty-three episodes of season seven, plus extras, have been released on a three disc set dubbed "The Ducky Tie Edition."

As year seven commences in Ted's (Josh Radnor) search for the titular mother, his friends are continuing to grow up and move on. In fact, as we see in cut scenes in several episodes set slightly in the future, Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) is finally tying the knot, before Ted no less, though we won't find out who Barney's bride is until the final moments of the season. Is it Robin (Cobie Smulders), whom is still haboring feelings for him? Is it Nora (Nazanin Bonidai), whom Barney wronged, but maintains a torch for? Or could it be the soon to arrive on the scene stripper, Quinn (Becki Newton, Ugly Betty), who understands Barney in a way that no woman ever has before?

Lily (Alyson Hannigan) and Marshall (Jason Segel) are even further into adulthood. They announce in the season premiere, "The Best Man," that Lily is pregnant. But do they want to raise a baby in New York City? It isn't long before they find a place in the suburbs. This moves them further away from their friends, hurting their social life. Is this the right decision for them?

Other events important to the lives of the gang occur throughout the season. Some ones well worth mentioning are:

• "Ducky Tie" Barney loses a wager to see Lily's breasts, and Ted runs into old flame Victoria (Ashley Williams), sparking a "What if...?" question about his ex.
• "Noretta" Kevin (Kal Penn) freaks everyone out when he tells them that people always choose a mate similar to their parents. Visual gags ensue.
• "The Slutty Pumpkin Returns" Ted reunites with a mystery flirt from years ago (Katie Holmes), and Barney learns that he's one quarter Canadian. It's a good thing that it's Halloween. The horror!
• "Tick Tick Tick" After cheating on their significant others with each other, Robin and Barney decide how, or if, they will break up with Kevin and Nora.
• "The Rebound Girl" Barney and Ted decide that they should raise a child together. There is no way that this can possible go wrong, right?
• "Tailgate" Marshall visits his father's grave to update him on that gang's life.
• "The Burning Beekeeper" The story of Marshall and Lily's housewarming party is told repeatedly from different perspectives.
• "Karma" Barney meets Quinn, a stripper who steals more than his money, and Ted seeks to fill the void in the apartment, and his life, left by Robin after she moves out.
• "Trilogy Time" Ted realizes that he has been stuck in a rut, and wonders how he might finally make a positive change in his life.
• "The Magician's Code" (two part finale) Lily goes into labor while Marshall is drunk with Barney in Atlantic City. Then Barney proposes to Quinn, while Ted gets a visit from Victoria on her wedding day.

This is a great batch of episodes, and is definitely proof that How I Met Your Mother still deserves its spot on the air. Rather than continuing to grow stale, the series has reinvented itself in a very interesting way, moving into the stage of the characters' lives past the carefree days of youth. It isn't a perfect year, but it's much better than several of the previous ones.

There are plenty of extras included in The Ducky Tie Edition set. Besides getting your own copy of the infamous tie with it (possibly depending on where you buy it?) , there are also deleted scenes, a gag reel, and audio commentaries on certain episodes. Featurettes include a look at writing the series, making the series, and all of the great guest stars that appear. There is also a look at Neil Patrick Harris getting his star. Very cool, and enough to satisfy

How I Met Your Mother The Complete Season 7 The Ducky Tie Edition is available now.

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