How I Met Your Mother: Challenge Excepted

     Ummm... uhhhh... wow.  I really don't know what to say.  That was arguable the worst season finale in the history of television.  I know I commented that the show was limping toward the end of the season but I didn't expect them to finish with one of the worst episodes they've ever made.  I had to double check and make sure it was, in fact, the last episode of the season because I couldn't fathom that they would end on such a horrible note.  I don't remember laughing once.  The stories were so obvious and cliche they packed no punch at all.  It was simply bad sitcom television, something the writers of this show are much to talented to let happen.
     The two biggest revelations were that Lilly is pregnant, something that was obvious to anyone with half a brain the minute she started throwing up, and that the wedding at the beginning of the season was Barney's.  In all honesty, as much as I love Lilly and Marshal, the whole pregnant thing isn't compelling at all, so the fact that they finally conceived didn't have the punch I think the writers wanted or expected.  As far as the Barney's wedding goes, I'm pretty sure the writers want us to believe he's marrying Nora, but if we've learned anything over the course of this show it's not to believe anything.  Barney is either marrying Robin or is actually not getting married at all.  That's what happens when you continually cry wolf or keep pulling the football away, eventually we, the audience, catch on and the trick doesn't work or loses whatever dramatic effect you intend.  The Ted storyline, getting back together with Zoey, didn't make me any happier or was any more believable.  Why would the writers put Ted back into the worst relationship they have put him into over the course of the show?  It didn't have me asking, "what is he thinking," like his continuous returns to Laura Prepon's Karen, it just made me mad.  Zoey is a horrible character, who made no sense in a relationship with Ted and made Ted less likable, which is saying a lot because he's been less then interesting the last few seasons, and the fact the writers might keep them going after ending the relationship was mind boggling and infuriating.
     I know the writers have picked out an end date and are writing toward it, I can only pray that fact means the next two season will be more "Legandaddy" and less "Challenge Excepted".  It makes me a little sad that they won't introduce the Mom and try the show with two couples, Robin, and Barney, but what are you going to do.  Keep your fingers crossed that things don't get any worse then how this season ended.