New HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER Season Eight Episode Details; Joe Manganiello Set to Return

The hit CBS comedy How I Met Your Mother, which stars is returning for an eighth and possibly last season finally divulged who Barney Stinson will marry, executive producer Craig Thomas has revealed details about the show's highly anticipated next season.

The year is 2030. Ted Mosby is relaying the story of how he met his wife to his daughter and son. The story starts in the year 2005, when then twenty-seven year old architect Ted was spurred on to want to get married after lawyer Marshall Eriksen and kindergarten teacher Lily Aldrin, his best friends from their college days at Wesleyan, got engaged after nine years of dating each other. Ted's new quest in life was much to the dismay of his womanizing friend, Barney Stinson. But soon after Marshall and Lily's engagement, Ted believed that his life mate was going to be news reporter and aspiring news anchor Robin Scherbatsky, who, despite having had a romantic relationship with her after this time, ended up being who the kids know as their "Aunt" Robin. As Ted relays the story to his kids, the constants are that their Uncle Marshall, Aunt Lily, Uncle Barney and Aunt Robin are always in the picture and thus have something to do with how he got together with their mother.

During the season seven finale it was revealed that although Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) and Quinn (Becki Newton) had recently gotten engaged, Barney and long-time love interest Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders) will eventually be married. Fans of the show know that Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) will meet his yet to be revealed wife at their wedding, but the episode ended with him riding off into the sunset alongside Victoria (Ashley Williams).

Executive producer Craig Thomas recently offered new details about the series' eighth season opening, which will pick up right where season seven left off:

“We go deeper into [Barney and Robin's] wedding day than we’ve ever gone before. We’re going to show the fans a glimpse of something that we hope will blow their minds. I hope the fans will feel they have part of the answer about how the series ends and all new questions."

Thomas also revealed that one episode in particular will give fan favorite Neil Patrick Harris all the room he needs to steal the show:

“There’s a very fun episode in the first couple of episode where Barney realizes he should get a prenup. I don’t know if you’ve ever read the crazy stuff online about crazy rich people or crazy celebrity prenups, but they have the most insane stuff and they basically use a lawyer to write their own insanity and biggest fears and most controlling, unflattering tendencies have been written in law, essentially. There’s a very fun story we get to tell about Barneys absolutely insane idea of what he’d want his crazy prenup to be. It’s going to be a Neil Patrick Harris tour de force. There are crazy fantasies, crazy flashforwards, and a true HIMYM, insane, hilarious episode.”

Entertainment Weekly, who was able to confirm that Joe Manganiello (True Blood) will be returning to his walk-on role as Brad, also asked Thomas to address the back and forth rumors regarding the series' possible ninth season:

“We’re optimistic and hopeful that we’re going to know in time so we can either launch the ending sequence of How I Met Your Mother or figure out a plan B, which we also know how to do. The truth is, I think we’d love to keep going. We think there’s a great season 9, and we’re excited and hopeful to hear how all the negotiations go.”

How I Met Your Mother stars Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Neil Patrick Harris, Alyson Hannigan and Cobie Smulders. The series is narrated through flashbacks from the future, voiced by Bob Saget. Created and executive produced by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas; along with executive producers Pamela Fryman and Rob Greenberg. How I Met Your Mother airs Monday nights on CBS.