Monday night not only ushered in the dawn of the new Fall television season, it also gave way to a major twist on the CBS sitcom “How I Met Your Mother.”

However, it only lasted 22 minutes.

On the fourth season premiere of the best sitcom currently on television, “Mother” character Barney, played flawlessly by the humorously snide Neil Patrick Harris, briefly had a momentary lapse of reason when he realized he was in love with long-time friend, and ex-girlfriend of his best friend, Robin (Colbie Smulders).

He enlisted the help of Lily (Alyson Hannigan) to help court Robin, as long as he promised to stay monogamous, a word that has never entered Barney’s vocabulary, given his playboy lifestyle.

This side of Barney has never been seen throughout over 60 episodes of the series. It was rare to see the chauvinist actually talk about his (gasp!) feelings, but in typical “How I Met Your Mother” fashion, Barney quickly realized that although he might love Robin, he “loves bimbos more.”

On the other side of the spectrum, Ted (Josh Radnor) got engaged to Stella (Sarah Chalke). As he realizes the two will soon be married, Ted notices he doesn’t know anything about this girl, including the fact that she has never seen his favorite movie of all-time, “Star Wars.”

He enlists the help of Marshall (“Forgetting Sarah Marshall’s” Jason Segel) to make sure the girl really is the real thing, but more importantly, she recognizes the hidden intelligence of a wookie.

The five-piece ensemble that dominates this show is currently the best kept secret on television. Harris embodies the womanizing jerk embodiment of Barney, and Segel plays the ultra-bro, yet ultra-sensitive Marshall to a near perfect degree. With constant guest spots from the likes of Wayne Brady, Will Forte and Bob Odenkirk, the cameos add familiarity to a somewhat unknown group of young workers.

The comedy has ridden a wave of comedic success for three season already, and the fourth seems like no exception to the rule. The show efficiently blends risque humor with the right amount of “coming-of-age” ideals and an accurate depiction of typical twenty-something banter.

In a television world where single-camera sitcoms rule, and sitcoms are gasping for air, “How I Met Your Mother” is a refreshing, modern-day throwback to the great sitcoms of years past.

All comments are moderated before being published. We will not edit your comments, but we also will not approve those that are abusive, off-topic, attack another poster or contain information we know to be libelous or false.

During peak weekday viewing times, most comments will be reviewed within six hours. For more detailed information, click here.

After submitting your comment, check below for a confirmation message.

• Your name:
• Enter text from image:
  

• Your comment:

* 300-character count. HTML formatting will not display.