Posted by Brian Cochrane

Since its debut four seasons ago, CBS's "How I Met Your Mother" has been distinguished by its ability to meld witty characters, biting wordplay and genuine romantic touches with a storytelling style that routinely whips from present to past and into the future. Now, with Ted's marriage plans to Stella having gone belly up on the Jersey shore, the series again ponders who'll be "the one" for Ted Mosby, future dad.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg as Season Pass readers posed their questions to "HIMYM" creators-showrunners Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, right. Topics ranged from the Barney-Robin prospects to the recollection of Victoria, one of Ted's earlier loves, who still seems to hold a warm spot in the hearts of "HIMYM" fans. And, not surprisingly, there were plenty of questions that delved into the show's intricacies, its timeline and the trail of clues laid out so far.

Reflecting the banter that characterizes the show's writing, Bays and Thomas clearly relished the chance to have some fun with this Q&A session. Read on for their answers, revelations and their favorite question:

Q. What does Barney do, exactly? Will you ever actually state it in the show? — Jeremiah
A. We love never quite saying what Barney does -- although, as of episode 2 of season 4, we now know his mega-corporation, Altrucel, has merged or somehow overtaken Goliath National Bank (and now Barney and Marshall work together, or at least in the same building). That’s probably the most specific thing we’ve ever said about it. We just like maintaining the mysterious world that Barney inhabits. We had a friend in NYC who, if you asked him a question he didn’t wanna answer, would dismissively say, “Please,” and move on. That’s what Barney says if you ask him about what he actually does. This vagueness allows us to make weird intimations that his company is involved with very, very bad things, which often seem to involve the North Koreans. Remaining vague throughout the series about what Barney does is part of our master plan, in the very last "HIMYM" episode, to reveal that Barney is an international spy, and then spin that off into its own hour-long action drama. Cha-ching! You know where to reach us, networks!

It’s going to be legend … wait for it … ary.

“How I Met Your Mother” creators-exec producers Carter Bays and Craig Thomas (pictured at right) have awesomely agreed to answer your questions right here, as part of Season Pass’s ongoing Q&A series.

We’re big fans of the witty, quirky and romantic comedy that has built a devoted following on CBS and introduced both the Barney Stinson lexicon and popstar Robin Sparkles to hipsters everywhere.

As “HIMYM” hits the middle stretch of its fourth season, fresh twists abound, including the collapse of Ted and New Jersey-ite Stella’s wedding plans and the apparent return of Robin into both Barney and Ted’s romantic sphere. The questions surrounding just who the titular “mother” will ultimately be are again percolating.

It’s clear that everyone involved with the show puts in a great effort to make every episode pop, and we’re looking for Season Pass devotees to do the same with their questions. In other words, let’s not ask about things you can find just by going to the show’s Television Without Pity recap or Wikipedia.

Here are the guidelines:
1) Click on the comment link below and leave your question by the end of Sunday, Oct. 26.

2) Check other people’s comments so you aren’t repeating a question that’s already been asked.

3) It’s OK to ask more than one question, but doing so won’t boost your chances of seeing questions answered. In the interest of fairness, we’ll give plenty of folks a chance to weigh in.

4) On Tuesday, we’ll choose the best questions to present to Carter and Craig, who will then answer at least 10 of them.

5) We’ll post the answers on Monday, Nov. 3, giving you all a chance to read the responses before watching that night’s episode.

6) Of course, if there are any changes to the posting schedule due to unforeseen circumstances or conflicts, we’ll keep you informed  right here.

Have fun and follow the guidelines and we won't need an intervention.

— Brian Cochrane

First off, I'm a huge champion of "How I Met Your Mother." The cast is terrific, the writing consistently funny and the direction by Pam Fryman is stellar. So speaking from a fan's perspective, last night's episode left me disappointed.

The first time Britney Spears appeared on the show a few weeks back, it was a great piece of stunt casting as showrunners Carter Bays and Craig Thomas integrated her character just enough so that we knew it was Britney but it didn't interfere with how smoothly the rest of the actors work together and it didn't take anything away from the storyline.

Not so much last night. It wasn't that Britney's character -- a young woman who has a crush on Ted but sleeps with Barney to get even -- was involved too much in the episode but, rather, Britney just plain can't act. Period. She looked stilted and foolish in scenes with TV pros such as Neil Patrick Harris and Josh Radnor.

Ratings for "Mother" shot up for Britney's first appearance, and for a show this good that has never received the high ratings it should — series just got the OK from CBS for another season, yeah! — any way to push the Nielsen meter is smart, but last night's episode felt to me as if it had crossed a line in pimping to get viewers.

From Britney's perspective, coming on as a guest star is a smart move. By working on "Mother's" tight sitcom schedule, it helps keep her life straight -- or straighter than usual -- and makes her seem a bit more like a "normal" person and not just tabloid fodder.

But her exposure and rehab felt like it came at the expense of "Mother." I'm hoping it doesn't happen again next season.

— Stuart Levine