While Monday night's episode leaves unanswered how many billable hours Marshall wastes uploading slide shows of uncomfortably lame double dates, at least Ted proves he can overcome the romance-killing powers of a professor's tweed jacket.
Call it "Revenge of the Sexless Innkeeper," or "The rare 'How I Met Your Mother' episode where the subplot makes up for an otherwise weak storyline."
When you're floundering in the early stages of a romantic relationship, how cool would it be if your partner had an emotionally secure ex willing to share all the personal do's and don'ts to avoid fights and to keep your partner happy? OK, maybe that would be a bit creepy in the real world, but in sitcom land, that's Comedy 101.
So with Barney still struggling to adjust to his new boyfriend role with Robin on Monday's episode of How I Met Your Mother, no one blinks when he turns to his pal Ted, who dated Robin for a year or so, for a class on dating her. The "no one blinks" goes especially for Robin, who fixes her ex- and current boyfriend with her patented wide-eyed stare of anger after she discovers Barney's secret Robin notebook.
House (8pm, Fox) - James Earl Jones plays an ailing African dictator charged with crimes against humanity who arrives at the hospital for treatment. Also, House gets involved in a feud between his new roomie Wilson and Wilson's neighbor.
How I Met Your Mother (8pm, CBS) - Robin thinks Barney is cheating on her already, but really he's just getting info from Ted on how to be the most awesome boyfriend ever.
Castle (10pm, ABC) - A young model is savagely murdered, leading Castle and Beckett into the ruthless world of high fashion.
CSI: Miami (10pm, CBS) - Calleigh (Emily Proctor) has to testify against Delko, which endangers his CSI future. Cheryl Ladd guest stars.
Talk about value. Monday night's episode of How I Met Your Mother didn't provide viewers with just one boring blind date for Ted. As an added bonus, we got to sit through Ted's boring blind date twice.
More importantly, though, Barney and Marshall discover a Russian stripper who could pass for Lily's twin, assuming that Lily's twin was also kin to Barbara Mandrell, judging by the dancer's permalicious 'do.
So one has to worry whether the fifth season of How I Met Your Mother will derail on the blossoming romance between Barney and Robin or Ted's quest to, you know, meet the mother of his future children.
In Monday's opening episode, no one is more intent in killing the joy in Barney and Robin's carefree hookups than Lily, who is determined to make them define the relationship.
House (8pm, Fox) - This could very well be the best 2 hours of television this week, if not this whole season. The "House" season 6 premiere picks up where season 5 left off: House is inside a mental institution recovering from his Vicodin addiction. The strong supporting cast tonight includes Andre Braugher as House's doctor, and Lin-Manuel Miranda as House's roomate. This is one you don't miss.
How I Met Your Mother (8pm, CBS) - CBS is all new tonight, and their sitcoms get things off to a strong start. On HIMYM, the gang finds out that Barney and Robin are secretly dating, and Ted begins his teaching career at Columbia. A brand new (and widely trashed) sitcom starring Jenna Elfman ("Accidentally on Purpose") follows at 8:30. Then it's "Two and a Half Men" and "Big Bang Theory" at 9 and 9:30.
Heroes (8pm, NBC) - The fourth season premiere of "Heroes" is a two-hour event tonight. Claire gets some unwanted attention at college thanks to an odd death. 
Dancing with the Stars (8pm, ABC) - Expect this to win the night. The 9th season opens with 16 contestants, more than in any other season. Some of the stars competing this season are Donny Osmond, Tom DeLay, Melissa Joan Hart, and Michael Irvin.
CSI: Miami (10pm, CBS) - Season 8 begins tonight with Delko fighting for his life after being found unconscious in the Everglades at the end of last season. At some point, Horatio will dramatically remove his sunglasses and thoughtfully recall how the team came together during a case 12 years earlier, when Delko found a dead body in the trunk of a car.
Castle (10pm, ABC) - It will be so nice to see smart alecky Nathan Fillion again! In the 2nd season premiere of "Castle," Kate and Castle argue over his interference in her personal life, but put aside their differences to investigate a dead man found in a tree. Also, Castle has a book deadline looming.
Late Show with David Letterman (11:30, CBS) - President Barack Obama is Dave's guest tonight.
Another season of "How I Met Your Mother" slipped away without the Bob Saget voice-over telling the viewers (or Ted's kids) how Ted met his kids' mother.
But at least we learned at the end of Monday's season finale that he met her in the university architecture class he started teaching after giving up on his professional career as an architect, after getting his butt kicked by a goat.
One more thing we learned: you could make a killer drinking game that involves chugging a beer every time you spot a new prop used to camouflage actress Alyson Hannigan's pregnancy.
Ted left us with a cliffhanger last week suggesting that his ex-fiancee Stella, the blonde-haired dermatologist with a striking resemblance to "Scrubs" Dr. Elliot Reid, is indeed the mother of his two future children who Bob Saget is always boring in the show's voice-overs.
Thankfully, that turned out to be another game-delay ruse setting up Monday night's "How I Met Your Mother," as Ted ended up playing relationship doctor for Stella and her karate-loving boyfriend Tony. Because as much as I appreciate actress Sarah Chalke's ability to tart it up with a French-playing accent in the obligatory HIMYM fantasy-scene, I can't reconcile her playing the love of both Zach Braff's life on "Scrubs" and Josh Radnor's poor, vanilla-bland Ted.
Let's face it. Whether or not you enjoy watching "How I Met Your Mother" has nothing to do with the possibility of Bob Saget revealing in the show's voice-over some day who married Ted and became the mother of his children.
It's all about your appreciation, rather, of Barney's rambling theories on dating etiquette and their unconventional ties to the "What Would Jesus Do" philosophy. And any opportunity to heap some scorn on 30-something adults' texting habits, as the show seized Monday night is always welcome.
Here's another reason why I love "How I Met Your Mother": in these uncertain times when companies are barely done with one round of layoffs before they embark on another, this sitcom still finds time to mix in some indispensable career advice while continuing to deliver the laughs.
Monday night, Marshall frets that he won't survive the next round of cuts at Goliath National Bank, where being the hardest working attorney in your division guarantees you nothing. Barney, the font of all corporate wisdom, tells Marshall he needs to carve out his own special "guy" identity in the company.
