I must admit, I have been waiting for weeks to watch the latest episode of “How I Met Your Mother.” I like the show, but I was most excited to see Britney Spears act.

A lot of people have written her off – she’s crazy, she’s out of control, she’s lost her drive to perform, etc. I, on the other hand, firmly believe that she can make a comeback – she just needs help to do it. Let’s face it; from the beginning of her conservatorship, she has made leaps and bounds in the whole return to normalcy department. That said, I was hopeful last night would help her in her efforts.

The episode was one of the best written of the season. Ted decides to have a butterfly tattoo removed from his lower back. This gives him 10 sessions to win over his dermatologist Stella (Sarah Chalke). Each week, he tries a new gimmick to try to get her attention and win a date.

One week he makes the mistake of trying to be nice to Stella’s secretary, Abby (Britney Spears). This leads to a sticky situation as Abby develops a crush on Ted, and he must fight off her awkward advances while stepping up his pursuit of the doctor.

After the 10 weekly one-hour sessions, Ted is devastated to learn that the doctor still can’t go out with him. Stella explains that she has an 8-year-old daughter and the only “free time” she has is the two minutes she takes for lunch each day. Not ready to give up, Ted plans a two-minute date for her next lunch “hour.”

The date is a success – and the best date I’ve seen on television in years. Is Stella the future Mrs. Ted Mosby?

I really liked the chemistry between Stella and Ted. I hope we get to see a lot more of this couple. With this season bringing the end of “Scrubs,” Sarah Chalke could be shopping for a new job. I liked seeing Chalke play a confident character. She seemed to really be Stella.

For those of you who missed it, last night’s episode of “How I Met Your Mother” can be viewed on CBS.com. Even if you don’t like Britney Spears, it is a can’t-miss episode.


Watch it: CBS Mondays, 8:30 p.m. EST

Stars: Josh Radnor, Neil Patrick Harris, Jason Segel, Alyson Hannigan, Cobie Smulders, and Bob Saget.