'How I Met Your Mother': Carter Bays and Craig Thomas on Ted's journey

Will we finally get to see the elusive "mother" on Monday's (Jan. 11) 100th episode of "How I Met Your Mother"?

We will.

Though show co-creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas are reluctant to answer this question in the clip below, the truth is that it's happening.

Technically.

I won't elaborate on what "technically" means because I don't want to spoil too much, but as Thomas puts it, we're just closer than we've ever been: "You know, we used to have Ted in the ocean of Manhattan with millions of girls and [then] it was this college campus, and the search gets narrowed down and down and down in this episode in a really exciting way."

Indeed it does. And guest star Rachel Bilson -- of "The O.C." fame -- who is Ted's new love interest plays an integral part in said narrowing.

Most of this fifth season's focus has been directed at the coupling of Ted's best friends, but Monday's half hour will have viewers once again focused on Mr. Mosby's journey. Says Bays, "This season we've kind of left the story of Ted and his search for the mother a little bit as we have explored Barney and Robin, but [the 100th episode] will definitely bring us back into that central question of the show, which is: Who is she? Who is the woman he's going to meet?"

See for yourself...

Will one of the show's upcoming guest stars -- Amanda Peet and Carrie Underwood have been booked --  be the owner of the yellow umbrella?

The journey continues...

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Photo credit: CBS