‘How I Met Your Mother’ season 8 spoilers: Hour-long holiday special coming

“How I Met Your Mother” season 8 is about to get that much more expansive … and it’s just in time for the holiday season.

In a new post on his Twitter account, show executive producer Craig Thomas announced that there is going to be a very special Christmas episode for the show coming up in the near future, and it will be one that finally marks some forward movement for our characters after a full stuffed full of breakups and buildup:

“Not sure this is public knowledge yet, but December 17, #himym is doing its first ever HOUR-LONG holiday ep. Some really big [stuff] happens!”

So what sort of stuff are we talking about here? If you remember to Monday night’s episode, Barney and Robin at least took one step closer to getting together courtesy of a kiss that happened just as Barney was making his decision as to where would be the perfect gentleman’s club for him to call home. (Who thought the answer would be … none of them!) In addition to that, we know that Ted is going to be getting another girlfriend at some point this season played by Abby Elliot; however, there is no indication that this is going to happen either this year or in early 2013.

One other mystery at the moment is pretty simple: whether or not this is the last holiday special that we will be seeing from the gang. Even though the salaries for the actors are going up, the ratings have fallen this season, and the debate CBS has to make now is if a final season is worth the trouble. One determining factor? Thanks to the recent cancellation of “Partners,” the possible end of “Two and a Half Men,” and the so-so performance of “Mike & Molly,” the network may need another year from this show to bridge the gap between the old and the new.

Do you think an hour-long episode is a legendary idea?