Why Barney Stinson NEEDED To Change

[@vipulgupta4348]

NPH actually gave his perspective on this in an interview where he said Barney was so terrible because Ted told the story like that to his kids so that he looks like a better match for Robin.

[@zydhas2838]

I mean that really makes sense, especially considering how Ted has some really trashy moments which are just as bad as some of Barney's worst moments (on screen at least) and it always seems like it's trying to be underplayed. And he really brags a lot about his sexual escapades in a story that's supposedly being told to his children.

[@Delta-lu5kf]

Honestly, I cant see this perspective because, in that case, why would Ted ever tell his kids about the numerous time Barney was am extremely thoughtful person and a great friend or partner?

[@majoyce2355]

@@Delta-lu5kf I think it maybe because Ted subconsciously exaggerated Barney's bad actions to make himself feel better? Just a theory tho

[@phonepup06]

Ted isn’t a reliable narrator to begin with. So makes sense.

[@janusgreenway6934]

What the hell? Where can I find this interview? Was he apart of the writing for the show or how did he get his hands on that info? Is this meant to be a hate Ted or love Barney case?

[@OscarStinson]

Hmm, interesting video! Barney clearly has some questionable actions when it comes to women. He does get better over time, especially in Season 6, 8 and 9, but one thing that is fairly consistent throughout the show is his number 1 priority, his friendships. Aside from maybe Marshall, Barney is undoubtedly the best friend in the group. He cares the most about them and goes out of his way to make sure that his friends are okay. "Whatever you do in this life, it's not legendary unless your friends are there to see it"

[@Nerdstalgic]

Appreciate the perspective

[@petervibulsirichai5214]

When I saw some thing about himym, I know that Oscar will show up 😀

[@DPSFSU]

Totally agree. I loved Barney. He always made me want to hang out with friends and do crazy things together... Ahem.. Lazer tag.

[@wildearts9550]

This is a great perspective on him

[@fabooshka]

Bro! Oscar!

[@kabukilamuki1166]

I think why Barney is probably one of the best characters in the show because he has multiple character arcs like an actual person, an actual person changes with time and will go back and forth whereas a lot of characters in shows change to one thing but don’t go back

[@Mr2dmonkey]

Yeah, that's what makes him so believable.

[@JesseHas1RetardLife]

all characters in the show change

[@sara1coco]

THIS!!! shows nowadays could never and if a character messes up ppl are writing essays and crying. Let ppl grow omg

[@sadwhitesoxfan17]

@@JesseHas1RetardLife how does lilly change?

[@JesseHas1RetardLife]

@@sadwhitesoxfan17 she kind of keeps the same selfish attitude all the way through

[@christined8634]

The thing I hated though was that they built up this whole thing with Robin for several seasons and he had a huge arch. But then in the last episode he divorces Robin and goes back to one night stands. For me it destroyed all the work they did just to put Robin and Ted back together

[@the0thersyde725]

Yep. And that's what happens when you prepare (write and film) the ending in season 2 (so the kids don't age) intending it for the end of season 3 or 4. And then the show lasts for 9 seasons instead so the original ending no longer works (because character development) but the creatives stick to it anyway even though it no longer makes any sense given seasons 5 to 9.

[@christined8634]

@@the0thersyde725 totally agree. They should have scrapped the planned ending and written a new one based on character development. The ending just felt wrong when I watched it

[@christined8634]

@@intrepidnick2939 no they didn’t. They planned an ending at the beginning which contradicted growth. There was no respecting the characters

[@VictoryReviews]

exactly

[@VictoryReviews]

@@intrepidnick2939 real life can be whatever the writers perceive it to be

[@beautybard]

That last Barney moment of him with his baby, reciting the line he emptily told to a random girl, with full emotion.... I bawled. I love this show. I know every line to every episode.

[@KaiSchSp]

Same. I never stopped watching the show. Barney talking to his kid was one of the most emotional moments in the show.

[@crowdpleasers6198]

I still bawl my eyes out when it comes.. NPH is a legendary actor he portrays the emotion so fucking good

[@politereminder6284]

I seriously don't remember that scene😅

[@360VideoDesign]

🚩

[@BZgA]

This killed his character, it was not earned, haha. He should have just came out as gay

[@mbanerjee5889]

I disagree completely. The first hint of Barney and Robin is shown in 1x14 "Zip, Zip, Zip"; we get a brief rundown of reasons why they would work as a couple. And then in 1x15 "Game Night" we see Barney's backstory of how he became what he is. It doesn't justify his actions but it does show that his womanizing ways were always a defense mechanism after getting dumped. In 2x19 "Bachelor Party", we find out he brought Lily back. Moments like these are sprinkled throughout the early seasons showing that while he might be a jerk, he is always a good friend when it matters. Barney was always capable of being loyal and honest, but he just didn't have a reason to be. There are plenty of external factors that lead Barney to want to be in a relationship: seeing his brother get married, being hit by a bus, and patching things with his father. His character didn't need to be "redeemed" he needed to mature as a person outside of a relationship, which he did. That's why Barney is still the best character on HIMYM. He's interesting, nuanced, immensely loyal to his friends, and funny. He is a terrible person, but a GREAT character.

[@TheVivaciousNerd]

I mean... The way he treats women borders on sexual assault on multiple occasions (coercing people into sleeping with him under false pretenses, targetting very inebriated women, using any means of manipulation, filming sexual encounters against his partner's will, targetting younger girls etc)... I think this goes way beyong "immature" behaviour, its actually pretty predatory

[@nguyenkhanhhailinh1721]

@@TheVivaciousNerd I think it was more of a enabling situation as well, the gang actually don't stop him from doing these terrible things, they're sometimes disgusted by his actions, but they mostly just call the women he has one night stands with "bimbos" "dumb chicks" and such. Even for Ted as well, "hit that" "redonkulous body", the gang sometimes sees Barney's "conquests" as something amusing, interesting to watch. Through the years, it's just become the norm. Plus, from the start, Barney's way with the ladies has always been played mostly for laugh, none of them would last, or be mentioned twice

[@vijaylatsel7565]

Barney stinson is the worst character from himym. He is irresponsible,He is narcissistic, he is Misogynyst, he is manipulative, he is a predator, his a pervert, he is totally a douchebag, suddenly writers wanna make his character interesting and tried some dramatic changes which worked with some fans and not worked with fans like me. Come on, you can't idolize a man who did human trafficking without any remorse only because writers change their mind and wanted portray him as normal person.

[@designersunlockedu1888]

i agree with you

[@annamarie1914]

@@TheVivaciousNerd I honestly believe that most of the women he used his pick lines on, new they were terrible pick-lines and were completely on board to go have some no-strings attached enjoyment. Also, at least Barney full belives that No is a no, unlike Ted. Ted belived their were ways to turn a no into a yes, while Barney completely said (and belives) that their is no changing a No into a yes. A no is a no, and a yes is a yes, no changing or turing (e.g forcing) a no into a yes. Barney may sleep around a lot, buts always with willing consenting adults women.

[@paiwanhan]

I don't think Barney's changes were unearned in the early seasons. The writers gave us a glimpse of what Barney really is like as himself in Game Night. Barney has always been a hopeless romantic. He just felt so defeated that he decides to mimic Greg's behavior to shield him from any future emotional pain. Remember, Barney has been playing a long game to get revenge on Greg, by first behaving just like Greg and playing dumb to earn his trust, and then sending him to jail, all because Greg stole Shannon away from him. Barney also uses the same guise to hide his yearning for a family of his own, a wish that he had since his father left him. To me, I think the desire for a family might even take precedence over the hopeless romantic he is deep inside. So every time Barney stops being a womanizer, I don't see it as an unearned character development, I see it as Barney's shield cracking and the real Barney is revealed for a brief moment.

[@guilherme832]

I really liked your interpretation

[@avroravioletacontrerasrivas]

Yes, it seems like who did the video forgot about that particular moment that made Barney a womanizer.

[@k1mo954]

exactly this.

[@polblaysitges249]

Thanks. I was about to write this. He has several glimpses of his true self: caring, with significant fragility, confidence issues and father issues, a romantic… He’s portrayed as a tragic character much like Michael Scott. He’s a jackass but a good person jackass and that’s why he works

[@Alphabet7]

I'm literally barney

[@dancliff2873]

I’ve always assumed that the fact that Barney had a daughter that he loved, and who would eventually start dating, meant that he’d have to live the hell of constantly worrying that she would be victimized like he did to so many woman. That sounds like some karmic payback for sure.

[@trinaq]

Indeed, the only aspect I genuinely enjoyed about the final episode was Barney meeting his daughter for the first time, and declaring her to be the only true woman he's ever really loved.

[@dancliff2873]

@@jimrobinson9979 understandable, I was struggling on how to phrase my line of thinking.

[@Heightren]

It's also quite poetic in my opinion. Robin may have been the largest conquest, but she was still a conquest, the same base for all of his bad behavior, where having a daughter gives him someone to love in a very different way to all the other women he's dated

[@daftbanna7202]

I hate the trope of a man needing a daughter to see women in a non sexualised way. It would have been better if he learnt that without randomly having a daughter.

[@dancliff2873]

@@daftbanna7202 that finale was a dumpster fire. Barney’s ending was the least of my issues.

[@antwheezy]

I just finished this show in 2023 almost 10 years after it finished airing and it left me feeling empty. Somehow this show is irreplaceable, nothing I watch will ever fill the void this show left upon the finale. Wish I could watch it over and over again for the first time.

[@mrloldev]

You will in 4 years you can repeat

[@DarthNoshitam]

I think early Barney's lack of accountability was intentional bc it furthers his caricature of "that guy". Also you didn't touch on his backstory-Barney didn't start out as a terrible person 😆

[@Mr2dmonkey]

Lmao I said the same thing.

[@originaozz]

I think what Barney endearing despite being a manchild with so many wrongdoings (especially towards women) was his effort. He's one to take action whenever he sets himself on a goal. Some could be manipulative and some are just truly sweet, but he'll always go all in. It's what most of us wish we could do in real life.

[@mario98730]

Interesting! I have to disagree that Barney was totally reprehensible in the earlier seasons. Very early on the writers established Barney’s fear of attachment both because of his father and because several of the people closest to him early on in his life deserted him. So underneath the skeevy stunts he pulls, you never lose that underneath he is hurting. So when you see glimpses of Barney and Robin early on, you’re like “oh! That’s someone who Barney can give his whole heart too.” To the point that Barney spends that episode learning from Ted how to be better at dating Robin. All that to say I do think it was smart in the later seasons that Barney had to suffer through the Nora and Quinn stuff to complete his character arc. Especially when you consider the alt finale where he and Robin stay together. He moves on from his old life and embraces his new one with Robin and his daughter.

[@Scorpiofrfr]

This video is gonna be Legen.....wait for it.... Dary. Legendary!

[@draconshot928]

Wow you know. You are a lot like Ralph Machio

[@jezebel324]

Love barney, felt like his character got a lot of growth, then they made him a playboy all over again just to be a single father…out of NOWHERE… you’re telling me after years of hook ups all of a sudden Barney gets sloppy? Immaculate Barney? It could’ve been really great, him with Robin… I just refuse to acknowledge the ending. I think that’s all I have to say

[@Thedoctorjosh]

Truth. The last 3 episodes of this show was the worst thing to happen to television until the last season of game of thrones. Honestly, I'm grateful to GoT for helping me get over HIMYM

[@edreginmollaneda6162]

There was a deleted scene for Barney's perfect month where he was bragging to Carl on completing it on his 30th day but Carl pointed out it was a 31 day month. It was 11:57pm he had to finish fast 😂

[@ZenithAccount]

I feel like it was realistic. Barney and Robin can be really toxic to one another. And as mentioned above, he was sloppy because he had 3 minutes to get a girl. I also think that Barney reverting back to a playboy is normal for him, since he's seen what's at the end of the aisle and doesn't want to commit to someone and go through the same pain that he did with Robin. He also reverted back to a playboy after he first broke up with Robin.

[@katitax508]

I absolutely agree. This is what I’ve been thinking since 2014.

[@debuthunter5389]

Actually he had a lot of pregnancy scares over the time. And he became a playboy again because when people go through a difficult thing, or feel lost or alone, they revert back to what they know. I see it all the time. Heck, even I was a bit like that when my long-term relationships ended.

[@luizakxt]

Hearing you mention how Barney and Robin's relationship first started and how we're rooting for them to end up together was kinda funny considering I started rooting for them since season 1 episode 14 when they hang out together by themselves LMAOOO

[@victoriakmartin]

Same, I was definitely on that ship long before it was canon.

[@JesseHas1RetardLife]

yeah they hinted at it very early lot of these himym analytical videos seem to gloss over alot of shit

[@toxicstarbot6701]

Same

[@kingorin9442]

People calling Barney a manipulator SMH.... if you, as a woman, agree to go home with the guy dressed in a scuba suit, pretending he is Ryan Gosling or any of the other stunts Barney pulled... the fault is on you! It says more about your own character than it does pulling stupid scenarios in a dive bar. Barney is a legend for making them work!

[@KombatGod]

One thing I often hear as a justification for Barney's behavior is that the whole show is a story told from Ted's point of view, so those things may not have really happened and really just be Ted exaggerating his friend's quirk. I think there's a discussion to be had there, since on the one hand none of fiction "really happened" so using the "it was all a dream" (or "story" in this case) explanation is almost never valid: all you're doing is adding a meta-universe above the main one, but I can still examine the events as they happen in the canon of the story within the story. On the other hand though HIMYM is a show that explicitly plays with it being a story, including meta elements like Ted not remembering some detail, or him censoring certain things for his kids, so in this case it may indeed be a valid point...

[@kicapanmanis1060]

I'm fine if it's literal, Barney is a great character. Yeah a sleezeball to women but also a great friend.

[@moiff_]

I hate that excuse for Barney

[@MaSp345]

He is by far my favourite character in any sitcom

[@sharbluv1100]

The only reason why Barney was written this way is because the writers were wishy-washy with how to write this character. Barney is NOT one noted he is a multi-layered character. He was introduced as a one noted character but he becomes a character who DID grow and found who he is. Barney was also well rounded as a person. He was a good friend, a great son and brother, he was someone who actually does believe in love/relationships (helping Marshall and Lily get back together, helping his friends find jobs, helping Robin stay in the country, actually believing in Robin as a career woman and being her biggest supporter. He also doesn't want her to change just because they get married) Barney on the surface of the person he was/is is a funny, but broken person who puts everyone else's feelings ahead of his and actually wants to grow and change. Robin, was his first real love/relationship after Shannon broke his heart. Robin is his true love and soulmate, and he is hers. Barney and Robin meet only because Ted obsessively wants what Marshall and Lily have but doesn't actually see Robin as a person or what she wants, he treated Barney terribly and was one of the worst characters I've ever seen, even worse than Ross. Ted is supposed to be this nice guy but all he was a miserable shmuck. Barney actually had internal issues, that he needed to overcome while Ted obsesses over love and trying to find the one without respecting any of the women he obsesses over. Robin being the main one, who not only wanted different things than Ted, but she had character development that had nothing to do with Ted (the creators wanted Ted in the center of everyone's attention but really everyone had their own lives) Robin's whole character assassination turned her into what Ted wanted NOT what she wanted) while Barney and Robin grew as people they realized that their breakup was premature and wanted to be together but the writers decided to retcon the whole series to be all about Ted. While killing off the mother/tracy and undermining the character arcs that happened in 7 seasons. Tracy and Robin deserved better, but that's not my point. Barney Stinson was just really broken man/person, who hides his true self behind his womanizing but that lifestyle never made him happy that's why him getting married and being happy with Robin DOES work for him. Because the creators had an idea at the beginning of the series does not mean it was a good idea. Barney and Robin should have stayed together, adopted or tried some other way to have a kid instead they had him have one with a stranger he never cared about. They literally erased five seasons of Barney growing and becoming someone's partner to give him an ending meant for season 1/2/3 at best. Barney and Robin were so good together, and for each other. They loved each other for exactly who they are. Ted's character development only happened because of Tracy and yet he is the same person at 50? as he was when he was 20/30. Barney and Robin had their character development wiped because the creators of the show couldn't look past their smurf penis.

[@jakec.1136]

To this day my poor friend suffers from “Haaaaaave you met Ted?”

[@MegaSpideyman]

Is his name Ted?

[@jakec.1136]

@@MegaSpideyman Take a wiiiiiiiiild guess

[@MegaSpideyman]

@@jakec.1136 Ah, ok.

[@averyeml]

I mean there’s all the usual overexplained issues with Barney and the show as a whole, but I take issue with thinking he “turned into” a loving and caring father. 1. Everyone knows the show’s ending sucks. Barney was the one meant for Robin and they made the mistake of “keeping the ending so the stuff they filmed with the kids worked,” killing seasons of actual growth and change in one go. More importantly, Robin and Ted STILL don’t work, certainly not better than Barney, because she’s still wanting to do the globetrotting journalist thing, and Ted’s not done raising kids. They’re still at an age where they need a permanent support system and he’s more locked down than Barney. 2. The problem with him becoming a “loving father” is that not only is he shoved into that role in literally the last episode of the show, but he doesn’t even bother to remember the name of the mother of “the love of his life.” I get it, my parents didn’t have a good relationship either, but my parents cared enough about me to refer to each other as their literal names. And I don’t buy the showrunner’s BS about life not having happy endings or following natural progressions and change- yeah, we end up in places we never expect, often suddenly and unexpectedly, but you can follow the chain of events that leads you there.

[@katitax508]

I agree. He didn’t need to have a daughter to change, he had already changed!!! Over many seasons he grew and became a better man, he developed a green relationship with Robin and they threw all of that away for the 2006 ending. Bullshit.

[@andurilcuivie]

Sure things change, but the ending was not the ending to the story we were told. If you want to end up somewhere else, tell us that story.

[@gaby9633]

Admittedly Barney is a horrible person for what he's done to so many girls, but he somehow wins over the audience with his backstory and his redemption arc with Robin in the later seasons. As much as the writers tried to make Ted the main character, I think Barney stole that role from him because there was simply so much depth to his character.

[@peteryang8991]

There is nothing wrong about how Barney treat women. Barney never misled any women to think it is a serious relationship. And those feminists pushing for guys like Barney to be mistreating women are hypocrites. What about all those girls wanting casual sexual relationship with athletics? How is that any different? Are those girls doing anything wrong? I don't think so. If those athletic start taking issue with the girls not willing to commit, is that wrong? I don't think those girls act out of line, but if the athletic start throwing a hissy fit because she won't commit, that is acting out of line. I am sorry, but Barney never misled any person to think it is a serious relationship, he did nothing wrong. If you are not OK with it as merely a one night stand, don't sleep with him. Nobody is trying to rape you.

[@peteryang8991]

PS; And those women that bitch about Barney are hypocrites. There are a lot of very bad man turning this around and use it against women, angry at women for just wanting to have fun an won't commit to him. And those exact women will be saying stuff such as "That is male entitlement right there." Double standard much. Why should I commit to you? I never misled you to think this is a serious relationship. Those women are stalkers. A girl is still talking to a few guys, never agreed to be in a relationship or anything and one guy start throwing a hissy fit, because he found out that she is still talking to other guys. It is BS. One example, a Japanese girl I know, she had a semester exchange in the US and flirt a bit with a guy that she met in college. They still flirt in exchange email and he throw a hissy fit, when discover that she is still talking to other guys. And she need explain to him that they are just friends and the flirting is just kidding around between friends. And I've met plenty of entitled women of such nature also. I had an experience myself. I flirt a little bit with a girl, when I see her in class in college and she got upset when finding out I am also flirting with other girls. I just thought "What are you on about? You got a boyfriend yourself." and can't be bother talking to her again. I am sorry, Barney didn't mistreat any women. Those women taking issue with how he is treating women are problematic, they are a bunch of creepy obsessive psycho stalker types. And men that support those feminist value are either wimps or just stalkers themselves, waiting to use this feminist BS turn it around and use it against women saying "it work both ways." and justify their entitled asshole behavior.

[@gaby9633]

@@peteryang8991 dude wtf, seriously get some therapy or something. You either have some serious mother issues or an ex might have fucked you over, nonetheless get some help.

[@magnusprime962]

@@peteryang8991He repeatedly lied to women about his identity in order to sleep with them. That is rape.

[@peteryang8991]

@@magnusprime962 PS: And I can't count the number of time, I got girls lying that she got no boyfriend with me. (Personally, I don't really care if a girl got a boyfriend. I care about whether she is married, but dating on the other hand is like whatever.) I know she is lying. But, I just play alone. As long as I see no wedding ring, it is all good.

[@austenmoore7326]

I don’t know that you can say it didn’t work though. Barney was everyone’s favorite character up until like 2017. Like every fan list or poll had him as the favorite character

[@draconshot928]

Waiy what changed at 2017?

[@austenmoore7326]

@@draconshot928 me too happened. Before that his casual sexism was not really seen as an issue

[@swarleyyyy8206]

He's the most popular fan favourite character. Nothing much changed.

[@jadedjimmy]

Who is the favorite now then? I feel like I still see Barney get the most praise overall, even in this day and age

[@sara1coco]

He still is, Barney is very popular to this day and I am a girl, he's my fave. I think ppl like controversial characters and even better if they change to the better but US TV shows nowadays are afraid. We are humans we have depth, issues, not everyone acts like twitter or morally right.

[@claire6850]

Personally I think that one of the main reasons the writers tried to redeem Barney was because they saw potential in his redeeming arc, realized that if Barney stayed the same he would become useless to the plot and they needed him to keep the viewers engaged especially towards the end when 8 seasons passed and the mother wasn't even in the picture. Also i think that because this show started in 2005 and ended in 2014 it was essential for the character to change especially since during this time period society started rapidly changing its views on women

[@Nick_CF]

Just the mere mentioning of Dennis put me in to full-on laughter

[@blacklabel015]

Because of the "implication." 😏

[@terrello321]

I like the comparing of Barney and Denis. They're almost the same character just done two different way. The only ways you can do a terrible person as a character is to either give them an arch or have them suffer. Without either one the viewer gets angry with the choices the character makes.

[@benhac]

Barney is AWESOME! And legendary.

[@murilofranchini7217]

Yes

[@lt6899]

One thing about Barney is that, despite all his wrong doing, he still has the mind of a child. So no matter what Barney does, the audience still think of him as a good guy. Good people can still mess up, and so is Barney. Moreover, Barney has the tendency to exaggerate or outright lie about his feat so the " bad things" are likely be fake.

[@kongeethegod]

I think the fact that Barney kind of lived in a world where he could do whatever he wanted for so long and then showing later on that he did actually feel remorse and he was just hiding all that pain all this time and still just acting horrible but secretly feeling bad about it. That's more of a human character. More people do that in life

[@clippychan530]

I feel like Barney was the only character to go through an actual arc. Marshall and Lily get married and have kids but they don't really grow as people. Ted finally gives up Robin only to come back to her and Robin goes back to Ted not because she loves him but because he was the second choice. Barney's character can be credited to his daddy issues, how he remembers his dad and how much he wanted to have a father in his life and his arc is completed through him becoming a father. I feel like while Barney's character change feels abrupt it was going on in the background from the start of the series as shown in flashbacks. He has always cared deeply for his friends and family even if he acts like an arrogant asshole around others.

[@ALSeth-Storyteller]

Ah, 2005, when people things TV show weren't afraid to hurt your feelings.

[@habydlg]

Loving these videos that aren't about the office and other super popular shows. Pretty much all point of views and what-ifs have been made so this is refreshing!

[@Staticjokes]

I'd love to see a similar essay on Ross from Friends who I didn't feel changed throughout the entire show.

[@Unpoeticirony]

I always thought that maybe some of the more gruesome Barney stories didn’t actually happen. We know that Ted is not always a reliable narrator, and we know that Barney is unreliable within Ted’s unreliable narration. Barney’s exaggeration to mask insecurity, and Ted’s exaggeration from time passing are completely canonic and explained in many episodes. I bet Barney was not actually that successful of a womanizer, but he seemed like that according to TED which tells the audience about how much Ted thinks he’s different than Barney.

[@ellicel]

Plus, so many of the stories he told of the ways he tricked women were just so completely outrageous-it was hard to really believe them

[@ev14304]

AND: He would say Ted. .... Ted unterrupts, TED - TED just be, can't you just be cool.... as iF he wants the "story" to be more of a narrative.

[@ev14304]

Ted.... like Ted, come on, TED

[@humor1012]

The writer who identifies himself as Ted ¨the romantic¨ clearly has the ¨good guy¨ syndrome.

[@inanimatesum4945]

I still feel like they missed an opportunity to establish an interestingly real dynamic with Barney and Robin, give them a chance at adopting a child but we see Barney becoming a loving father which we could still have the same impact. Meanwhile we'd have a good character point for Robin whether she is inclined to support the child because she's learned that maybe if its her child she can see the beauty of being a parent or decide to divorce as she realizes how much she is resistant to raising a child(not young adults/teenagers like Ted's kids apparently). And if you choose to divorce them you even get this weird relationship where some modern couples function better after divorce and are supporting a child even though that kind of system would seem like there would be major issues(emotional, time, money, etc.) What makes the whole Robin divorcing and going back to Ted thing pretty bad is the fact that it was rushed and made How I Met Your Mother seem like a story specifically to put them back together after giving Ted the wife that he deserves but gets a rushed death. They just magically go back together while Barney and Robin magically divorce, it literally feels like writers butting into the story. We needed time for that to breath, not an entire episode dedicated to how some things fell apart and how some other things didn't, especially with how they dedicated so much time to a "where are they now segment" with side characters. These characters matured and I would have liked a more mature approach at how things would affect them at that specific stage in their development, not something arbitrary feeling.

[@icohen1627]

First of all Robin doesn't want kids. So she is not going to have them. And she is not going to force herself into a toxic relationship that many people ship 🙄

[@swaggygirl3516]

Idk i feel like one of the things the show did well was sticking to Robin not wanting kids and not having them. What i hated was the fact that she is shown to be miserable in the end for not choosing Ted, it just takes away all her agency over thé course of the show, i don’t know why they went out of their way to show that her relationship with Barney didn’t last bc she was a working woman, as if it was something they wouldn’t have discussed before as a couple. In the end the writers seemed to send the message that the only way you can be happy in Life, is if you have the most conventional nuclear family and if you stay a super devoted wife for your husband otherwise you’re screwed and you will forever regret rejecting that one ex over and over again

[@kiritugeorge4684]

Barney's "redemption" for me only served to demonstrate how Barney continues the cycle of women being viewed as objects and lesser than men. Whereas before he was the caricature womaniser, now he is the caricature TI type of a father.

[@Jack-to4ol]

Barney is a legend

[@benjaminbaer9712]

Anyone else really satisfied with the explanation of his job?

[@z.e.d4037]

I love how they explained his Job, it's a freaking dream job lol.(Except for the whole being implicated for all the illegal shit GNB do)

[@robertdowner4057]

For me, Barney was the main reason to watch the show.

[@liam6nugget]

This video encapsulates why the Barney-Nora relationship was the best-written one on the show (except maybe Lily and Marshall)

[@crowdpleasers6198]

It's kinda perfect I haven't watched this show in yearsss (used to love and reach so many times) and I recently started to rewatch so the timing is perfect!

[@masinmorswin8578]

i started watching this show about a week ago and that same day netflix announced they were taking it down on new years so im binging it now. Im finishing up season 3 now and I think it might be my new favourite.

[@gracemill9885]

It has it on hulu too.

[@devildolphin2102]

But it did work. Until the Last Episode reset his character. Barney is regarded as the best character on HIMYM

[@The_RedVIII]

No it did not. The whole last season with him and Robin sucked ass.

[@devildolphin2102]

@@The_RedVIII I mean the last season was T the greatest but we were seeing Barney Ready to Settle down and Get married. He was still a Trickster but Robin Accepted that from him. We got to see him Pass the Playbook legacy onto some new chaps to carry the Legacy. Then they got divorced the next episode so Ted could marry Robin. Ted and Tobin didn’t work not Barney

[@icohen1627]

@@devildolphin2102 No Barney-Robin didn't work

[@tehb357]

My perspective throughout the series has always been that Barney may appear the most morally reprehensible, and certainly is the most overtly immoral, but the others are just as bad, except they (and the series itself) refuse to acknowledge it.

[@305Independent]

Just another reminder that HIMYM had the worst series finale of all time. Got us invested in Barney and Robin for years only to divorce them 10 minutes into the finale.

[@HughJass-313]

🤣🤣 Only saw one episode of this show.... *NAKED MAN.* Magnificent Television!! Stopped watching at that point.... figured it could only go down from there. ❤❤

[@debuthunter5389]

Welcome to reality.

[@Ethan-Entah]

& yet Barney is by far the best character of the main 5...After Marshall

[@mattpiercey1576]

Yeah we the audience understood Barney was a ridiculous caricature which is why we could overlook some of his more questionable actions for the sake of comedy. We are smart enough to make that distinction, unlike Ted and Lilly who are just shitty people and are really hard to root for in a rewatch.

[@CosmicDuskWolf]

I like how Barney ended up growing and changing. It made his character better.

[@kenadams1521]

But in the last it was all for nothing, Writer's ruined his character in the end 😡

[@CosmicDuskWolf]

@@kenadams1521 By giving him a daughter so he would grow as a person? He also told some college girls to be more responsible instead of hitting on them.

[@Evil_Change]

Making me wanna rewatch the series

[@jaredhunter2072]

PERFECT TIMING. I just finished the series😂❤️

[@CamdenMcInnis]

I loved Barney from beginning to end.

[@devilinred3319]

Something that bothers me a lot is the fact that a lot of people who watch the show in their time still blame Robin and Quinn for everything bad that happens to Barney, like what?! The whole point of Robin having trust issues with him and choosing Kevin (in one of the best scenes in the whole show, that slow camera and time narration... wow!!) is cause she loves Barney but she also knows him very well and the way he treats women is still a problem. He suffering from a broken heart was KARMA!! It's not her fault he broke up with Nora. HE CHEAT ON NORA FOR GODS SAKE!! Nora gives him an out, but he chooses Robin, and actually, that was a very mature decision, he didn't get the girl at that time, but he got out of a relationship that was a second option, instead of lying and manipulating Nora. Also, there is a reason Quinn's stage name is Karma, the fact that Barney was changing doesn't repair at all the damage he made to all those women. No matter that a person "changes for the better" that does not erase their past and the negative consequences they have in other people's lives, actually, a broken heart was his villain origin story, well he could be the villain origin story for more than 200 girls!! And I´m not hating, cause he is my favorite character, next to Robin, but i´m getting tired of people making excuses for him throwing shade at female characters, especially cause those bad things that happen to him are actually a needing part of his growth as a person.

[@Is30old]

The ending with barney is what didn't work. I have watched this show so many times. Barney's arch was commitment. He couldn't commit because of his early relationship and childhood. He uses other women to hide that fact. He had to convince himself he was legendary. Quinn was almost good enough, but Robin was perfect. They accepted everything about each other's past present and future. She got him to commit. She made him feel legendary. Then they ruined it with the last episode with a bull shit cliche. Ted and Robin never worked. Them being together at the end takes so much away from meeting the mother. The show should have ended right after he met the mother. That's the perfect ending. The perfect conclusion of everyone's story. Rant concluded. Just FYI I'd stay away from doing these about friends and HIMYM fans are very passionate about these shows. I like your content, but you missed on this one.

[@icohen1627]

First of all the Barney-Robin relationship is awful. Why would you glorify a relationship where a man manipulates a woman. A woman has to make herself worse and turn herself into a douche who I rude and degrades on other people. This comment makes me angry

[@Is30old]

@@icohen1627 Robin was always like that. Barney had nothing to do with that. That's why Barney and Robin got along. The only scene that you might say was manipulate was "the robin". But that was what the entire scene was about and his actually burns the playbook, promises to never lie to her. She was the only girl who he didn't manipulate. She accepted him and his past. Barney did the same for her.

[@icohen1627]

@@Is30old No Barney. He lied about burning the playbook. He lied about his relationship with Patrice. He lied about the ring bear. Neither Barney nor Robin are suited for long term relationships. So it doesn't make sense that they would get married. And don't bring the oh they so similar point. They were terrible for each other. They continued to fight. They lied to each other. Robin kept questioning her decision if she should marry Barney since he is such a liar. Robin also caused fights between her and Barney's mother. Their relationship is unhealthy. I can't believe you would glorify such a relationship

[@Is30old]

@@icohen1627 you're negating any growth that either of then made. And he actually burned it the 2nd time. Ring bear. Really? They continue to fight because that's how they wrote the last episode, they both are very independent people but they had to get divorced before Ted could marry her. Alot of people don't get along with their in-laws. I'm not saying their relationship was ideal or perfect. But the end. Second to last episode he promised never to lie. That is why she was worried plus commit issues. After they fought he said I promised never to lie. Different opinion cool whatever, but if that makes you angry. You probably shouldn't be on the internet

[@icohen1627]

@@Is30old First of all. What growth did Barney-Robin have with each other. Robin had growth with Don, Ted and Kevin. Barney had growth with Nora and Quinn. But neither of them had growth with each other. They brought the worst out of each other Edit: And if you don't want angry people then get of the internet

[@One21Jiggawatts]

I think the KZbinrs missed a key point in season 1. That Barney was revealed to be all talk and would often get caught making up stories and was actually a sensitive guy who didn’t lose his virginity until his early 20s because he was saving himself for the girl he loved who dumped him for a guy in a suit. So he behaves like a sociopath but it’s masking a lot of emotion.

[@presidentobama630]

I feel like the overarching thing about Barney’s plot is trust. When he grows up without a dad he loses the ability to trust, so instead of being walked out on, he walks out on them, to avoid having to trust anyone. This is why his friendships are so important, because he wants to know that he is teds best friend so he knows he can trust him, and all his relationships are around trust - him and robin end it because they don’t trust that they can each be the person the other fell in love with, then he breaks nora’s trust, partially because they needed to push Barney+robin, but I also think it’s because he knows she is much better than him and he doesn’t trust that she could always love and accept all of him, so subconsciously, he finds a way out, then with Quinn they end it because they just don’t trust each other considering they both lied to each other in the first times they met each other, then him and robin divorce because they don’t trust that they can stay happy together, so when he meets his daughter he finally finds someone he can give all his love to, someone he can trust to love him back and not walk out on him again

[@Spicie95]

Looking back on the show, I kinda feel like Ted, Lily, Marshall, and Robin look like worse people for being friends with Barney. Like yes, he was technically a good friend who really valued them, but his manipulations of women in order to sleep with them (which is essentially rape by deception) are hard to overlook. The four knew who Barney was and though they judged him for it at times, they never reflected on how toxic his energy was and how easily all of them fell under his spell. Ted and Marshall both wanted to be Barney, while Lily and Robin both participated in his seductions. Not a good look on any of them.

[@playgroundchooser]

I'll have to respectfully disagree on most of this one. After rewatching the series, I feel Barney may be the only friend that is a "good guy." Biggest reason is that the story is told in Ted's flashbacks, so unreliable at best. Cold and jealous at least. Also, throughout the entire series, there are moments peppered in with his unbelievable generosity. And as an aside.... He's there only one with stable employment.

[@ColorsBright]

I actually didn't have a problem with Robin and Barney being together because they made Robin such a selfish and most times rude person. So her clicking with someone like Barney felt like his perfect match for how he acts.. it worked for me.

[@jordansanger2635]

Barney is a Legend

[@alicenestpasmonprenom5784]

Is legend... wait for it

[@jordansanger2635]

@@alicenestpasmonprenom5784 dary

[@chiss22]

Glad to see so many people disagree with a lot in this video.

[@hanilfsat8820]

Barney best is character ever written. He funny af and its funny cuz he is soo over the top , everything is 120%

[@Oberky]

Personally I never enjoyed HIMYM exactly because of Barney. Taking away the "informed" from "informed consent" is just irredeemable to me. It's absolutely chilling to think about. Comparing it to say, Bojack, who actually gets the realistic fall out for all of his shitty behaviour in the end felt much more satisfying and real.

[@fabriziozagonel5720]

I never really cared about his bad deeds with woman, it was so exaggerated that i just saw it as plain comedy.

[@antonmarc3073]

I took a long time for Barney to become ready for relationship after Shannon broke his heart. That breakup probably he validated an image of sex being more important than love and a functioning relationship he got from his childhood. It took someone special - Robin - for him to try again. When they established that they did not work, Barney accepted that and he actually became a better person, which he ironically tried to cover by trying to becoming his old self again. In my opinion, if you switched the timeline of his whirlwind romance with Quinn, who was arguably his match in a lot of ways and his second try with Nora, where he really put in the work and who had patience with him, we possibly could have seen Barney getting into a lasting marriage in the end.

[@BasedSif]

*raspberries* I personally love HIMYM. Favorite sitcom personally. And Barney is one of my top favorite characters of the show lol

[@kicapanmanis1060]

Agreed. Best character IMO. Not perfect guy and annoying but will be by your side when it counts and truly cares about you.

[@saf_Safira]

The thing is SO MANY men act exactly like Barney and get treated the exact way he does. As much as it's insane he gets away with so much it's also insanely realistic

[@will345davis]

I’d totally hang out with Barney on a regular basis. Despite his flaws he has redeeming qualities.

[@d1MnZz]

No moral compass Barney was the most fun; ngl his character "growth" felt forced, esp in the last seasons.

[@goneguy9442]

The electric hissing sound bite is annoying and distracting. Your content is wonderful and it’s not needed. Substance before form and all that. Great breakdown as usual. You amaze me with your attention to detail and explanation. Thank you.

[@Nerdstalgic]

Thanks for the thoughtful feedback

[@jakobkuhn-olioff7348]

Truth be told the greatest sitcom character ever

[@absolutelytiffany]

My favorite scene of Barney’s will always be the moment with his kid.

[@gabrielstiffler1488]

I liked Barney since the very start and was rooting for him

[@colinboice]

I think the villain not facing consequences for their actions may be more realistic than you think.

[@lbonline]

100% true... sadly

[@bsabruzzo]

Talking about a deplorable character that is redeemed in a sit-com, then mentioning "Always Sunny" reminds me of Danny DeVito's character in Taxi: Louie De Palma the dispatcher. He is said to work in the cage because he is so horrible. By the end of the series, he is... well, he is a better person.

[@kameramoerder]

Nice take! For me, personally, though, the problem with Barney Stinson was that the show couldn't really let go of all the stuff that made his character entertaining, if morally ambiguous, and that his relapses were timed to fit the flow of the show rather than his personal development and/or relationship with the other characters. It was drama for drama's sake and not as the showrunners used to claim because life is messy. And it did not only affect Barney. Most stuff that happened in later seasons seems to have been designed almost entirely to keep the show running and not because it made sense for any of the characters to act or react the way they did. So, in a way, when the show went full soap opera at the end, it kind of made sense.

[@justacontrarian]

Barney was the reason that I watched HIMYM. Ted was low key a jerk, who believed that he was the good guy.

[@ThaGhettoBlaster]

Exactly. Ted was always pretentious and annoying.

[@debuthunter5389]

Ted was like most people, generally quite selfish, and even most of the time when he did selfless things (like cheering up Robin) it still had an undertone of him trying to get what he wanted, or to look good. He is not a "great" person, but sees himself as a good guy. Barney actually doesn't see himself as a good guy, but when it matters he is really there.

[@justacontrarian]

@@debuthunter5389 then we basically agree LOL

[@garrettp7003]

I love the comparison between Barney and Dennis!

[@EmmaCiprianMedia]

This might be a hot take, but having rewatched the show a few times in the last little while, I actually think Barney is a far more human, redeemable character then Ted. (Watch The Take's video on Ted as the villain of HIMYM.) Barney starts out awful, but over the seasons we do see that he is self aware, he just feels that his horrible actions are what will fulfill him. Ted stays in his own way and can be more subconsciously manipulative towards women than Barney. (This is just my opinion however.)

[@humor1012]

We have to remember that the writers base their stories on their own experiences and they said so from the beginning. Ted represents one of them with a clear display of the "good guy" syndrome, clearly, he had a friend who might not be similar but close to Barney's character and had to pass off as the "bad guy" (I bet his friend did marry his Robin) that's why the superhuman effort that was made to pass off Ted as the good guy¨ If he is based on his experiences we have to think that if Ted is a horrible person, the creator must be worse by believing that he has the right to everything but always a "Barney" steals from him. It's an excellent example of the "good guy" syndrome.

[@armanzhan3923]

I have been searching for this comment for a while. After watching the ending,I was analyzing the creator's decisions about ending. I knew that the characters were based on themselves,and only now I realised why they did an awful ending. C.Bays is Ted Mosby and T.Craig is Marshall (his wife is Lily). Cause the show is based on their life, they wanted a better ending for themselves. I agree with you that C.Bays might have had his version of Robin. Eventually,his "Robin" married to real-life "Barney". I think one of the creators wanted his "Robin" back,but couldn't do it in real life.

[@Angel_Gomez]

Barney developed as a person. When he married Robin, everyone thought that he had finally grown up. However, we were wrong. They decided to make him a pitty character who has a baby with a nameless girl, bringing a child into a broken family. So sad.

[@katitax508]

It all made sense up until the last episode. The divorce and him sleeping around again isn’t canon in my eyes, that’s not the Barney who grew after all those seasons, they just made that part up because it all had to fit with the ending they filmed back in 2006, which is a pretty terrible way to tell a story IMO. After years of episodes characters change and the ending should have definitely been rewritten.

[@debuthunter5389]

@@katitax508 - People revert back to what they know and comfortable with when they find themselves lost, hurt, alone. It is not a revert of all character growth, it is a temporary stage of coping. Clearly, as not long after, when he had the baby, he was brought back to having direction and purpose and a reason to care.

[@cheerbear43]

Would you be interested in doing a Best Episode for the show Psych? Thanks!!

[@steeevealbright]

Can't believe they put in all that work just to throw it out with the ending they chose.

[@jasonaus3551]

Men who treat women the way Barney did in the show existed back then and still do. Whats the issue with portrayals of such people?

[@livia3232]

There are a lot of men that act like Barney did, but they should probably be in jail. So that's why he needed a redenption arc I guess.

[@LegioXXI]

@@livia3232 Its not illegal to be an lying asshole. Otherwise a large potion of humanity (including both genders) would be in jail. And tbh, i dont see how a guy like Barney is any worse than for example, a gold digger woman who also plays with someone elses feelings just to get what they want. Stop victimizing/villainizing whole genders. Its stupid. Either you are a decent human being - or you are not.

[@kelleygreengrass]

The thing is, Neil plays Barney so sincerely that you believe any regret the character proclaims.

[@scottmason8215]

barney was my favourite character this hurts even in the beginning

[@rtothec1234]

NPH is Legend… … wait for it …. Bazinga!

[@isaiahthomas4444]

I really hated that he didn't end up with Nora. That was one if the 1st real relationship that grounded him just to not end up with Robin

[@MGTMusic]

I thought Barney’s back story was a way to explain why these kind of guys behave the way they do. It is still a sitcom. I thought it was funny he became a type of super villain after that “suit” took the love of his life. The way he treats women is not acceptable, but he’s a good guy transformed into a villain. That’s the way he’s supposed to behave. The only possible thing that can make him change for real, was to understand there’s another type of love he can feel for a woman (his daughter).

[@red-shadow1994]

Barny is my favorite

[@gacha_enjoyer]

I loved Barney from the first episode...

[@Ninjastorm393]

This is Legendary

[@bradybrady7893]

Yesss himym best show keep up the good work

[@jaylarkin4331]

Barney and the Slap Bet were the best parts of this show.

[@katherinenotyou23]

I’ll never forgive the finale for undoing all of his character development. Sure eventually he gets better but they do it so lazily, I hate the finale.

[@DPSFSU]

Barney was the best. I disagree with your points about him. I feel like he grew more through the series than you give him credit for.

[@afellownerd]

Same

[@professorwh042]

Same

[@kicapanmanis1060]

Yup agreed. Barney was a sleezeball to the women he hooks up with but he was one of those friends who legitly cared about you.

[@ameliawarfield5637]

I'm impressed with this informative video.

[@davidhoj]

Barney rocks, all 9 seasons never needed redemption steady growth until parenthood

[@ayrton56612]

I always used to relate the most to Ted but now most of my friends are in a relationship I relate the most to Barney just desperately trying to make his friends to do something fun.

[@marioshepherd6375]

great vid

[@shreyasjv4877]

It's kinda pathetic that Barney had to have a daughter to finally show women some respect Smh

[@ThaGhettoBlaster]

That’s kinda how it goes

[@graham1034]

I very much disagree with this take. Barney's whole "assholes finish first" persona was the most entertaining version of his character. I get that it was a bit one-note so the writers decided to change it up, but that didn't make it better. IMO the Barney/Robin story lines were some of the worst of the series. Viewers don't need to like a character or have a bad character fail to enjoy the show. Mind you, take my opinion with a heap of salt since I also liked Joffrey in Game Of Thrones specifically because of how terrible he was.

[@icohen1627]

Thank you for calling the Barney-Robin relationship one of the worst storylines