Why Robin and Barney Went Wrong - How I Met Your Mother

Robin and Barney were the great love story of How I Met Your Mother. So how did their romance fall apart even though they seemed like two peas in a pod? What would have been a better endpoint for these unconventional lovebirds? In this video we discuss the ups and downs of the Robin/Barney romance, and where they ended up. If you like this video, subscribe to our channel or support us on Patreon: / thetake
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[@trinaq]

Please release a Monica and Chandler video, and what made them so ideally perfect for each other! 📹💘

[@ma840z]

How about Doctor Who, Fleabag, Peaky Blinders, Killing Eve?

[@alexhein989]

Please do something on Ugly Betty. PLEASE DO SOMETHING ON BETTY SUAREZ

[@Freddy-yg3pb]

YES PLEASE DO SOMETHING ON UGLY BETTY

[@josemadureira5297]

PLEASE DO the final girl troupe in horror movies

[@maggiemcfly5267]

I hated that they did that to Robin, that they turned her into a sad lonely woman, instead of her being happy because she actually achieved her dream life! Ugh!

[@trinaq]

Exactly, even if they were going to suddenly split up Barney and Robin, with no prior warning, then they could have at least made Robin a successful career woman who doesn't need a man to be accomplished or complete. 😎

[@Najmille]

I like to think that the bias of teds perspective is the reason behind the loneliness she seemed to be in

[@CrownPrinceEscalus]

​@@trinaq I disagree. No success in career, travelling the world will erase the fact that we are social animals that yearn for committed relationships - as a baseline. The people who think otherwise change their minds once they get what they supposedly wanted. We kid ourselves if we think this is also a social construct, it gives us the illusion that we can fight it, but it is a biological trait. It is not a patriarchal conspiracy that all these achievements become hollow, it is a recurring theme in literature from the dawn of literature.

[@alinepingarilho399]

@@CrownPrinceEscalus we are social beings and we need people in or life, but the ideia that we need a husband or a wife is imposed on us. I believe if you have people who love you platonically and you love them, you don't need to be married

[@lorrie9462]

Guermantes Social beings does not equal yearning for committed relationships. We yearn for closeness but that comes in all forms including friendships and family. The relationship humans require doesn’t need to be sexual to satisfy our social requirements. Marriage is a social construct not a natural one.

[@Whatsinaname_]

Robin having to continually tell people she doesn't want kids isn't a exaggeration especially for women.

[@imapastelcutie1137]

i know right! i have a friends who doesn’t want kids and every time people find out she doesn’t want kids, it’s “oh you’ll change your mind”.......like excuse me if she doesn’t want kids, she doesn’t want kids it’s not for anyone else to judge or just automatically assume that all women want kids.

[@kristenmosquera6803]

imapastelcutie I’m exactly this way. I don’t understand why people want to force people to have kids. There are so many unwanted kids in the world, I don’t want to create another one.

[@lunahex]

i deal with this from all the mums at work. so rude, insulting and annoying

[@trinaq]

Concurred, it's such a double standard for women to constantly be asked when they're planning to settle down and have children, while men hardly ever seem to get those same questions, or if they do, it's to a far lesser degree. 😔

[@MadameTamma]

Anytime I hear anyone trys to imply that they know more about another person's feelings or about how they will feel in the future better than that person, Whether it be their wanting kids, orientation, preferences, etc, my first instinct is to flip them off. There is no one who has put more thought into how I feel about my life than ME.

[@slospop1125]

It always bothered me that Ted seemed to put Robin on a pedestal seeing her as the perfect woman who could do no wrong. Barney was the one who saw Robin as an actual person with her own flaws and loved her even more because of them.

[@amyrat151]

Yes. That's why his moment of letting Robin go in the finale season could have been and should have been so affecting. All of Ted's relationships in the show were poisoned by him having a perfect relationship with Robin in the back of his head, but because they had completely different life goals, they weren't meant to be in the first place. Ted not chasing Robin anymore was maybe the biggest moment of character development for him.

[@barney4053]

That is why Barney and Robin make more sense, they accepted their flaws and outgrown their fear of commitment. Whereas Ted was in love with the idea of Robin than real robin.

[@matematicarka]

Yesss! Ted never observed any of the women he dated as actual people, he would just project his idea of "the one" on them, Robin included. This show did Robin dirty

[@goldenyuri3556]

@@matematicarka Thank you. Ted is just...idk. Barney acts like a douche but he knows people well.

[@matematicarka]

@@goldenyuri3556 At least Robin and Barney had some things in common? I mean, two "bad" can make "a right" together. Two good people might not be good for each other. This show had a chance of giving us an amazing Cinderella story plus if Barney and Robin ended up in some kind of polyamorous or open relationship, it could have given them a perfect ending for the characters, as well as actually been progressive instead of regressive regarding Robin's character.

[@yowhaddup9763]

I think the finale should’ve ended with robin seeing ted holding the blue french horn, rolling her eyes, and shutting the window on him.

[@Musicienne-DAB1995]

Why?

[@bubblegirl9854]

No

[@gdlomax]

Haha like 'oh no, that ashole again'

[@ginao6810]

Hahaha YES!!!!

[@Musicienne-DAB1995]

@@gdlomax But Robin was in love with Ted for arguably most of the series. This is by her own confession.

[@ninjabreadman22]

Robin and Barney broke up just so they could force her to be with Ted. It completely went against their characterization.

[@ninjabreadman22]

The problem is that the writers were too afraid to portray a non-traditional relationship. Robin and Barney would've had an open marriage with a lot of kinky sex and traveling. But the story is about the narcissist, traditionalist Ted, so it ends up with everything going his way.

[@trinaq]

I know, Barney and Robin had so much in common, including a fear of commitment, but they managed to work through all of their problems. And then, the writers had them ultimately split up because of WiFi, of all things?! 😾 It seems that everything had to work out in Ted's favour, all because he's the viewpoint character!

[@tochiiii]

Local Streetyouth the problem was that they already planned the series finale in the pilot

[@hegluj6796]

Local Streetyouth the problem is that the writers don’t like redemption arcs and they don’t like people liking Barney more than ted. It really makes you wonder if him having a daughter was even a happy ending for him

[@hegluj6796]

Tochi Chikwendu so change it? It doesn’t matter if they planned it earlier, the show went in a whole new direction

[@kristenmosquera6803]

Why Barney and Robin went wrong?..................THE WRITERS.

[@memenems7816]

Well, they already wrote the ending before even planning what actually happens in the middle mainly because they needed to film Ted's kids before they hit puberty in real life. But, yeah, the writers do suck.

[@trinaq]

Precisely, the writers seem to have shipped Ted with Robin all along, even though they spent almost a decade explaining exactly WHY those two just didn't work as a couple in the first place! 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@kristenmosquera6803]

Trina Q Like the video said they only looked at things in Ted’s perspective and liked his idea of a happy ending(married and settled down). They didn’t think of their supporting character’s (Barney and Robin) idea of a happy ending.

[@LuckyGirlsTown]

More specifically the writers insisting on using an eight year old ending.

[@kristenmosquera6803]

Sari G you are so right. I understand in the beginning if they wanted to use that ending of Ted and Robin. But as the show grew and evolved it wasn’t the same show to begin with.

[@lorrie9462]

„While Ted criticizes Robin for making men think she doesn’t need them, Barney thinks it’s awesome“ This alone is what made them the best fit for each other. This alone destroys every single aspect of whatever bullshit relationship she ever had with Ted. Barney and Robin could totally have lived a non-conventional relationship: open, free and adventurous perfectly suited to both their personalities but the writers had to be chicken shit and shack her up with Ted, the whiny, needy jerk

[@JohnMiller-iu2sx]

This ☝️ They were the adventure couple. The couple that didn't need to be up each other's asses. As a man that identifies as Robin, I hope to find a barney but with boobs.

[@Norimarisu]

Totes

[@jessicavictoriacarrillo7254]

Lord I feel sorry for the gal who married Ted, maybe she died from the stress of having to live up to his expectations and his neediness.

[@robertivey7644]

I think there is pretty much only one way I could see Barney and Robin failing and that is if one of Barney’s former lovers died dumping a kid in his lap. The Barney I know wouldn’t care about traveling the world and would find ways to make time with Robin even if he had to interrupt her at work.

[@loiracitr]

I don't see how people can ship Ted and Robin, he clearly wants to change her and she goes back to him when she is hurt and alone

[@susanalopez5052]

Honestly I was done with ted and Robin by the end of season one. They were never meant to be. They worked fantastically as friends, but as a couple they seemed way too forced

[@Mani26031981]

Barney and Robin were much more forced a couple. True story. 😎

[@cristianguerrero6085]

Wow! I couldn't agree more!

[@DSan-kl2yc]

That's an opinion. Reality is that people don't get together based on how much you desire them, ship them, or how much that makes you feel.

[@Love16SB12]

Yes this!

[@notwerkinginthishouse8634]

@@Mani26031981 yeah, I see them so beyond weird

[@anushkasomavanshi8883]

An entire season of wedding build-up only for Robin to end up with Ted smh

[@hegluj6796]

Mad Media not even that, the pure wedding was teased since season 5

[@hotsforselena]

The pacing in the last season was absolutely terrible. But considering they did get divorced and Tracy tragically passed away, it makes sense that Ted and Robin would eventually try again (both having already gotten what they wanted out of life)

[@justjaxie]

@@hotsforselena To be honest, seeing the way they acted in the show I'm willing to believe after the ending that they probably dated for 1 week and then broke up. Ted wants not just a romantic partner, but a mother for his (teenage) kids, while Robin wants to still be committed to her business (the reason her and Barney broke up) and romantic companionship. Most of the reasons they kept breaking up in the series would probably come right back up.

[@hotsforselena]

@@justjaxie I'm pretty sure that Robin is no longer traveling and is working consistently in New York again (there's a deleted scene where she says it directly, but she also is seen having dogs again, which I doubt she would get if she was still traveling). And I personally believe that Robin doesn't have to necessarily raise Luke and Penny just because Ted and Robin are together. The kids aren't too young anymore, other than giving advice I can't think of a way Robin would have to step into a parental role at all. She's also been shown to have a good relationship with the kids(they drew pictures of her as children, and Luke and Penny both said they loved having her around).But that's only my interpretation of the ending, I respect your head cannon and always enjoy having an open dialogue about one of my favorite shows.

[@RyoKasai25]

Don't forget how Ted and Robin are based in one of the creators and a girl that said creator loved but couldn't get. That explains a lot.

[@sarahallen6309]

They spent the entire last few seasons showing how Barney and Robin were able to compromise and overcome every problem that came up between them. It was so much healthier than Ted trying to force Robin to be someone she wasn't because he was in love with a fantasy.

[@Musicienne-DAB1995]

How did he force Robin to be someone she wasn't? When he realised that they had different goals, they broke up amicably.

[@TheAvbtll]

@@Musicienne-DAB1995 I totally agree with you. Ted never forced anyone to do anything.

[@_m.s6604]

@@Musicienne-DAB1995 maybe, it didn't seem like "forcing" from our pov. But you realize how many times he was arguing with her, and when he was wrong, he started making out with her. But in the end, she ends up doing what he wants. So maybe not "forcing" but definitely manipulation.

[@tishaliciouss2]

@@Musicienne-DAB1995 he wanted kids and from the START robin said she didnt want kids. Yet he insisted that robin was his soulmate

[@Musicienne-DAB1995]

@@tishaliciouss2 That isn't forcing. You don't have to agree with everything to be soulmates. Putting aside the fact that Robin never got pregnant while they were together, when they realised that their paths went in different directions, he accepted the end of their relationship. And not wanting children right now does not mean you do not love the person you are dating.

[@kimisea]

The ending isn't canon. The show ends after season 9 episode 22 and Barney and Robin are still happily married living awesome childfree lives. And the mother never dies.

[@olit349]

That's the ending I want

[@theineffableshipper297]

exactly

[@banokuhle9293]

Honestly 🥰🥰🥰

[@snarls3760]

I actually think that the mother's death is what needed to happen in order for the message of the series to sink in

[@Lucas-be5so]

Yes

[@frankinsaneandmyrrh1202]

I'll never forget that episode where Ted was complaining that Robin never let him feel "needed" because she was so independent. She goes to Barney and he basically tells her that's what's so great about her. And that's the whole point. How could she possibly be better suited to Ted?

[@hegluj6796]

I really wonder how the writers felt when a couple that they didn’t even planned had so much more attention and was WAY more beloved than the supposed couple they wanted you to root for

[@immacentaur8793]

I doubt that the Barney/Robin story wasn't planned...the writers already know how the story plays out from start to finish...well,that's what the finale made me think..it's only the inbetween episodes they have to worry/work alot..

[@hegluj6796]

Imma Centaur they mentioned in an Interview that they never planned the relationship of Barney and robin but that we shouldn’t worry because it only affected the story for “the best”

[@deeplyshalllow8967]

Given Ted is based on Carter Bays I think we know. He sat and sulked and wouldn't shut up about how his shitty paring was better and decided to punish people who didn't agree with him.

[@roxan_1314]

@@immacentaur8793 they didnt have it planned out. They filmed the ending scene while still doing the first two seasons. Because they didnt want the kids to age over the seasons. Which is why the ending is so weird because they tried to make it fit back to the ending they had planned years prior before the following seasons greatly changed the story

[@keyboardevangelist8956]

Since the day you were born their was an enormous hole in your heart. Growing up you might tried to fill it with it alot of things your mother at start. Friends..videogames...sports, girlfriends, relationship, movies, parties , books..you maybe tried to numb the pain with drugs and alcohol. Material wealth. But that hole is never going to be filled. Thats why celebrities who have accomplished everything wealth, fame beauty have committed suicide. That hole is never going to be filled because the one of who created it only he can truly fill it with his infinite love..Jesus loves you❤..He left his throne in heaven and came to the world. He was humbled humiliated betrayed and finally killed to pay for the crimes/sins that you have committed so that you won't spend time in jail (eternity in hell)..All he sincerely asks of you is to just humbly pray repent of your sins and truly believe that he did all that for you. God is a just and holy God..He is a merciful loving God..Jesus is his ultimate mercy..i promise you😭😭if you do you will receive power. The holy spirit(his omniscient presence) he will change your heart of stone to flesh that can love people and God. And finally a gift of heaven he wants you to have it.. Jesus is coming back sooooon not as the sacrificed lamb of God🐑 but as the King of kings 🤴 and the ultimate judge of the world..Look around the end is nigh🔥🔥This might be the last time you read the gospel of the grace of christ. Be blessed. Jesus loves you❤❤

[@hegluj6796]

Honestly I don’t really consider their break up canon, it didn’t made any sense nor fitted any of the characters. It felt like some of those fanfics written by teenagers where an incel ends up with the girl because he was always “nice” with her and she realizes that after dating some popular guys

[@galatearegulus]

Ted basically is an incel, so you're not wrong

[@prodTerax]

@@galatearegulus Ted, the guy that has slept with over 30 women over the course of the show, is an incel (involuntary celebate)? You have brain damagd

[@hotsforselena]

I mean, constant traveling can put a strain on any relationship. And Barney was born and raised in New York and never expressed any desire to travel the world once, so it makes sense he may not adjust to the lifestyle easily.

[@galatearegulus]

@@prodTerax maybe he have slept with a lot of girls but he still acts as one

[@josefk7437]

Ted seemed to have a lot in common with incels in terms of his attitude towards woman and his entitlement issues.

[@katjau_]

The word 'surrender' that you used for Robin's ending is exactly how I felt. In theory she was living the life she wanted all along but the show kept portraying her as a sad lonely old woman that's drowning in regrets and just ends up giving in to Ted's final push and saying "fine i'll settle down with you". Also her hair in the end is so UGLY why did they do her like that??

[@greghayes1588]

I always hated that hair tbf

[@hotsforselena]

By the end of the show Robin is working consistently in New York again. She's not "sacrificing" her dreams to be with him. And I personally don't feel like Robin was drowning in regrets, she achieved her dreams and was likely happy. She did miss her friends (and they missed her too, even if they weren't always mature about it), Robin consistently saw the group for almost a decade, so it makes sense she may miss the good old days and feel nostalgic at times, especially when visiting them(which is pretty much the only time we see her in the finale). Still, that's just my own personal interpretation/opinion.

[@DSan-kl2yc]

Robin was always in a relationship. "giving in" is projection. It is an imagining you guys have. All they're doing is giving it a shot. And then people are saying Barney isn't living the life he wanted... It also ignores what we know from Ted(which is all we know about Robin).

[@mankytoes]

I think there's an alternate view to this, that you don't really hear, where Robn wins. She gets to go off and have this awesome career, achieving all those goals. Her and Ted got on great, the issue was always their different priorities. Now she's at a stage in her life where she's looking to settle back in New York, and Ted has had his dream of a loving wife and kids, even if it ended in tragedy. Yes, Ted has two kids that she'd be step mother to, but they're teenagers, Robin is skipping all the intensive parts of motherhood, no shitty nappies, screaming toddlers, all that. Finding "the one" isn't just about strength of feeling, you've got fit together. Ted and Robin didn't fit in their twenties because they had such different goals. At an older age, they do fit. Robin got the career and the guy.

[@Musicienne-DAB1995]

Is it realistic to show a character living the life they want without any regrets? Furthermore, aren't you missing out all the times when Robin wanted an opportunity with Ted again?

[@sharebear9165]

When Ted says “Robin’s not as cool as you think she is.” And the end credit you see that she actually is toward Barney. Just shows how Ted and Robin were never right.

[@hcf4kd1992]

Ted wasn't wrong, either. Robin did have the insecurity he was referencing.

[@hotsforselena]

When they first got together Robin had a problem with Barney going to strip clubs. And she also suspected both Ted and Barney of cheating at one point. Robin definitely is cool, but she has shown that she can be jealous and insecure at times, so I don't think Ted was completely wrong when he said that

[@Musicienne-DAB1995]

@@hotsforselena What's wrong with having a problem with someone who goes to strip clubs? I don't know a single woman who finds that acceptable.

[@Musicienne-DAB1995]

Could it be that Barney valued Robin for her "coolness"?

[@hotsforselena]

@@Musicienne-DAB1995 nothing's wrong with that. Barney says Robin is cool after she lets him ask a woman to take off her coat. Ted was just pointing out that Robin isn't always that open, like the examples I listed.

[@AHealthyDoseofFran]

In conclusion, Barney and Robin needed better friends so they could be happy with each other

[@awfulwoman]

lmao give me an ending where barney and robin just leave the other 3 bc their stringent romantic views are so Suffocating.

[@Mike_Ka-Chowski]

Honestly they should've at the very least dropped Ted from their life

[@laisfrederick5470]

they should be in an open relationship. It would fit Both perfectly.

[@silberleinisreal12]

no the conclusion is: don't be friends with your exes 🤣

[@cancerjuly1989]

The only main characters I like are Barney, Robin, and Marshall. I can not for the life of me stand Lily and Ted.

[@WrenchNinja]

Boy I sure love wasting an entire season on a wedding that ends with a divorce from a 2 minute argument

[@hcf4kd1992]

But that was a deliberate choice by the writers because that's how divorce actually feels people-- like a shock, a sudden thing, and that a bunch of time and attention was wasted

[@WrenchNinja]

@@hcf4kd1992 Divorce isn't shocking at all, it's built up after months and months of disappointment and resentment between a couple. Giving the viewers a 2 minute sequence with a stupid argument with no time shown to how their marriage dynamic worked to begin with is a complete and utter failure in writing.

[@ananyasharma7463]

@@hcf4kd1992 Ted is based on Carter Bays, that's all you need to know. There was no deep thought behind that divorce. Ted/Robin were already decided end game, but Barney/Robin were the ones who brought in ratings. So.....

[@ivanehtnoij6243]

@@WrenchNinja completely agree, Divorce doesn't just happen, there's signs upon signs of something dysfunctional. If it really came out of the blue, then chances are they are the culprit if they were so blind to the signs that divorce was actually a shock to them. Kinda reminds of 500 days of Summer where Tom geniunely saw his breakup as a shock even though the whole film pretty much showed there were signs since before they were even together.

[@Frustratedartist2]

Yeah the writers "meant it to reflect divorce". No. They meant it to reflect bad writing disrespectful to the audience, and they nailed it.

[@handsoaphandsoap]

When Robin says “Is this just not working anymore?” it implies the only other alternative is to have a divorce when there is no reason they couldn’t stay married and just not have a traditional relationship. I think the showrunners really missed out on the chance of representing a healthy long-distance open relationship between these two. Had that been the case they could’ve lived as individuals while still being happily married, even while seperated.

[@anasmak]

Yes! In my mind, both are still married to each other but it's an open marriage. When they are apart, they can hook up with anyone, but when Robin comes back to New York, they become exclusives.

[@didsomeoneaskforanegg2168]

Shut up nerd

[@amityislandchum]

I don't even think it needs to be an open marriage. They both express normal amounts of jealousy and possessiveness over the course of the show, so I don't think they'd want to be open. But they could easily be long-distance and have a lot of free time. Both of them were always shown to be perfectly happy alone and have plenty of hobbies and work commitments to keep them busy. They could easily travel around the world together, with Barney checking out the sites or lounging at the pool while Robin works. From everything we've seen in the show, they'd both be super happy that way.

[@handsoaphandsoap]

​@@amityislandchum Yeah that could also work. I also just feel that there is really no reason Barney wouldn't support Robin's career or really dislike the idea of traveling alongside her across the globe. By the end of the series Barney is unemployed so there's not really anything chaining him down to New York and since he decides to fully commit to his blog as a career path I think it'd be advantageous for him to embrace the globetrotter lifestyle. After all, it's much more likely that people would be interested in a lifestyle blog created by someone who is experiencing all kinds of different things and cultures, especially since not a lot of people get the chance to do so themselves. And the whole Wi-Fi argument is just so contrived and lazy to me, I know that it's supposed to be like a petty argument that supposedly represents a larger issue in the relationship but it's like, come on Barney, just go to a coffee shop or something that has free Wi-Fi or use your mobile data. The lack of internet access is not a contemporary issue, there's absolutely no reason he needs to even be attempting to update his blog while in his hotel room that has bad service. If they wanted to have a petty argument to escalate into a bigger argument they needed to think of something that is not entirely a non-issue.

[@TheCandela15]

Newsflash. This show had a huge audience. Open marriage is not a norm. It's not accepted by a majority of people. So that is why they couldn't do it. Big chunk of people wouldn't have understood it or agreed with it.

[@geridineva]

I'm bugged that Ted was telling his kids a story, which leads them to the conclusion that their father settled for their mother and he actually loves someone else, and has his entire life. I don't know about you, but I'd not be as happy as his kids were at the end of that story. So that's also poor writing...

[@a.g.m9078]

FR, they were so happy and on board with Ted going back to Robin after he just told them the story of Tracy,like what? They make it seem as if Tracy was just there to give Ted his kids so he could finally be with Robin, horrible ending

[@draconshot928]

To be fair if I was those kids listening to this long story id say just about anything to get out of it

[@oponomo]

Mom has died 6 years ago and they love aunt robbin because she is very close to them since birth. To me it makes a lot of sense for them to be hyped for another chance at dad being happy, especialy with someone already known and beloved.

[@trinaq]

In my mind, Barney and Robin worked out their issues after Ted and Tracy's wedding, and slowly rekindled their spark and love. No one can convince me otherwise! 💘👫😉

[@ninab.4540]

It's like the bad seasons of Veronica Mars 3-4, they never happened and Logan is still alive living his life out happily with Veronica :)

[@hegluj6796]

Trina Q nah, they shouldn’t even have issues or at least not some stupid issues like Barney suddenly not liking to travel even though he travelled a lot in the series. In my mind they started traveling and Barney started a new blog out of boredom about his travels (like those youtubers that tell stories about the place their in and ended up being successful or simply just was annoyed by it but certainly not to the point of having a divorce because he always liked that about her

[@courtneyclarke4389]

also tracy is still alive💫 she narrated one episode. the mosby just has an inside joke that tracy died one day because there was a day where she slipped and fell and it looked like she was dead for a second. but she is STILL ALIVE. 😋😋😋

[@hotsforselena]

@@hegluj6796 Barney rarely traveled in the series (unless he was picking up chicks). He was born and raised in New York and I can't personally remember a single time he expressed a desire to travel to world.

[@hegluj6796]

Fire_Fist_Ace 321 he used to be a regular in the casino of Atlantic City, travelled to San Francisco just to talk to lily and traveled multiple times to Canada and while he traveled to Phily just to pick up some girls he still decided to stay there just to do something so while he never expressed a desire to travel he certainly didn’t showed any complains about doing it during the series and the show told us multiple times that Barney is extremely patient so I don’t see how traveling caused a divorce. It was one of the lamest and most forced excuses I have ever seen in both tv shows or movies about anything

[@isidorabojovic6859]

Barney and Robin were much more compatible than Ted and Robin ever were. What I hate the most about the ending is that the final season was about them and Ted getting over her- literally letting her go. The ending will forever bug me.

[@DSan-kl2yc]

No they weren't. It's all artifical for one. What is confusing you is the dynamic, and the chemistry, and the charisma of neil. And the humour of the character. And that the dynamic fits a kind of fantasy. And also it seems these nontraditionalist are projecting themselves into the coupling as well. But obviously Barney was not compatible. The show proved that. They proved it twice. You could say her and Ted aren't either but they're just starting again. And the initial obstacles to their relationships are gone.

[@rebeccamann5617]

It weird considering he didn’t really let her go, he ended up with her in the end which does make this pointless, someone made a good point that robin and barney could have ended up like dr cox and Jordan from scrubs, they gave marriage a go but it wasn’t for them but and would of being great together doing their own thing

[@the-ironclad]

Um no they weren’t. Robin was freaking out about her marriage and doubted every second of her marriage. She knew it wouldn’t work. The reason being is that it was built off of Barney’s lies and manipulation. What baffles me is even though she knew he lies, she still went with him. It’s like she is asking for this to not work.

[@miguelpineda9032]

Robin and Ted weren’t compatible because robin wanted to focus on her career and Ted wanted a wife with 2 kids. At the end the universe gave them what they wanted so therefore they can actually finally be together. The show obviously gave a lot of Easter eggs suggesting why Barney was not the one for robin and why Ted actually was the one for her all along y’all are just blindsided by what seems to what actually is.

[@jfspiresbeta]

@@miguelpineda9032 and destroy all narrative in the process. The argument of the show is destroyed by maintaining the original idea, the characters go another way and the showrunners try to force other direction.

[@ComplicatedOfficial]

I don’t think that Ted and Barney were that different. In fact I even believe that Ted was a kind narcissistic person. Ted was in love with the IDEA of being in a relationship. He actually did pretty bad things to some of his girlfriends. So i don’t see big differences between Ted and Barney! Actually Barney loves harder than Ted. You can tell that by accepting robin for who she was. He admired the fact that she was an independent woman who’s not needy and is “her own daddy”. While Ted constantly kinda judged her for being a career woman. Robin deserved much better than Ted

[@arhambliss8606]

He was narcissistic but at the end he still hurt less people then Barney. So if we quantify Barney was still worse.

[@ComplicatedOfficial]

arham bliss I’m sorry but I think only stupid women would fall for Barney’s move. All of those women slept with him without hesitation. So if you’re trusting someone you just met, it’s your own fault if you get hurt. And if you just wanted to have fun, so you won’t get hurt after the sex is over. But Ted treated some of his GIRLFRIENSD Like shit. Remember Nathalie. She was dumped twice by him only because he had an IDEA of a happy relationship with her. Remember how Ted left Victoria at the alter. Remember how he dumped one of his date after she told him about her problems. He had once a date in the bar but he just didn’t show up. Well I don’t think Barney would do something like this to people who he truly loved. And it was only one person who he really did love and it was Robin.

[@arhambliss8606]

@@ComplicatedOfficial I guess besides Nora, Barney did not hurt anyone else who had something besides more then a one night fling.

[@MissCaraMint]

G H I dissagree that only stupid women would get with Barney. I deffenetly thing some women would recognize a kindred spirit in him and be just as interested in a fling situation as he is. I’m pretty sure a lot of them were into the one night stand thing. Why go home with someone like that otherwise?

[@HypnosisRN]

Yes-I agree-The Take did a great analysis of Ted’s narcissism throughout the series in a separate video!

[@belpop]

What makes a writer good is knowing that sometimes your story is going to take you places you didn’t necessarily plan to go originally. You need to be able to adapt and evolve as your story evolves. The problem with these writers is that they didn’t do that. They painted themselves into a corner by insisting on the ending they had originally planned when all of their characters outgrew that. Robin and Barney were better suited for one another and their relationship brought about real growth in both of them. Would the audience have really cared if the kids hadn’t appeared at the very end? Of course not. It wasn’t that big of a deal. Ted ending up with Robin was believable in s2 but by s4 or 5, it no longer made any sense.

[@Mani26031981]

Stories only evolve as much as the writers will allow them to evolve, and GOOD storytellers will NEVER allow stray development to change the main focus of the story. If you do that, you've lost control of your story and failed in your job. Thankfully Bays and Thomas stuck to their guns and told their story their way, and they deserve all the credit they can get. 😎

[@belpop]

Mani Thangadurai As a writer, this is simply not true. You’ve got to be willing to adapt as your story evolves. Himym isn’t a novel, it’s a television show that lasted nine years. The characters developed in a way where Ted and Robin stopped making sense by about season 4. You don’t repeatedly show why a couple is not right for each other and force them together at the end anyway because it’s what you planned originally. It completely destroyed the character development of Ted, Robin, AND Barney, and it used Tracy as a backup uterus. It’s gross.

[@Musicienne-DAB1995]

Interesting, worth taking into consideration. I am still torn on the whole thing.

[@Mani26031981]

@@belpop funny how you say HIMYM isn't a novel. I've got news for you, it effectively is. It was based on G.G. Marquez's classic tale Love In The Time Of Cholera. A close look at the series will tell you that Ted and Robin mirrored the two protagonists, two people who adored one another but who just weren't meant to be together at a certain time due to circumstances but happily got together in the finale. And it is incorrect to say that Barney and Robin were a great fit. The writers showed in MANY ways why they were toxic, dysfunctional and doomed to fail. In stark contrast Ted and Robin were shown to be wonderful together because they complemented each other and made each other better versions of themselves. And they were never happier than when they were together. As for this claim that the writers painted themselves into a corner, I'm sorry but that is also incorrect because they dropped many clues and hints which led up to the original ending. As viewers we were challenged to watch everything carefully, think critically, and ask ourselves why certain scenes were done the way they were. Everything which happened served as a lead-up to the original ending and ending the series another way would have been a rip-off and a betrayal of the premise of HIMYM. One such clue was how Ted and Robin were initially set up together with Ted making it rain. You cannot simply set up a couple in such a momentous way if you don't plan on them getting together in the end. And I mentioned Love In The Time Of Cholera. That was mentioned on several occasions from the beginning to near the end as Ted's favourite book, so it served as a major clue (salute!) and a BRILLIANT application of the Chekhov's Gun storytelling principle: "If you say in the beginning of the story that there is a gun hanging on the wall, that gun MUST be fired by the end of the story otherwise it has absolutely NO business being there." The BEST example of this was arguably the Blue French Horn, which both began and ended the story. The yellow umbrella was just a red herring by comparison. So in conclusion, we must accept that the writers did have a plan and deserve credit for staying true to their instincts and not selling out to the fans for TRP ratings. However, they paced the 9th season horribly, it must be said.

[@jlotjuxi3]

@@Mani26031981 too much text, to sum up: Ted´s character is horrible, worst ending ever

[@ninab.4540]

I hate this show for ruining such an amazing couple and it's not just about the shipping. Stuff like this keeps the series alive you know?

[@trinaq]

I know, you're expected to root for Ted and Tracy, and then Barney and Robin to be together, only for them to undo it all at the last possible moment, and expect you to instantly start supporting Ted/Robin, despite them not having been a couple in years?! 🤦🏻‍♀️🙄

[@marrioman13]

Their relationship collapsed previously. They weren't actually a good couple.

[@hegluj6796]

marrioman thirteen and then both had great character development so they were able to success

[@stargazer1682]

@@marrioman13 Not only did their relationship collapse, the writers went out of their way to demonstrate why Robin and Ted should not be a couple.

[@ninab.4540]

@@stargazer1682 The writers did what they did for shock value, a little bit of arrogance, and maybe due to a little disconnection with their target audience. Years after, like with GoT right now, people only talk about the ending and how it ruined the entire show and rewatch value, nothing about what happened before or after. Yeah, if they really wanted TxR they should've built it up better than just one season of building up a wedding to ANOTHER couple to then kill the main point of the entire series to hook Ted up with Robin to make him happy and no one else. (What is this a telenovella?) Like with the writers of Gilmore Girls and that crappy spinoff, they messed up big time. Big, big time.

[@trinaq]

After all the character development Barney went through to be with Robin, and both of them becoming better people as a result, this is chucked out of the window in the final few minutes to provide Ted with a happy ending, even though we haven't cared about them as a couple in years! 😭

[@ninab.4540]

Screw Ted, no one watched the show for him, even Marshall and Lily had more fans than him

[@MrWhiteVzla]

The last episode of HIMYM and Scrub's season 9 don't exist. Plain and simple. I appreciate what the ladies from The Take tried to do here. But the reality is that the writers destroyed years of character development for the sake of something the writers decided on day 1. Considering no one knew that they shot the kids' final lines before knowing the show would last as long as it did, it would had been a more sensible decision to scrap that recording and do a voice-over for the final episode, or let Ted talk to the camera without showing the kids. There were options that wouldn't sacrifice the characters' journeys. But we got that awfulness instead.

[@BlackCampariBlue]

@@MrWhiteVzla they could've cast older actors for the kids, showing how the story stretched longer than expected. I think the worst isn't that Robin and Barney got divorced, it's how their development got erased after that. Especially Barney. After all that insight, he just went back to being the same mess of a sociopathical casanova. At this point, it wasn't awesome anymore though. It was a little bit embarrasing to watch, mixed with a lot frustration for all the empty development we just watched for seasons.

[@hegluj6796]

Trina Q I’m pretty sure that if there’s a reunion we’re going to have a completely new ending or a storyline following the alternative one so we can only hope

[@namejsliepins2577]

Ted was a good friend and good boyfriend to Robin throughout the series. He actually was substitute boyfriend or however that is called even when she was engaged to Barney (Just remember the locket episode: Ted went out of his ways helping Robin finding it in Park while Barney was too busy playing Laser tag with his new "daddy".) I never liked Barneys attitude in relationships with Robin. He was more honest with Nora and more invested with Quinn who BTW would have been more suitable for Barney as Robin was.

[@nataliepaterra2277]

a very confusing thing for me about the ending is that what Ted’s kids take from the entire story is that he’s in love with robin and always has been and both kids are completely on board with it. idk about y’all, but if my father told me a story where basically the conclusion is he was in love with another woman the entire time he was with my mom, i wouldn’t be on board?? especially after my mother died from a terminal illness??

[@dandelions_are_cool]

He told them the story 6 years after she died, not the next day. After 6 years, you'd probably be ready to accept that your mom is dead, and your dad is ready to move on.

[@gecee777]

@@dandelions_are_cool but it’s someone -robin- whom he continued to meet during his marriage. It would be okay if he met and dated someone else, but it’s Robin. That’s why we think Ted loved her deeply even when he was with Tracy, why going back to your ex.

[@dandelions_are_cool]

@@gecee777 If ted loved robin during his marriage, he wouldn't have stayed with tracy and had kids with her. He would've waited for robin. and robin is one of his closest friends, why would he stop seeing her after he and tracy got married?

[@gecee777]

@@dandelions_are_cool *friend but an ex* I think Victoria was right. I wouldn’t want her around too bc Ted was so obsessed and deeply in love with her once, not her actually, the idea of her. That was sth uncompleted🥸

[@dandelions_are_cool]

@@gecee777 Yes, he was in love with the idea of her when he was young, around the time robin and kevin broke up, ted had started to fall for robin, not the idea of her. and once robin and bareny got engaged, ted gave up on her, and moved on with his life. the only reason they got together again is because after tracy died, robin and ted got to reconnect and ted was ready to move on from tracy.

[@carolynb.9469]

Maybe they should have gone the Dr Cox and Jordan route. Technically divorced but clearly permanently together, just on their own terms

[@tyrant-den884]

Didn't Finneas and Ferb have a whole song about such a relationship?

[@LilySaintSin]

Yes!

[@Norimarisu]

I forgot their names but that's exactly what should have happened! In scrubs they were happier as a committed yet unmarried couple than they were back when they were married.

[@raininess]

@@tyrant-den884 X'D The "All the Convoluted Reasons We Pretend to be Divorced" one, right? Love that song.

[@choiceda5920]

Perfect

[@bilge8656]

I loved HIMYM but I hated the ending so much it hurts

[@CakeHeater]

The traditional relationship stuff that Marshall, Lily, and Ted try to force down on Barney and Robin feels incredibly suffocating and stifling. Even as I'm in a traditional relationship myself

[@sergioospinatoro8905]

I think that was the worst part of the dynamic between the main group. Especially Lilly trying to shame and bullying them into a monogamous reltaionship and the show trying to show this as something fun or quirky.

[@Smoczur777]

@@sergioospinatoro8905 tbh Lilly is generally the most annoying character in the whole show. She's completly unable to respect other peoples' boundries, she's agressive and abusive. And that makes me believe she is unhappy in this social standard either. She needs everyone around to conform to the norm as she did, because anyone reminding her doing this maybe against herself is far to uncomfortable.

[@sergioospinatoro8905]

@@Smoczur777 And that aggression and abuse is presented as "caring too much" for her friends or her husband. I don't think Lilly is just annoying, she's straight up toxic.

[@hotsforselena]

Lilly definitely has control issues. But she's still just about as flawed as every other main character in the show.

[@Smoczur777]

@@sergioospinatoro8905 yeah, I'm kinda tired by representing abuse as funny or good in sitcoms and that happens pretty often I'm afraid. Same happend with Bernadette in last seasons of TBBT.

[@KaiSchSp]

I feel like Robin was actually written very inconsistently. When she was with Ted she was very "girly" and when she was with Barney the first time they were fighting ALL the time and when they got back together Robin acted like a female Barney. When looking at them side by side they almost feel like different characters. I also feel like Barney had too many serious love interests. Quinn, Nora and Robin all could have worked. But they rapid fired through them, which made the later seasons feel a little messy. I feel like those two alone made their whole relationship fail from a story telling perspective, even without the ending of the series.

[@magnisky]

Kai ltotally agree

[@BleedingLiar17]

Maybe they did that on purpose to show like "oh look see Ted makes robin girly and feminine but barney doesnt"

[@maeahem]

Kai, I don’t know. I believe she was playing up her girly side when she was with Ted. Other than her alter ego pop star personality, she has been shown consistently from childhood, to have traits that match up with Barney. I think they were fighting because they didn’t want to acknowledge a conventional relationship?

[@graceomoregie7227]

I looooooved Barney with Nora, I kind of wish they ended up together

[@erinstanger416]

I disagree because I think that different people can bring out certain qualities and feelings in a person. That's what Barney and Ted did to Robin.

[@evandaugherty1223]

Robin and Barney were PERFECT for each other! In real life there’s no way they wouldve divorced

[@vukkicos5688]

They werent perfect which is why they broke things off. Remind me again, do simillarities or do opposites attract?

[@evandaugherty1223]

vuk kicos thats a myth, the best couples are like pieces of a puzzle that compliment each other’s characteristics well, and that’s exactly what Barney and Robin were

[@redginger4224]

maybe they would but it would be better if they aren't married

[@Cloverfr]

@@vukkicos5688 In real life couples that share a lot of similarities are most likely to stay together, in fiction couples that are opposite to each other are more entertaining to watch.

[@nabzisi3928]

In real life both lily and Robin would have ended alone. They are both extremely selfish.

[@febbiejones9060]

I don't even watch this show and I want them together

[@CozieGhosty]

Same. It's amazing how angry I got at the writers of a show I don't even watch.

[@melisaalibegovic117]

Good choice

[@trinaq]

@@CozieGhostyAgreed, you know that a relationship is destined to be when you find yourself rooting for them, despite not being majorly familiar with the show! 😂💘

[@bluz1864]

It gets more annoying when you watched ALL of it. It sucks. 9 years of my life. Season by season...

[@reimarz]

The Take: How marriage failed them Me: more like how the writers failed them

[@Musicienne-DAB1995]

I think it's ridiculous to blame marriage for their divorce, when Robin repeatedly considered marriage with Ted.

[@barney4053]

So true! The writers were inconsistent with the character of Robin and Barney in the last 2 episodes. They literally overcome every challenge together and proved they can work as a team.

[@DarkEclipse23]

@@barney4053 it’s hinted that barney still kept his job at GNC so I don’t understand why he couldn’t have just stayed behind until she came back. It wasn’t like marshall and lily where it was a straight year job.

[@barney4053]

@@DarkEclipse23 It is called Bad Writing and the writers were clueless on how to break them so they just regressed the character in order to use the ending recorded in s2.

[@xlevix10]

I hate that they wasted an ENTIRE season on their wedding, then ruined it in about 10 minutes and destroyed any sort of character development that they had built up over the last couple of seasons. Just lazy, IMO.

[@AlexFuji1518]

I've always been convinced of two things about Barney. First, he never married his daughter's mother. She's not even in either of their lives. Barney's a single dad and is perfectly okay with it. And because How I Met Your Dad never took off, I get to hold onto that headcanon. The second is that Barney lied to Robin about wanting an out. When Barney loves someone he goes all out for them. I've always been convinced that he saw the strain of marriage getting to Robin, still wanted to be with her but lied about wanting an out. Which ties into the last batch of episodes before the wedding when Robin wants to be done with the lies. Barney did just what he told her he wouldn't do.

[@josephhufford4090]

I think Barney wanted to end the marriage just as much as Robin exactly because he doesn't love halfway. The dude declared Ted his best friend and followed him around for years before Ted finally accepted him as a friend. He want to ridiculous lengths to trick Marshall into working at his company.. Barney is someone who needs constant companionship and while I believe he absolutely meant it when he said he would be fine with Robin travelling he did not understand how difficult it would get being home alone for long stretches at a time.

[@theineffableshipper297]

how i met your dad? wouldn’t that be about tracy?

[@sleepycowboy18]

Im not rly mad that they broke up, but im mad mad when robin get together with ted

[@islagreenburg1145]

we all are

[@denz310]

You guys said a traditional marriage is the last thing Barney wanted, but coming from a single mother home, all Barney wanted was a traditional family. Wife, house, kids, picket fence etc. You saw the desire he had from the episode he met his dad and his family.

[@dandelions_are_cool]

Exactly, he was ready to get married with Quinn and Robin. He wanted to. With Quinn, he wasn't sure if he could trust her because of his dad, and with Robin, she was the one who didn't want a traditional marriage because she was expected to put her work second.

[@sucons4254]

Honesty this show just feels like no one ever gave shit about it’s female characters or just women in general

[@deeplyshalllow8967]

Honestly, I'm pretty sure Carter Bays (who wrote the show and who Ted is based on) had a Robin in his life that went off with a Barney and he wanted to punish them both. If I was his wife, I'd be checking my food every day to make sure he didn't try and off me and get back with his Robin.

[@DSan-kl2yc]

All this shows is how hardwired rom coms have made all of you when something subverts it. Or you thought it was the wrong kind of rom com.

[@Nnnmmmkkk]

I believe it is a form of misogyny.

[@---to4dt]

Well, except lily

[@annearly3200]

True the women were called Sluts, Tramps,Hoe’s. For doing the same thing the guys did. Marshal called Robin a slut for falling for the naked man, while give a HiFive to Ted and Barney. Robin made the comment the women deserve Barney’s treatment because they believed his lies. Robin and Lilly were gonna beat up a women that though Ted was hooking up with when they thought he picked her up a bar. But it was Barney lie using the Architect ruse.

[@D.L.98]

In my minda, the last episode ended this way: Robin and Barney still married, Ted with the mom, and if not then he still is single and focused in his kids, and of course Lilly and Marshall still being the best couple in the world. None of the events that happened during the last episode happened for me, I do not agree with it, i can, i spent too much time to have it end like that

[@piracychic]

I was definitely Team Scherbarnsky. I'm glad The Take saw what should've been. There was always "something more" about Barney and Robin, better chemistry and you felt they were both worthy of each other and they figured things out *together* unlike Ted's insistence on a certain view of things. I really do think Barney and Robin would've found themselves maybe admit they want to reconnect every few years or be nonmonogamous if they weren't shut down by their conventional friends. Their own devotion to each other was their playful rapport and really being there in the tough times.

[@Mani26031981]

Nonsense. Robin was a nuch more sensible girl than for what people credit her, and there is NO way she would have accepted an open relationship with a guy who just wasnt mature enough. Swarkles were just toxic and not meant to last. That's that.

[@DSan-kl2yc]

They were all there in their tough times. Chemistry or a relationship dynamic isn't a good reason to have a bad relationship that was never going to work out. Monogamy wasn't the issue. Barney can't keep a relationship. And it's a struggle for him. This idea that Robin didn't want a conventional relationship is just you making something up. Only thing she didn't want was children, and maybe marriage. Then she kinda wanted both(or wanted the option). Barney doesn't need a woman at all.

[@theineffableshipper297]

is swarkles. their ship name is is swarkles

[@theineffableshipper297]

@@DSan-kl2yc Robin really didn’t want a conventional relationship

[@astrolatte_]

One of my favorites tv couples mainly because we could see their evolution together: meanwhile Robin's and Barney's chemistry felt organic, Ted since the first moment was "This woman is my destiny" without even knowing her and we just had to roll with it.

[@Musicienne-DAB1995]

Okay... we going to ignore Barney saying, "You just know she likes it dirty" without even knowing her, either?

[@jlotjuxi3]

worst possible ending

[@hMusic-tb8hl]

There's a reason why the romantic climax of the series is arguably the montage of Barney's proposal. None of the Ted's moments ever matched that.

[@booksboundnoveljourneys1122]

I loved Barney and Robin together. I thought they were so compatible together and had very similar future goals and plans. They also clearly had a deep emotional bond and a deeper understanding of each other. I was sad when they got divorced.

[@dandelions_are_cool]

How? They barely even talked about the future. Everything they did was based on their friendship and physical attraction. I don't think they ever got to connect as a couple and think about what they want in life together.

[@imkabochan]

I'll be honest. This relationship was the main reason I completely fell off love with this show. I really, really loved both characters. I mean, Barney was an asshole for a while, but then you could see glimpses of the reasons why he acted like that and how he was different deep inside. And Robin? Robin is fucking awesome, ok? She's not only an incredible woman, but an amazing human being. It was so entertaining watching both of them getting together and the banter, *god the banter*, was so gooood! What the writers did to them felt like a filler arc from a bad anime. Which means at the end of the arc it seemed like the whole thing the arc was based on, never even happened. Which is why I only watched HIMYM only once. Because every time I tried to rewatch it, I remembered the bullshit ending, felt frustration and put something else to forget about it.

[@Musicienne-DAB1995]

Barney was an asshole, but I seriously wonder how many of his stories were actually true.

[@tsuyoi-hikari]

Me too. I love the show. My fave sitcom but the ending truly destroy whatever love I have for them. Crap ending really can make you fell out of love with the whole thing

[@pessimisticprofessorfarnsw3241]

@@Musicienne-DAB1995 if he pulled off the scuba diver then they had to all be true.

[@Angi3_6]

She put her relationship with Don before her career, which lasted a few months and was just a boyfriend. But she can't do that for her marriage to one her best friends? Unlike all those boyfriends (Kevin was great, if it wasn't for the kids thing), Barney knows her really well and vice versa. Edit: when they were together, they were exclusive, so I don't understand the arguement of Robin and Barney being against monogamy. Yea it didn't work out the first time, but they grew and it was better the second time.

[@lindamukarakate7511]

exactly why it was so out of character

[@LuuCaicedo]

👆👆👆

[@pol610]

Kevin understood Robin. She barraged him with questions even when he said he's fine with it. Basically forced him to unpropose. Why does the result of a relationship is always having a child. He was open to adoption. He isn't dumb enough to hold his pride to want to have a child. Idk if he deeply wanted it, personally or by tradition. Every guy has to give up something for her but on the other hand she cant. Yeah career, then why can't she work it out with Barney. Ted's attention wont be solely focused on her he has 2 kids.

[@Musicienne-DAB1995]

I don't understand why "The Take" have chosen to blame monogamy for Robin and Barney's divorce, either.

[@ginao6810]

I honestly never bought that Barney was so needy and insecure in the marriage that he had a problem with Robyn’s career. Firstly, they were always independent enough that they could cope with time apart in different in cities. Plenty of marriages survive long distance. In fact, some do better with it. Secondly, I can’t reconcile that worldly, sophisticated Barney wouldn’t love stays in amazing cities around the world. He could have amazing adventures, and drink scotch by a hotel pool meeting people from all over the world; probably on the dime of a news corporation. That kind of sounds like Barney’s dream (and would make for amazing Blog entries). So the whole plot that Barney hated their life never rang true to me. That’s how needy insecure Ted would have felt; not Barney.

[@13myrrh]

Personal theory: We hear the story from Ted's POV. Barney and Robin probably make more sense from an objective perspective which Ted is incapable of. Ted can't accept that Robin chose Barney.

[@BlueDragoon64]

15:41 "Not every couple that loves each other NEEDS to be married or even be monogamous" THANK YOU

[@Musicienne-DAB1995]

Neither marriage nor monogamy are the reason that Robin and Barney divorced, though. I disagree with "The Take" on this.

[@barbaraaraneda8971]

This disappointing couple ending feels like Jackie and Hyde from That's 70s Show 💔

[@whatislove8156]

Season 8 doesn't exist >.< Hyde and Jackie are married and have beautiful kids :")

[@chassea7844]

EXACTLY

[@mellowmallow4855]

Oh my gosh, why did he cheat again. They might as well have had him and Donna end up together.

[@kathrynoneill5862]

So true it was so ridiculous. I hated how he married that dumb girl and how Jackie ended up with Fez that was just to weird. I don't know what happens to these writers towards the end of these shows.

[@gabriellabeepat802]

@@kathrynoneill5862 They just threw Jackie at everyone. Her and Fez made nooo sense. I feel like everyone forgot how creepy and stalkerish Fez was. AND definitely, Jackie had a more growth development with Hyde. They both made each other better :(

[@cazia9]

- Part of the evolution of Barney's character is that he recognizes that he is, in his own words, empty lost and broken - Part of the evolution of Robin's character is learning that having a family can simply mean the people you love - All of this was trashed by the fact that the finale 'needed' Robin and Ted to be together; why couldn't they have shown how Robin becomes fond of Ted's kids without wanting her own and Barney coming to terms with his abandonment issues by worrying that sticking around for his own kid will make it even worse than by not being there at all, and have them meeting in the middle where they realize they can make room in their lives for each other romantically despite these diverging paths?

[@Musicienne-DAB1995]

Seems like you're missing out the increasing nuance and complexity of Robin's opinion on having children (which she did not have, in the finale) as the seasons progressed. This is entirely realistic, since most people can change a hard stance as they grow in life. The most important scene was Robin's devastation when she discovered that she could not have kids (as opposed to making her own decision to either not have kids, or to delay it provided she could be with Ted-- as she told him before he was to marry Stella). So that alone rules out the wish that Robin would never want children-- again, a stance which is unrealistic, given how people have a myriad of reasons which can change over time. As far as I can see, Robin developed just as we all develop. Even 3 years ago, I would have said no to children. Now I have changed my mind completely. It does happen. Just because some people have worries and regrets doesn't make it a crime for others to be shown wanting children.

[@pronner1991]

Really love the idea of them having a more open and ”untraditional” relationship. Would have made so much more sens then them having to choose between traditional monogamy and no relationship at all.

[@Musicienne-DAB1995]

Yet Robin has never shown any desire for anything other than a monogamous relationship throughout the series...?

[@ivanehtnoij6243]

@@Musicienne-DAB1995 not to mention that While Barney was always sexual promiscuous, he too never really showed signs of wanting anything more than monogamy in every serious relationship he was involved in.

[@pinkfeiry]

In conclusion: Robin and Barney should've had an open relationship.

[@kyracaral1804]

pinkfeiry they would’ve rocked an open relationship. It could’ve been so great

[@tyredrightnow]

Nah barney and robin although they would've acted okay they wouldn't have been happy they should've put their friendship before their romance and been friends that love each other NO LABELS progression at their pace but ALWAYS LOVE

[@DSan-kl2yc]

In conclusions, you're delusional.

[@NotAnotherKuromi]

I think they should have had an open marriage. It's funny how that never seemed to cross the mind of the writers of this video, saying how a traditional lifestyle wouldn't suit Robin or Barney but not coming up with any more modern alternative suggestions.

[@CGZ26]

I don't know. I kinda agree but there was also several episodes where Robyn acts really jealous of both Ted and Barney. I don't think they would've pulled it off

[@reyses1x2]

The divorce was a mistake, this destroyed robin's character progression that they carefully developed for over 8 seasons. Robin was introduced as someone who doesn't believe in love the same way ted does, she was someone who wouldn't choose love above anything else, but slowly, as robin would say(referring to the scene where she started liking olives), "she changed her mind". This was highlighted when she chose don over a huge job offer in chicago, but when it came to barney, she regressed and chose the job over him. Barney endured years following robin all over the world, it would have been fair to finally settle in new york after having a taste of her dream.

[@Musicienne-DAB1995]

An interesting perspective. Worth considering.

[@dvdv8197]

Because the writers had this idée fixe on getting Robin and Ted back together in the end. Which was a horrible idea.

[@Musicienne-DAB1995]

I've seen persuasive argumetns that it was a good idea. What makes you think it was a bad idea? (Sincere question).

[@Artemis820]

Tbh. They tried to make it seem like her and ted were meant to be and it was just timing that was the issue. But in reality they just weren't suited for each other. They wanted a completely different things and ted often belittled/judged Robin for who she was. She was too career driven , didn't want kids,or that she didn't act helpless, he acted like those were faults that needed to be "fixed" she was the exact opposite of a conventional woman which was not what ted wanted in a partner. It was honestly annoying how at the finale they make Robin seem bitter and still pining after Ted when they really weren't a great couple in the first place. Maybe it would have worked if they hadn't made Robin so firmly against the idea of children. There are people who are in between the idea of having kids. Bcuz if ur just gonna bring in a character who says they don't want kids but then make them have them anyways or make them seem like they regret their decision, which is such an annoying trope, then don't bother

[@Musicienne-DAB1995]

@@Artemis820 The decision to have children is nowhere black and white as this comment implies. Putting that aside, I see no acknowledgement of Robin's character development here. First of all, Robin did not have children in the series, so I don't understand why you have applied that to her. But what you appear to have ignored is Robin's reaction on discovering that she was infertile. This is because Robin's position on children became more nuanced as time went on, which is entirely realistic. Millions can relate to that. She told Ted that if she ever changed her mind, she wanted him to be there, which shows that being in love with Ted had made her consider the option of getting married and having children. Ted and Robin broke up when they admitted their life paths were too different, so I do not think that shows Ted wanting to fix her. Ted knew full well what she wanted-- yet he loved her anyway, which shows he *was* willing to accept her. In fact, it was Robin who either made a sacrifice or advised Ted against doing anything that would stand in the way of his dream: "That's not the ending that you deserve." Going back to the children point: Robin did not tell Ted she was infertile. Yet she had said she did not want children beforehand. Why would she conceal this information, if she had never become more nuanced on the issue? Because not being able to have children shut down any chance of being with Ted in the future.

[@Artemis820]

@@Musicienne-DAB1995 my example of making a person have a kid anyway was in reference to the sitcom example of big bang theory not Robin. In big bang theory both Bernadette and penny say they don't want children but both characters end up having them anyway. That example is not in reference to Robin obviously. The end part of my comment was looking at how writers portray a character who does not want children not just Robin specifically.

[@DeadlyNyghtShayde]

I really appreciate the lack of completely damning the Joey Rachel relationship. I thought, given the chance it could have been a lovely relationship, however most times it's brought up is just for people to repeat how "awful and forced it was", but itt never felt that way to me.

[@Najmille]

DeadlyNyghtShayde saaaaame

[@bluz1864]

I can agree to an extent. The whole reason it seemed forced was the writers fault. I think if they brought it up earlier, it would have gotten more people.

[@MadameTamma]

If you rewatch the episodes where they were roommates, you can see just how much fun Rachel and Joey are together. They have good chemistry and they really do look out for each other. Compare that to Ross/Rachel who I remember always bickering about something. Ross/Rachel had higher highs and lower lows but Joey/Rachel seemed to mostly stay at a steady good place which just seems like the healthier relationship to me, although I can see why that's be less fun to write for in a sitcom.

[@astrolatte_]

It's like the writers of old tv shows used to think that a couple isn't one at least they're fighting and screaming at each other all the time and if a girl is having fun with a man they could work together as friends, but not a consolidate romantic couple.

[@lilylopez4820]

Agree

[@BigHenFor]

Sorry, but Robin and Barney were more real than Ted and Robin. The only thing that makes sense is that Ted gets Robin and realises the reality of being with Robin isn't a good as the dream.

[@kittykitty.bangbang]

I'm just mad that these writers have me falling more and more in love with Robin and Barney as a couple for 24 FRICKIN EPISODES, just so they could be like 'lol jk jk'

[@jenandjuice_]

“the robin” play >>>>>> blue french horn

[@memenems7816]

YELLOW UMBRELLA >>>>> BLUE FRENCH HORN

[@hegluj6796]

Jen practically everything>>>>> the blue French horn

[@jenandjuice_]

moimoi the marvelous I meant from robins perspective BUT YES ICONIC

[@jenandjuice_]

Heg Luj hahaha right

[@hcf4kd1992]

No way. The blue French horn is at least honest. The Robin is an alarming manipulation

[@hughfraser6968]

What made me mad about this was when barney asked Ted about advice on Robin Ted treated Robin as a pet and an item vs a real human

[@PaolaRodriguezCalvimontes]

I know not a lot of people like Rachel and Joey but I did. Joey was loving, sweet and a better partner overall

[@BleedingLiar17]

Omg same

[@alexisd7117]

Honestly. And Rachel couldn’t take Ross seriously in the aspect of sex until they finally did it so I’m not sure how they used that as an excuse for her and Joey.

[@user-kz5ru3jp1f]

Yes! I loved them! Honestly I even skipped seasons first to watch them get together)

[@tricky92x]

For the whole week they dated? LOL

[@flashtime5254]

Wtf they dated for a week that is more like a fling or like every joey's relationship . Wasn't Ross loving caring before break up.he did so many things

[@StealthGamer37]

I never got that feeling when watching the two of them. I’ve said on many videos, and likely on one or two of this channel’s videos how I thought the ending should’ve gone, and why it would’ve been the perfect ending for each character. A perfect ending is something that wraps up everything that was developed for a character. This means that they either fix or accept their major hang-ups. Before I get into this, it is very important to recognize that there is a lot to a character from what we see in subtext. What a character does and says in a show can sometimes be self-destructive or without a mind for what they want in the end, but for what they want in the moment. Basically, you can’t always trust what a character says as truth about them. For example, this can easily be seen in self-discovery stories. A person may believe themselves to be something for a long time before coming to the light about themselves and realizing who they really are. So we need to pay a lot of attention to subtext, tone, direction, and context. For Robin, it is clear from the show that her biggest hang-up is her history with her father. The way she was raised forced her away from what she truly wanted at that age, to be a traditional girl. The person she became was a direct contrast to this. This isn’t to say that all of Robin is a facade built upon the trauma of an emotionally abusive father, but, instead, that Robin was robbed of her truest desires in life by her father, and she was forced to be someone she didn’t want to be. Robin proves multiple times that she is willing to go the distance for love, if it’s the right guy. She started putting her career first originally for two reasons: her father raised her as a boy, trying to forcefully remove any traditional ‘feminine’ qualities out of her (i.e. putting love over a career), and she found a fear of commitment which was spawned from both seeing a marriage fall to tatters (her parents) and being afraid to let anyone see the real her after having to hide it from her father her entire life. Robin shows that she really does want love. She wants to have it all, she really is looking for a fairytale; she just wants to have her own version of a fairytale. Robin clearly wants to have a good career, and a good relationship. It’s just that she gets burned at every possible moment. Whether it’s by herself forcing a relationship, or the guy she’s with being terrible for her or a jerk, Robin was burned at every turn. Barney finally provided that chance; a guy who was absolutely perfect for her and became entirely devoted to her out of concern for her happiness. Barney would repeatedly: try to get along with her borderline psychopathic father, plan elaborate schemes to give her a fun surprise, make her feel valued and loved, and even found the one thing she valued more than anything else (honesty) and decided to give up his schemes, tricks, hoodwinks, and magical deception all to make her happier. It wasn’t something she asked for, it was something he thought of entirely on his own so that he could do right by her. Barney is really similar. His fear of commitment comes from: a fear of abandonment thanks to his father leaving at such a tender age, and his mom lying to him about everything for his entire childhood. Barney was scared that any relationship would just end up like Shannon, leaving him abandoned as soon as a cooler guy came around; so he decided to become the coolest, and to always abandon the woman first. The ultimate conclusion was actually given away by his own father during season 8, Barney had found the perfect girl already, and he was ready to abandon the bachelor lifestyle; all he ended up wanting was the perfect, whole family that he didn’t get to have. (This is even more obvious when he meets Jerry for the first time since he was a kid, saying the line, “If you were gonna be a lame suburban dad, why couldn’t you be mine?”) Barney is just a hurt little kid trying to avoid being hurt again after Shannon and his parents. So, having a solid relationship with Robin, a whole, safe family is the perfect conclusion. Now, kids. I think it’s obvious to see why Barney really wants, and should end up with a kid regardless. Not only is he shown to have thought about kids before (with his nephew and his co-parent idea with Ted), but this perfect family would also include a kid, where he doesn’t screw up as a parent like his own. (Loretta’s great and did the best she could’ve, but, sometimes, the best someone can do just isn’t good enough). Plus, adopting a kid would have even more meaning for him, saving a kid from the same broken home he came from. As far as Robin with kids, we see constantly how Robin acts around kids; she’s afraid of them, but she truly does want them, regardless of she tries to fool herself with. Now, don’t get me wrong, some people don’t want kids. Robin isn’t one of them. In the Robin centric episodes where she thinks about kids, we see her depression around the idea of not being able to have them. And we also see her longing with Marvin, hear about her amazing time as Ted’s kids’ aunt, and we see how she thinks about kids when holding Jeremy’s sock (even stealing it). Robin is afraid of being a terrible parent like her father or being distant like her mother. She’s also afraid of being allowed to be traditionally feminine and want kids, but we see time and time again that she really does want them. So, all in all, she should’ve stuck with Barney and adopted a kid with him. It would’ve been the perfect conclusion for both characters, finally letting go of their pasts with their parents and being able to live happy lives and be the most awesome parents in the world. Again, I understand that some people just don’t want kids and will never want them. I know people like that, and it’s a fine choice. I just don’t believe Robin to be that kind of person, considering how much we see her longing for a full family with kids and how depressed she is when she learns she can’t have kids. To say one more thing, when it comes to the episode where she learns that she can’t have kids, and we see her reaction. Specifically, saying that, “it’s hard to learn that that door is closed forever. It’s nice to have the option.” People never say that when they didn’t want it. It’s normally used as a way to explain how a character actually wants it, and finally learns that for themself.

[@ginao6810]

I think you are right on so many levels. Except Robyn and kids, I disagree with you there. Just because she went through a big thing when she found out she was infertile doesn’t mean she did actually want kids. Finding out something is wrong with your body is huge, especially if it’s permanent. It takes time to process. My sister never wanted children. Then she lost one of her ovaries. She still had the other and was told that it works fine, but halving her fertility had a huge affect on her. It took a good 5 years for her to work through that. She still doesn’t want children. And just because she balked at the idea when her fertility was on the line doesn’t mean she secretly wanted them all along. You pointed out that because of her crazy upbringing Robyn is constantly trying to get past the masculine=good, feminine=bad dichotomy set by her father. So I think it takes her time to work out if she likes/hates something because it’s what her father wants, or because that’s genuinely how she feels. And what’s more feminine than getting pregnant and having babies. Of course her feelings can get confused. And if she really wanted kids, she could of had them. But she didn’t

[@theineffableshipper297]

just wanna say i love your pfp. WOOO THE SCORE!

[@AnzuBrief]

I agree with you. As someone who doesn't have kids, I would feel relived if I were told I could not have them

[@slospop1125]

I refuse to acknowledge what we saw on T.V. as the ending

[@iainronald4217]

When you talk about couples rejecting "traditional monogamy," opting instead to create their own wholly unique version of monogamy, the couple that came to mind was Elena Fischer and Nathan Drake from the end of Uncharted Four. When, *spoiler alert*, they realize being the 9-5 dinner-and-a-movie couple just wasn't for them, and neither was the manic-swashbuckling-adventurer life. So, they fused them together, Elena running her show from Nate's swashbuckling adventures. Just a thought.

[@angeladunnangiedraws]

Taking my comment with a grain of salt, as someone who's only absorbed this show through osmosis, I really REALLY wish that there could have been the possibility of Robin and Barney ending their marriage, but continuing an open relationship. That would have been such an awesome thing to see! But... oh well.

[@laisfrederick5470]

Exactly, an open marriage for would better for them

[@DSan-kl2yc]

I'm starting to think the people in this youtube section have a certain leaning. But body, neither wanted that sort of thing at all. Robin's issues with Barney weren't about wanting to sleep with other people. And barney's issues with robin or relationships, weren't about that either.

[@Musicienne-DAB1995]

Why? Has Robin ever expressed such a desire?

[@dianamarcekova9615]

Or just simple cohabitation. Seriously.

[@dandelions_are_cool]

@@dianamarcekova9615 as friends? it's so pointless. The only reason you guys want them together is because the actors did a good job potraying their characters and had charisma. Robin and barney as people would never work, so idk why you want them together.

[@marinaoba5928]

I just watched the whole show because of the “aunt Robin” thing, which assured me that Robin and Ted wouldn’t end up together...

[@lThelOzzy]

The only couple in the world that made me believe in marriage, broke up, thank you C&C

[@ninab.4540]

HIMYM went from the new Friends everyone loved to watch to yet another weird St. Elsewhere/Dexter ending in the matter of one season. Like a foreshadowing of GoT way back in 2011.

[@victoriacavalcante2318]

If I've said it once I've said it a thousand times - the alternative version is the official. Period.

[@hcf4kd1992]

Yuck

[@BobLogical]

It's super unhealthy that so many things push the idea that being "too good of friends" means you can't be together romantically.

[@Musicienne-DAB1995]

I think people fear the loss of their friendship, should the romance end. Surely a rational concern?

[@BobLogical]

@@Musicienne-DAB1995 Or you could just be adults and realize that not working in a romantic context doesn't mean your past friendship is a lie and you don't have to blow everything up because you're embarrassed.

[@Musicienne-DAB1995]

@@BobLogical Wishful thinking. Romantic and sexual impulses are strong. Being conscious of that background doesn't mean you aren't an adult. It also depends on the reason you broke up, which could suggest an underlying factor revealed in the romantic relationship that was perhaps hidden or ignored in the friendship.

[@jessedellross3245]

Here’s THE QUESTION no defender of the finale can answer: what plotpoint/story from s6-9 isn’t made irrelevant? Answer: 1. 1 plot point in 4 seasons!!!!!! That alone makes HIMYM finale one of the worst in history.

[@MrWhiteVzla]

I also find the Joy/Rachel comparison a tad too far-fetched. I haven't watch enough FRIENDS to know the details. But it seems that relationship was short-term, unlike Barney/Robin which lasted multiple seasons of character building. Lastly, I think this ending is similar to the GoT ending in the sense they just crammed a bunch of things for the sake of finishing the show in a certain way.

[@hegluj6796]

MrWhiteVzla it was mostly the concept that was similar and obviously what the writers wanted it to be, just a silly plot line that no one was supposed to like

[@gautamig1546]

Divorce happens, Robin did want a monogamous relationship but she didn’t want children and she got that in the end.

[@jessedellross3245]

G. G. So why bother building up Barney and Robin if they were just gonna divorce them? Why spend the whole season on their wedding? Why bother with barneys development if they were just gonna reset him at the end? Why bother showing Robin become successful if they imply she’s miserable and needed ted after all? I could go on for awhile but needless to say, the original finale sucks.

[@mariamibukia8140]

They are right. Barney and robin would never commit to a relationship and that's okay. But that ted_robin thing was just a disaster.

[@martinacosta3821]

exactly, i can accept the breaking up their marriage and still be best friends, but the Ted/Robin it was just a disaster and horrible writing

[@marijavucinic9982]

yeah

[@warwickwagner4797]

I'm honestly addicted to your videos - TV shows NEED writers like you to give fair arcs to women, people of colour and just generally unexplored and interesting characters. I'd love you to do a video about Marshall and Lily, because imo it was a really healthy relationship (Season 1 finale aside) and had an interesting perspective on Lily and Marshall finding out who they are individually and who they want to be, and how they handled it in their relationship, especially in their first and last season. Also Marshall is my joint favourite character along with Robin :p

[@Musicienne-DAB1995]

Robin began the series by being sure she didn't want children, and then being mostly sure she did not want marriage ("maybe never"). However, she was in love with Ted, and the idea grew in the back of her mind as a possibility. She even made a pact with Ted about being in a relationship if they were past the age of 40. Over time, she repeatedly confronted feelings for Ted. She had several relationships, increasingly putting love over her work. She also fell in love with Barney and eventually married him. Alongside that, she began having a more nuanced position on children, hiding a baby's sock in her handbag. She discovered that she could not have children, and was so devastated that she hid the news from Ted, despite being vocally against having children earlier. This seems like a detailed, nuanced character arc to me for a main female character-- far more so than just toeing the politically correct line of never changing her mind on children and focusing on a career. That just isn't realistic. People are far more nuanced than that, and the reasons people have for not having children or marrying are complex and subject to change. HIMYM in my view did a good job with that (well balanced with Lily's moments of doubt and regret as she faced marriage with Marshall, such as when she said she sometimes wished she wasn't a mother).

[@syedanilima4165]

Robin and Barney before their wedding, as a couple always seemed happy with each Other, there was no reason, at least a valid reason, bad moment or foreshadow of any sort of that would give fans the idea that they wouldn’t work, they were always happy. The writers just up and decided out of the blue to end them for no reason. The writers picked this storyline picked out of their asses. They should’ve been endgame. Period.

[@can_can9119]

Exactly, the second time they got back together and even the lead up to it each and every obstacle they came across was overcome. Both of them grew alongside each other even if they weren't together, their feelings were still there and by the time he proposed to her they were finally ready for true commitment.

[@aderounmuadedeji183]

DID Y'ALL EVEN WATCH THE SHOW? ROBIN WAS DOUBTING BARNEY AT THE END OF SEASON EIGHT AND WANTED TO RUN AWAY FROM HER WEDDING IN SEASON NINE.

[@matheuslarrubia7619]

you didn't watch the series, Robin was very worried and even tried to abandon Barney at the altar. They weren't "always happy with each other", the whole season was foreshadowing that Robin was making a mistake. The whole locket thing was because Robin was feeling insecure and asked for a "sign of the universe" to tell her that she was doing the right thing

[@ctrkptrkgobitekmek8384]

barney and robin>every other tv couple

[@Jaclynn9]

It’s not the official ending but in my head Barney and Robin get back together but on different terms where they’re not trying to fit themselves into a “traditional married couple” role but into something a little more flexible that actually fits them. In this alternate ending I’m envisioning Ted sits down to actually tell his kids the story of how he met the love of his life, Tracy. The difference is that it moves Tracy into the role of someone he loved more deeply than anyone else and away from her role the actual finale assigned her as glorified surrogate. Take out the kid interactions at the end and put them on the DVD as the alternate ending and just have a shot of the kids smiling or something because you can’t exactly reshoot their scenes.

[@ananyasharma7463]

Honestly, I would have taken them in an unconventional relationship together without marriage or labels. It could have shown a different type of relationship contrasting Marshall and Lily. Heck, I could have taken them weirdly dancing around each other, sometimes hooking up then going separate ways again, focusing on their careers or what not. But what irks me is that they were taken into the direction of marriage. A whole season dedicated to it, at least 6 seasons given to their arc, only to destroy it in second last episode for that blue french horn again. If they wanted to do this, why not marry them at the end of season 8 or beginning of season 9 and then show it slowly falling apart. It happened just too damn fast. It was like, they maaarrriiieeeddd, they divorce, RobingoesbacktoTed. Better yet if Robin/Ted were decided end game, Robin/Barney arc should have been over and done with in season 5 itself, where they showed them being a god awful couple following all relationship cliches and being very different from their, by then written, canon self. Those two honestly felt more like a couple, when they were not a couple, like in season 1 (Zip,Zip,Zip) or any time in season 6 just normally interacting with each other. Why stretch Robin/Barney soo much for ratings. If Robin/Barney are not a believable couple, Robin/Ted is even less credible. It destroys Barney's character, destroys Robin's character, and Ted doesn't come across looking much better nor his kids, and Mother...what mother?

[@psychedelicbreakfast9578]

This was an amazing take, and actually offered perspectives to me which didn't have before. Robin and Barney were meant to be together, but not to be married and trying to fit into conventional monogamous norms. It's so sad that this wasn't a genuine story, it was a tragedy that serves only the benefits of Ted and his way of viewing life and relationships. Carter and Craig... Shame. On. You.

[@gwell2118]

Alternate ending is the real ending and I refuse to acknowledge the first endings existence unless I have to. In this post for example. It was far more satisfying and actually made sense to the characters journeys. Can’t believe that actually thought the first ending was better.

[@StealthGamer37]

They might not have. The show was damned from the start because of a choice they made. They wanted to do a cool thing where the kid’s wouldn’t’ve aged across the entire story Ted tells them, because why would they? So they filmed the series finale with the kids during the first season. This meant they had an ending for a road they had barely been on. So, in the last season, they were forced to play catchup. Jason Segel wasn’t even planning on being in the final season because the show was falling through, that’s why his plot is entirely removed from everyone else. This could’ve been fixed if they abandoned the finale they originally planned, but they were stubborn. They could’ve just ended on a, “and that kids, is how i met your mother.” Boom, roll credits, perfect ending. Nope, they just had to do the scene with the kids which ruined it all from the start.

[@MissCaraMint]

ShadeDragon They could just have filmed multiple ending to have way more freedom with the storytelling. At least they would have had a few different choices to go with.

[@merilpts]

In the finale Ted's kids say that this is a story about how Ted being "totally in love with aunt Robin". But to me this is the story of how getting over Robin had brought Tracy, the love of his life, into his life. He always dreamed of this woman who could complete him and who would want the things he wanted in life. And for years he tried to force it with women who didn't want that, Robin being the epitome of this pattern (doesn't want him, isn't in love with him, doesn't want a conventional life with kids and marriage...). The two last seasons being about him letting her go. The finale isn't faithful to his story. How I met your mother? He met her BECAUSE he gave up on chasing women who didn't want him.

[@lorrie9462]

Did anyone else say ewww when Ted and Ross simultaneously showed up on the screen? 🤢🤢🤢🤢🤮🤮🤮🤮

[@jojo-he5gj]

Lol I did 😂😂 i never liked Ross

[@milamnwalker4801]

Hahahahahahahah so much Ew

[@lv394]

I’ve always thought they were mirrors of each other. Actually, the whole show.

[@limerence8365]

I was real creeped out by Barney when I got into this show just before season 9. I also didn't really like Robin. Can't really remember why. But I really liked them together. Barney wasn't a creep anymore. There was development and they really worked together. I shipped them so hard. When that ending came I was torn apart, but mainly because they deceived us basically. (I was working through a lot of issues at the time) I also hated on how they pooped on Barney's development only to build it up again in two seconds by giving him a baby whose Mother they never name. Only now I realise how they pooped on Robin by making her a sad old single lady.

[@mikeyskater2000]

The take I’ve been waiting for!!!

[@trinaq]

Precisely, even the Take are huge advocates of the Barney/Robin ship! 😍🚢

[@hzuzh]

I don't care it's my otp

[@zt2552]

Me too!!! Barney-Robin is one of the best tv couples! ❤️ Robin shouldn't have ended up with Ted. Disappointing 😔

[@stargazer1682]

This show had such great character dynamics and relationships the first couple of seasons; and virtually all of them were tarnished to some degree in the end. They went out of their way in season 2 to demonstrate why Robin and Ted should not be a couple, ever, but completely disregard that by the end of the series. They likewise show Robin and Barney to compliment one another very well, but inexplicably try to force them into a conventional, cookie cutter relationship that is completely antithetical to either of their characters. They arguably shouldn't have gotten married; or if they did, they'd have been the sort of couple who legitimately could spend very little time together, even maintaining homes in different parts of the world on account of work or they travel, yet still remain faithful and content in their relationship together. At the very least, they seem like the type who would get together, get married, then divorced, then a couple of years later get back together again and repeat that cycle, with each other, like three or four times. The writers felt the need to crap all over Ted and Tracy; even after they did what almost everyone thought would be impossible by finding someone who could actually play the Mother and not let down the audience.

[@hcf4kd1992]

They never established why Ted and Robin should a NEVER be a couple. They both had the lives they wanted and did what they disagreed on before they came back together. Robin couldn't have come back together with Barney rather than Ted because his child is much younger than Ted's, and she still likely doesn't want to raise a family. And while Tracy was wonderful and needed more screen time, she was treated really well by the writers. It's obvious to everyone why she was the answer to what Ted claimed to want all along

[@Musicienne-DAB1995]

Did they really demonstrate why Ted and Robin should not be a couple "ever"? Because Robin was still holding a candle for him seasons later. (A faithful long-distance marriage sounds good, though!).

[@matheuslarrubia7619]

man, both Ted and Robin changed a lot after season 2, that's the whole point of the series. Robin at season 9 was not the same that she was in season 2. Season 9's Robin wanted a "sign of the universe" (the whole plot about the locket) to show her that she was marrying the right guy. Season's 9 Robin was very acceptive of the idea of marriage, and wasn't afraid of kids anymore. Season's 9 Robin did choose love over carreer once (when she was in love with Don's). You guys kept thinking that ending's robin and season's 2 robin were the same character all along, when she showed multiple times that she wasn't, she got older and her priorities changed. That's why y'all can't get the ending.

[@stargazer1682]

@@matheuslarrubia7619 no, it' because the repeating theme throughout the preceding 8 seasons and even into season 9, was that Robin and Ted were _not_ romantically compatible and were better off as friends. They even dedicated an entire episode in season 9 to Ted letting go of Robin *_again._* They even ripped off their own planned series ending back in season 5, when they had Marshall needing to conjure an elaborate scenario of Lily dying and him waiting "an appropriate number of years" before moving on with someone, in order to fantasize about other women. Tracy dying was almost a shot for shot remake of the scene of Lily dying in in Marshall's fantasy. But not only was that the _B-plot_ of that episode, the entire point was the characters saying how stupid it was. Yet Carter and Craig still went with a story that did not work thematically and never did.

[@matheuslarrubia7619]

@@stargazer1682 it was the opposite, season 8 and 9 was showing that Barney wasn't the right guy for Robin, which is why she asked ted to run from her own wedding with her. Ted letting Robin go again is just the show showing that Ted was ready to move on and try new things, which is the reason why he tried to move to Chicago, which is also the reason why things went so smoothly with Tracy

[@sylvioze6729]

I don't care, they RUINED IT

[@blazehaze233]

they were my absolute favorite couple 😭😭

[@chlobo5594]

I think why the divorce really doesn't work for me is because we spent a whole season working through their issues of a couple, they get married, and then divorced. We don't even get to see them as a couple, successful or not, to help build up why the divorce even really happens. They kinda explain it through the traveling but it feels like we deserved to see more of then actually together (like Ted and Tracy)

[@alexricky87]

Both Barney and Robin need therapy because even until the end they had issues that weren't addressed. We see that Barney's fear of commitment stems from when his father left and his mother wasn't as monogamous as he thought since he has a half brother. And with Robin we see that up until she got puberty her father refused to acknowledge that she was indeed a girl and needed to be raised as such. I'm guessing her fear of concern stems from all the pain she endured with her father and also her mother leaving. I too was disappointed with the original ending and from this video I think a solution for them to maintain a relationship would have been not just therapy but also have them date each other away from Ted, Lily and Marshall since they seem to have a major influence on their relationship as well as them getting married as soon as they did. Also I think that they shouldn't have killed off the mother, but if they *HAD* to at least have us meet her a season before so that we can know her better than what we got.

[@seige876]

Barney went through a lot more stuff for Robin. So the idea of him wanting an "out" and giving up their marriage easily is lazy writing. We all know that Barney would not let go of Robin that easy, and even if they got divorved, he will try to win her back.

[@aderounmuadedeji183]

what did he go throigh for her? he manipulated her into marrying him. Fuck that guy

[@japikolee]

I think Robin and Barney didn't have to give up on marriage in order to find happiness; they could have instead reworked the rules of their marriage. During their engagement Barney mentioned an open marriage; while Robin didn't seem happy about that idea, they would probably end up in a similar arrangement as friends with benefits, minus the commitment. And commitment is something they both grew towards throughout the series, except they weren't meant to commit to a marriage that is anything similar to Ted's vision - and I feel that their fears during their wedding weekend come from believing that marriage has to look like that. Marriage can be many different things, and I think Lily and Marshall's example shows that very clearly. They grow from the "hermaphroditic blob" that our culture imagines when we talk about soulmates, into people who, while still fiercely supportive of each other, follow their individual paths next to their shared path. BTW, I think Lily is a good subject for an analysis, as a woman who used to perceive a happy marriage and an artistic career as two conflicting goals but managed to realize she can get both (and actually get it) when encouraged by her best friend/spouse. And it shows that, while it is totally okay to be different from your spouse (as opposed to Tracy being basically female Ted), it is incredibly important to have by your side someone who gets you and your dreams, and that "having it all" isn't really a one-person achievement (which can be an overwhelming expectation put - mostly - on women), it's a result of teamwork and getting help and support when you needed it.

[@darkecofreak23]

Alt. Ending is the Canon Ending. Fight me.

[@barneystinson6185]

The story goes in Ted's perspective so he narrated Barney as a bad character, so he could get the approval of his kids to date Barney's Ex Wife and Ted's so called "love of life" Robin. And things went wrong where they focused an entire season for Robin-Barney wedding and the moments and interaction between Barney and Robin was pure magical. The more moments we saw we fell in love with them. Also the chemistry between Cobie Smulders and Neil Patrick Harris was out of this world. The viewers invested their time and heart rooting for Barney-Robin, and this stupid reason for divorce in really indigestible. I think more than 80% of viewers hated the finale. And the final episode was the most rushed and illogical thing that we will ever see in history..

[@slinkyshade9558]

Very refreshing to see a different take on this story arc. Never looked at it that way. Thanks for the video 😊

[@paddingtonelmarmalade1786]

Basically their friends (and the writers) were the true villains of the story. I will say though with the Friends comparison Joey and Rachel didn't really make any sense, particularly from Rachel's side, and while she and Ross CERTAINLY had issues, by the end of the series they had developed and grown to the point where at least I could believe they were ready to make it work.

[@manthatsmessedup]

Agreed. Barney and Robin could have ended up together. Rachel and Joey though on paper make sense, didnt not in terms of the story of the show.

[@mirai2275]

I want to see some fanfiction where Robin and Barney went to relationship counselling and realised all of this.

[@hatdog2340]

honestly, their divorce all seems like a "ted x robin" fanfic... i really wish that robin ended up with barney and ted accepted it :/

[@biancalopes3267]

I love that you guys have been making a lot of himym video-essays. Really love your takes (hahah).

[@tatehildyard5332]

I guess I'm not as bitter about Ted and Robin being together at the end as everyone else. My reading of the situation is that they 2 were pretty unstable together and were horrible for each other because they were seeing each other at a time in their lives where they were culturally expected to grab life by the balls and go after what they want. They felt like they had to cling to any opportunity they could get in order to get their fulfilling happily ever afters no matter what because that fear of not having it or not making it is a really big part of being young (especially while this show was on the air in the middle of the economic recession). When they reunite in the finale, they're both in their fifties and did end up getting their happily ever afters independently of each other (Robin has the career she spent forever fighting for and Ted got the wife and family he's always wanted). That and just with general maturity, I'm guessing that the 2 mellowed out quite a bit and are capable of compromising and adapting their expectations in a way they couldn't when they were younger. Ted doesn't need to do ambush string quartets and doesn't require the validation of 3 date nights a week because he doesn't need to chase his domestic fantasy out of fear of never having it. They're probably fine with just talking on the phone every few days or having a low key dinner together one night while she's in town.

[@astrolatte_]

I like this point of view and I can understand it, but it can be apply to any person or couple, for example Robin and Barney: you could say that they weren't in the same wave and some years later they could finally reconnected their relationship after growing out by their own. The main problem that a lot of us have with Ted and Robin being endgame is that it looks like Ted's knew since the beggining what was best for Robin and it feeds the toxic notion that the men who insists or (as the video correctly said) makes dips first on a girl "deserved her" more than anyone else, even over the girl's own feelings.

[@hcf4kd1992]

This is where I'm at, too. I always imagine that Barney mellowed out as well and probably fell for one of his child's caregivers because he would love that they love her, too. Hopefully it was a hot nanny but also an excellent person lol

[@tatehildyard5332]

@@astrolatte_ Ok I see where you’re coming from there, but I don’t see it as an obsessive patronizing man invading his way into Robin’s heart. Is Ted Mosby kind of a douche? Yes. Does he have a history of being a bit of a hypocritical jerk to his girlfriends? Yes. That being said, I feel like Ted has learned from his past at least a little bit given what we saw in that final season. A good bulk of that season is him coming to terms with and accepting that Robin might be happier with someone who’s not him (even going so far as to plan relocating to another city because he knows he knows that he needs that boundary) and when given the opportunity to throw it out the window and get what he’s always wanted (the locket and Robin’s wedding jitters) he chooses not to and insists that her being with Barney instead of him is the wise decision. I don’t really see Robin’s agency being undermined or challenged in those final moments. I don’t see it as “Yay, all of my work in courting Robin gonna pay off and I’m finally gonna get the girl I’ve been fighting years for”. I see it more as “well we’re both in a secure place in our lives and we’ve had time to grow into different people, so do you want to give this another shot?”. Also can we as a culture just come up with a possible synonym for toxic? This isn’t directed at you, but I feel like that’s one of those discourse buzz words that’s on the verge of being overused to the point of near meaninglessness.

[@vanessaspeaks]

Because the co-creators were set on that BS ending from the beginning

[@ninab.4540]

That's called 'not letting your story grow' and considering people are still pissed at the final season years after it ended boy does the bad ending not match with what the later seasons promised their audience

[@ifbadwhypretty]

I also hate how they made Barney "complete" by throwing a baby in his life. It fits the societal convention that you can only be truly happy if you find you get married and/or have a child/children. The show pinned down the two most unconventional characters (Robin and Barney) by forcing them to conform to society's limited opportunities in finding "happiness".