This episode did not play out as I thought it would. I really thought that Robin’s bombshell last week would have far-reaching affects on her and Barney’s story would be told for the rest of the run of How I Met Your Mother. Instead, she isn’t pregnant; that’s enough of a twist for one episode … but to be honest, a rather cheap one in this day and age of television writing. No, the producers didn’t stop there, choosing instead to put a permanent stamp on the series in this episode but in a much, much different way.
I’m not sure what to think. On one hand, I was really excited for an unresolved but decidedly forced future for Robin and Barney (as you are well aware, I’m never going to back off of that eventuality). But two couples going through baby-birthing-drama at one time? That might just be a little too much for one show at one time.
This is obviously the inciting incident that is going to revitalize the Ted/Robin dynamic. Ever since Victoria warned Ted that he wasn’t truly over his old flame, the proverbial shoe has been floating up in the ether, waiting to drop unexpectedly. It doesn’t mean that the two of them will get back together, but it does mean that figuring out their relationship will become front and center, at right about the same time that Barney will theoretically be discovering whomever it is he is slated to marry at the end of the season.
You’d think, though, that faced with seeing his friend “Insane Dwayne” so matured by his family experience, he’d be less likely to set a path down that particular rabbit hole. Despite “Sane Dwayne’s” experience, we do know that something is going to happen to Barney that will change the way he thinks about his future. We’ve seen little nods and pushes in that direction this season, but I suspect there is some big, life-changing event upcoming this season. If I had to hazard a guess, the first thing I’d research is whether or not Barney ever mentioned his father being at his wedding. Because, if not. …
Notes & Quotes
Lotta conflicting arguments on this one on the Internet tonight…
As a person who wants to see one character on TV remain childfree, I was pleased with the end of tonight’s episode. I would have been really ticked had they suddenly changed her character into a domestic mommy who wanted her baby. So it stayed true to her character and yet dealt with a difficult issue. I was pretty impressed at how it went down.
*POST AUTHOR*
I don’t know, Jennifer, I’d guess that if we ran the numbers, most of the main characters (of child rearing age) in primetime dramas and sitcoms are child free — its the sitcom category that begins to make it close.
And I’m sorry that I can’t get past the “staying true to the character” argument when it comes to this particular scenario. People’s opinions change. We’re not sitting here discussing how “wrong” it is for Barney to consider parenthood even it doesn’t necessarily fit with his character.
The attraction of the Oh Can-adorable cannot be denied :)
The episode blew me away. Too many thoughts for one comment, so I wrote a blog post about it, too.
remember back when HIMYM used to be a comedy?
Barely! It is a mystery to me why I even keep watching; I’ve been pretty unhappy with it for a few years now. But sometimes there’s a Barney gem that I’m glad I was around for. This episode was a whole lot of awful though.
BTw – I thought the whole storyline from setup to resolution was cheap manipulative writing at its worst.
I got kind of mad really… not about the baby having part, but about Barney-Robin romance hopes being crushed for good… but I guess I knew… What I wonder is: Where is Robins’ crush played by Michael Trucco already? They said it was not the end of that story and well I wanna see it! :D