I've known for a while that I care about Barney and Robin's relationship on How I Met Your Mother much more than I do about Ted and the mother, but last night's huge episode got me thinking about why that is. And I know this is ridiculous to say in the wake of an episode focusing on an elaborate, impossible scheme, but Barney and Robin just feel more real. I suppose this is yet another way of saying that, after years and years of Ted's interminable mother-meeting story, it just feels like a gimmick, rather than an important thing in the life of a character I care about. On the other hand, even given all the artifice of Barney's scheme and proposal, Barney and Robin have had plenty of character moments that feel completely genuine, up to and including the rooftop scene.
I actually loved the way that played out, because I thought making "The Robin" Barney's last big play was the perfect way to let his character move on to the next stage of his life - because his schtick was getting thin - while remaining true to the character and not changing him too much too quickly. (He had, of course, been changing gradually for years.) And "The Robin" also left room for Barney to use his lying and scheming skills in the future toward ends other than making strangers sleep with him. Ted and Marshall considering un-jinxing him to get him to lie them out of a bad situation was another nice nod to this potential future. Sure, Barney's single antics are over. But I'm looking forward to seeing what antics Barney and Robin can get up to together.
I also, by the way, love this song that played over the end scene.
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