HIMYM: Robin & Barney Back Together?

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

I'll start off by telling you that I cried at the end of this episode. I could easily have wept, but I refrained, mostly because I realized I felt bad for Neil Patrick Harris and not Barney Stinson, LoL. The entire Barney-Robin storyline had me near the edge of my seat, really. The problem with this episode was that it kept getting interrupted by a preposterous Marshall-Ted issue that was going on at the same time. Basically, they went to a concert with Lily and got stoned while she was elsewhere. Then, they got lost repeatedly while trying to find a nacho stand and thought that they wasted four hours when only a few minutes had gone by. Maybe you had to be into drugs to appreciate the whole thing, but I'd be satisfied if someone spliced together the other storyline on youtube and that's what I'd watch in the future if I was going to view it again.

How I Met Your Mother "Tick Tick Tick" (S07E10): [After my intro, don't act surprised that I'm jumping right into the "good" plotline and leaving the other one to fester...] It's the day after last week's episode. Barney and Robin slept together after that kiss in the cab ride. [dang it! I naively didn't see this coming!] Neither of them know what to do next, as they didn't mean to cheat on their respective significant others. [Robin looks terrible with bare shoulders. haha on the Gilligan thing.] Robin is nervous about something going wrong, as she, Barney, Kevin, and Nora are going to be on a boat together for a mixer that evening, courtesy of Robin & Nora's work. [of course. seems a bit forced, but whatever.]

Photo: Eric McCandless/Fox
©2011 Fox Television

Barney starts to mention that he wants to settle down with Robin, but they're interrupted when their dates arrive. Kevin hits his head and might have a concussion, so Robin doesn't tell break up with him on the boat. Then, Barney tells Robin that destiny exists and that they're meant to be together. He wants to be with her because "you're almost as messed up as I am." [::shrugs:: I just love it. that is all.] The plan is to break up with their respective parties however possible, then meet at MacLaren's at midnight to talk about their future. [omg. Barney talking about his future with a woman? The gang's growing up, guys!] At the hospital (you know, for the concussion...), Kevin says "I love you" to Robin, so she can't break up with him. Kevin tells Robin that he loves her again, and the look on her face is priceless. Meanwhile, when Barney and Nora arrive at her apartment, her parents are there a day early, so he can't dump her. [...how did they get in? You know you don't give a key to your out-of-town folks, right??] But while talking with them, he just realizes that he was meant to be with Robin. [that moment is great in every sense of the word, folks. If you haven't felt it, look forward to it. If you have, you know exactly what I mean.] So, Barney tells Nora that he cheated on her. [I honestly wasn't sure he was going to go the honest route!] He can't say that "it didn't mean anything," and that's it. At a few minutes to midnight, Barney's at the bar when the trio shows up... he tells them that he and Nora broke up. Then Robin walks in... with Kevin. "Just because something needs to be told doesn't mean it needs to be heard" is Kevin's motto (comes from being a therapist), and he tells Robin that he cares about her, and hopes that they're into the relationship equally. [ouch! how long is Robin going to put up with this shenanigan?] Barney says that he had a rough night and heads out. Ted soon follows... and sees Barney blowing out candles and clearing off rose petals from Robin's bed. [and.... cue crying. Poor NPH Barney having his heart broken when he finally went out on a limb and did a truly romantic gesture for a reason other than to get laid.]

[And here's the marijuana story, should you want to bother:] Ted, Marshall, and Lily are planning on going to a concert. Ted gets some marijuana, and he and Marshall have some, though Lily had taken a stance against it since she and Marshall are almost parents. [guys. you're not stupid kids anymore. Can't you be responsible adults?] Marshall is paranoid that Lily will find out, though he quickly lets it slide to her that he's high. Lily wants nachos and Marshall brings Ted with him to find some. They accidentally get into the line for the ladies' room. Somehow they exit the line and feel like they've circled the arena for an hour, though it has been a mere few seconds. Marshall envisions Lily making out with a guy in their row, and Ted gets them back into the line for the ladies' room. They circle again, back in the same line, again. Repeat. Ted goes to re-enter the seating area and Marshall gets back in line for the Ladies' Room. Just before going into the arena, Ted envisions a life-size cut-out next to a trash can as a guy giving him nachos, though he's really pulling them from the trash. [I wouldn't even want to make this up!] With that, Ted heads off to find Marshall, but they think they missed the entire concert. But Lily comes out and lets them know that it has only been a couple of minutes, and we get a security-cam view of their antics. [okay, I wrote about it. let's now forget it ever happened. what are the chances of that, LoL?]