HIMYM: And As the Years Go By…

Here we are, folks. It’s the finale. Time for our last go around with the gang we’ve come to know and love. So, let’s start where it all began…MacLaren’s, 2005.

Barney is aghast that Ted used another wingman in his absence. That wingman—Robin. She apologizes that she wasn’t able to get him a date, but Ted says it’s alright. Robin offers to buy a round and gets up. Lily turns to Barney and Ted, threatening them. She says Robin could finally be the girlfriend she’s been waiting for. And she’s not going to let either of them ruin it for her. If they want to sleep with Robin, they have to marry her. Meanwhile, Robin orders scotch and cheers on sports—everything Lily didn’t think she wanted in a girlfriend—and has no clue what ride she’s just gotten on. It’s going to be a ride, Robin Scherblasky. 

Enjoy it.


At Robin and Barney’s reception, Lily is glad they kept their word. But she’s also sad that Ted’s leaving for Chicago soon. In fact, Ted’s getting ready to catch the train back to New York. And we don’t get to see or hear his Best Man’s speech? After all the build up? And the fact he has a fan club? Boo. Barney runs over, insisting they play one last round of “Haaaaaaaaaave you met Ted?” with the bassist. Ted turns it down and says he has to go. So everyone goes outside for the goodbyes. While Lily breaks down crying, it is Barney who has the most trouble letting Ted go. As much as he was Ted’s wingman, Ted was his. He doesn’t know what he’ll do without him. So they two have one last high five—an infinity five. It is epic…

…And painful. We see Ted and Barney sitting at a table, their hands wrapped up. But they agree it was worth it. And with that, Ted excuses himself to catch the train.

We jump ahead to 24 hours later as Lily and Marshall walk into MacLaren’s, bemoaning the loss of Ted. Ted, who is sitting in their usual booth. WTF, Ted? He says he decided not to go to Chicago because he met someone—the bassist at the wedding. In fact, he was going to call her. Marshall is against it, citing the 3 day rule. Lily calls the rule ridiculous but then also upholds it. Ted ignores them and the rule, calling the Mother. Marshall is worried that Ted will screw another relationship up but Lily doesn’t think so. She thinks this one is different. And as we saw a few episodes ago, the Mother was glad Ted didn’t follow the three day rule.

The night before, Ted waits on the train station. There he meets an older woman who he pours his heart out to. She in turn points out that the Mother is standing a few feet away, under her yellow umbrella. Ted is like “No, way.” The old lady tries to get him to say hi but he’s like “Be cool.” The old lady thinks that girl could be Ted’s soul mate.

We know she is.

We flash forward to the future, where Ted is planning his wedding to the Mother. And it’s going to be in some fancy castle and Ted’s going all out. Robin and Barney aren’t feeling it. But there seems to be some stress in their marriage, though Barney denies it. The Mother comes in and tells Ted she didn’t put the down payment on the castle. They can’t get married in September. Ted asks why and the Mother says she wants to fit into her wedding dress. It takes a few seconds but Ted realizes what she’s saying—she’s pregnant with Penny! They hug as Robin comes back from getting a drink at the bar. She asks Barney what’s going on. “She’s getting a boob job,” Barney says.

Oh, Barney.

Now the show flashes to after Penny is born and the Eriksons have returned from Italy. Lily says that Penny is beautiful and she’s impressed the Mother let Ted hang his swords over their bed. The Mother hesitates as she says that they are Ted’s. Yep, they are hers. Just another way she is Ted’s soul mate. Ted asks how Marshall’s new job is—he’s back working in corporate law. Marshall is surviving by focusing on the positives—which really means just spinning the negatives in a different way. Poor Marshall.

Anyway, they ask Barney and Robin how they are doing. The two insist they are fine. The others aren’t so sure. So Robin and Barney admit that things didn’t go so well when they were Argentina. Remember when we saw them with the baby? They were drunk because they were ignoring a fight they got into. Barney was not pleased with the hotel accommodations Robin’s job gave them. It has no Wifi so he can’t update his blog, his new job. Robin doesn’t consider it much of a job. They argue and Robin asks if this isn’t working out. Barney, recalling his vows, says he agrees.

“We got a divorce,” Robin announces. Everyone gasps. Including the audience.

Let’s hit the pause button here. This is one of the things a lot of fans have complained about and I don’t blame them. After all, we spent the entire past season building up to their wedding and it’s been undone before we hit the half hour mark of this finale. It makes the entire season seem pointless now. But all the anvils now make so much more sense.

Lily doesn’t take the news well. She’s worried this means Robin will pull away from the group and they’ll have to take sides and everyone will side with Robin and it’ll be awkward…She pauses to breathe as Barney reacts to the whole “side with Robin” bit before announcing that Lily’s pregnant. Lily’s surprised he figured it out but Barney is nothing but in tune with women’s bodies. The Mother and Ted are ecstatic and everyone celebrates the good news. Lily pauses to say that this could change now that the Stinsons’ marriage is kaput. She makes everyone promise to be there for the big things.

It doesn’t go as planned though. We see that Lily and Marshall realize they have to sell the apartment to get a bigger place for their growing family. So they have one last Halloween blowout on the roof to say goodbye to the apartment. Robin shows up and it seems this is the first time they’ve seen her in awhile. Marshall is Captain Ahab because Lily’s there as the White Whale. She said it was the perfect costume as a pregnant woman. And then she excuses herself to go to the bathroom. Robin spies Ted, still using the hanging chad costume. But The Mother has dressed up as a Florida voter and it’s cute. And Barney is a…stripper? Metal rocker? I don’t know. He’s back to banging anything young and female, though he tries to pretend he isn’t around Robin. She excuses herself.

But she runs into Lily downstairs. She asks Robin where she’s going and Robin says she doesn’t belong there anymore. Lily and Marshall are about to be parents for a third time. Barney’s back to being a manwhore while Ted’s up there with his beautiful fiancée. And he’s probably the man Robin should’ve married so it kills her. She needs to leave. Lily begs her to stay in touch, to remember about the big things, but Robin can’t guarantee everything.

She leaves Lily standing in the empty apartment set and I teared up.

Let’s pause here. I’ve already addressed the break up of the Stinson marriage. Now let’s discuss Barney, shall we? Reverting back to his playboy ways worked…the last time. Barney went straight from manwhore to committed relationship. He wasn’t ready for such a commitment or lifestyle change. (And I still blame Lily for forcing Barney and Robin to put a label on their relationship). So it made sense then for Barney to revert back to his old ways. But after that, we watched Barney evolve into a man who was ready for a committed relationship—Nora, Quinn and then proposing to Robin. It makes no sense to devolve him so far back. Sorry, show.

But the moment of a forlorn Lily standing in the empty apartment will be one that stays with me when I think of the finale.