It’s no secret that How I Met Your Mother has gone downhill in recent seasons, but there are still gems that stand up to some of the earlier episodes that were pretty legendary. This week’s episode was not one of them. In fact, like many episodes as of late, there isn’t much to talk about except for the last scene. Usually, those episodes include some wacky plot that was at least fun to watch until something with some gravitas came along (like the recent “45 Days” monologue).
This week’s plots were most certainly subpar, so I’ll just wrap them up in as few words as possible. First: Marshall and Lily are packing for Italy (ugh) and Ted comes to help. Ted forces them to keep things that will remind them of him but realizes, rather poignantly, that you just have to look forward (“You can’t hold onto the past because once you start reaching for it, it’s already gone”).
Second, Barney plays laser tag with Robin’s dad. They have some moments, but then fight, but then make up. Seriously, that was a plot.
It all is bookended by Robin digging in Central Park for her “Something Old.” She calls her fiancé for help, but he’s obviously busy playing laser tag. She calls Ted, but he’s busy with Marshall and Lily, plus he has a job interview for a new building that afternoon.
From the moment she calls Ted, however, it becomes obvious that he is going to blow off his interview to help Robin—you know, because he’s totally not in love with her anymore. They share a sweet, friendly moment and dig for her locket she buried back in the day. Then things take a turn for the worse. She finds the case that the locket was in, but the locket is gone. Robin believes that it is a sign from the universe that she and Barney aren’t meant to be married. The episode ends with Ted and Robin holding hands as she cries in the sudden rainfall a la season one when Ted did a rain dance for her. Cut to black.
What does this all mean? Well, we already know Robin calls Ted into her room the day of her wedding because she’s having second thoughts. But does that mean she’s having second thoughts because she loves him? I certainly hope not. Because if the two are in love with each other just before the wedding, but Ted still convinces her to marry Barney, what does that say mere hours later when he finally meets the wife (which we know happens on the train ride back from the wedding thanks to this season’s premiere episode)?
Needless to say, if they are in fact falling for each other, then HIMYM has finally lost me. I’ve stuck up for this show countless times, mostly because I’m a sucker from rom-coms, but I’m sick and tired of the show revisiting Ted and Robin. There is a part of me that really does think the writers are just throwing viewers off our game with that last romantic shot, but then again the show has lost some of its creative genius as the years have worn on.
Next week’s finale better step up its game because now that we know next season will absolutely be the last, this finale sure does have to set up an awful lot. But here’s hoping for a great finale and a beautiful wedding.