How I Met Your Mother: Barney and... (Spoilers ahead...)

[shivkala]

the Metlife Survey of the American Teacher shows that an increasing number of us are dissatisfied with the profession.

As for Lily, I kept wondering how she could continue to be successful as a kindergarten teacher when she was spending late nights in a bar. Just one of those sitcom contrivances though, I guess.

 

[Pavonis]

HIMYM can get away with those "sitcom contrivances" better than most because the whole thing is a story told in flashback by an unreliable narrator. I'm inclined to think that Future Ted isn't remembering most of the events correctly, nor is he accurately describing the amount of time they spent at MacLarens. When it comes down to it, I doubt his tale of Barney's sexual history, for one thing, or general awesomeness is anywhere near accurate. The reality of HIMYM is probably far different than what we, the audience, sees through Future Ted's tales.

And is this whole story of how he met their mother being told in one sitting?

 

[shivkala]

That's why I said earlier I'd love for the series finale to be from the mother's perspective and be told all in one episode (even if it's an hour long episode). It would be interesting to see her take on Barney, Robin, Marshall, Lily, and especially Ted.

 

[marksound]

HIMYM can get away with those "sitcom contrivances" better than most because the whole thing is a story told in flashback by an unreliable narrator. I'm inclined to think that Future Ted isn't remembering most of the events correctly, nor is he accurately describing the amount of time they spent at MacLarens. When it comes down to it, I doubt his tale of Barney's sexual history, for one thing, or general awesomeness is anywhere near accurate. The reality of HIMYM is probably far different than what we, the audience, sees through Future Ted's tales.

And is this whole story of how he met their mother being told in one sitting?

This.

 

[tighr]

I'm inclined to think that Future Ted isn't remembering most of the events correctly, nor is he accurately describing the amount of time they spent at MacLarens. When it comes down to it, I doubt his tale of Barney's sexual history, for one thing, or general awesomeness is anywhere near accurate.

This week's episode is a perfect example, as we see the exact same event (even with the exact same dialogue) play out in three different ways from three different points of view.

On top of that, we see Barney attempt to insert himself into the story, when he wasn't even there. Chances are that has happened more than once in the past, and Barney's history is being exaggerated. We already know that Barney takes credit for things that don't exactly happen the way they appear.

 

[Mr Light]

The series finale will reveal...

that Barney doesn't exist. Ted made him up to make the story more interesting.

*mind fuck*

 

[JarodRussell]

The series finale will reveal...

that Barney doesn't exist. Ted made him up to make the story more interesting.

*mind fuck*

Ted is Barney. It's just that he made up Barney because his kids shouldn't think of him as a male whore.

 

[marksound]

Does Robin have a sister?

Just wondering ...

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

The series finale will reveal...

that Barney doesn't exist. Ted made him up to make the story more interesting.

*mind fuck*

Then who's wedding did he meet the mother on?
And why didn't the kids go "Uncle Who?" the first time Ted mentions Uncle Ted?

 

[Pavonis]

All the characters exist, but not necessarily with the personalities they're depicted with; it's all biased by Ted's recollection, and the producers have demonstrated that the events we "see" aren't always the events that happened.

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

All the characters exist, but not necessarily with the personalities they're depicted with; it's all biased by Ted's recollection, and the producers have demonstrated that the events we "see" aren't always the events that happened.

So you are saying, Barney is really Marshall and Marshal is Barney and the mother is dead? You think they do the Roseanne ending?

 

[Pavonis]

No. I think that Barney exists, but may not be the legendary skirt-chaser Future Ted recollects him to be. Probably the rest are spot on, but Barney seems to be more of an exaggeration than the other characters.

 

[Agent Richard07]

And he probably doesn't wear a suit all the time.

 

[Scout101]

Little dark to end the series by showing that Ted's telling the kids the story because they just came back from the funeral. Roseanne ending is probably out...

But yeah, think back to any 'epic' story you could tell from your youth. If you sat down and told it to me, you'd probably tell a slightly more exciting version that I'd have seen if I was standing there when it happened. Human nature.

And Ted's definitely editing the story a bit. They've said and shown it a million times. One of my favorite recurring ones was brought up again last week, though. Ted was all messed up at the art gallery because he was at home "eating a sandwich" with that "boats, boats, boats" girl. He hasn't told the KIDS that connection, but they've told the audience that whenever he mentions sandwiches, he means pot. this week's was obvious, but when it's more subtle (like when Marshall got locked out of his house by the neighborhood kid, and he looks in to see him eating Marshall's sandwich), it's entertaining.

 

[tighr]

Speaking of "Boats Boats Boats!" girl (Laura Bell Bundy), she's definitely a cutie:

Surprised we haven't seen her in a while. It's been about 3 years since she was Robin's co-host on that early morning show.

 

[JarodRussell]

The characters on the show could very well be manifestations of Ted's personality or wishes. Robin is his idealized love interest, Barney is the ideal womanizer single Ted wished to be, and Lily and Marshall are the ideal couple Ted wishes to be part of some day.

 

[ryan123450]

While all this psychoanalyzing off Ted's story and claiming that huge parts of it are basically false is interesting theorizing, I'm pretty sure nothing so off the wall will end up happening. It's a pretty straightforward show.

 

[Kirby]

I'm hoping that we just don't have an ending where Ted walks up to girl in the band, says hello, and we get a 1 second shot of the her saying hello back and then it kicks back to his kids with: "And that kids, is the story of how I met your mother." Roll credits.

 

[Mr Light]

^
I think that's the end of THIS season. But we have a whole 'nuther season to get to know her, thank gawd.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

The characters on the show could very well be manifestations of Ted's personality or wishes. Robin is his idealized love interest, Barney is the ideal womanizer single Ted wished to be, and Lily and Marshall are the ideal couple Ted wishes to be part of some day.

So what are you saying, it's like A Beautiful Mind writ large? What a kick in the teeth that would be.