By Alana Deluty
I cannot imagine a more perfect couple than Barney and Robin. Over the seven seasons of “How I Met Your Mother,” these two seem to have grown into each other. Personally, I believe the reason the show has been so successful is the fact that its characters exhibit extraordinary personal growth and maturation. A lot of other sitcoms have died out as their characters became stagnant and predictable. Robin and Barney have matured with the show, and their characters are becoming “fitted” to each other. It is revealed that Barney marries, and in the episode entitled “Hopeless,” when Barney’s father says “A magician never reveals his greatest trick, but I’ll give you a hint. You gotta meet the right girl,” he replies, “Maybe I’ve met her already.”
Future Ted constantly states that for a relationship to work, you need two things — timing and chemistry. Barney and Robin have chemistry, but their timing never seems to work out. This does not mean they can’t love each other. In “Robin 101,” Ted says of Barney, “I’ve seen him work hard to get women. I’ve seen him work hard to get rid of women. I’ve never seen him work this hard to keep one around.” Barney wanted Robin, but he had no clue how to be a boyfriend. Their relationship failed in season four because neither one of them knew how to deal with a relationship at the time. By season seven, both have matured significantly. Robin, despite her attraction to Ted, repeatedly rejected his advances in season one because she was afraid of commitment. In season one, Barney was an arrogant, insensitive, promiscuous, self-interested chauvinist who spent his time pursuing large-chested dolts. By season seven, he is a mature, caring, and well-rounded individual who is capable of handling the pressures of relationships. When Robin asks Barney, “I’m such a mess. Why do you even like me?” Barney retorts, “Because you’re almost as messed up as I am.” This sounds insensitive, but it is the truth. Robin and Barney both compensated for their daddy issues with emotional shields and casual sex.
The logistical points of the show also seem to imply the likelihood of Barney and Robin getting married. When Barney and Robin cheat on their respective partners with each other, it is a secret they hide from the group. However, since the show is being narrated by Ted, this means he eventually finds out. It is unlikely that Robin and Barney would tell Ted this story unless it portrayed them in a positive light, and Ted wouldn’t tell his kids unless the affair was the beginning of a bigger story.
Additionally, in season seven, both have revelations regarding their desires for children. Though this does not necessarily imply that Barney and Robin will have kids, it does serve to show that both characters’ views on family and marriage have done a complete 180. Barney who always proclaimed, “Don’t even think about kids until you’re at least 45”, desperately ‘adopts’ a baby with Ted; Robin is disappointed to find out she is infertile, even though she never wanted children. She uses this excuse with Kevin to subtly get him to rescind his proposal. Viewers know this is a facade; Robin is not meant to marry Kevin, and she knows it.
For fans of the show, all signs seem to point to the eventual matrimony of Barney and Robin. Logistically, it makes sense. Their names sound great together; they suffer from similar issues and mature together as adults. I don’t know about you, but I’m rooting for Barnstormer and Ro-Ro.