Fan rant - why I think HIMYM has irretrievably departed into the Land of Lame
I have three words to describe 7x24: cheap, contrived, lazy. Just like entire HIMYM has been throughout this lame-ass season. Quoting spikesaa from barneyrobin community: "You tried so hard to be unpredictable, that you were totally predictable in the worst way." Amen. I have predicted such finale months ago as the worst case scenario.
HIMYM has officially become a classic soap opera, where characterization depends on events, not the other (right) way round and the characters are written OOC for the sake of plot twists. Robin used to be an embodiment of an attractive, strong-willed woman with a hidden sensitive side and now she's an insecure frump trapped in a circle of poor decisions. The writers also decided to have Ted regress by having him pathetically wallow in self-pity over a dead romance just to carelessly drop it in the finale. Why waste so much time on this vapidity instead of presenting real character development like a work of fiction should?
I have been continually lowering my standards, justifying the banal and arid writing in hope that we would see some sort of point to this season's mess, at least in the final episode. I got nothing. Zero. Zilch. If the bride reveal was supposed to be that point-driving bookend, then I'm sorry, why serve it in such a tacky way, minutes after Barney gets engaged to another woman in the present timeline? As a pathetically devoted fan, I am disgusted with what has become of HIMYM's storytelling. This show used to be a clever narrative about the benefit of hindsight - 1x18 "Nothing Good Happens after 2 A.M." as an excellent example of a consistent story rounded off with a clear moral. Now we're left with cheap back-and-forth flashes whose only purpose is to shock the audience.
Instead of making a real effort and allowing Barney and Robin to slowly work their way to the final destination (Craig Thomas: "We always knew it was gonna be Barney and Robin."), TPTB have written in a tedious parade of underdeveloped love interests whose only purpose was (and sadly, is going to be) to misdirect the viewers and set up a shocking cliffhanger for the finale. How much did Nora, Kevin or Quinn push Barney or Robin forward as characters given the amount of screen time they had?
Nora made Barney realize he was in love with Robin. She was therefore, nothing but a distraction, and a sloppily written distraction at that. At first, Nora seemed like the opposite of naive - she quickly called Barney on his BS (6x16 Desperation Day: "There is one difference between you and me: I'm not saying any of this to get in your pants") but in 7x02 despite being lied to again decided that if a guy appears to be "funny, handsome and really quite clever" it's enough to trust him. Why did our blond cad get a second chance? Answer: because it was the time Robin was pining over him and if they were both single at the time, TPTB wouldn't have been able to drag their story out. Nora's existence in HIMYM-verse had no other function than to build the bride mystery from 6x24 on.
Kevin made Robin realize she's ready for marriage. Sure. Btw, he also repeatedly encouraged her to stay in denial about her obvious shortcomings because apparently a regarded therapist's life wisdom is not to confront your problems. The sole fact that he dated his patient made R/K an abusive, doomed relationship from the very start. Don't even get me started on how he was transformed from doctor into boyfriend material - by tapping into Robin's abandonment issues. "I'm moving to Alaska." Remember the glorious beginnings of what Carter Bays had advertised as "forbidden romance"? You were right pal, it felt totally wrong!
Quinn. "Barney's perfect match", according to CBS's press release for 7x16 "The Drunk Train", an episode in which Becki Newton made her first appearance. I have a few complaints. First, she is just too much like her current fiancé, too artificial in her perfection. Quinn's persona was crafted specifically to mirror Barney's and unfortunately, it sticks out like hell. "No one sprained any muscles there" (4x21), to quote your own words, writers. Moving on, what is up with that whimsical, Nora-like characterization? First, Quinn rejected Barney, pigeonholing him as a typical Lusty Leopard's client with cheesy high-fives and stupid catchphrases. She outright claimed to hate these things. Then, in 7x19 we see B/Q exchanging cheesy high-fives and stupid catchphrases. Furthermore, Quinn said she "doesn't want to be caged" and decisively asserted her independence by not letting Barney interfere with her career choice. What kind of a self-reliant woman would sell all her stuff just because her new boyfriend "likes his apartment the way it is"? I don't buy it. I don't buy her character at all. She feels like bad filler introduced just to keep the bride mystery alive and now, post-7x24 stall progress in the real story, the story of a confirmed endgame couple.
The finale. I can't wrap my mind around how a quality-seeking viewer can be happy with what they saw. I am seeing deliriously happy posts on tumblr, each blaring with the words: Robin is Barney's bride. So what? This is fodder that TPTB are throwing at fans to keep them glued to screen, eagerly awaiting the grand reunion of their beloved ship. It might sound weird, but the writing has declined too much for me to care about the completion of my OTP. The Journey should be the best part. Unfortunately HIMYM has taken a bland, unimaginative route which effectively cheapens whatever awe-inspiring closure the show might have. Might, not will. As huge a fan of Barney/Robin as I am, endgame has become a null concept to me because I don't trust the writers to pull it off in a tasteful manner any more.
This was CB/CT and me throughout the season:
And now...
Peace.
HIMYM has officially become a classic soap opera, where characterization depends on events, not the other (right) way round and the characters are written OOC for the sake of plot twists. Robin used to be an embodiment of an attractive, strong-willed woman with a hidden sensitive side and now she's an insecure frump trapped in a circle of poor decisions. The writers also decided to have Ted regress by having him pathetically wallow in self-pity over a dead romance just to carelessly drop it in the finale. Why waste so much time on this vapidity instead of presenting real character development like a work of fiction should?
I have been continually lowering my standards, justifying the banal and arid writing in hope that we would see some sort of point to this season's mess, at least in the final episode. I got nothing. Zero. Zilch. If the bride reveal was supposed to be that point-driving bookend, then I'm sorry, why serve it in such a tacky way, minutes after Barney gets engaged to another woman in the present timeline? As a pathetically devoted fan, I am disgusted with what has become of HIMYM's storytelling. This show used to be a clever narrative about the benefit of hindsight - 1x18 "Nothing Good Happens after 2 A.M." as an excellent example of a consistent story rounded off with a clear moral. Now we're left with cheap back-and-forth flashes whose only purpose is to shock the audience.
Instead of making a real effort and allowing Barney and Robin to slowly work their way to the final destination (Craig Thomas: "We always knew it was gonna be Barney and Robin."), TPTB have written in a tedious parade of underdeveloped love interests whose only purpose was (and sadly, is going to be) to misdirect the viewers and set up a shocking cliffhanger for the finale. How much did Nora, Kevin or Quinn push Barney or Robin forward as characters given the amount of screen time they had?
Nora made Barney realize he was in love with Robin. She was therefore, nothing but a distraction, and a sloppily written distraction at that. At first, Nora seemed like the opposite of naive - she quickly called Barney on his BS (6x16 Desperation Day: "There is one difference between you and me: I'm not saying any of this to get in your pants") but in 7x02 despite being lied to again decided that if a guy appears to be "funny, handsome and really quite clever" it's enough to trust him. Why did our blond cad get a second chance? Answer: because it was the time Robin was pining over him and if they were both single at the time, TPTB wouldn't have been able to drag their story out. Nora's existence in HIMYM-verse had no other function than to build the bride mystery from 6x24 on.
Kevin made Robin realize she's ready for marriage. Sure. Btw, he also repeatedly encouraged her to stay in denial about her obvious shortcomings because apparently a regarded therapist's life wisdom is not to confront your problems. The sole fact that he dated his patient made R/K an abusive, doomed relationship from the very start. Don't even get me started on how he was transformed from doctor into boyfriend material - by tapping into Robin's abandonment issues. "I'm moving to Alaska." Remember the glorious beginnings of what Carter Bays had advertised as "forbidden romance"? You were right pal, it felt totally wrong!
Quinn. "Barney's perfect match", according to CBS's press release for 7x16 "The Drunk Train", an episode in which Becki Newton made her first appearance. I have a few complaints. First, she is just too much like her current fiancé, too artificial in her perfection. Quinn's persona was crafted specifically to mirror Barney's and unfortunately, it sticks out like hell. "No one sprained any muscles there" (4x21), to quote your own words, writers. Moving on, what is up with that whimsical, Nora-like characterization? First, Quinn rejected Barney, pigeonholing him as a typical Lusty Leopard's client with cheesy high-fives and stupid catchphrases. She outright claimed to hate these things. Then, in 7x19 we see B/Q exchanging cheesy high-fives and stupid catchphrases. Furthermore, Quinn said she "doesn't want to be caged" and decisively asserted her independence by not letting Barney interfere with her career choice. What kind of a self-reliant woman would sell all her stuff just because her new boyfriend "likes his apartment the way it is"? I don't buy it. I don't buy her character at all. She feels like bad filler introduced just to keep the bride mystery alive and now, post-7x24 stall progress in the real story, the story of a confirmed endgame couple.
The finale. I can't wrap my mind around how a quality-seeking viewer can be happy with what they saw. I am seeing deliriously happy posts on tumblr, each blaring with the words: Robin is Barney's bride. So what? This is fodder that TPTB are throwing at fans to keep them glued to screen, eagerly awaiting the grand reunion of their beloved ship. It might sound weird, but the writing has declined too much for me to care about the completion of my OTP. The Journey should be the best part. Unfortunately HIMYM has taken a bland, unimaginative route which effectively cheapens whatever awe-inspiring closure the show might have. Might, not will. As huge a fan of Barney/Robin as I am, endgame has become a null concept to me because I don't trust the writers to pull it off in a tasteful manner any more.
This was CB/CT and me throughout the season:
And now...
Peace.