Pajiba

I don't have anything constructive to add to your analysis, I totally agree. I felt right along with Robin last night and am totally digging where this is all headed.

Like 'Hush' or 'Passion' did in Buffy this episode took the premise and established structure of the show and intelligently subverted it to focus our attention on a hugely significant growth point for characters in the episode.
Creative high fives all round.

@Julie
Ditto everything you said.

The biggest question now is, How/When/Why does Robin become a bullfighter?!

Also, spot-on anaylsis, Courtney, except I'm pretty sure Lily is the least-evolved character since the pilot episode. She had a good run of development in season two and then just settled into being Marshall's wacky wife.

HIMYM has been incredibly good this season and last night's episode was my favorite so far.

The number countdown was a gimmick, but I don't really think the same could be said about last night's episode. Did it fuck a bit with the formula? Sure. Did it fuck a bit with our heads? Definitely. But in a good way. I liked not knowing where the episode was going and how things would end up. Even if you don't like the storytelling device they used, there were plenty of great jokes and the emotional core to justify using it.

to have her become a violent sociopath who gets revenge on Marshall's killer by ripping off the poor bastard's skin?

Well, minus the expense of losing Marshall, I can't deny that that would at least be interesting to watch...

bleujayone - I was thinking about this quite a lot last night and came to the conclusion that Robyn probably doesn't want our sympathy anyways. I think it's a part of why she didn't tell anyone. Her friends would likely assume that she was wishy washy about having children when she was coming to terms with the fact that she'd never be able to change her mind, even if changing her mind was incredibly unlikely. I'm not saying she deserves your sympathy in the same vein that someone who wants children and can't have them does - it's just not quite as simple as it being a relief. Processing all of that would be complicated.

The writers made it pretty clear that she doesn't go on to have children. This was an out - a way for them to have a single, child-free character without having to give in to fan pressure for them to marry and have lots and lots of babies. Frankly, if Robyn and Barney got married and decided to have children, it would be completely out of character for both of them. I'm actually still in disbelief that Barney is at the altar. In my mind, Barney and Robyn should be together, without kids or marriage, living in Tokyo or maybe in a couple of cities at once, drinking scotch, and having the occasional threesome. Is that too much to ask?

At the moment of the...gimmick, I shouted out "What!!!???" and felt pissed off for being played like that. Then I guess it made sense...

And THEN! then Ted saved it all. Who knew AC/DC could be so sweet?

Roller coaster? You betcha!

bleujayone, I just wanted to weigh in a little on what you're saying. First, I agree that what Robin went through isn't in any way in the same league as someone who wants kids not being able to have them, and if that's something you have personally gone through, I'm so sorry and you have my sympathy.

But that said, I do think it's fair for Robin to be upset, and for an audience to feel sorry for her. I intend to never have children, and I feel really strongly about it. But that said, I'm not making plans to get my tubes tied any time soon. Part of the choice of not having kids is that it's a choice, and if that was taken away from me - no matter how sure I am about never having kids - I would be really upset. Anyone can change their mind, and in any situation, having your own power of choice taken away really, really sucks.

So again - not in the same league, not by a long shot. But I absolutely felt for Robin in this episode, I understood why she was upset, and I actually thought that far from being a cheap ploy, it was a remarkably realistic look at a complex situation with a complex character, and a huge moment of character development for Robin.

I'm still not sure exactly how I feel about this episode, but I am so happy that in this show the woman who wants to have children is pregnant and the one who doesn't can't.

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Thank you very much.

I also love Robin and Britta for the same reasons. And because of that I'm happy with this episode. It sucks that they made her unable to have a kid. I'd rather her have made that choice on her own. And similarly, I hope she makes the choice to not get married.

I like Barney. And them being individually awesome suggests a relationship would work. But their relationship was bad for both of them. While Ted can be grating, I liked him and Robin much more. And she mainly broke up with him because she didn't want to get married and he did. I'm not sure what is there with Barney that would make her change her mind.

If you still get to where you want to go, does it really matter if you had more than one road to choose from to get there? But wait! We wanted the option to change our minds if we so desire. Fair enough. People like having the chance to alter their course especially if variables change. But...then it would be equally fair to say that you have in fact not made a choice yet only that you were leaning towards one option over the other?

The problem here isn't that her choice was taken away but rather that her option to change her mind at a later date should it ever come up has now been lost. It's not quite the same. She doesn't want kids and made it quite clear it isn't ever going to happen. Now that she knows she can't anyway, again as I already said it's still sad, but the end result of her previous stated choice is still the same. It's like being told you're now deathly allergic to fish and can never eat it now after already stating you hate the taste of fish and refuse to eat it. What's really been lost? Only that you've lost the ability to change this position someday, for whatever reason. But if you never did, this is where you'd be anyway.

Perhaps had Robin not been already been depicted making her choice before ever knowing other circumstances, it might seem like her choice was taken away. But she made her choice and was satisfied with both her argument and the results. So no, her choice was not taken. She made it just as confidently when she thought she was fertile. She only found out about the circumstances after the fact. Had she never been told of her infertility her choice would have never been shaken. Had we never heard her say she didn't want children only after her infertility was discovered, we'd never know for certain if she meant it or if it were only sour grapes.

I've met people who sounded downright fanatical against having kids, even going so far as to belittle others who did, only to end up having kids later for whatever reason. I've also known people who had having as high on their priority only to have them later regret doing so...or in one case relieved the opportunity never came up. That's life. People do change their minds sometimes, and not having the ability can be very hard. But again, since we're talking someone who's current status is exactly what she wanted in the first place. Getting what you want just not in the manner you'd like isn't the same as just simply not getting what you want in the first place.

The last three eps. totally broke me. Sitcoms should not make a viewer cry like a baby.

I hold out hope that Barney & Robin end up together (no matter how unrealistic it is). I think it's feasible because I see Barney as having an idealistic view of having kids, not a realistic one. I can see him changing his mind after he sees Marshall & Lily in thick of it once they have their baby.