Tonight’s episode “Tick Tick Tick” is a study on the aftermath of cheating, following your heart, and the ultimate heartbreak that can result from all of the above.
For months, if not years now, many fans have wondered if Barney and Robin are meant to be together, and tonight’s episode confirms the answer, even if the final resolution isn’t what everyone expected. To be honest though, I’m not sure anyone could really have expected anything different. HIMYM is not a show where story lines tie up nicely for all involved in simple resolutions to the problem of the week. Rather, the show itself deals with the brutal honesty of the decisions we make in life and reflects upon them as a whole journey in itself including both the good, the bad, and the miserable.
While I have no doubt that the wedding we’ll see at the end of the year is none other than Barney and Robin’s, we still have a most of the season available to determine how it plays out. Both Barney and Robin already know they love each other, a massive revelation for Barney, and it’s hard to see them ending up otherwise.
It’s likely one of the first times we’ve ever seen Barney truly heartbroken in a way we’ve all experienced with heart wrenching disappointment. We’ve all felt that sense where a single second seems to last an eternity while we stand there and try to process the news. The final scene with him cleaning up Robin’s room before she got back is both amazingly touching and sad at the same time. We see Barney, truly feeling defeated yet still working though is pain to protect her.
Episodes like these, that break the common television stereotypes of happy endings are what make this show so great. HIMYM consistently refuses to end on funny notes, sacrificing humor for raw emotion that’s rare in a comedy.
Other Observations
- We see the return of the “eating sandwiches” motif, which is useful for solidifying the “time is variable” theme of the episode.
- The cheating song was a bit cheesy, but funny. It also implies that since both admit to it, that in the end they do get together.
- “I think that bandwidth was laced with other stuff…like hard meats.”
- “Just because something needs to be told, doesn’t mean it needs to be heard.” – Feels like a passive aggressive pre-deinal, as if he knew.
- Ted, while still possibly high, saw Barney. What he thinks of this is still unclear.
- When you meet the right person you know it,
You can’t stop thinking about them.
They’re your best friend.
They’re your soulmate.
You can’t wait to spend the rest of your life with them.
No one and nothing else can compare
Barneyisms
Robin and I were just cheating/chatting about how warm it is.
I am breaking a trust/sweat in here.
And I thought we’d be cuckold.
