Following How I Met Your Mother‘s winter finale “The Final Page,” the showrunners have done a number of interviews explaining the developments.
EW, Vulture and Zap2It have spoken to Carter Bays and Craig Thomas about How I Met Your Mother‘s mid-season finale, which saw Barney and Robin get engaged after a series of misunderstandings and diversions.
Robin and Barney
Bays explains why they decided to trick the other characters (and the audience, if you bought it) into thinking that Barney was gonna propose to Patrice, saying, “We felt like Barney winning Robin had to be wrapped in something big and surprising.” They were also drawn by the idea of a long con, influenced by the fourth season of Breaking Bad.
It wasn’t too long ago that Barney proposed to Quinn, and Thomas says that through that story, “we’ve been tell the story of how Barney is imagining this future and imagining being able to do this. It just wasn’t the right girl. Robin was the right girl for him, and we needed to connect the dots.”
If Barney being manipulative didn’t sit quite right with you, don’t worry – “we’re not blind to the possible ickiness of how Barney went about getting Robin to say yes,” Bays says, previewing that, “the next chapter in this story is about Robin deciding if that’s really what she wants in a husband, and Barney deciding if he’s about more than just magic tricks.”
Of course we know that Barney and Robin eventually make it to Farhampton, but we also know that both will be trying to escape through a window! Will the wedding actually happen? Thomas previews the big day, saying it “will have its own twists and surprises when we get there.”
Ted’s love life
Ted, of course, had to let go of Robin in this episode. “Ted wants Robin, but he also wants Robin to be happy,” Bays explains. So now that he’s finally lost her for good, what’s next? Well, “a terrible relationship that’s absolutely wrong for you,” which will probably be in the form of either Abby Elliott or Ashley Benson, both of whom are guest starring as love interests for Ted in upcoming episodes.
Elliott will have “a very fun arc that we’re working on for her,” while Benson “is wrong for him in a very funny way.” Thomas adds that, “it’s a little bit of a twist” with her character – presumably to do with Barney, whom her character has a connection to. Could she be his half sister Carly?
Thomas also shares some behind-the-scenes information about the heartbreaking cab ride in which Ted says goodbye to a potential future with Robin. “It really hit [the actors],” he recalls, “they both started to cry. We weren’t pushing them to cry. It wasn’t written, ‘Now they cry!’ It just really hit them.”
Robin Sparkles
Robin Sparkles will return, fans should be happy to hear! Bays confirms that the February 4 episode will feature the Canadian teen pop sensation, “and by the way, that episode will be a big huge giant monster, for a bunch of reasons,” with an “astonishing” line-up of guest stars.
Thomas adds that this will (sadly) be, “the final installment of Robin Sparkles.” This one will see us “witnessing a chapter in the Robin Sparkles saga that we’ve never seen. It’s sort of the ending chapter in what was the Robin Sparkles career.”
The future of the show
Finally, Bays confirms that we’ll have an announcement about whether there’ll be a ninth season in January, so stay tuned! “We’re carrying on like this is the last season,” he says, “and until we hear otherwise that’s the plan.”
How I Met Your Mother returns January 14 at 8/7c on CBS!
What did you think about “The Final Page”? Did the twist catch you by surprise?
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