Image Credit: Cliff Lipson/CBS*Raises hand reluctantly*
Maybe it was the way Nora had nursed Barney back to health (complete with a violin lullaby!). Maybe it was the earnest and tender way Barney said “Thanks” to Nora at the restaurant after she gave her condolences for Marshall’s loss. Or maybe it was music playing in the background of what I will always refer to as “the scene.” But I thought it was real. I thought that after many seasons of waiting for Barney to get to the right place mentally, he was ready to grow up, ready to get out of the playboy game, fall into adulthood – fall in love. But no.
Last night was weird in that way, though. Most of the characters found themselves unprepared for certain things. Marshall still wasn’t ready to let himself rest easy after his father’s sudden death. (He made everyone get their hearts checked.) Robin wasn’t ready for the responsibility associated with owning a pet — or man-pet, for that matter — again. And Lily wasn’t ready to give up on Barney yet — she insisted that he had lied to Nora when he said he didn’t want marriage and kids, even though Barney claimed the lie occurred when he initially expressed interest at the restaurant. (Ted was just sort of there, playing with Scooby, Robin’s Mog — man + dog.) And I wasn’t prepared for how upset I’d be that Barney didn’t, as the episode titled suggested, experience “A Change of Heart.”
Well, I suppose he did, but I’d anticipated it being a positive. Then, the cardiologist told (a post-double-slap!) Barney, who had worn a heart monitor for 24-hours, that his heart skipped a beat the moment he saw Nora in the restaurant. (The hopeless romantic in me pooed twice and died, which ironically is not a romantic thing at all.)
“Your heart’s talking to you Barney. Do you have the guts to listen to it?” Lily asked.
I believed he did. When I saw the taxi roll up to the brunch place, and Barney march in and said “I want to be confused … with you,” I was done. I was a puddle of molten goo that bubbled with the love of Barney Stinson.
Then we panned to the door, where Barney was still standing frozen. And where he stood just long enough to miss getting spotted by Nora as she glanced to the door. Devastation.
This season has been all about the fake-out, and whether you love them or hate them, you can’t deny they make for fantastic TV. Sure, you run the risk of overusing the trick, but HIMYM hasn’t gotten there yet. I was genuinely heartbroken, but after a half hour of pretty good laughter, there was a good balance. I only have one rule when it comes to Mother: Make me laugh — unless it’s worth it not to.
Was it, PopWatchers?
On Twitter: @EWSandraG
The reason he didn’t go in to Nora isn’t because he doesn’t want marriage and children, it’s that he wants it with Robin.
Barney and Robin Forever!
Bah, Barney and Robin are MUCH better as just friends.
Friendship is what would make the perfect foundation for them having a romantic relationship–the feeling of safety.
But they already tried it and it simply fizzled. And they mutually and amicably agreed to end the relationship because they weren’t in love any more. Friendship doesn’t always make a great foundation for a long-term relationship. I also like the idea of Barney mooning after some woman outside the group, though…maybe that’s part of why I’m anti-Barney/Robin. I get a little tired sometimes of TV show “incest” among members of the social group and I like a little new blood. I will admit that when they were new, Barney and Robin had good romantic chemistry and I liked them together.
I gotta agree with Kat on this one.
There’s a reason Robin/Barney didn’t work out last time. If you look at the characters from the start of last season and where they are now, they are completely different.
Robin was still a career-first woman who hadn’t yet met a guy who could convince her to choose being together as a couple over her job. Barney had feelings for Robin, but he hadn’t yet experienced a real kick to make him give up the playboy lifestyle and settle down with someone.
Now, Robin has shown through Don that she knows there is something more important in life than a job and, provided it’s the right guy, she would settle down in a hearbeat. Barney has finally seen what love can be like thanks to Nora (and I think meeting his father will show him exactly what his former lifestyle has cost him).
They set it up in the second or third episode where Robin and Barney smoked together, played laser tag together, and just hung out. The characters are perfect matches for each other personality-wise, and now they’re both in place mentally where they can finally admit it.
I was thinking the same thing. I think the wedding Ted attends that influences how he meets the mother is Barney and Robin’s
I don’t think so. I think it’s Punchy’s, since he asked Ted to be the best man earlier in the season.
Yeah but I think the Punchy thing is just a fake out so we don’t see the other wedding coming. Like the article said, HIMYM uses the fake out a lot.
I don’t think the wedding would be punchys because i don’t see how the gang would be invited to that one. He’s strictly ted’s friend
I can kinda buy Marshall and Lily being at Punchy’s wedding, if Punchy knew them through Ted. But I can’t see Marshall being a part of Punchy’s wedding. Also, Ted meets the Mother at that wedding, so I’m guessing it won’t be at an Ohio wedding- which is where I’d bet Punchy’s is.
After seeing last episode and all the heavy chemistry between Barney and Nora. I think Barney is the kind of guy that takes a long time to fall in love with a woman – maybe because he rarely comes across a woman that intrigues him so much. Even if he and Nora does not work, I find it really hard to see how he can quickly go back to having feelings for Robin. I don’t know the outcome of him and Nora (cause I think single Barney may mean more TRPs) except for the female viewers who would love to see him tied down.
I like Barny with Robin.
It didn’t fizzle. The writers deliberately made it as as pointless as they could then ended it for no onscreen reason in order to lead to other pointless, unpopular stories.
They also managed to make Barney gross last season. If they don’t have him grow up at all soon, then he’s sort of a lot character. They did damage to the character in the last half of last year making him rather disgusting.
does anyone know the title of the violin lullabye Nora played to Barney?? Help please!!
I too was saddened that Barney’s scene wasn’t real. But I don’t think the show is ready to give up on Barney as a womanizer yet. On another note, I absolutely LOVED the bar conversation between the gang with all the dog references. That was so well-written and hilarious.
Agreed, and I think that Barney wasn’t ready to give up on being a womanizer just yet. I know he had the Robin relationship, but it’s been a while since he did anything serious, and maybe thinking/talking about the house and kids and all really freaked him out. It makes perfect sense that he’s having difficulty getting that serious with Nora and that it will take him some time to reflect and figure himself out. It was sad, but I understood why the show didn’t have Barney go into the restaurant. Hopefully, he’ll go after her in the near future, after he does some soul-searching!
I was certainly fooled by the scene. I confess.
Me too. They got me. I loved the pot brownies scene.
Don’t you mean sandwich brownies?
That would be SANDWICH brownies, thank you very much. ;o)
HAHA Sandwich brownies was the best.
I think the change of heart is that, yes, he wants all of what love offers, but not with Nora, with Robin. That’s who he saw when he looked into the restaurant door.
I raise my hand to, devastation was just the word I was looking for. Keep hoping Barney will have a change of heart some time in the near future.
Meh, I didn’t buy into this fake-out. The whole ep set up this big sweeping change, but in the end you realize, nothing has changed at all. Also, we’ve been through this before – Lily telling Barney to let himself feel and him giving in – that happened 2 years ago with Robin.
Consider my hand raised as well. Totally fooled. I actually said, out loud, “I thought it was real!”…as though, miraculously, it might be a double fake out. Loving this season – and really loving the EW love as well. Keep up the fun posts and mini-recaps. This is a great show!
My first reaction was that they were going to do a Sliding Doors thing in the coming episode showing one scenario if he had gone in and one if he hadn’t.
I was crushed when he was at the door, too, but this scene showed the richness of the writing at HIMYM. Barney has been a playboy for so long, for such deep-seated reasons, that if he waltzed in at that moment to join Nora and her parents (two huge milestones in one) I believe it would have felt saccharine. Barney has potential for great love, but he needs to slowly remove his protective shell to be able to pursue it. And yes, the dog reference scene was pure genius.
I think he wants it…he wouldn’t have shown up at the restaurant to meet her parents if he didn’t, and with her. I think that fear took over and caused him to walk away…I think this actually happens far too often in real life. I was really excited when I saw the “fake” scene… It was heartbreaking that it wasn’t real.
Yeah, after all this time, I was extremely disappointed in Barney, I complained about it right on facebook too as it happened. I really liked Nora, and thought they would’ve been a good couple. It was a good episode either way though.
i was a diehard barbin fan but i think i may be a narney fan now- she likes laser tag- no wthat’s love.
Enough with the name mashups! What’s next? Declaring yourself a stupid “shipper?” Can anyone on these boards be a fan without sounding like 6th grade schoolgirls trying to choose between a poorly written vampire or werewolf?
wow, what you just said is exactly how i feel. i was sooo devastated when he walked away, i was literally yelling at the screen saying GO BACK! This episode Will go down in history i reckon, as the first episode where barney really, truly felt that feeling. The first time barney stinson felt a “Change of heart”. he, deep down, wants to start settling down, moving away from the crazy single life that we know him for. Its a sign, that the end is near, and that by the time this great show finishes, Barney Stinson WILL Find someone, and settle down. This is the episode that marks the start of that journey for Barney.
note how i say someone. sure we think its Nora now, and i like Nora, but HIMYM writers have a habit of changing relationships very quickly.
I have a feeling he’s going to end up with Robin. Did anyone else catch the nursing him back to health reference? Robin did that like, a gazillion seasons ago.
I agree with Kegan cause he is how i met your mother n0.1 Fan
If you change Barney completely, he’s not as entertaining. I think the reason I liked Barney & Robin was because it wasn’t like Marshall & Lily, or Ted and InsertGirlsNameHere. He’s not meant for that kind of relationship.
YES. I agree. Barney and Robin was a union of two commitment-phobes figuring out a less-traditional relationship. I don’t want to see Barney (or Robin, for that matter) decide he wants the house and kids after all. It’s not realistic.
EXACTLY!!! The reason I love Barney and Robin together is because it wasn’t the traditional relationship. I really didn’t care if they got married. I liked seeing them as a couple. The writers really missed an opportunity there last season.
I totally agree. The Barnstormer and Robin are not the traditional couple. They are like that couple that never gets married or has kids but is still committed to each other in the same way a married couple would be. I want them together because I think they understand each other in a way that nobody else does. I like them. I like them together. I also understand that they aren’t in that place yet so I can deal with this Nora distraction for a little while longer. I prefer Barney the womanizer. I don’t like this sappy Barney.
I was hoping for a Barney Robin wedding earlier, but now I think that would be another incestuous relationship. I hope they all find someone else thats not part of the gang.
I still don’t get WHY Barney is head over heels for Nora. I mean, I get it…she’s nice but…I didnt fall for her yet. I feel like she was pushed on me.
I mean, I think she’s great, but why does BARNEY? They made a big deal of his “one rules” but why did she push him to break them? Not buying it, too sudden, too forced.
I think she’s great…too great for Barney! Don’t get me wrong I love Barney too but someone who’s THAT into having kids and the picket fence should not be with someone who tries to sleep with a different girl every few days. It’s not fair to Nora IMO
I think part of why he’s falling for her is that she’s real, she isn’t a bimbo that he can easily fool with gimmicks and tricks. Otherwise why would he have felt compelled to admit he was lying about wanting marriage?
I so wanted that scene to be real! I love Barney. And I love Robin. But I just don’t buy them together. And I like that HIMYM is, possibly, allowing for some character development for Barney. The character has been an awesome womanizer (by sitcom standards…IRL I would have slapped him upside the head several times) but allowing him to let his emotions mature seems natural. And I’m completely fine with those feelings involving Nora.
Ok now a comment from someone who is not a woman… or gay… The funniest and most entertaining part of the whole show is Barney and his womanizing.If they drop that the show is dead, it would be like making Cartman a nice guy or Homer inteligent!
Some of the funniest Simpsons moments are Homer’s random pieces of intellect…the fact that apparently he’s an expert on Supreme Court justices, for example.
MMm… no, I think I’ll stick with his stupidness, fatness, lazyness etc.