"HIMYM": Rip My Heart Out, Why Don't You?

I just finished this week's episode of "How I Met Your Mother" ('Symphony of Illumination') and I was less than impressed. Most of the time, "HIMYM" does a really good job of making me laugh. Even on the not so stellar episodes I normally laugh once or twice. During 'Symphony of Illumination' not only did I not laugh, I was actually unhappy. This is a feeling that "HIMYM" has been evoking more and more, and I truly hope they stop doing it before I stop watching.

spoilers from episode airing 12/5/11

For one thing, it was clear from that very first scene in the bathroom, when Robin told Barney that her period was one week late, that she was probably not pregnant. However, the episode continued to string us along with a voice-over from grown-up Robin talking to her future children which replaced the normal clips of Ted's future children. During these voice-overs she also insinuated that Barney was the father of her children, something which lots of pro-Barney/Robin viewers were probably ecstatic about--until the end of the episode. By the end of the episode, we learned three things:
1) Not only was Robin not pregnant, but she is apparently unable to ever have children
2) According to future Ted's voice-over at the end, she doesn't ever have children
3) The future of Robin and Barney is still just as up in the air as it was before this episode. In fact, if anything it's less likely because Robin now knows that Barney likes the idea of children, and that she can never have any. Great.

The only truly exciting thing that happened between Robin and Barney was the fact that Barney did what Robin asked and kept her potential pregnancy a secret--proving that he has grown.

The writers' of "HIMYM" are about to introduce a new love interest for Barney, Quinn (played by Becki Newton). Starting in January, she is going to be a recurring character throughout the rest of this season. My one hope is that she doesn't last must longer than Kevin (Kal Penn) does. Honestly, I just want Barney and Robin back together again. I know that many people thought that a non-playboy Barney hurt the show, but I think that if they played a little more with the sneaking around aspect, and didn't have them discovered too quickly that would help (last time they got together they weren't even secret for a whole episode).

Anyway, I'm a little concerned that not only will Barney date Quinn, but that Robin will date Ted again too. He was just a little too traditionally-Ted at the end of this episode? Hugging a vulnerable girl? Check. Big romantic gesture with Christmas tree lights and sacrifice (Ted gave up a Christmas visit with his parents/cousins to hang out with Robin)? Check.

'How I Met Your Mother': "Symphony of Illumination". Season 7, Episode 12.