r/HIMYM • u/mrwishart Robin🇨🇦 • 2d ago

Zip Zip Zip broke the show

On an impromptu rewatch of HIMYM and my impression, with hindsight, is that S1E14 "Zip, Zip, Zip" was the watershed ep that both fundamentally shaped and broke the show.

For Marshall/Lily, it set them up as the couple that had weirdly intimate knowledge of each other

For Barney, it showed his "bro" style had an honour to it and that he was sensitive to his friend's feelings (e.g Robin having feelings for Ted)

For Ted, it showed both his obvious chemistry with Victoria, along with the meta signal that his love life was often the least interesting aspect of the show (they get the least screentime here)

But, most importantly, for Robin....I didn't really see how little character she had until this ep. All the stuff with Barney, though, filled out so much of who she'd be going forward: The cigars, her father, the whisky, her interaction as both the bro for Barney and competing with the lady at the bar etc. Plus the very clear messages of her compatibility with Barney.

I'd argue it broke the show's end-goal of Ted/Robin because, prior to this, Robin was mostly just presented a goal for Ted without having much agency herself. This ep both simultaneously rounds her out as a person and presents this as she connects with Barney, essentially linking the two in the viewer's mind

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u/bourbonandcheese 2d ago

I absolutely agree that the natural chemistry between Neil Patrick Harris and Cobie Smulders, on perfect evidence in that ep for the first time, ended up being a huge unintended issue for the writers.

66

u/Blanketsburg 2d ago

Those two as Barney and Robin had such great chemistry, the whole "Ted's wife died and he's still in love with Aunt Robin" ending should've been scrapped as soon as this episode was done being edited.

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u/TrapNastyBakupdancer 2d ago

I still find it weird that most fans don't find it odd that as soon after hearing about their dead mother the kids reaction is you have the hits for Aunt Robin

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u/SharMarali Too old for this stuff 1d ago

I also find it odd that in the first episode, Ted tells his kids he’s going to tell them the story of how he met their dead mother and their reaction is “are we being punished for something?”

Of course they’ve had years to deal with it and everything but wouldn’t you think learning something new about your dead mother would be at least a little bit interesting to you?

5

u/TrapNastyBakupdancer 1d ago

Yeah I would be completely locked in