Five of the best theories from How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is one of the best sitcoms in the history of television. What set it apart from other series is that it has these humorous anecdotes and lovesick stories. Revolving around five best friends, the show gave the viewers advice and realizations.
Five of the best theories from How I Met Your Mother
Pit People (Season 8, Episode 11 of How I Met Your Mother)
Ted never forgot the words a college professor once told him, You’ll never be an architect. For years, he has been waiting for the chance to prove him wrong. Robin is still fuming over Barney dating Patrice. Now, she gets to fire one of the employees. That may or may not be Patrice. Marshall and Lily are back in Wesleyan, and they run into someone they have been avoiding for years now. Meanwhile, Barney’s stuck with a jinx — and a big decision to make.
They all have their own pit guy: a person they put in a seemingly endless pit to obsess with for a long time. This is inspired by the pit scene of The Silence of the Lambs. It may be a friend, a colleague, or an enemy. As long as you hold grudges, the person shall stay in the pit forever. But sometimes, the person in the pit is just those who cannot move on from the past. The only way out of the rut is to finally forgive the people who hurt us and also forgive ourselves.
The Lobster Situation (Season 8, Episode 9 of How I Met Your Mother)
Something’s wrong with Robin. Lily finds out that Robin wants Barney back. And she’s doing a bad job at it. Robin felt awful after Barney gave up on courting her (once more) and him having the last word. For a prideful woman like Robin, it feels like a slap in the face. He’s done. He doesn’t want her back, and he’s done wanting her. And now, she’s doing the best she could to win him back. Even by lowering her pride by a few notches, or so she thinks.
Robin wants things that people say she cannot have. While that might be an admirable trait in a nutshell, sometimes it could be annoyingly bad. Lily reminds her of “The Lobster Situation” wherein Robin found out that she is extremely allergic to lobsters, and that eating them may cause serious repercussions. But then, just like Barney, she takes it as a challenge than a precaution. She stuffs her mouth with lobster to prove to the doctor that she can handle it; even though her rashes and swollen mouth can’t seem to agree. Lily points it out; Barney is your lobster.
After racking her brains out, she had a realization; after she ate all the lobster she could and landed herself in a hospital bed, Robin never wanted lobster again. The only way to get Barney out of her mind is to let him in one last time. Sadly, Barney has other plans, with Robin’s archenemy, Patrice. Sometimes, to do something bad means trying it once, and then never doing it again.
Graduation Goggles (Season 6, Episode 20 of How I Met Your Mother)
In the sixth season of How I Met Your Mother, Marshall’s so tired of his corporate work at Goliath National Bank (GNB). He wants to quit and go after a low-paying but a satisfying job as an environmental lawyer. He’s made up his mind when suddenly, he sees GNB in a different light. He starts to love all the shitty things he experiences at the GNB; the mound of paperwork, the crappy coffee, the dirty jokes, and his boss who clips his nails in his face.
Robin debunks his fantasy, he’s just wearing graduation goggles. Graduation goggles happen when you are reminded of the good things about a specific person or relationship, even if they’re actually horrible and you’re just romanticizing them. The trick to removing the graduation goggles is to finally let go of the things that have been holding you back from improving.
The Engagement Ring Effect (Season 8, Episode 14)
In this episode of How I Met Your Mother, Robin and Barney just got engaged. Barney is finally coming to terms with detoxifying his body after years of one-night stands while Robin discovers a secret. Robin notices some changes in her otherwise systematic mornings. Normally, men were all dropping on her feet, waiting on her, making sure she gets served the best seat on the bus, and more. The feeling felt uncanny and bizarre as if there was a counter spell to her otherwise foolproof charms. Robin was so used to taking the easy way because she’s pretty and charismatic, so being sidelined for the first time felt like getting hit by a bus.
It wasn’t comfortable, and now she has to do things that were normally offered to her on a silver platter; paying rent without any discounts, waiting in a long line for coffee, and not getting the extra bagel on the house. Marshall and Lily enlightened Robin on how the engagement ring works. It acts like a shield from other potential suitors and wards off men, signaling that the wearer is taken and not available anymore. Uncomfortable with the situation, Robin tries to take off the ring to ease her way in some situations. It worked, people made way for her as if she was some royalty. But once she snaps it on, she was just invisible to everyone’s eyes.
But, as it turns out, the ring has another power; it makes the person who gave it to you magnificently bright and clear. The ring makes you feel more connected to your significant other, making your love stronger. It serves as a reminder of your commitment and love towards each other, making it priceless.
The Mermaid Theory (Season 6, Episode 1)
Lily often wondered why Marshall and Robin never hang out alone together in the sixth season of How I Met Your Mother. It’s because of Barney’s Mermaid Theory when Marshall was still working at GNB. When Marshall hired a new female assistant, Barney told him that at some point in his life, he’ll want to have sex with her.
Just like a lonely seafarer who hasn’t seen land in ages, they’ll get desperate for female companionship that the manatees in the sea will look like beautiful women. Thus, the birth of mermaids. Each woman has a mermaid clock; the time wherein the person will realize that woman is attractive and take things to the next level. Well, credit to Barney, the theory has been proven true. The only way to un-mermaid a woman is for her to be pregnant.
Marshall thought Robin will never turn into a mermaid until the night they get drunk. However, she puked all over him, leaving him feeling disgusted. Ever since he knew that Robin will never turn into a mermaid again. And now, he’s even more content with his relationship with Lily.
Want to read more articles like this? Click here.
