Another great season finale for How I Met Your Mother. Usually this is the time for major changes in the main characters' lives (season 1: Ted and Robin getting together, Marshall and Lily breaking up; season 2: Ted and Robin breaking up, Marshall and Lily getting married). This time, it is indeed all about life-changing events, but we're yet to see the consequences and are left with cliffhangers instead.
Both Ted and Barney have near death experiences that cause their respective lives to flash before their eyes - or, at least, all the things they love and that are really important to them. This leads to a few realizations. Most crucially for the sake of the series, Ted and Barney go back to being friends. More than friends, actually. Ted realizes that he truly wants to commit to his relationship with Stella and take it to the next level. And Barney seems to have a secret realization, too. I love the way he looks at Robin when the others joke about the things he really loves. For me, that is one of the most beautiful moments in the entire series.
Here's a list of the moments I captured from Ted's "all the things I love" flashback (most definitely incomplete and in the wrong order):
How he first met Robin (S01E01) - Lily spending thanksgiving with Marshall's family for the first time (S01E09) - Barney dressed as fighter pilot for Halloween (S01E06) - Red Cowboy Boots!!! (S03E19) - Barney&Robin playing Laser Tag (S01E14) - How Robin got called off to work when Ted wanted to take her to a wedding (S01E12) - Marshall sitting in the rain after his breakup with Lily (S01E22) - The Slap Bet (S02E09) - Marshall freaking out over the decision to either go corporate and make money or work for the NRDC (S03E06) - "Evolved Robin" playing the bongos (S03E02) - Robin and Lily camping out for the wedding dress sale (S02E15) - Robin at the cigar lounge (S01E14) - Slapsgiving (S03E09) - Ted&Stella on the couch (original scene?) - Barney making fun of Ted's hair (S03E11) - Lily sharing her second thoughts about marrying Marshall with Ted (S01E21) - Barney's embarrassing video for Shannon (S01E15) - Ted's vision of his wedding (S01E21) - Ted showing Robin his designs for a new building (S02E04) - Barney stole a turtle costume (S01E20) - Barney AKA Ted Mosby, the Architect tied to some random girl's bed (S02E04) - Marshall&Lily's karaoke duet (S01E17) - Robin looking out of the window and smiling at Ted when he stole the blue french horn (S01E01) - When the gang made fun of Lily working at the Hawaiian restaurant (S02E06) - Barney looking at his phone (?) - Robin wearing that "sexy" shirt at Atlantic City (S02E08) - Robin admitting to Ted she slept with Barney (S03E17) - Lily and Barney waking up in the same bed (S02E05) - Robin Sparkles!!! (S02E09) - Barney imitating Patrick Swayze (S02E12) - Robin, Ted, Lily and Marshall in couple's coma (S02E10) - Barney's off-Broadway one man show (S02E16) - Marshall massaging his nipples and Robin walking in on him (S02E15) - Barney at The Price is Right (S02E20) - Ted's breakup with Robin (S02E22) - Robin's face after she fired her make-up artist (S02E13?) - Robin heading to Lily's bridal shower with her special present (S02E19) - When Ted and Barney stopped being friends (S03E17) - When Ted told Barney he and Robin broke up (S02E22) - Butterfly tattoo!!! (S03E01) - Ted shaving his breakup beard and getting ready to bro out with Barney (S03E01) - Marshall and Lily having sex on the kitchen floor (S02E08) - The three-way Belt (S03E03) - Lily enjoys an earthquake in San Francisco (S03E18) - Robin dressed up to the nines to meet Simon (S03E16) - Ted&Stella kiss for the first time (S03E13) - Stella is finally ready to get serious with Ted (S03E18)
There is a lot of Barney stuff in there, which makes sense, since him and Ted going back to being friends is one of the plot points. But somewhat surprisingly, Robin is also prominently featured in Ted's near death experience flashback. Could this be a hint that Ted and Robin are not done yet after all? I might be reading too much into this. But these short flashes sure seem like a good place to hide some hints concerning the direction the show will take. We will find out more in season 4!
Both Ted and Barney have near death experiences that cause their respective lives to flash before their eyes - or, at least, all the things they love and that are really important to them. This leads to a few realizations. Most crucially for the sake of the series, Ted and Barney go back to being friends. More than friends, actually. Ted realizes that he truly wants to commit to his relationship with Stella and take it to the next level. And Barney seems to have a secret realization, too. I love the way he looks at Robin when the others joke about the things he really loves. For me, that is one of the most beautiful moments in the entire series.
Here's a list of the moments I captured from Ted's "all the things I love" flashback (most definitely incomplete and in the wrong order):
How he first met Robin (S01E01) - Lily spending thanksgiving with Marshall's family for the first time (S01E09) - Barney dressed as fighter pilot for Halloween (S01E06) - Red Cowboy Boots!!! (S03E19) - Barney&Robin playing Laser Tag (S01E14) - How Robin got called off to work when Ted wanted to take her to a wedding (S01E12) - Marshall sitting in the rain after his breakup with Lily (S01E22) - The Slap Bet (S02E09) - Marshall freaking out over the decision to either go corporate and make money or work for the NRDC (S03E06) - "Evolved Robin" playing the bongos (S03E02) - Robin and Lily camping out for the wedding dress sale (S02E15) - Robin at the cigar lounge (S01E14) - Slapsgiving (S03E09) - Ted&Stella on the couch (original scene?) - Barney making fun of Ted's hair (S03E11) - Lily sharing her second thoughts about marrying Marshall with Ted (S01E21) - Barney's embarrassing video for Shannon (S01E15) - Ted's vision of his wedding (S01E21) - Ted showing Robin his designs for a new building (S02E04) - Barney stole a turtle costume (S01E20) - Barney AKA Ted Mosby, the Architect tied to some random girl's bed (S02E04) - Marshall&Lily's karaoke duet (S01E17) - Robin looking out of the window and smiling at Ted when he stole the blue french horn (S01E01) - When the gang made fun of Lily working at the Hawaiian restaurant (S02E06) - Barney looking at his phone (?) - Robin wearing that "sexy" shirt at Atlantic City (S02E08) - Robin admitting to Ted she slept with Barney (S03E17) - Lily and Barney waking up in the same bed (S02E05) - Robin Sparkles!!! (S02E09) - Barney imitating Patrick Swayze (S02E12) - Robin, Ted, Lily and Marshall in couple's coma (S02E10) - Barney's off-Broadway one man show (S02E16) - Marshall massaging his nipples and Robin walking in on him (S02E15) - Barney at The Price is Right (S02E20) - Ted's breakup with Robin (S02E22) - Robin's face after she fired her make-up artist (S02E13?) - Robin heading to Lily's bridal shower with her special present (S02E19) - When Ted and Barney stopped being friends (S03E17) - When Ted told Barney he and Robin broke up (S02E22) - Butterfly tattoo!!! (S03E01) - Ted shaving his breakup beard and getting ready to bro out with Barney (S03E01) - Marshall and Lily having sex on the kitchen floor (S02E08) - The three-way Belt (S03E03) - Lily enjoys an earthquake in San Francisco (S03E18) - Robin dressed up to the nines to meet Simon (S03E16) - Ted&Stella kiss for the first time (S03E13) - Stella is finally ready to get serious with Ted (S03E18)
There is a lot of Barney stuff in there, which makes sense, since him and Ted going back to being friends is one of the plot points. But somewhat surprisingly, Robin is also prominently featured in Ted's near death experience flashback. Could this be a hint that Ted and Robin are not done yet after all? I might be reading too much into this. But these short flashes sure seem like a good place to hide some hints concerning the direction the show will take. We will find out more in season 4!