One of the most successful modern sitcoms, How I Met Your Mother managed to pull off a truly impressive feat. It was popular enough to receive huge ratings while also attracting the kind of following that is more common for smaller, cult shows. Over the years, the series’ biggest fans even bought several books based on things like Barney’s Bro Code and his infamous Playbook.
While there is no doubt that the friendships shared among the core 5 How I Met Your Mother characters were hugely important, the show was still largely based around romantic couplings. After all, the series was all about a man’s endless search for the love of his life. However, some of the romantic pairings introduced over the show’s runs actually took away from fans' love for the series. It's time to look back on the best and the worst of the bunch.
In order for a couple from How I Met Your Mother to be considered for possible inclusion on this list, they first and foremost need to have been important enough to have impacted the show’s legacy. From there they were categorized into relationships that made the show a great deal better and those that took away from its quality. Finally, it should be noted that even How I Met Your Mother couples that were only briefly together were in the running, as long as they were important to the show’s fans in one way or another.
Here are 10 Couples That Hurt How I Met Your Mother (And 10 That Saved It).
Hurt: Robin and Don
Introduced during How I Met Your Mother’s 5th season, Don Frank was hired as the new co-host of Robin’s show and right from the start there was some chemistry between them. An off-and-on couple throughout that season, it, at one point, seemed like they could wind up being a pretty serious pairing, at least in the short term. In fact, Robin even chose to turn down a news anchor job in Chicago in order to remain with Don-- unbeknownst to him. Unfortunately, she would be hugely disappointed to learn he was leaving because he was offered the same job and took it.
It was frustrating to invest in a relationship that went nowhere, and was ultimately revealed to be more of a plot device than anything else,
Saved: Ted and Cathy
Ted and Cathy were never meant to be, as it was only a matter of time before he realized that she never stopped talking. However, when the gang pointed it out to him and he heard glass shatter as his perception of her was burst, it was pretty hilarious. More than that, his irritation that his friends had ruined the way he saw Cathy led to a hilarious episode full of each of the core cast member’s foibles coming to light.
As means to an end, this couple was not especially meaningful, but the episode Cathy inspired is one of the best in series history, so they undoubtedly helped the show.
Hurt: Zoey and The Captain
The only couple on this list that does not involve one of the show’s core cast , Zoey and The Captain were an odd pair who were pretty difficult to understand. The idea of Zoey marrying someone as obviously eccentric as The Captain seemed more than a little bit farfetched.
Right from the start, it seemed incredibly obvious that the only reason they were together was so there would be an obstacle in Ted’s attempts to wop Zoey. As a result, this pairing is yet another couple in the long history of gimmicky television relationships that only serve to draw out a storyline for as long as possible.
Saved: Robin and Simon
James Van Der Beek is an underrated comedic actor; any Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23 viewer would agree. The character he played on How I Met Your Mother, Simon Tremblay, was absolutely hilarious. As the first boyfriend Robin ever had, even as an adult, he still held enough sway over her that she failed to see his obviously negative qualities.
A balding and failed musician who still lives with his mother, Simon was also a self-centered jerk who broke up with Robin after she carried his gear to his van twice. While there were ample reasons to dislike him, this relationship was fun since it was never anything more than a joke with a funny punchline.
Hurt: Ted and Naomi
The woman in the Halloween pumpkin costume was given quite the introduction on How I Met Your Mother. Ted met her at a rooftop party and felt an instant connection, but he totally bungled things by losing her number and any chance to be with her.
Still, this is the romance-obsessed Ted we are talking about, so he returned to the same party wearing the same costume over and over again in hopes that she would arrive and recognize him. They were eventually able to reconnect several seasons after the character was first discussed, but after years of build-up they found they had shared zero chemistry. It was yet another "Mother" fake-out.
Saved: Robin and Kevin
By season 7, when Robin got involved with Kevin, her court-appointed therapist, fans realized he was unlikely to matter in the longterm. This was confirmed when she betrayed with Barney. Even when she agreed to marry Kevin, it was completely obvious that was not destined to happen.
Instead, viewers got to sit back and enjoy a wholly new element that Kevin’s character brought to the show: his mental health training. Kevin was the perfect person to address some of the deep-seated issues the gang dealt with, and his reactions to their antics were fun to see. On top of that, it was pretty hilarious to learn in season 9 that Kevin had become romantically involved with Jeanette.
Hurt: Lily and Scooter
As her love for Marshall was clear from the pilot, Lily Aldrin was only ever involved with two men, and one of those relationships was pretty awful. They were together during Lily’s goth phase, and it is abundantly clear that Lily outgrew her first boyfriend Scooter when she outgrew that look.
On the other end of things, no matter how many years ed by Scooter never got over her and at first blush that made him seem like a pretty crazy dude. However, it turns out that ever since they broke up, Lily kept giving him reasons to hold out hope, which was pretty low of her, even if Marshall ended up helping to keep him on the hook.
Saved: Barney and Quinn
The perception of Barney as a relationship-adverse sociopath who heartlessly deceives women is certainly accurate at times.. However, over the seasons, the show revealed what inspired him to be so awful to his fellow human beings. More than that, he also grew as a person and ended up getting involved in a trio of serious relationships, including one with Quinn, his ex-fiancée.
Not only an independent woman who is able to hold her own with Barney, Quinn was also such a strong person that she made him want to become a better man and partner. Though they didn't last, if that isn’t the definition of a good relationship, we don’t know what is.
Hurt: Ted and Stella
From the moment Ted met Stella, the doctor he went to in order to have his ill-advised tattoo removed, he wanted to be with her. Nearing his final tattoo removal session and well aware that he may never see Stella again, Ted wouldn't give up-- despite the fact that she had made it clear that she didn’t want to date.
Though he was eventually able to wear her down, Ted should have listened when Stella made it clear she was not ready to be with him. Yet, somehow the show makes it seem like we are supposed to feel bad for Ted when Stella ends up getting back together with her ex. While Stella certainly should have turned down Ted’s proposal and timed their breakup better, based on how this relationship began, we never felt too bad for him.
Saved: Ted and Victoria (The first time)
The kind of introduction that often leads to long-lasting and loving relationships on television, when Ted and Victoria saw each other from across a room it seemed like love at first sight. Upping the ante further in of romantic comedy tropes, Victoria even convinced Ted to keep their real names a secret so they could enjoy one romance-filled night together.
In one of the first indications that Ted thought his feelings give him permission to ignore the wishes of women he likes, the next day Ted decided to track Victoria down. However, in this case, his insistence seemed to work out a lot better. In fact, it seemed liked the only reason things didn’t work out for Ted and Victoria was because she moved to due to her career.