HIMYM: 5 Reasons Ted and Robin Would Never Work Despite the Finale

5. Robin Was Barney’s Ex-Wife

Throughout the entire series, things were pretty complicated whenever it came down to Ted, Robin, and Barney's trio. With both Ted and Barney being in love with Robin, they would often fight for her attention, and it was a major test for the two men’s friendship. We watched Ted overcome his own feelings for Barney’s happiness.

Barney and Robin had a great long relationship, and they were in many ways perfect for each other. Ted even was the groom’s best man when the two were getting married! With Ted jumping back into action after the couple’s divorce, it would create immense tension once again — and we know how Ted performs under pressure.

4. Different Commitment Level

Since the very start of How I Met Your Mother, Ted has always been talking about settling down with a woman he loves and building a classic happy family. Ted is the ultimate one-woman man, and for him, family is the one and only goal. He’s willing to commit to a relationship as best he can, and has been willing to do so for years.

Robin, on the other hand, is extremely non-committal. She values her independence and privacy and wants to always have the option to back out of a relationship. This is one of the reasons she was feeling so great with the equally non-committal Barney, and in the past, Ted and Robin broke up because of this. Why’d that change now?

3. Ted Won’t Survive the Distance

Adding more to the issue of committing to the relationship, there’s Robin’s work. Robin travels the world all the time and barely returns home, and she loves it that way. For the family-oriented Ted, this would quickly become a nightmare: not only would his wife be constantly away, but his kids would have no mother again.

Even Barney, who’s way more light-hearted when it comes to these things, couldn’t stand Robin’s terminal absence at one point and decided to file for divorce. In their case, Robin already proved that she wouldn’t give up her job for her partner, so there’s no reason to believe she would for Ted — and Ted won’t survive the distance.

2. Ted and Robin Have a History

Even the strongest Ted and Robin apologist must admit that these two have quite a history together, and that history clearly shows they were not made for each other. Ted and Robin tried to make their relationship work several times, and it never worked. The show’s finale just saw yet another repetition of the same mistake.

For many seasons, How I Met Your Mother explained exactly why Ted and Robin were never meant to be; how they were total polar opposites; and how they barely even worked as friends. Throwing the two of them together in the finale was as much a mistake on the show’s part as it was on the character level: that just wouldn’t work.

1. Ted Had Already Found True Love

Ted had been obsessed with Robin for many years, and this obsession had brought nothing but misery his way — and then, he met Tracy. The answer to the show’s titular question, Tracy was, unlike Robin, the perfect match for Ted. She had the same habits and beliefs, she laughed at the same jokes and shared his dreams.

Tracy was the one and only true love for Ted, and their couple was always meant to be. How I Met Your Mother even revealed that fate had brought the two together through the yellow umbrella. Before Tracy’s death, she and Ted had had years of happy family life and loved each other immensely. No Robin would suffice after that.