Hear me out on this. I feel like a lot of fans think Barney and Robin were "perfect together" purely because Barney is such a fun, entertaining character. But if you look past the comedy, their entire dynamic is built on manipulation.
Look at every major romantic milestone in their relationship: "The Robin" proposal, the rehearsal dinner, the bachelor party... none of it is realistic. It’s all elaborate, scripted theater that requires gaslighting, trickery, and mind games just to work. It makes for great TV fiction, but it’s a terrible, unrealistic partnership.
When things actually get serious, personal, or hard, Barney checks out or makes it about himself. Ted is consistently the one who shows up for Robin when it actually counts without an ulterior motive.
Barney and Robin were fun to watch, but as a actual couple, they were a mess. Am I the only one who feels like people confuse "fun TV character" with "good relationship"?
I honestly think fans who root for Barney and Robin liked the fictional drama of it all, but overlooked what a real, healthy partnership actually requires. People romanticize Barney's personality.