How I Met Your Mother: Is this a Barney plothole?

akamidnight
[1]May 10, 2009
member since: 11/06/05
level: 13
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Sorry if there's a thread on this, but I did search and found nothing.
A while back, there was this whole episode (with the embarrassing stories) that showed us a hippie Barney turning into Darth Barney because his girfriend cheats on him with a suit guy. From what I understood, that was the reason for his numerous one night stands.
But now, in 'Right time, right place' it was because of a bet kind of deal he made in grade school?? Huh?? It sounds to me like a cheap plot device to get rid of Barney's 'player' self just so they can justify him getting together with Robin. I'm all for the Barney/Robin shebang, but like this? Sorry, no.
Anyone else agree with me on this one?
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HugzxNxKissesxo
[2]May 10, 2009
member since: 08/11/07
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yes but it is possible Barney was inspired when he was 12ish and then met Shannon and decided against sleeping w 200 women but then she dumped him and he turned into DarthBarney that he decided to go back to the 200 women goal
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lovemj

[3]May 12, 2009

member since: 07/07/05
level: 14
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akamidnight wrote:

Sorry if there's a thread on this, but I did search and found nothing.

A while back, there was this whole episode (with the embarrassing stories) that showed us a hippie Barney turning into Darth Barney because his girfriend cheats on him with a suit guy. From what I understood, that was the reason for his numerous one night stands.

But now, in 'Right time, right place' it was because of a bet kind of deal he made in grade school?? Huh?? It sounds to me like a cheap plot device to get rid of Barney's 'player' self just so they can justify him getting together with Robin. I'm all for the Barney/Robin shebang, but like this? Sorry, no.

Anyone else agree with me on this one?

Nice catch...maybe different writers for the two eps?

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Sagerian
[4]May 14, 2009
member since: 03/24/06
level: 9
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Without a doubt in terms of the progression of the story, the "200 girls" episode was a way for the Barney character to wrap that up in a way, so the storyline could show him pursueing Robin.
It seems unlikely that they had this planned as far back as season one, hence there's a bit of continuity drama. But there's plenty of plausable theories above already that can be used to work around them.
Personally I'd be of the thinking that Barney wanted to sleep with 200 women, then met Shannon and changed, then after his experience with the man-maker, he was on his way towards his goal again. Not too difficult to explain away, there's certainly been bigger continuity relating to Robin and what team sports she plays than Barney.
Edited on 05/14/2009 6:29pm
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crossfac3

[5]May 14, 2009

member since: 05/15/09
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HugzxNxKissesxo wrote:

yes but it is possible Barney was inspired when he was 12ish and then met Shannon and decided against sleeping w 200 women but then she dumped him and he turned into DarthBarney that he decided to go back to the 200 women goal

Sounds reasonable to me.

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jedijvd
[6]May 16, 2009
member since: 05/12/06
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I'm more concerned that Barney didn't know how to drive and was deathly affraid of it but in the most recent ep he had a liscense and a was a speed demon
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wounds
[7]May 19, 2009
member since: 02/28/06
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jedijvd wrote:

I'm more concerned that Barney didn't know how to drive and was deathly affraid of it but in the most recent ep he had a liscense and a was a speed demon

There are over 3 years between these two incidents... can't people change? I used to be afraid of fast driving as well... now I like it.
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mikey7199
[8]May 19, 2009
member since: 12/08/08
level: 6
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posts: 241
well sorry but he is a plotole so he could be replaced
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cliffsanford
[9]May 21, 2009
member since: 05/15/07
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Barney has proven himself to be a big liar throughout the series. You have to really take everything he says with a grain of salt. If I recall in the "hippie" episode didn't he lie and trick everyone else into revealing things about themselves. It's been a while but I think that is how that episode went.
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princess_san
[10]Jan 2, 2012
member since: 06/15/06
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I think I found a Barney plot hole too :O idk I'm just a bored college student on winter break and Season 4 Episode 15 is as far as I've gotten in the series so maybe this is cleared up later, but I thought I'd throw this out there ^_^ let me know what you guys think!

So, in The Stinsons[Season 4 Episode 15], Barney's mother is super sick and her only wish was for her sons to not end up alone like her and to "have stuck around long enough for grandchildren," so Barney hires actors to play his wife, Betty, and his son, Tyler.

But in Single Stamina[Season 2 Episode 10], we see Barney's brother, James, get married to his lover and adopt a son. Since in this very episode we see Barney and James' mother trying to explain why they look different, they definitely have the same mom [biological or not]. So wouldn't their mom have seen James' son earlier?

Am I missing something here, or did Barney hire his wife and kid way way way before James' wedding orrr...

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JaiCSC

[11]Jan 3, 2012

member since: 12/01/04
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princess_san wrote:

I think I found a Barney plot hole too :O idk I'm just a bored college student on winter break and Season 4 Episode 15 is as far as I've gotten in the series so maybe this is cleared up later, but I thought I'd throw this out there ^_^ let me know what you guys think!

So, in The Stinsons[Season 4 Episode 15], Barney's mother is super sick and her only wish was for her sons to not end up alone like her and to "have stuck around long enough for grandchildren," so Barney hires actors to play his wife, Betty, and his son, Tyler.

But in Single Stamina[Season 2 Episode 10], we see Barney's brother, James, get married to his lover and adopt a son. Since in this very episode we see Barney and James' mother trying to explain why they look different, they definitely have the same mom [biological or not]. So wouldn't their mom have seen James' son earlier?

Am I missing something here, or did Barney hire his wife and kid way way way before James' wedding orrr...

Well before. If I remember correctly Barney said he introduced Betty to his mother on her death bed and she improved that she was pregnant. They kept up the ruse and Barney went from babies before casting Tyler. Several years years straight away there.

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champson1
[12]Jan 10, 2012
member since: 10/09/09
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Barney's "son" would have been born seven years prior to the episode and prior to the events of season two.
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MGS3Link
[13]Jan 12, 2012
member since: 11/08/06
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You've got to remember that this series is supposed to be 'memories'. That being said, 'Future Ted' may not get all the facts correct or 'remember' them correctly either. Easy way of explaining it, I know, but this show doesn't need to have zero continuity or plot hole issues because it's supposed to be memories, as shown in at least one episode that I can remember.
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CLikesPie

[14]Jan 15, 2012

member since: 10/10/10
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MGS3Link wrote:

You've got to remember that this series is supposed to be 'memories'. That being said, 'Future Ted' may not get all the facts correct or 'remember' them correctly either. Easy way of explaining it, I know, but this show doesn't need to have zero continuity or plot hole issues because it's supposed to be memories, as shown in at least one episode that I can remember.

This.

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kanniballl
[15]Jan 16, 2012
member since: 07/02/03
level: 18
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The show isn't that consistent with the back-stories.

Barney has had a few odd things in the past.

- He supposedly became a "player" after his neighbor said he rocked his world after his first time

- He decided to be a player to one-up that kid in middle school

- He decided to be a player after his girl friend ran off with a jerk in a suit

Meanwhile, with Ted we had "Vomit Free since 93" and found out that was a "lie"

With Marshal they mentioned how he was never in a fight in his life or had a broken bone, and then a couple of seasons later how he fought all of the time with his brothers (hard core) and broke some bones as a kid

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