The Rough Patch

Season 5, Episode 7, Aired
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Ted and Marshall turn to Lily to break up a clearly miserable Barney and Robin after their own plan fails.
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Fan Episode Reviews (11)

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  • Wrong couple timing brought us this terrible break up...

    1.0
    "Abysmal"
    By romasticblossom, Dec 02, 2011
    Barney is one of the most hilarious parts of the show, and changing him earlier also changes the whole show. At the same time, showing him falling in love with Robin and how he can change makes the viewers more interested and addicted to the show.
    The word is timing. And rushing his change led to unhappy womanizer Barney fans and now, unhappy Barney/Robin shippers after this episode.
    The problem about it is the way the break up happened. They had thousands of reasons to break-up and still, they didn't broke up for any of them.
    It just showed that they were unhappy together because... we really don't know.
    If it was because they were tied down then, how come Robin dated Ted for one year?
    Besides, they made a giant, cute build up for this couple just so it would end like this? Fast and unemotionally?

    Why didn't they just let Barney and Robin as friends, then? I can't help feeling like watching the episodes 3x16 to 5x06 were just a waste of time. Even though I know it wasn't because they have shown how a great couple they can become.

    So what's left for me to say is:

    I hope there'll be character development in the end of the show( I believe it is the right timing for it) that could(and, hopefully, will) bring Barney and Robin back together.moreless

  • Barney and Robin are going through a rough patch.

    8.0
    "Great"
    By Jon_MW_14, Aug 28, 2011
    "The Rough Patch" is a good How I Met Your Mother episode. I actually enjoy how Barney and Robin became the most depressing couple on this show. I love how Barney gained so much weight and Robin looks so old. I love how they decide to try and break up Robin and Barney and they completely fail at it. I love how looking at their reflection in the mirror and seeing how bad they looked was the reason they broke up. The only thing I didn't like about this episode was I wish it happened later in the season. I felt like they needed to be a couple longer. I give this episode a 8/10.moreless

  • A funny episode tainted by the very bad writing and characterization. Fat! Barney and Old! Robin totally came out from nowhere. Barney coin-cheated to *not* have sex? Please.

    3.0
    "Bad"
    By steffi_totti, Feb 27, 2011
    It was a funny episode tainted by the very bad writing and characterization. Fat! Barney and Old! Robin are just something I can't wrap my head around. It totally came out from nowhere. Barney coin-cheated to *not* have sex? Please. Even in a parallel universe, not happening dude.

    Unlike Ted-Robin or Marshall-Lily, Barney and Robin weren't given half a season to grow after all the build-up. Of course, the writers might set this break up for a BroTP reunion later on, but I can't see why they ever want to get back together since there is no real problem to begin with. Apparently they make each other so miserable Barney resorted to binge eating and Robin stopped washing her hair. Them being too awesome isn't something they could do anything about anytime soon imo.

    I've always believed that Barney and Robin can just be as awesome and even more so together. As awesome as he is being single, I don't want to see his character not developing at all. What people have been complaining about this season, I would say, is largely due to poor writing than the fact that being in a relationship dulls his character.

    Maybe the writers are pressured to please fans who dislike the new Barney, or they just want to sell the playbook that is due to come out this Christmas, the kind of book that won't be penned by in relationship Barney. At least, they could have written a more believable break-up.moreless

  • Just bad TV, yet again..........

    1.0
    "Abysmal"
    By Spoontown, Feb 27, 2011
    After the last episode which was actually funny, HIMYM returns to the painful standard of most of last season and half of this. The only place people like this exist is on TV from deciding to break someone else's relationship up, to Robin's complete change from marriage-phobic to just saying yeah sure let's get married. I assume at some point we will actually find out who the mother is, if I had my way it would be at the end of this season, and this season's number of episodes would be reduced to 8. Just terrible unbelieveable writing that makes some first season episodes look like fine works of art. The only good thing about this waste of time is that finally Barney and Robin broke up, now there are no more combinations that can get together, maybe they can drop the sub-Friends need for everyone to hook up and Barney can get back to being Barney. Show me the mother ASAP.moreless

  • Calling it off.

    8.0
    "Great"
    By sh811a, Feb 27, 2011
    I can't say I'm really supprised, I sort of saw it comming. Yeah, it was a good ride for both Robin and Barney but the ride is over.

    This was a decent episode which was simply about the end of the couple. My problem with this episode was that I didn't laugh as much as I wanted to. Don't get me wrong it was funny but not enough to generate many big laughs. However the show did have moments, and did a good enough job at showing why both had to call it off.

    The way some of the episode was handled was almost like an espanage thriller (I said almost) in a way Ted, Marchall, and Lily are the spys and the break up is the mission. I really loved that message Barney recorded on that porn tape of his, it's sort of a common thing in espanage thrilers where there is a doomed messanger than forwarns the protagonist. I really like the scam that Lily planed out, like in an espanage thriller she is sort of the lone hitwoman only with Lily it's to break people up. Her breakup scam was clever if far fetched, how the heck she was able to get those people let alone contact and hire "Growing Pains" actor Alan Thicke is anyones guess but ok she did it. There was even the stakeout element the only thing missing was the van all because Ted wouldn't pay 25 dollars extra for the rental, cheap skate. Plus, Alan Thicke did a good job in his cameo role.

    The last thing I loved was they brought out the Star Wars jokes mainly on the Stormtroopers. When Robin made fun of the Stormtrooper it sort of tells me she obviously never saw "Star Wars", may'be Barney should of given Robin the "Star Wars" test that way he'd know she's not the one. I even love the fact Lily mistaked the Stormtroopers for robots, and that was understandable because when I was a kid and I saw "Star Wars" the first time I made that same mistake, heck they sounded, looked and almost practically acted like robots. I loved that comment Marchall made on the matter which was my favorate.

    Lily: "So when the Death Star blew up the thousands of Stormtropers were people?"

    Marchall: "Well hey they got into the Death Star they knew what they were getting into."

    I always love it whenever they make "Star Wars" jokes, I'm hoping in the future there will be plenty more. And I can't help but feel the constant refenece jokes might be another hint on the mom's identity, I'm guessing she passed the "Star Wars" test but we'll see.

    It was both a little funny but sad at the same time seeing how both Robin and Barney's relationship is dissintergrated and both have been reduced to acting like an old couple, that is always a very bad sign. Robin looks well bad, but Barney looks worse, I'll admit it was both funny and a bit scary seeing my favorate character Barney in that fat look he was litterally unrecognizable. But I do love how when both of them broke up it was mutual all they had to do was look in the mirror. Both realize the reason why their relationship is dissintergrating is because both are too alike they have too much in common, they know too much about one another, so it's practically predictable which makes it kinda boring. So, in the end both end it and remain friends. I liked the final minutes when we see Robin back looking healthy again, but most of all Barney who lost all the fat in one day, how he did it is anyones guess but it just lets me know Barney is back in the game. But the biggest supprise was seeing Alan Thicke mention how both Robin and him use to do some varity show one time and as you guessed it Barney is on the hunt again; I can't help but feel this is a hint on a future episode, so the Robin Sparkles saga is far from over. Overall it was a decent episode though I personally though it could of been better. I'm sure both Robin and Barney will find the one, it's just not each other because it's not in the cards.moreless
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  • TRIVIA (0)

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  • QUOTES (11)

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    • Robin: I'm going out to get a paper.
      Marshall: More like get a husband.
      Robin: Stop that! Seriously, the last thing I'm looking for right now is a relationship.
      Ted: Uh huh. When you pick up that paper, be sure to check the wedding announcements. For yours.
      Marshall: Robin, it's like this. Do you know how many times in my life I've gone to the freezer looking for frozen waffles and not found them?
      Robin: Thousands?
      Marshall: Millions. But when I go to the freezer looking for a popsicle, or the remote control because Lily and I are fighting and that's where she's hidden it, you know what I find? Frozen waffles. That's how it works. You go out there looking for a paper, you're coming back with frozen waffles. And in this case, frozen waffles is a guy. Also, could you pick up some frozen waffles? In that case, frozen waffles are frozen waffles.

    • Marshall: Every couple goes through this. I had this friend who was an astronaut. But right before his mission, his fiancée caught him with, like, four other girls. And a couple dudes. So she snuck onto his shuttle—
      Ted: Are you talking about Space Orgy?
      Marshall: Yes, I am.

    • Lily: Look at these movies: Space Orgy, Coed Spring Break Surprise Party 23.
      Marshall: You think after 22 parties, it wouldn't be a surprise anymore.

    • Ted: They're killing each other. Lily: They love each other! Ted: Barney and Robin love each other, but they're not Barney and Robin anymore. They're the fat guy and the old lady. Marshall: My favorite 70s detective show.

    • Lily: So when they blew up the Death Star, knowing full well there were hundreds of storm troopers on it, those were people? Marshall: Well, it's called the Death Star, baby. They knew what they were getting into.

    • Barney: Can you imagine us getting married? Robin: Well, we are committed to each other. Barney: Most of your stuff's already in my apartment. Robin: Might make taxes easier. Barney: Speed up your citizenship. Robin: Scherbatsky's so hard to spell.

    • Lily: Ted, it's just a rough patch. It takes time getting used to being with someone else. And they're both... what's the nice word for selfish? Marshall: Independent.

    • Marshall: If they're not happy, why don't they just break up? Ted: Because they're too stubborn. Neither one wants to be the first to admit they want out. They're playing relationship chicken.

    • Lily: They're a perfect match. Ted: Maybe that's the problem. You can't have two alpha dogs in one relationship. Marshall: We have two alpha dogs in our relationship. Lily: Sure we do, sweetie.

    • Woman's voice: ArchiSEXture, the world of— (screen cuts to Barney) Barney: Hello, Ted. If you're watching this tape, and I knew you'd pick this one, you are now in possession of my porn. This can only mean two things: either I'm dead, or I'm now in a committed relationship. If I'm dead, I want you to honor my memory by taking my body to the Hamptons and recreating Weekend at Bernie's: I wanna dance, I wanna have sex with a girl, and I wanna go fishing. If, on the other hand, I'm in a committed relationship, then as your best friend, I have only one request: Please for the love of God, GET ME OUT OF THIS!

    • Ted: (reading porno box) "ArchiSEXture"—that is not how you spell Buckminster Fuller.

  • NOTES (3)

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    • The Italian episode title is "L'ultima missione", meaning "The Final Mission".

    • International Airdates: Australia: March 24, 2010 on Channel 7; United Kingdom: July 8, 2010 on E4; India: October 7, 2010 on Star World; Czech Republic: December 14, 2010 on Prima COOL; Germany: January 26, 2011 on ProSieben; Slovakia: November 21, 2011 on JOJ Plus

    • Music: "Peter Gunn Theme" by Henry Mancini (as slim Barney enters MacLaren's)

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