8) Come On
“Come On” took place at a time when it seemed like Ted’s relationship with Robin could actually be feasible, despite the way the pilot ended. Unfortunately for Mr. Mosby though, Robin is set to go on a camping trip with her co-workers, and one of them has a thing for her. In an effort to cancel the trip, Ted turns to desperate measures and does a rain dance on the roof. Against all odds, the rain does come back and Robin’s trip is canceled.
Watching Ted stand out in the rain, yelling at Robin to come outside, shows off the pure jubilation and hope that Ted Mosby is all about. It’s this episode that made me wish Ted and Robin would actually end up together, even though it had already been clear that they wouldn’t.
This episode also introduced one of my favorite aspects of any sitcom relationship: Marshall and Lily’s pause technique. Any time they would have a fight, they’d be able to just say “pause,” and then carry on with their day until they were ready for the fight to resume. Unfortunately, the reason that’s introduced in the first place is because they’re in the middle of a huge argument, one which might lead to them breaking up, which makes this one of the saddest episodes in the series. The reveal of their breakup serves as a stark contrast to Ted’s jubilation about finding a way to make things work with Robin, and it’s this contrast that makes the episode a great picture of how life works.
When Ted’s at his happiest, he gets home and finds out that Marshall and Lily have broken up. It’s the slap to the emotions that HIMYM is so good at, and it’s a poignant picture of the way life works most of the time. Rarely can something be completely good. As Craig Thomas told EW, “To me, that’s like the essence of the show and why the show works, because it’s life all happening at once. It’s joy and it’s sadness and it’s reality.