Oh My Gosh Your Doing It Again Himym

The following contains spoilers from the Season 1 finale of How I Met Your Begetter .

Hulu'south How I Met Your Father returns to its roots with its Flavour 1 finale, equally Hilary Duff's Sophie Tompkins wanders into MacLaren'southward Pub from How I Met Your Mother and crosses paths with none other than Canada's greatest export, Robin Scherbatsky (played, of course, past Cobie Smulders). The famed news reporter buys Sophie a scotch — hullo, Carl the Bartender! — then offers the young woman some sage relationship advice while seated at her favorite booth:

"Do non waste your time being scared," she tells her. "Fearfulness tin brand you run away from things that could be skillful — cracking, fifty-fifty! Things that are supposed to be a part of your story…. I accept been married, I take been single, I have been everything in between, and the merely decisions I regret making are the ones I made out of fear."

The advice speaks not only to Sophie's current predicament involving Jesse, but also to Robin'due south own love story, which remains a work in progress. In the year 2022, she is six years removed from her marriage to Barney and viii years away from rekindling her relationship with Ted.

In dissever interviews, TVLine spoke with HIMYF creators Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, as well as HIMYM director/exec producer Pam Fryman, who continues in both of those roles on HIMYF and directed Smulders' return, about the top-cloak-and-dagger homecoming.

TVLINE | Ahead of air, you all stressed how important it was to distinguish Male parent from Mother. With that in listen, I imagine in that location was quite a bit of discussion virtually when information technology would be appropriate to have original cast members back and how yous wanted to incorporate them into this new show, correct?
FRYMAN | We certainly had those discussions about who we should take come up dorsum, when should that happen, all of that kind of stuff. We hope to be on for a while and nosotros hope to encounter a lot of former friends, simply we didn't want to front-load anything. Cobie just fit so seamlessly into the story that we were telling.

TVLINE | How early into the writing of Flavor ane did you come upwardly with the idea to accept Robin announced in the finale?
BERGER | That was something we started hoping for and wishing for pretty early on on. As she'south navigating her romantic journey and attempting to come up into her own, nosotros loved the idea of Sophie crossing paths with someone who is and so pivotal and such a presence from the original. The idea that she would actually get advice and feedback from Robin only seemed and then tremendously exciting.

TVLINE | Who picked up the phone and called Cobie?
FRYMAN | [Original series co-creator] Craig [Thomas] reached out to Cobie first, and she was similar, "When practice y'all need me?" She said aye immediately. She couldn't wait.
APTAKER | She had no sort of hesitation. She has so much beloved for Robin. We had that idea that she would be, sort of… passing the torch and giving some wisdom to the side by side generation, and I think she actually loved the idea of that dynamic with Hilary.

TVLINE | Of HIMYM'southward core 5, I was positive Cobie would be toughest to nail down, if only due to her Marvel commitments.
FRYMAN | It'due south impressive, too. We had to shoot it early…

TVLINE | How early?
FRYMAN | Maybe after the outset few episodes? It was definitely early on… considering she was going to London to shoot Marvel stuff. So we shot information technology quite some time ago, and we managed to keep it a secret.

TVLINE | You took additional measures to muffle the returns of Kyle MacLachlan (The Captain) and Laura Bell Bundy (Becky), including turning off the live feeds for those working from home and redacting script pages. I imagine those same measures were implemented to keep Cobie'south homecoming under wraps?
BERGER | We definitely turned off the feeds…
APTAKER | We took out the scenes from the finale script that went out to the studio and to the network, so information technology was, like, one-half length, then [those pages featuring Cobie as Robin] went to a very express group.

TVLINE | Did you have a table read, virtual or in person, where you starting time got to hear Cobie back in character as Robin?
FRYMAN | No, nosotros sent the script to her. Craig and [fellow HIMYM co-creator] Carter [Bays] handled that. They really were quite present during that. We waited until she showed up [on gear up], and I sat down with Cobie and Hilary to hear [the scenes]. For Cobie, it took her four-to-v seconds to be totally back in it.

TVLINE | Was it a quick shoot?
BERGER | We did shoot information technology all in one day. It was pretty fast. I mean, anybody involved is such a pro. Pam moves so swiftly, and Cobie seemed to fall dorsum into her old rhythms in absolutely no fourth dimension. Hilary was having the time of her life and was so locked in, so it was a really swift, wonderful mean solar day. And then she was out of there.
APTAKER | Cobie's been doing bigger things — unmarried-cam, movies, action stuff — and she was like, "Why did I ever leave this? I get to be home and feed my kids dinner. This is crazy!" [Laughs]

TVLINE | Pam, I can't begin to imagine what information technology must take been like for you, to exist back on that ready in particular, with Cobie, all these years later…
FRYMAN | I was in New York [iv years ago] shooting the Irish potato Brown reboot, and I got to lookout man Candice Bergen and all of them come in and see her house again, and all of those sets — but I wasn't a part of the original; I was a wing on the wall. I thought, "Oh my God, what an emotional fourth dimension. I tin can't imagine what that must be like." Cut to existence back in MacLaren'south. It'due south a really special thing. And yous never think that's going to happen. I never would have thought that I would exist doing this prove at this time. It's so different, yet at that place'due south so much connective tissue that is such a part of my middle that makes information technology so specifically wonderful for me. Even more than than that, at that place was something about watching Cobie walk into MacLaren's. It was just such a great moment to be a function of.

TVLINE | Did you and Cobie accept a moment to reverberate on the experience — not only of existence back inside MacLaren'southward, but being a part of this sequel serial and the roles you've played in establishing what is at present a franchise?
FRYMAN | Admittedly — and by the way, non simply with her. I've had that chat with other members of the cast, as well. That's the dazzler of the relationships nosotros all take now. I include Carter and Craig in this. Everybody is rooting for everybody, always, in such a large way, then when this [sequel series] happened in such a promising way, everybody was just thrilled. I hateful, I keep texting them and going, "Season ten! Nosotros could do it guys!" Jason [Segel] is always the first one to go "I'm in, simply tell me where to show upwardly." But yes, Cobie and I have talked virtually that a agglomeration. It'due south kind of unbelievable, only unreal.

TVLINE | Isaac and Elizabeth, while neither of you were involved with the original series, surely you must have felt that this was a special day. What was this experience like for the two of you?
BERGER | Information technology was very emotional [for us], and I call up very emotional and surreal for Cobie every bit well, just to exist back on that set, to be directed by Pam, to see crew members that she knows and loves… and for us, information technology was absurd to just take a pace back and lookout man these reunions, and also get to be a part of it and bring these people back together.
APTAKER | It was really cool to see Pam directing Cobie again. Yous could tell these were people who worked together for nine seasons, because they but have this shorthand, where Pam would barely get out half a sentence and Cobie would know exactly what the note was. And so subsequently, all of our crew from How I Met Your Father who worked on the original all got together on the MacLaren's gear up and took a picture show.
FRYMAN | There are enough of us on stage, backside the scenes [from the original series that it was] like a high school reunion…. The other thing that'south then special is that Isaac and Elizabeth had never met Cobie before she came to the set; they'd literally never seen each other in person. She came in and she was and so happy to meet them, so excited for what they had created. And in every bit much as she knows Robin backward and frontward, she was similar, "Tell me what you want," so nosotros all got to talk near it and it didn't take long. Hilary was delighted, and I left them lonely for a little bit so that they could have time together. Considering in as much every bit Robin was giving Sophie advice, I felt that Cobie could talk to Hilary about this process, and everything that had happened.

TVLINE | Was that the original MacLaren's gear up, or did you have to rebuild it from scratch?
APTAKER | That was the original prepare… but our production design and ready decoration team had to exercise a pretty heroic task, considering the bigger elements were all that was there. It was really simply the walls and the booths. They had all these archived photos of the original set up [to work off of], and that fix is pretty complicated — in that location'south murals and photos everywhere — and they had to go about recreating everything that wasn't just the the bones.

TVLINE | Nosotros've mentioned Carter and Craig already. How much of a hand did they have in shaping Robin'southward scenes and dialogue?
BERGER | Carter and Craig weighed in on these scenes heavily. It was very important to them, and nosotros were in total understanding, that even though Robin is betwixt romances at this moment in time, she doesn't seem sad, she doesn't seem depressed. This is a woman that is extremely comfortable with her choices that she'southward fabricated in life. She takes each phase of life and kicks its ass.

TVLINE | At the same time, Robin appears to be in a very reflective state of listen. A part of what she says — well-nigh how "timing is everything" — feels similar it speaks to the ending of HIMYM, and her relationship with Ted. Perhaps she has some regrets almost letting him get away because of bad timing?
FRYMAN | I agree. More than than annihilation, I think when when she walks into that bar, there are ghosts of her by. She'south sitting at the bar, and she takes that glance over to that booth… and she talks about how somebody said that he loved her on their first date. Information technology's all of that. We all walk into places where we've been in dissimilar times of our lives and say "What if I went this manner? What if I went that fashion? Should I phone call that person?" That'southward life, and that's what is so special about this to me. We get to see Sophie on this new journeying and nosotros go to see somebody that we've known and loved for then long reflecting on hers — and she's not washed yet. I mean, clearly! She's getting together with Katie Couric and Savannah Guthrie! [Laughs]

TVLINE | When Robin leaves MacLaren's, she has a limo waiting outside for her. Was at that place any talk of having Marshall Manesh reprise his role as Ranjit?
BERGER | There was not. [Laughs] We did want people to know that she's very successful and that she'south killing it, simply no, that was non the intention.
APTAKER | He is someone that comes up a lot, though! Ranjit's a fan favorite. Whenever nosotros inquire people who they'd love to see from the original, he's one of the virtually common names mentioned.

TVLINE | Robin stops short of referring to whatever of her one-time friends — Ted, Marshall, Lily or Barney — past name. Was there ever a version of the script that included more than specific references to those HIMYM characters?
APTAKER | Not really. We wanted to only give out exactly enough information that was necessary and made sense for this scene. I mean, we're making a lot more than of these, with this double-sized Season 2 society, so we take a lot more than opportunity to larn about what our How I Met Your Mother characters are upward to. Nosotros didn't want to give also much away in this one episode.

TVLINE | What has bringing Robin back taught you about how you'd similar to approach bringing other HIMYM characters into the HIMYF fold? Volition they always be used to impart wisdom onto the next generation?
APTAKER | I don't think they always necessarily have to come dorsum to teach a lesson or impart wisdom. What worked actually well almost Robin's return is that she was essential to the story, and was central in Sophie's decision making and what happened next in Sophie's life. Then I retrieve whenever we would bring someone back from the original, the hope would be that they would play an essential role in our story and not only feel similar they're there to say "hey" and see what whoever is up to.

TVLINE | What does the timing of Robin's return accomplish, in terms of curbing fans' expectations for boosted Easter eggs in Season 2 (and potentially beyond)?
FRYMAN | We got to reveal the apartment in the pilot, which was… I mean, y'all can imagine when I first read the airplane pilot and I'grand like, "New bear witness, totally respect that, this is fantastic," and and then "Oh my God!" But I practice think information technology'southward of import — expect, as much as Carter and Craig were a part of this, and I'm a part of this, this is Isaac and Elizabeth'south baby. They are very talented and have their own stories to tell… and in that location's nothing more than important to me than establishing that and giving them the show they have conceived and deserve. But for those of us who are fans of the sometime evidence, there is nothing more delightful than a line here or there, whether it's most a couple from Wesleyan or any, and you go, "Oh, I get information technology." Merely if we did annihilation earlier, anything big like bring Cobie on, and then you're always waiting for the next matter and it takes away [from the experience]. This show is worthy of standing on its own without that. To get through this first season and accept so many people lookout man and so many people enjoy it, you get, "Y'all know what, you guys have been so wonderful. Here's a trivial something y'all didn't run across coming." I mean, come up on! How great is that? It'due south a gift instead of a promise.

What did y'all think of Smulders' surprise return as Robin? And theHIMYF finale overall? Grade the episode (and Season 1 every bit a whole), so driblet a comment with your full review.

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Source: https://tvline.com/2022/03/14/how-i-met-your-father-cobie-smulders-robin-returns-season-1-finale-explained/

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