The idea of Barney and Robin breaking up has left How I Met Your Mother fans divided. While some are happy because they would rather enjoy the adventures of single awesome Barney and single cool Robin, others are still disappointed and unsatisfied that they are no longer together. But executive producer Carter Bays explains the romance was sacrificed for a greater good. After all, do we really want them together after seeing how miserable they've been?
"None of us wanted to see Barney wearing a sweater-vest and going to bed-and-breakfasts," Bays told Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello, adding that it makes sense the relationship would "flame out fast" given that "neither of them, at their core, really wanted to be tied down."

In a nutshell, the Robin-Barney breakup is the key to the preservation of Neil Patrick Harris' legendary ladies' man---which is what really makes How I Met Your Mother good TV. "It's one of those things where you can give people what they think they want, or what they really want," added Bays, who believes that, deep down, viewers prefer single Barney to attached Barney.

Although the Robin-Barney split serves a pretty good purpose, fans shouldn't lose hope because it doesn't mean that their love story is officially over.

"[They] could get relationship amnesia and decide, 'Hey, this is a good idea!'" Bays proposed. "This could be the first of many flameouts for them."

Bays, however, cautions that a full-fledged reconciliation might not happen in the near future.

 "I don't want to say reconciliation," he said. "But the story is not over, for sure."



(Image courtesy of CBS)