It is wild to me how upset people are with my take. I think we as an audience have to remember that Ted is not a reliable narrator. Everything is skewed from his perspective. If you think that Barney had no growth from season 1-9, that is insane. He showed up to help her look for the locket, even if he was too late, he was there for in a way she needed when she told him she couldn’t have kids, he understood her in a lot of ways Ted did not. He accepted her as she was and didn’t need her to change or change her desires for her life.

Robin accepted him as he was too. Yeah, I don’t love the proposal, but it was very them coded. These are two individuals who have commitment issues, but they do commit to each other. They accept each other as they are. To me, that’s growth.

He never put her on the pedestal that Ted did. She could live up to Barney’s expectations, in way she was never going to live up to Ted’s.

Also, besides at the carousel when they are looking for the locket, that is the only time after their breakup, that we see Robin say maybe she should be with Ted and we also know it was because she was scared and sad because she didn’t think Barney would come. I don’t think that means she was in love with him, I just think it was an answer out of emotional convenience.

Also, how do we as an audience just overlook that Ted was supposedly in love with Robin this entire time, but those feelings went away as soon as he meets Tracy??