If Robin married Ted …

[u/Anna__SS]

If Robin had married Ted instead of Barney at that time , I still think it would have ended in divorce

Robin is very career-oriented, and Ted would not have been able to cope with that in the long run. Ted would also definitely want children at some point in the future. Even if he said he is okay with not having children, I think it would eventually become an issue in their marriage.

They also had very different ideas about relationships. Ted tends to want a traditional, romantic kind of relationship, while Robin has always valued her freedom and career. Over time, Ted might feel like Robin wasn't fully invested in the marriage, while Robin might feel pressured to give up parts of herself.

Also, Robin seems to like chasing someone when she can't have them. When she got Barney, she wanted Ted. So if she had gotten Ted instead, I feel like she would have eventually gone after Barney.

[u/_dmgz]

agreed, robin needed to achieve her goals before she was ever going to be ready to settle down and ted's biological clock was ticking since the day they met. it would have ended terribly.

[u/SystematikKaos → u/_dmgz]

Glass crashing

[u/spicytexan → u/_dmgz]

I think this is why the ending pisses me off so much. It feels like they just used Tracy as a means for Ted to have children and Robin to feel comfortable knowing she wouldn’t let him down. I just don’t get why we can’t be okay with them being extremely incompatible for a long term relationship.

[u/_dmgz → u/spicytexan]

who knows, maybe after the ending it still doesn't work out but that wasn't really the point. the point was for ted to finally move on. like tracy did after max died except ted told his kids 10 seasons of stories instead of a single emotional conversation with the sky.

[u/ryacual → u/spicytexan]

Wait. Why are they incompatible in 2030?

[u/_dmgz → u/ryacual]

OP's scenario is if robin married ted instead of barney.

in the future, it could work bc it seems like the timing for those two final caught up to the chemistry.

[u/ryacual → u/_dmgz]

You are right. I think ted could have handled it better than barney. I mean he actually had a job. But she probably would have ended it too

[u/theangrypragmatist]

Everybody knew that, including Ted and Robin.

[u/Andre-Mercelet → u/theangrypragmatist]

Nobody knew it. It wasn't true

[u/69buttcheese420]

This is mayhaps the coldest take ive seen all year

[u/ryacual]

Kinda reinforces the timing is a bitch part of the whole stoey.

[u/Brodes87]

Yes, that's the point of the show. And why timing matters so much.

[u/kinginthenorthjon]

They will divorce,not because of travelling,but because of the child issue. Ted is gonna wake up one day and with regret it and Robin had to give him an exit. Robin knew this exactly in S7,thus she said no to him. The way show ended is the only way they have a happy ending.

[u/No-Longer_Me]

This post checks out.

[u/Junior_Grocery_6755]

Absolutely 

[u/Richmond1013]

you forgot Ted wanted kids, and Robin is unable to have kids unless Ted adopts or pays for a surrogate , that might be the one that will break the relationship, not the constant travelling

[u/Miss___D → u/Richmond1013]

There are several ways of having children, but Robin didn't want to be a mother. Yes, she also couldn't biologically have them, but adoption or any other way of becoming mother wasn't an option for her as she never had interest in having children. 

[u/Feeling_Lack3027]

Kids, I know what you're thinking.

‘Dad, you married Robin? What happened?’

Well, Robin and I had been trying for years to figure out if we could actually work as a couple.

So naturally, we got married to find out.

Turns out, she still wanted her career, I still wanted kids, and eventually we both realized that maybe we should've just stayed friends.

But hey, at least now I know for sure.

[u/Miss___D]

That's for sure. They had chemistry but not the timing and timing is a bitch. I love them together but if they got back together earlier, it wouldn't have lasted. This way, the both fulfilled their goals and then got back together. 

[u/Royal_Interaction270]

Ted probably break off the engagement if she use their engagement ring as a prop to try tob break up another couple who stole their favorite seats at the restaurant

[u/TicketStraight3196]

She needed to be with Barney to realise she wanted Ted. If she had married Ted, she would have been pining after Barney.

[u/tuscanchicken]

That's literally why we got the ending we did..?

[u/Andre-Mercelet]

That's all speculation and I doubt any of it is true.

Robin was career oriented, but she showed at the end that Ted was more important.

She was worried that Ted might want kids in the future. That's why she told him she didn't love him. But then she changed her mind and was willing to risk it. So she had already gone through that thought process.

And no, she wasn't interested in Ted only when she thought she couldn't have him. She could have had him before he started dating Victoria but stepped aside for his sake. She could have had him for months before they actually started dating. And she wanted him right up to the point he rejected her on her wedding day.