‘HOW I Met Your Mother” (CBS, Mondays, 8:30 p.m.) is venturing into classic murky sitcom territory as it tinkers with the possibility of a romance between two of its relationship-averse characters.
Legendary womanizer Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) has found love, or something like it, with Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders).
“HIMYM” centers on the story of how Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) fell in love, framed through a repeated series of flashbacks from the year 2030.
After four seasons, viewers still don’t know who Ted will wind up marrying, but fans don’t seem to mind because they’re too busy enjoying the antics of Ted and his friends, including Barney, Robin, and the married Marshall Eriksen (Jason Segel) and Lily Aldrin (Alyson Hannigan).
Playing the foil to Ted’s hopeless romantic nature is Barney, the quick-witted, scene-stealing guy’s guy who is constantly looking for an easy hook-up. What happens when the antics of one seemingly superficial character are challenged by his own genuine feelings of love and devotion for a friend?
It’s not as if “HIMYM” has stopped being funny and become a Lifetime movie. The show remains one of the few comedies in the post-“Seinfeld” era to find any kind of steady or loyal audience.
But somehow the idea of a love-smitten Barney threatens fan’s week-in-week-out expectations of the show. It’s a dangerous – and thrilling – thing to try.
Barney and Robin have had sparks ever since Robin agreed to fill in as Barney’s “bro” in Season 1, where they found that they shared an affinity for laser tag, cigars and cheating at “Battleship.”
In fact, Robin is a female version of Barney, a girl who shudders at the thought of marriage and picks up men like static cling.
Robin and Barney got it on one night after Robin was dumped by her childhood love, and Barney has been smitten with her ever since.
Barney is a rare breed. He’s a playboy. He’s a suit. But he’s also lovable. He’s smart. He’s genuinely committed to all of his crazy rules about life. He sticks his neck out for his friends. So you root for him.
When Robin pronounced that fighting was sexy, Barney decided he would fight a few guys at the local bar. To keep Robin and Ted from playing the “friends with benefits” card when they became roommates, Barney showed up at their apartment to help with some cleaning.
(Ted and Robin have been reliably off and on throughout the series. It has already been revealed that Robin is not the future mother of Ted’s children, but that hasn’t stopped the show from stretching out the ups and downs of their relationship.)
Most recently, Robin was forced to find work as a television news reporter in four days lest she be deported back to Canada. Terrified at the thought of her leaving, Barney bent over backward to put together a video resumé and clip reel that gets her a job and keeps her close.
This isn’t the Barney fans have known and loved for four years.
Long-time viewers have seen hints of Barney’s past life as a monogamous, music-writing hippie, a far cry from his more recent self as a clean-cut, corporate America-worshiping womanizer.
Any armchair psychologist with a remote control can tell you that Barney’s past vulnerability and failed long-term relationship led directly to his superficial, detached attitude towards women.
Can a lovelorn Barney maintain his legendary awesomeness?
Nicole Homewood blogs about TV for nypost.com.