HIMYM Theory: Robin's Doppelganger Was The Real Robin
Did the "How I Met Your Mother" gang become friends with the wrong Robin?
In the "HIMYM" universe, there exist certain doppelgangers, individuals who look eerily similar to the main characters on the sitcom. The doppelgangers became a recurring joke, occasionally popping up throughout the series. They even ended up as a key part of Marshall (Jason Segel) and Lilly's (Alyson Hannigan) marriage following Season 5.
With 5 core characters, there were 5 doppelgangers, all running amock in New York City. Marshall's doppelganger is a Latino lawyer, while Lily's copy is a Russian stripper. Ted (Josh Radnor), meanwhile, struggles to live up to the athletic finesse of his Mexican wrestler doppelganger, while Barney's (Neil Patrick Harris) double is a gynecologist. In a theory posted by Reddit user u/sadnessofthebody on the r/FanTheories subreddit, the fan pointed out how all four of the doppelgangers aren't American — Barney's gynecologist is half-Armenian.
In the core group, the only non-American is Robin (Cobie Smulders), a Canadian. The user suggests that the Robin fans know and love isn't the actual Robin, but rather a doppelganger of the real Robin. Fans might remember that Robin's double looked like a stereotypical American. "But lesbian Robin looks very American/ New York, with her baseball outfit," the user wrote. "Therefore, my theory is that she should have been the fifth friend, and Canadian Robin is actually the doppelganger."
How would the series have played out with the real Robin?
As expected, fans of the series were interested in the "How I Met Your Mother" theory. It does make sense, considering all the doppelgangers presented are non-Amercan. One user pointed out how the theory clears up some of Robin's backstory and plot holes. Season 1 of "HIMYM" featured Robin saying she's never played team sports before, while the rest of the seasons flashback to the Canadian playing hockey as a youth. User u/meckyborris found the theory intriguing but couldn't wrap their head around one detail. "I like this theory but the whole plot line is gone without straight Robin," they wrote. "Ted would have ended up with Victoria."
Indeed, the "HIMYM" narrative would have collapsed if Ted didn't end up with Robin. The plan, since the show's inception, was to have Ted and Robin together. Series co-creator Carter Bays revealed in a 2014 tweet that he had been writing the finale since 2006, a year after the show debuted on CBS. It's all but likely that the Robin doppelganger theory isn't true, but it's still fun to imagine what the show would have looked like with her in tow. "Her and Barney could pick up chicks together. I bet she'd suit up," one user suggested.
Still, the doppelganger theory is a great one that makes the world of "HIMYM" feel more well-rounded.