Before How I Met Your Mother season 7 premiered, the executive producers of the show made it very clear that this season is Robin’s season, and that Cobie Smulders deserves to get an Emmy nod for it. This made me, and a lot of people, very hopeful. Cobie Smulders was so underused on the show for the past few seasons, and season 7 was definitely the time for her to shine.

Through the first few episodes, I didn’t really get why the execs had said that. Robin’s storyline was barely advancing: She was in love with Barney & then decided to date another guy, Kevin. What’s new about that? Nothing.

In episode 9, though, they made her cheat with Barney on Kevin after they showed us a flashback of them kissing in the summer. And Episode 10 ended with Robin telling Barney she was pregnant. I was shocked. I stayed still after episode 10 ended for like 2 minutes trying to comprehend what just happened. She was pregnant? Robin? The only character on the show who’s adamantly against having kids? Things were getting thrilling for Robin and I liked that.

I was intrigued, as were millions (the episode after Robin told Barney she was pregnant became the most watched episode in 2 years with 11.7 million viewers.) The writers promoted the episode intensely with interviews and previews that made all of the fans go insane. They talked about the paternity issue and how Robin’s going to deal with her pregnancy. I was excited.

The next episode started with Robin talking to her kids the same way Ted talks to his kids about his past; she had brunette girl and a blonde boy. I squealed so hard, I think one of the neighbors screamed at me to shut up. Not only did she have kids, but Barney was the father. I smiled throughout the first half of the episode, and then the bombshells started dropping.

Robin’s not pregnant.

Well, okay. I was surprised, of course. The writers were promoting the episode through Robin’s pregnancy only, so I felt betrayed, but the dance number Robin and Barney did after they learned she wasn’t really pregnant cheered me up and all was good again.

In a few minutes, another bombshell dropped: Robin can’t have kids… EVER.

Uhm, what??!

This is not the first time the show has tackled a sad issue. Remember when Marshall’s dad died? But THIS was too much. How I Met Your Mother is a sitcom. It’s supposed to make viewers laugh with and at the characters. It’s supposed to make them giggle throughout the episode – not cry.

It turns out the kids Robin was talking to weren’t real. She was just imagining them. I wept like a child from that scene on.  When Ted cheered Robin up (even though he didn’t know why she was upset in the first place) by Christmas lighting up his apartment to “Highway to Hell” by AC/DC (A band Robin thinks is bad-ass), my heart hurt so much, it broke. THAT scene, though, should definitely get Cobie Smulders an Emmy. She cried so hard, I forgot she was acting. But that the thing is, if she is to get nominated for an Emmy, it would be for Comedy, and this scene was not comedic at all.

To make things worse, at the end of the episode, Ted’s voice-over clarified that Robin will never EVER have kids – she will not adopt, or get a surrogate, or anything.

Yes, I was very glad that Cobie Smulders got an episode that revolved around her with a solid storyline. And yes, I want her to get an Emmy for her role, but not like this.

I still don’t get why they did that. Why would they destroy a character like that … on a comedy? The show is going to take a very dramatic turn after it returns from its hiatus (the return date has not been determined yet). And the writers said the second half of the season will deal with Robin accepting her brutal reality, telling her friends about it, and with her getting closer to Ted, she is a very special person in his life, after all.

What?? You can’t build up the first 12 episodes of the season on Barney & Robin and then simply move on to Ted/Robin & Barney/a new character played by Becki Newton.

Obviously, I’m very pissed.

What did you guys think of the Robin storyline in the mid-season finale? Do you think the writers went too far?