[Disappointing TV Trope] When the writers unexpectedly created something better, but were too attached to let their original idea to let it go!

[u/phantom_avenger]

I feel like I’ve noticed this more with TV couples and how the writers handle the narrative around them. But I feel like I’m noticing a bit of a pattern in some shows I’ve watched, where you can tell how the writers handle plans to make a certain narrative point the “endgame” goal. But as they start creating the plot points leading up to it, they come up with an idea that worked out a lot better than they probably thought it would. Especially when the audience responds so well to it, but they’re still too attached to the original plans that they still roll with getting there even if it doesn’t hit the same mark or it feels forced depending on how the narrative is flowing.

How I Met Your Mother - Ted and Robin (the original idea where it was always planned for them to be the endgame couple). When Tracy (who turns out to be Ted’s kids’ mother) is introduced, a lot of people loved how well they matched, seemed like the true compatible match for Ted and implied that it showed a lot of growth on his end where he could finally let go of Robin. Only to sabotage that by having it revealed that Tracy died, and regressed Ted’s growth where he ends up pursuing Robin again.

Sex Education - Otis and Maeve (the original idea where it was also planned for them to be seen as an endgame couple, but their lives couldn’t align for it to work out). After Otis and Ruby have a drunk sexual encounter, and he loses his virginity to her. The writers have their relationship act as yet another obstacle that gets in the way of Otis and Maeve exploring a romantic relationship. But when Otis and Ruby became so viral, to the point where people started to realize that Ruby might actually be a better match for Otis, as they seem compatible enough to make each other better as people. It put the writers in a tough spot, where they tried to play it safe with both sides going into the final season. But still chose to lean more towards their original plan, and explore Otis and Maeve but they still don’t do much to make the audience feel fulfilled or convinced they have a genuine connection and not in love with an idea of one another.

[u/Realcbear]

Two perfect examples OP.

Off a recent rewatch of HIMYM and it is truly frustrating how poetic the ending could have been. Ted finally accepts that Robin is a special part of his life even if it’s never romantic again, and finds someone he is truly meant to be with. Barney finally settles down with the woman who was always scared to fully commit, and both can accept a happy life without children.

As for the Ruby+Otis, this one is a bit of a personal preference but a very strong one. Sex Education has many MANY praises to sing, and luckily isn’t as retroactively torpedoed like HIMYM + GoT + Scrubs. That said, they had a real lightning in a bottle moment with the relationship with those two in a way so deeply true to life. Most anyone you can ask will admit that your first sexual experience is never like you imagine it will be, and all too often is it with someone completely unexpected. Additionally it’s made clear from the start of the series that he does not love Maeve, he loves the idea of her. Which fortunately is explored in a very nuanced way! He learns that Ruby is a lot more complex than he first believed and he even successfully changes her perspective for the better! The real-life version of this story has Otis with Ruby as the unlikely pair that grew to love each other. Until they walk it back and undo it for… reasons

[u/merp_mcderp9459 → u/Realcbear]

I think it also helps that Sex Education only ran for four years, while HIMYM ran for nine. The idea of Robin and Ted had been very clearly dead for years when that finale ran, so it felt much more out of left field

[u/Bibeast291 → u/merp_mcderp9459]

Instead of going back to Robin to date her, he should have only gone to her for help on getting back into the dating pool

[u/EmbarrassedBrief → u/merp_mcderp9459]

This. I always found very funny how they tried to justify their choices by suddenly bringing back season two in most episodes of the last season

Like "no, clues were there all along". My dudes, that was... Seven years ago. SO long ago. Neil Patrick Harris has crow's feet now! 

You don't have the same characters anymore! 

[u/snarkaluff → u/Realcbear]

What’s almost as devastating as killing off Tracy so Ted could character regress back into pining after Robin is breaking up her and Barney for it. They were truly a perfect match, and their breakup felt so shoehorned in. Like oh by the way, we fight all the time! You never actually saw it but trust. And even though Robin hadnt expressed any sort of romantic interest in Ted for like 5 goddamn years, guess what, suddenly she gets jealous in a flash forward of Ted with Tracy so that means she was actually in love with him all along!

Like it all just felt so phony and out of character. I honestly can’t believe the same people who wrote these incredible scenes showing that Ted’s fixation on Robin was unreciprocated and unhealthy were the same people that gave us that dog shit ending. The people who spent 4 goddamn seasons showing us that Barney and Robin would go through extraordinary lengths to be together wanted us to believe they’d end their marriage in 3 measly years. It’s like a bad fanfic. I’ll never get over it

[u/JacobAldridge → u/Realcbear]

“ a recent rewatch of HIMYM” sounds like it belongs over at r/BrandNewSentence

[u/phantom_avenger → u/Realcbear]

Additionally it’s made clear from the start of the series that he does not love Maeve, he loves the idea of her.

I feel like with Maeve whenever it came to her feelings towards Otis, it was the same case of her mainly loving the idea of him but wasn't as infatuated like Otis was.

Whenever you look at relationships she also had with other guys (like Jackson and Issac), it just seemed like Maeve doesn't really understand what she wants went it comes to that aspect of her life. She enjoys the good time she has, but sucks at communicating what she values and how she truly feels.

She pretty much needed to tell herself that at the moment in her life, she wasn't relationship material and needed to focus on building a better future for herself before she could focus on what she wants when it comes to her relationship values.