They all loved each other at the end of the day, but there's no shortage of horrible things the characters in How I Met Your Mother did to each other. Teasing was an everyday occurrence, and most of the time, they were all able to roll their eyes and laugh it off.
However, there are some instances in which the gang crossed a line and ended up hurting one of their friends more than they intended. Robin wasn't good at showing her emotions, so when she was upset, it usually went unnoticed. Therefore, the gang often took things farther than they should have.
They Make Fun Of Her For Being Canadian
Robin's Canadian heritage is one of the many running gags in How I Met Your Mother. It's usually light jabs that are all in good fun, but sometimes the gang can get a bit too extreme with it. Barney is the main culprit of this and acts like living in Canada is the worst possible thing that could happen to a person.
When Robin informs him that he's one-quarter Canadian, Barney goes off the rails. He dresses up in red, white, and blue, coordinates an entrance at a Halloween party, and does everything he can to prove to Robin that America is the superior country.
They Miss Her Morning Show
The gang never watches Robin's morning show because it comes on when everyone is asleep. Eventually, they feel bad and have a sleepover at Marshall and Lily's so they can all watch the show together. Robin is excited that her friends are tuning in, and the show turns out to be the best one yet.
Robin saves someone's life, and even delivers a baby. However, when she shows up at the apartment, she discovers that no one was paying attention to her show because they were all busy arguing.
They Start A "Robin 101" Class
Not only was this a serious invasion of privacy, but it was flat-out weird. During the early days of Barney and Robin's relationship, Barney is worried that he's going to mess things up between them. So, Ted, who previously dated her, comes up with a solution.
Once a week he holds a "Robin 101" class after hours at the college to help Barney better understand Robin's likes and dislikes. There are photos involved, intimate information that shouldn't be shared, and the fact there was someone in the class other than Barney made it worse.
They Participate In A Drinking Game About Her
No one likes to be called out on their flaws, but Barney and Ted use one of Robin's to let loose. Ted's students point out that Robin can't stop saying "but, um" throughout her newscast, and they make a drinking game centered around it.
Rather than telling Robin upfront, the guys grab some booze and spend the night laughing at Robin and drinking away. Ted even joins his class at the bar to play the game with them.
They Track Down Her "Robin Sparkles" Video
When Robin refuses to go to the mall, everyone wants to know why. She's clearly uncomfortable with all the poking and prodding, but the gang refuses to let up. Marshall goes to the library to find information on Robin that could be related, leading everyone to think Robin got married at a mall.
The gang is relentless. No matter how many times she asks them to back off they refuse, and Barney tracks down a tape from Robin's teenage years. They all watch it and discover that she was a Canadian pop star named "Robin Sparkles."
They Trap Her In The Suburbs
After a falling out with Ted, Robin moves out of their apartment. Lily and Marshall are more than happy to host her at their home in the suburbs, but the episode turns creepy very quickly. Finding other housing options, Robin tells Lily and Marshall that she's going to leave.
They ruin her clothes, lock her door, and do everything they can to keep her trapped in their house. Robin creates an escape plan, which Lily and Marshall find out about by reading her journal. When she tries to sneak out, her friends are in the kitchen waiting for her in the dark.
They Don't Realize How Much She's Hurting
Robin's breakup with Barney took more of an emotional toll on her than most of the gang realized. As her best friend, Lily picks up on Robin's feelings, but Barney was blind as a bat.
He continues to parade women in front of her and makes her wonder if she was anything more than just another number on his list of conquests. Barney's lack of consideration is downright cruel, and while he didn't realize what he was doing, he should have been paying better attention.
They Intrude On Her Time With Don
Robin and Don's relationship is getting serious, which makes Ted and Barney start to worry. They both realize at the same time that they want her back, and drunk dial her in an attempt to flirt.
When that doesn't work, Ted and Barney show up screaming outside of her apartment until she lets them in. Robin and Don end up having to take care of them instead of spending time alone, as they had originally planned.
They Ruin Her News Segment
Marshall creates a lie that spins out of control and puts Robin's job in jeopardy. Lily wants to buy a gun after Marshall is mugged, but he tells her he was mugged by a monkey at the zoo to talk her down. Robin immediately wants Marshall to come on her show and tell the story, but chaos ensues.
After Marshall realizes they're putting the monkey down based on what he said, he tries to come clean, on-air, and tell the truth. Ted comes along with the model for his building, begging Robin to let him join her segment. Meanwhile, Barney manages to make things worse just by being himself. The whole thing is a disaster, and the monkey escapes and destroys Ted's model while Robin is trying to save her show.
They Let Her Drift Away
One of the saddest aspects of the How I Met Your Mother finale, was where Robin stood in terms of the gang. She began to pull away and no one even understood the reason why.
Barney was constantly hitting on people in front of her, Ted, who she was still in love with, was happily married, and Marshall and Lily were busy preparing for the birth of their third kid. Robin felt as if there was no place for her among the group, as hanging out with them only caused her pain.