What Is The Olive Theory From How I Met Your Mother – And Does It Work?

When Ted is recounting his successful first date with Robin to Marshall and Lily, one of the reasons he is convinced she is a good match for him is because she confesses to hating olives, which he loves. Ted and Robin date for a year, but end up breaking up when they realize they are heading in different directions. The two remain friends, but Ted struggles to shake the idea that he and Robin are meant to end up together.

The prospect of a Ted and Robin reconciliation emerges in the Season 9 episode “Platonish.” Robin and Barney are engaged, but in this particular episode, Ted learns that Robin has since changed her mind about olives. One of Ted’s reservations about Robin has been the fact that she doesn’t want kids, whereas he is very motivated to start a family. Robin’s olive evolution makes Ted reevaluate his feelings for her and eventually causes him to reject a job that would have taken him from New York City to Chicago.

Ted chooses not to pursue Robin after learning how her olive preferences have changed, but the Olive Theory may correctly predict a happy ending between the two. As the show ends, it is revealed that the mother of Ted’s children (Cristin Milioti) died six years before Ted started telling their kids about how they met. Ted’s kids encourage him to ask Robin out, which he does, adding another layer of significance to the Olive Theory’s impact on the show.