Season synopsis
Contains spoilers for this season and earlier seasons.
After Ted and Robin split, Robin returns from Argentina with Gael, a new boyfriend, while Ted tries to move on. He meets Stella, a dermatologist treating the butterfly tattoo he regrets, and pursues her despite her initial refusal to date a patient. After his final treatment, Stella agrees to see him, and the relationship grows to include her young daughter, Lucy. Ted tries to fit into Stella’s life while the friends debate whether the match is moving too quickly.
The strain between Ted and Barney deepens when Barney sleeps with Robin after she is dumped again by her old boyfriend Simon. Robin and Barney initially want to keep the night private, but Ted finds out and stops speaking to Barney. Marshall and Lily, now married, buy an apartment, but Lily’s hidden credit-card debt threatens the purchase. They also discover costly problems with its uneven floors, and Lily tries to sell her paintings to help. Barney keeps looking for a way to repair his friendship with Ted.
In the finale, Stella invites Ted to her sister’s wedding six months away, and he decides they are moving at different speeds and breaks up with her. A taxi crash leaves Ted unhurt but prompts him to reconsider; Barney rushes to the hospital and is hit by a bus on the way. Stella initially thinks Ted only meant to argue, then breaks up with him when she learns he meant it. The accidents reconcile Ted and Barney. Ted goes to find Stella at a children’s amusement park and proposes. The season ends on the proposal, without showing her answer.