Marshall was 6’4 handsome lawyer with exceptionally high morals. He’s definitely the one settling, doesn’t really go much further than that.

The only reason Lily isn't so heavily vilified by the fandom despite how toxic the character actually is, is because Alyson Hannigan is such a likeable and charismatic actress.

Marshall is literally the only redeemable character and he’s too good for allll of his friends lol

there’s a point where barney says “your wife is pure evil a puppet master” something along those lines to marshall and he was shocked

A soft-spoken mountain of a man, ruggedly handsome, affable, intelligent, well-educated, humble enough for Minnesota but strong enough to survive in New York. Has a goofy side to him, but knows when to be serious. Handy, hard working, comes with a huge family of some of the best people you'll ever meet.

Lily isn't really that bad per se...but that's about all that can be said.

The not talking about that debt before getting married really gets me. Not because debt is automatically bad, but being able to talk about it, especially before you legally hitch your lives and assets, is just kind of what adults need to do

There is no doubt in my mind that if Lily had still failed as artist but just found a man in San Francisco, she wouldn't have gone back to Marshal.

For me it was the money thing. She was a shopaholic who guilted Marshall into paying her debts while also judging him for the work he did to pay it off!

I think the biggest thing to consider is that Ted is the one who portrays them as a "perfect couple" because that's all he WANTS to see.
They have a lasting relationship that appears loving and that's something that Ted struggles to find. So he sees them as the ideal.

Despite them having serious problems

Barney even recognized Lilly as a master manipulator, and then tell Marshall that she's a keeper lol

I feel like Lily's popularity is mostly because of Alyson Hannigan's portrayal. If she had been played by a less charismatic actress, I doubt fans would have been as forgiving of her actions.

Also, another gripe I have for Lily is that EVERYONE  treats her like she is the wisest of the group and always seeks her advice; AFTER she has PROVEN to give the worst advice and be manipulative when she thinks that she knows what's best for everyone.

What makes her going to San Francisco even worse is fact that marshall told her. " you want to go ? Okay just promise me that nothing between us will change" and she could not even do that

There are a few other things that show just how bad Lily is:

1.  She didn't return to New York on her own.  Barney had to fly out to San Francisco and give her a quick speech about how she and Marshall are miserable without each other.  Would she have come back on her own?  Maybe, but it doesn't look good when Barney, the guy who was actively against being in relationships and supported hookups, especially back then, was why she returned to New York.
2.  Lily actively tried to sabotage Marshall's date with Chloe.  Sure, Chloe turned out to be crazy, but Lily couldn't stand Marshall getting into a relationship with another woman, even though they were long broken up then.
3.  A lot of Lily's life plans, which she revealed during her breakup with Scooter, she threw out herself when she saw Marshall.  Not met, SAW.  During college orientation, she saw Marshall and, in her words, couldn't stand the idea of not meeting him.  Hell, when she told Marshall the truth as to why she went to his college dorm for "help with her stereo," she knocked on other dorms that would have given her the opportunities to do what she was planning to do (even the lesbian experience).  Yet later on, she either freaks out, gets depressed, or gets angry over not being able to do those things.  She destroyed those chances herself.
4.  The biggest thing was when Marshall asked Lily if he and their son, Marvin, were consolation prizes for her.  If she found success in art back in San Francisco, would she have come back?  Based on how she was after she got back, likely not.
5.  This isn't what she did to Marshall, but Lily ruined several of Ted's relationships.  Granted, most of those girls were not good for Ted, but she had zero right to do any of that.  One of those relationships was with Robin.

the not telling her husband of over a year about her 30k credit card debt is the straw that broke the camels back on lily for me

Let's also not forget that the ONE time Marshall asks Lily to put her dreams on hols so he could fulfill his life long dream, Lily had the audacity to tell him that SHE always made sacrifices for him and HE never sacrificed anything.

“Her art is ASS!”

You made me laugh so much while giving a solid case against Lily. Good stuff!

GIRL!!!! I was so focused on hating on Ted that I forgot how ridiculous Lily was. Thank you for this 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿

I think the flaw in Marshall that everyone overlooks is his lack of boundaries

Let's not forget that when Marshal finally leaves and is finding joy and happiness in a new job and opportunity, Lily can't handle a couple of days of being supportive to the point she nearly gets on a plane, without telling Marshal, to take a personal vacation