I agree the poster who said that all the character growth was thrown out with the finale (and the whole last season). The series started to lose me in the last 3 seasons. I really just have to learn to stop watching a series when it no longer resonates with me. I tend to finish them out just because I have invested so much time in the show and the characters. But, I must learn to step away. Finales like The X-Files, BSG, Lost, Dexter and numerous others puts a damper on my enthusiasm for the series as a whole. My BSG and Lost box sets have been donated. I am keeping Dexter up to the season 4 finale (which would have made a great series finale). The X files stays. I know the creators told the story they wanted to tell, but I am not obligated to pretend I like it just because they saw it through. I am very disappointed with the outcome and I'll happily express that when friends ask for Netflix recommendations.
According to wikipedia, there was 18 minutes cut from the final episode. Why the hell didn't they just make it a 90 minute episode then?! It's the finale! And why not do a 30 minute clipshow or something before it and make it a full night?
I could have lived with that but after seeing what we actually got, that alternate ending looks too boring, safe, expected and forgettable. I loved that they ended things with a twist and turned the whole show on its head. Since we're going through endings we liked and didn't like... Really Liked: Battlestar Galactica How I Met Your Mother The Shield ...largely because of their twists and satisfying endings with some closure. Didn't Like: Dexter Lost Star Trek: Voyager The X-Files ...because of their non-endings that dropped the ball or left something hanging.
I don't disagree entirely. But my biggest issue is the Robin element and I think that if you don't have him go after Robin it's too dark. Even if you have a nice speech about love and loss, I think it's just too dark. And you know what's wrong with a happy ending? Ted has essentially been chasing and waiting for this woman since day 1. Is it so wrong for him to get his final reward?
I thought the finale was a beautiful-yet-flawed piece of art. Beautiful in its presentation of how temporary the "legendary" moments in life are - with a group of friends, or with The One - how incredibly important it is to recognize those times for what they are and enjoy the hell out of them. There's no guarantee that Future Ted and Robin will be together forever, either ... but you can be sure Ted will enjoy every single moment of it. Flawed in that I'm not sure how it works as a sitcom finale, where people are looking for escapism - especially considering the positive reaction the schmaltzy-yet-unrealistic "edited ending" clip is in this thread. This certainly wasn't the "safe" ending ... and it did have its flaws (even if the moment with his daughter was one of the best moments of the series, Barney's "regression" into the Playbook 2 - and his subsequent admonishment of the young women - were a bit too over-the-top) ... but damn if this wasn't one of the most beautiful finales out there.
Robin didn't need to 'grow up'. It was consistent with her that her career was her priority. That's apparently what ended her marriage with Barney; and if Barney couldn't put up with her work schedule, why is there any reason to think Ted could, particularly since we've seen several times before that he can't?
They really should have made it a 90 minute episode.. That's a lot to be cut and I bet it deals with a few issues that are being raised. I would be shocked if an extended cut weren't on the DVD now.
I kinda feel sorry for those who think having the mother be alive and well would be “unrealistic“. Whatever terrible losses you suffered that had you “learn to let go and move on“, it's actually not the norm. I sincerely hope that you don't look at couples thinking “have fun while it lasts, sooner or later one of you is going to die, leave you, betray you or shit on you.“ And it's funny how having Ted end up with the mother happily ever after would be unrealistic or schmaltzy or fairy tale or typical Hollywood, but Ted ending up with Robin happily ever after isn't.
Married people kinda cohabitate most of the time but not exclusively . Barney was unemployed baggage following Robin around the world complaining like a child about every minor hickup while she's exhausted from being the over worked breadwinner. Ted is not leaving Westchester (permanently). Robin travels the world, but then bangs him whenever she is in America.
We didn't get the fairy tale ending, but one that is more reflective of real life. The story was the journey to meeting the mother and not My Life With Your Mother. Robin needed to figure out what she wanted. At the end, she had lost her wanderlust and had settled down. Kudos to Bays & Thomas for mapping out where they wanted to go and sticking to it.
Again, living happily ever after with the mother is fairy tale, but living happily ever after with Robin isn't?
Robin worked for Ted, and earnt Ted, and vices versus. TRACY and Ted were a magic trick. A greased sinkhole they couldn't escape or get out of with out dying and going to heaven.
Sames. I watched a video discussion on IGN and they mentioned a theory that's been doing the rounds about the spin-off 'How I Met Your Dad' and the speculation is that the main character is going to be '31'. I can see them doing something like this to tie the shows together, and it makes sense as to why we never got a shot of her or a mention of her name.
In the spinoff is 31 going to be the Mother, and the money shot after 9 years is that they introduce Barney as the Father?
So glad I stopped watching this show a long time ago. Just came in to see how it actually ended, and glad I missed that.
I really wanted that happy ending with the Mother. I'm basically where Ted is in the final season, and I want to meet my Tracy dammit <<And it's funny how having Ted end up with the mother happily ever after would be unrealistic or schmaltzy or fairy tale or typical Hollywood, but Ted ending up with Robin happily ever after isn't. >> In fitting with the tone of the finale, I'm sure Robin gets slaughtered by a serial killer five years after they finally get together. He probably kills Penny and Luke too. Because, you know, not everybody gets their fairytale ending
What would be funny, is after Ted asks permission from the kids, that the boy (Kenny?) says, "Sorry, Dad, but Aunt Robin and I are in love and we're going to get married." But that's just me.