How I Met Your Mother - Part 5

[JP]

Oh bull ****ing s***. The finale did no such thing. Did it retroactively kill any joke that got you to laugh previously? Did it undo the fact that it was the only multicamera comedy in this day and age to actually be creative with their narrative? I don't think so.

Eh, all I know is that when it's on I have no desire to watch, I just flip the channel. It's not a deliberate choice at all. It just happens.. :/

 

[LostSon88]

I have no desire to ever rewatch the series. Just as people start tuning out of a series when they feel it's losing its muster, that's pretty much how I felt after seeing that finale.

The show was already on its last ropes as it was then to give us a bs ending like that really did taint the show for me. Call me melodramatic if you like but that's where I stand.

 

[Erzengel]

I've watched every single episode of HIMYM.

I got into it by watching various episodes here and there and thanks to Netflix and streaming sites, I was able to catch up and watch the finale when it first came on.

I haven't really watched an episode since.

 

[Teelie]

I haven't rewatched any of it since the series finale but it isn't because of the finale exactly. There are just too many episodes to sit and rewatch it again right now on top of knowing how it ended, and though the lackluster, disappointing ending doesn't help it any, I doubt I would be eager to sit through all those years of it again any time soon.

The ending might have dampened the series but it didn't ruin it for me.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

The problem with HIMYM was it tried too hard to put a last minute, unexpected spin on what was essentially a drawn-out, contrived narrative gimmick. And also the fact that death is rarely "haha" funny.

 

[Erzengel]

I think you can find my posts about me being disappointed in the finale, but whether it's an unconscious act or not, I just flip past it whenever it's on.

 

[Teelie]

The problem with HIMYM was it tried too hard to put a last minute, unexpected spin on what was essentially a drawn-out, contrived narrative gimmick. And also the fact that death is rarely "haha" funny.

It was a let down how they ended it and even when so many people called it and it was flat out denied by both the cast, crew and fans in denial they went to that ending with a final season I don't think I'll watch again. I'd just end it at the end of season 8.

 

[Matt]

I like the ending. Barney and Robin's divorce, it feels real. These two were never going to last. It doesn't make their love artificial or mean it was not real. But the sad reality of life is that people get married and love each other but it still doesn't last. Similarly, Ted's wife dying...people die. You don't plan for it, you seldom see it coming...but it happens. It is a real curve ball life throws at you. Bravo to the writers for having the balls to explore something like that.

The only part I didn't like was Ted and Robin getting together. But I feel like a lot of what was cut from the finale would've made it make more sense. It doesn't mean Ted did not love the mother...it just means now, in different places in their lives, Ted and Robin could try again. Timing is everything when it comes to love. They weren't the right people for each other in 2012. That doesn't mean they weren't in 2025. They grew, they changed, and now they could give it a go.

It is actually an incredibly fitting and poignant ending. Think of how many times the show explored the theme of never knowing where life is taking you, the universe's plan, etc. It was a common theme and the ending underlines it beautifully. They just dropped the ball in terms of execution.

 

[MadVillainy]

To the whole "it feels real" "that's what really happens in life" thing doesn't validate it for me.

First of all just in general the whole "that's what real life thing" never is that good of an argument or point to me. IF I want real life, I would go enjoy/not enjoy real life. I don't think TV shows and movies necessarily have a responsibility to mirror real life exactly. Or at least a show like HIMYM which is largely pretty cartoon-ish doesn't have a responsibility to mirror real life like that, so I cant give it points for being what real life is like.
Also if we are going by the real life point, there are people who you don't think will last that actually do last. So I still think they could've made Barney and Robin work if they wanted to.


Robin and Barney getting divorced seemed kinda lame because we had already seen them break up before when they were dating and then we spent a whole season at their wedding just to see them getting divorced. That just made their whole second relationship seem like a waste a time, episodes, etc.

And in regards to the wife dying, obviously and tragically we do have spouses who pass away, but I still don't think that's the way the story should've gone. I think this was one of the cases where Ted deserved a happy ending and I don't feel like a show like HIMYM needed to have a largely sad finale like it had. ANd I don't mean that because it's a comedy, it just doesn't seem like the kind of comedy that needed that kind of ending.
And also from a storytelling perspective waiting 9 years to meet someone just to kill them off seemed stupid to me.

And kinda tying both of those together Ted getting with/going after Robin kinda sucked to me because we already have seen them together and then we spent what was it like 2 seasons of Ted trying to let Robin go, just for him to go back to her in the end. I don't think that was a smart move.

I think the series already showed us that you don't know where life can lead you. There are break ups, deaths, reconnections...I just don't think the show needed to do that again with the ending. Or at least I wish they'd come up with a better way to do it

But diff'rent strokes I guess

 

[Superman Earth1]

I like the ending. Barney and Robin's divorce, it feels real. These two were never going to last. It doesn't make their love artificial or mean it was not real. But the sad reality of life is that people get married and love each other but it still doesn't last. Similarly, Ted's wife dying...people die. You don't plan for it, you seldom see it coming...but it happens. It is a real curve ball life throws at you. Bravo to the writers for having the balls to explore something like that.

The only part I didn't like was Ted and Robin getting together. But I feel like a lot of what was cut from the finale would've made it make more sense. It doesn't mean Ted did not love the mother...it just means now, in different places in their lives, Ted and Robin could try again. Timing is everything when it comes to love. They weren't the right people for each other in 2012. That doesn't mean they weren't in 2025. They grew, they changed, and now they could give it a go.

It is actually an incredibly fitting and poignant ending. Think of how many times the show explored the theme of never knowing where life is taking you, the universe's plan, etc. It was a common theme and the ending underlines it beautifully. They just dropped the ball in terms of execution.

I agree and disagree with this part. Sometimes this happens and sometimes the opposite happens. There was no reason this time what so ever for them to break Barney and Robin up. They should have let them stayed married and lived a happy life instead of regress Barney from 4 seasons worth of progress. The Ted and Robin thing was done and it was like beating a dead horse. When you see the majority of your fans wanted Robin and Barney to stay married and you see that the majority of your fans loved the mother and wanted to keep her alive you then need to fixed the ending. I don't care how long ago the ending was filmed they should've fixed it when they saw it wouldn't work anymore.

 

[Matt]

I agree and disagree with this part. Sometimes this happens and sometimes the opposite happens. There was no reason this time what so ever for them to break Barney and Robin up. They should have let them stayed married and lived a happy life instead of regress Barney from 4 seasons worth of progress. The Ted and Robin thing was done and it was like beating a dead horse. When you see the majority of your fans wanted Robin and Barney to stay married and you see that the majority of your fans loved the mother and wanted to keep her alive you then need to fixed the ending. I don't care how long ago the ending was filmed they should've fixed it when they saw it wouldn't work anymore.

I've had friends who have tried to change who they were for people. Guess how all of them wound up? Divorced, separated, etc.

Both Barney and Robin tried to "change," due to this idealized life they had built up in their head. But in the end, they were who they were and neither were suited for marriage.

 

[Steyin]

I have no desire to ever rewatch the series. Just as people start tuning out of a series when they feel it's losing its muster, that's pretty much how I felt after seeing that finale.

The show was already on its last ropes as it was then to give us a bs ending like that really did taint the show for me. Call me melodramatic if you like but that's where I stand.

Ditto for me. Plus I never found this show or single episodes re-watchable on their merit anyway.

 

[Superman Earth1]

I've had friends who have tried to change who they were for people. Guess how all of them wound up? Divorced, separated, etc.

Both Barney and Robin tried to "change," due to this idealized life they had built up in their head. But in the end, they were who they were and neither were suited for marriage.

Now that's from your experience. I know people and have a few friends who did the same meaning lived a life like Barney's because they wanted to settle down with that one person and they are all still married. With kids even. Which is why I see where you're coming from but I disagree as well.

 

[Erzengel]

I think most people don't have issues with the concepts as much as the delivery.

It's not out of left field that Barney and Robin got divorced. It's not out of the realm of possibilities that Robin got back together with Ted.

It was all how it was shown. Don't have a whole season about a wedding only to have them broken up by the last episode.

And for as the mother? I think someone posted something about how the they shouldn't of held on to that original ending they've been keeping hidden since the beginning because they outgrew it. It happens.

I mentioned before that JK Rowling stated that afterwards she felt that Herminone should have been with Harry. From the movies, it really felt like it.

 

[SpideyVille]

As many have said, it's not so much a conscious choice to tune out or change the channel when it airs, it just happens. I'm just explaining why its harder for me to even want to watch the show again by choice.

The show definitely lost its way after a while, where Ted was almost a background character, and Robin and Barney's relationship was the main focus. Now it makes some sense to show that relationship because it was at their wedding that Ted meets the mother. However, to see a whole season focus on that weekend, and then undo it 10 minutes into an hour long finale, it feels like they were totally trying to kill time and give us reasons to believe that Robin and Ted was never going to be a thing again.

Bad enough, they hinted at him still having feelings, and that alone was enough to get people frustrated. But then to shoehorn that right back because that was a corner they put themselves in years ago, it almost feels like an act of disrespect to the viewers who followed the whole journey. Yes, there were some things that were executed poorly, but there were also so many ideas that just flat out didn't work.

 

[Kanon]

Bad enough, they hinted at him still having feelings, and that alone was enough to get people frustrated. But then to shoehorn that right back because that was a corner they put themselves in years ago, it almost feels like an act of disrespect to the viewers who followed the whole journey. Yes, there were some things that were executed poorly, but there were also so many ideas that just flat out didn't work.

That was the main offense: The whole point of the latter seasons was Ted growing up, geting over Robin, and letting her go... and then, it was kind of a lie...

I'm ok with some realism, but stories must have a point, things must happen for a reason, there must be correlation. If you make a story about Luke Skywalker finding the force and space adventure and stuff, you don't put some random rebel to blow up the death star, and if you make a point about Ted growing up, Robin and Barney getting together apparently meant for each other, you don't roll back in the last episode :S

 

[Matt]

Ted DID get over Robin. He finally let her go, when she got married and once he let her go, he met the mother.

Then 15 years later, after finally letting go of his wife, who had passed,he met Robin again under new and different circumstances. They had become different people, their love would be something different. It doesn't invalidate the love he felt toward his wife. It is two different people at a different time finding one another.


Conceptually, it is a fantastic idea, IMO. The execution is where they dropped the ball.

 

[LostSon88]

Had they fleshed out that aspect then MAYBE the ending wouldn't have felt so lame. Had they given the audience time to understand where and how older Ted and older Robin got to that point after Tracy passed then again MAYBE it would've been more acceptable for audiences. And funnily enough, I feel they would've been able to utilize Tracy more in flashback had a portion of Season 9 taken place in the future and had older Ted reminiscing about her as he dealt with his re-ignited feelings for Robin.

Instead, they summed that all up in 3 minutes and just expected the fans to roll with it.

 

[Naked Shia]

Ted DID get over Robin. He finally let her go, when she got married and once he let her go, he met the mother.

Then 15 years later, after finally letting go of his wife, who had passed,he met Robin again under new and different circumstances. They had become different people, their love would be something different. It doesn't invalidate the love he felt toward his wife. It is two different people at a different time finding one another.


Conceptually, it is a fantastic idea, IMO. The execution is where they dropped the ball.

But he did never let her go, and he didn't become another person. If he was a different person, he wouldn't go to her with the blue horn. The execution wasn't well thought out at all.

 

[SpideyVille]

The way it played out, it seemed more like the mother's only purpose was to give Ted the things that he wanted, like Kids and the suburban life, only for him to hav4e that long enough to get it out his system and go back to being with Robin, who was more accepting of children, or at least his kids.

Ted needed someone to distract him for years, while Robin needed to be distracted and still get what she wanted. That's how it plays out. Not the epic love story that we think we're on for most of the series.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

The 'mom' was a plot-device. One that the writers killed in order to advance the almighty Ted's story. Because it's all about Ted. Hey kids let me tell you a 10 year story about how I met your mom and then she died. Pfft, Ted sucks.

 

[Teelie]

You forgot to add, "and now I want to bang Aunt Robin, is it okay if I do that?"

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

Yeah.

You know what? **** Ted.

 

[MadVillainy]

hahaha

I like Ted. The only time he really annoyed me was that time in Season 3 when he wasnt talking to Barney

 

[SpideyVille]

The 'mom' was a plot-device. One that the writers killed in order to advance the almighty Ted's story. Because it's all about Ted. Hey kids let me tell you a 10 year story about how I met your mom and then she died. Pfft, Ted sucks.

But Ted went missing for like two years.

Seriously, everything I had seen about the show, in terms of promotion, from season 6 onward had nothing to do with Ted lol