How I Met Your Mother

[Akhilleus]

Maybe some change or progression to their personality? They essentially stay the exact same, in spite of all of the circumstances that hit them. Barney's still a misogynist, Marshall and Lily are still conservative and hate the change that's coming, and Ted's still a dick. No one really changes, in spite of how much time has passed.

Well maybe that's just a perfect comparison to society. That no matter what happens, people change. Deep down you are who you are and it's never going to be any different. Barney basically said that in this finale, he said he tried to change but it simply didn't work for him. And how is Ted a dick?

To me the finale, it seemed like them putting what they would've done with future seasons, all into one. Progressing through their lives decade by decade telling the rest of their stories. While it seemed understandably rushed, I didn't mind it at all.

 

[DarksideEric]

Thought you guys might like this. I've not watched since Season 7 I think but I still found this great.

[YOUTUBE]RxR5dShz_gA[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

I liked the ending at first and killing Tracy was indeed a gut punch. Fuck when he says "...and when she got sick" yep air knocked out.

Ted and Robin have done such a huge back and forth that to be very honest it felt like Ted being a hopeless romantic (again) with Robin just made sense. In a way it encapsulated real life that with some girls, you will always have this lingering chemistry no matter how old you get.

Lily and Marshall strifes felt realistic too and they have always been the rock behind the singles of the group for some time.

Barney's daughter, you know that bar scene where he lectures the girls felt overkill. His scene with the baby was well done and to be honest it would have suited better had he used his toddler as a wingman only to realize that he can't keep doing what he is doing.


The ending felt like something different to me. It made sense. It made sense when the kids said "mum is no where in the story". Because he kept talking up his group and especially Robin and telling them that him and Robin have such a dated history. It seemed like a good fit ye.

 

[JamJam]

[YOUTUBE]0caCEG1nH3E[/YOUTUBE]

So I saw this alternate ending on YouTube and I like this much better. It leaves us to imagine what else happened to the rest of them but it fully stays true to the title of this show. I think this may should've been the way that the show ended. It gives us a happy ending. Now I know not every show should have a happy ending but I think How I Met Your Mother is one of those shows that deserved a better ending than it did.

Any thoughts on this alternate ending?

 

[Alastor]

To me, the show became less "How I Met Your Mother", and more "How I Settled For Your Mother So I Could Have The Kids I Wanted And Then Went Back To The Real Love Of My Life Once She Died".

I think you missed the point. Tracy was the perfect woman for Ted. Robin was the one he settled for after the mother was taken away from him outside of his control. The show was how Ted had finally found the courage to move on. Not how Robin was the love of his life.

Ted started telling the story 6 years after Tracy died. I think the ending was logical but the execution was pretty bad. It was *boom* 6 years have passed after one of Ted's worst life experience seeing seeing the love of his life pass away and then here's the reveal.

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

For the people that are "outraged" or upset by the finale, what would you have done?

Obviously, they couldn't make everyone happy. If they ended it with Ted and The Mother living happily ever after, everyone would have said that was "too predictable," "too cliched," "anti-climactic," etc.

I don't think that anyone ever says that anymore. Look at Breaking Bad. Everyone knew since the pilot that Walt was going to die and while going through the series, one hoped that Walt suffered for his actions. Both those things happened, and I see no one complaining.

The things with endings is that they should feel earned. The way Robin had treated Ted makes this ending anything but earned. Also when an ending asks more questions than it answers, it can never be a good one. The questions I have at the end of HIMYM are:

1. So who is this "the one" that Ted kept talking about: Tracy or Robin?

2. Was Ted justified in acting like a total idiot around Robin when he should have moved on?

3. What is the point of making Tracy so much like Ted if she is not "the one" after all?

4. What kind of 55 year old makes life decisions based on the judgment of a 12 year old girl?

So my first choice would have been the stereotyped ending. A distant second would be Tracy dying and Ted, being the hopeless romantic that he is, being content to live the rest of his life with the memories of the only woman he loved.

In fact, I would have liked it if Ted had rung Robin's doorbell and as Robin is trying to turn on that TV of hers, Ted sees a girl with a yellow umbrella. All those memories of Tracy come flooding back and when Robin opens her window, she finds no one there.

Also, this post bugs me:

Robin was the one he settled for after the mother was taken away from him outside of his control.

Yeah, he "settled" for a girl he had hopelessly been in love with for 8 long years or probably even more. Sounds like someone got a good deal.

There was no need for him to "settle" after Tracy's death.

Also, JAM, that video got removed.

 

[Alastor]

1. Tracy was the perfect girl for him. Robin was the one that could have been but the timing wasn't right.

2. The heart wants what the heart wants.

3. Tracy was 'the one' but the story wasn't about her. It was about how future Ted was ready to move on after 6 years of her passing but him not realizing it yet.

4. Single parent that decide to attempt to rekindle an old romance with cool Aunt Robin at the urging of his children. I could see worst things that he could have done.

You prefer an ending where Ted lives alone for the rest of his life over the ending where he decides to try at another chance of happiness? And you think this is a better ending? Yeah, so he loved 2 women in his life at different times of his life. Why couldn't that be acceptable? So every widower do not get a chance at happiness again? I guess it is OK for these characters to find new partners if they get divorced but it is wrong if their spouse died?

I really don't get the 'boo hoo Tracy might not be the one' therefore ending sucks argument. The finale was logical but the pacing and execution was bad. I think the most rationale critics I read is that the show dragged too long. The finale would have worked if the show ended in its 5th or 6th season.

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

1. Tracy was the perfect girl for him. Robin was the one that could have been but the timing wasn't right.

No. Robin could have never been the one because Robin and Ted had nothing in common. She could not have been the one because she never felt anything for Ted apart from those times when either he almost got away(Stella) or got away for good. She even rejected his advances once. She could also have never been the one because Ted should have realized, after being with Tracy, what true love is really like, and what he had with Robin was mostly one sided.

2. The heart wants what the heart wants.

Yes, the heart does make stupid, irrational decisions at times. But most people do realize, especially when they are 55, that those decisions were stupid.

3. Tracy was 'the one' but the story wasn't about her. It was about how future Ted was ready to move on after 6 years of her passing but him not realizing it yet.

You are saying this because the show has said so. A perfectly reasonable explanation, one that we had been led to believe up till this point, was that Tracy had been the light at the end of the tunnel. That she was what no other woman could ever be for Ted.

Also, Ted did not really move on. He moved back to Robin. Which suggests that maybe he had never really moved on from Robin. Which makes the notion that Tracy was "the one" pretty meaningless.

4. Single parent that decide to attempt to rekindle an old romance with cool Aunt Robin at the urging of his children. I could see worst things that he could have done.

I wonder what Marshall and Lily would have had to say.

You prefer an ending where Ted lives alone for the rest of his life over the ending where he decides to try at another chance of happiness? And you think this is a better ending? Yeah, so he loved 2 women in his life at different times of his life. Why couldn't that be acceptable? So every widower do not get a chance at happiness again? I guess it is OK for these characters to find new partners if they get divorced but it is wrong if their spouse died?

Well, Tracy dying isn't a part of my ideal ending at all. And her death is pretty meaningless. A twist given for the sake of giving a twist.

But even so, getting back with Robin does leave a sour taste in my mouth for the reasons I have already mentioned in my previous posts. Robin/ Ted was a dysfunctional, one sided relationship. Robin isn't really made for relationships, to be honest. She could not make anyone happy. She was the reason why her relationship with Barney failed. Barney had reformed but Robin was just too ambitious to balance a career and a husband.

And Ted should have realized all this.

I really don't get the 'boo hoo Tracy might not be the one' therefore ending sucks argument. The finale was logical but the pacing and execution was bad. I think the most rationale critics I read is that the show dragged too long. The finale would have worked if the show ended in its 5th or 6th season.

Eh, what is so logical about Ted not realizing what a cold person Robin is? What is so logical about him still having feelings for her even after he has been in a satisfying relationship?

And most importantly, what is so logical about the mother dying in the first place? You cannot screw things up in the first place and then try to cover up the cracks using logic. That just does not work.

 

[Alastor]

No. Robin could have never been the one because Robin and Ted had nothing in common. She could not have been the one because she never felt anything for Ted apart from those times when either he almost got away(Stella) or got away for good. She even rejected his advances once. She could also have never been the one because Ted should have realized, after being with Tracy, what true love is really like, and what he had with Robin was mostly one sided.

Opposites attract? Robin clearly was someone that Ted had a difficult time to let go off. What split them up in the first place and kept them separated were resolved as both of them aged, hence the timing part of it.

Yes, the heart does make stupid, irrational decisions at times. But most people do realize, especially when they are 55, that those decisions were stupid.

Was he acting like a total idiot around Robin at age 55? I thought you referred to his antics during the timespan of the show.

You are saying this because the show has said so. A perfectly reasonable explanation, one that we had been led to believe up till this point, was that Tracy had been the light at the end of the tunnel. That she was what no other woman could ever be for Ted.

I am not disputing that Tracy was the perfect ending. I am merely saying that it was a logical conclusion to the premise of the show of telling this story to his kids but seldom mentioning of the mother. He moved on from his grief/guilt/w/e emotion he held after Tracy died. 6 years is a reasonable amount of time. Going back to Robin isn't a step back. Maybe she was simply the one that he was closest to at that stage of his life.

Also, Ted did not really move on. He moved back to Robin. Which suggests that maybe he had never really moved on from Robin. Which makes the notion that Tracy was "the one" pretty meaningless.

By your logic of 'the one' then Tracy should never have moved on after the death of her first boyfriend who she believed was her lottery. Ted isn't 'the one' and she should never be allowed to move on with her life. Would it be more OK if he moved on to another random woman?

I wonder what Marshall and Lily would have had to say.

They would be happy their friends could find happiness with each other.

Well, Tracy dying isn't a part of my ideal ending at all. And her death is pretty meaningless. A twist given for the sake of giving a twist.

But even so, getting back with Robin does leave a sour taste in my mouth for the reasons I have already mentioned in my previous posts. Robin/ Ted was a dysfunctional, one sided relationship. Robin isn't really made for relationships, to be honest. She could not make anyone happy. She was the reason why her relationship with Barney failed. Barney had reformed but Robin was just too ambitious to balance a career and a husband.

And Ted should have realized all this.

It wasn't your ideal ending but you stated that you preferred an ending where Ted ends up alone over him being with Robin. Or do I need to quote that too? Also older Robin might have her priorities changed.

Eh, what is so logical about Ted not realizing what a cold person Robin is? What is so logical about him still having feelings for her even after he has been in a satisfying relationship?

So only warm fuzzy Glee type people in this world are allowed to settled down? They have not shown us the 6 years after Tracy's death. But in previous seasons the narrator did point out how Aunt Robin spent time with his kids. We can only assumed they were deep down still the same people but their priorities in life have changed as they grew older and the things that divided them in their 30s is no longer keeping them apart. They did make a pact to be each other back up spouse when they were younger and crazier.

And most importantly, what is so logical about the mother dying in the first place? You cannot screw things up in the first place and then try to cover up the cracks using logic. That just does not work.

Because people die? If she wasn't dead at a young age many of the feelings Ted narrated over the show about how special she was wouldn't work for the show. Or would you prefer him telling the story because they divorced and Ted wanting to move back to Robin?

What did they screw up besides being offered a 9th season when they wanted to end the show in its 8th season? They stretched out a 5-6 episode arc and added fillers to make an inferior 9th season. I have to admit this season was pretty bad and I gave up watching mid way. But the last few episodes were pretty well done and the finale was one of the more satisfying episode of the season.

 

[jacdnwarrior]

I liked the show. I got into it after the show was on for a few seasons. It's not the best show I've seen but I did like it. As far as the final episode: It was ok. The ninth season was a dragged out long affair and this last episode just didn't work for me. First the marriage to Barney was fine. The way how they ended it after 2-3 years was really iffy for me. Their whole relationship and marriage thing just didn't really work for me. Barney just doesn't seem the type to be tied down. Then he knocks some one up, we don't see the woman. That was kind of weak. Lily and Marshall was ok, but the fact we didn't have any idea what kind of job she had or what happened after her trip to Italy. The whole thing about Ted and his wife. I wish they showed her earlier and how they got along. She seemed better suited to Ted. Now why did she have to die ? Was that really necessary ? Couldn't they just have had Ted, have a great long life with some one else and move on and learn to accept life without Robin. Couldn't Robin have learned to move on without Ted and find some one else ? I mean killing his wife, just to get him back with Robin seems totally over done and pointless. Just make Robin the wife, they get a surrogate to have the children and leave it at that.

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

I believe that I cannot make another post without repeating myself. But I will reply to this part.

By your logic of 'the one' then Tracy should never have moved on after the death of her first boyfriend who she believed was her lottery. Ted isn't 'the one' and she should never be allowed to move on with her life. Would it be more OK if he moved on to another random woman?

I think the difference is between moving on and moving back. Ted moving back to Robin after Tracy diminishes Tracy's importance. What did Ted do when his relationships with Victoria/ Stella/ Zoey and Jeanette ended? He either tried to get back together with Robin or did something that made it evident that he had not gotten over Robin. He did the same thing here. So how does that make Tracy more important than his previous girlfriends? Sure their relationship was much lengthier and they did have two children together emotionally Ted is in the same place he was before he met her. He doesn't seem to have learned anything from his relationship with Tracy and nor has he evolved as a person.

Actually, now that you mention it, it would have been more logical had he moved on to another woman. Mind you, I'm saying logical and not that it would have been good for the show. It would have been logical in the sense that it is what a lot of people do, but not emotionally satisfying at all.

Actually, the ending was a lot like that. Maybe it was logical( it still isn't to me because Ted did not realize that Robin and he were not meant to be together despite ample clues), but it sure as hell was not emotionally satisfying.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

I think the difference is between moving on and moving back. Ted moving back to Robin after Tracy diminishes Tracy's importance.

What is he supposed to do? Stay single forever? Ignore that he has feelings for someone?

How do you know it diminishes the mom's importance to Ted or the kids? What life event have you experienced to be able to extrapolate this distinction?

What did Ted do when his relationships with Victoria/ Stella/ Zoey and Jeanette ended? He either tried to get back together with Robin or did something that made it evident that he had not gotten over Robin. He did the same thing here. So how does that make Tracy more important than his previous girlfriends? Sure their relationship was much lengthier and they bid have two children together emotionally Ted is in the same place he was before he met her. He doesn't seem to have learned anything from his relationship with Tracy and nor has he evolved as a person.

There you go extrapolating again. Where is the missing 17 years of episodes that show you any of this?

Actually, now that you mention it, it would have been more logical had he moved on to another woman. Mind you, I'm saying logical and not that it would have been good for the show. It would have been logical in the sense that it is what a lot of people do, but not emotionally satisfying at all.[\quote]

People rekindle old loves all the time. My wife's cousin is divorced and now dating an old boyfriend and seems very happy. A buddy of mine is dating his high school girlfriend after she was married, had two kids, and got divorced.

Actually, the ending was a lot like that. Maybe it was logical( it still isn't to me because Ted did not realize that Robin and he were not meant to be together despite ample clues), but it sure as hell was not emotionally satisfying.

They are 50ish. How do you know they can't make it work?

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

What is he supposed to do? Stay single forever? Ignore that he has feelings for someone?

Well, what I cannot understand is how he can still have feelings for Robin. Look, it's a fact that Robin treated him like shit throughout the show. She kept Ted as her safety net, kept him on the hook while also making it clear that she did not want to be with him. I just think Ted should have realized that and moved on from Robin.

Also, we know that Ted does have a problem with moving on as evidenced with Robin. So I also thought that he would have a bit more trouble moving on from the love of his life, which I assume is Tracy, than he actually did.

But I guess that I have been so blinded by my rage for Ted/ Robin that I have veered from the point that I was originally trying to make. So here it is, in bold.

The Mother did not need to die. It was a meaningless twist, one given for the sake of giving a twist. If you had to show a death, then the creators might as well gone out with an apocalypse.

 

[Alastor]

I think the difference is between moving on and moving back. Ted moving back to Robin after Tracy diminishes Tracy's importance. What did Ted do when his relationships with Victoria/ Stella/ Zoey and Jeanette ended? He either tried to get back together with Robin or did something that made it evident that he had not gotten over Robin. He did the same thing here. So how does that make Tracy more important than his previous girlfriends? Sure their relationship was much lengthier and they did have two children together emotionally Ted is in the same place he was before he met her. He doesn't seem to have learned anything from his relationship with Tracy and nor has he evolved as a person.

Actually, now that you mention it, it would have been more logical had he moved on to another woman. Mind you, I'm saying logical and not that it would have been good for the show. It would have been logical in the sense that it is what a lot of people do, but not emotionally satisfying at all.

Actually, the ending was a lot like that. Maybe it was logical( it still isn't to me because Ted did not realize that Robin and he were not meant to be together despite ample clues), but it sure as hell was not emotionally satisfying.

You seem stuck on this notion that Ted cannot be moving on with his life just because he decided to try again with Robin. It has been 17 years since his last known attempt to get with Robin.

Well, what I cannot understand is how he can still have feelings for Robin. Look, it's a fact that Robin treated him like shit throughout the show. She kept Ted as her safety net, kept him on the hook while also making it clear that she did not want to be with him. I just think Ted should have realized that and moved on from Robin.

Also, we know that Ted does have a problem with moving on as evidenced with Robin. So I also thought that he would have a bit more trouble moving on from the love of his life, which I assume is Tracy, than he actually did.

They both kept each other as a safety net. Seems like you soured on the Robin character and hate that it was her and not the mother that is the focus of the story after 9 seasons where Robin is part of the main cast of characters. He took 6 years to get over his dead wife. Getting over someone that is forever gone and getting over someone who is constantly around you are two very different situation. Again as I said, the premise was logical and ending satisfying, but the execution was not. Ted had 6 years to grief over Tracy's death and deciding to go after Robin again. We viewers had less than 5mins to digest all that.

The Mother did not need to die. It was a meaningless twist, one given for the sake of giving a twist. If you had to show a death, then the creators might as well gone out with an apocalypse.

Then it would be a farce to tell the story with so much focus on Robin instead of on the mother. How would you have resolved that issue?

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

You guys are sucking the fun out of something real good.

Anyway great ending I liked it, It was very sad when she dies and worse the realization that its over.

I'll miss that show.

 

[JamJam]

I just saw that the video was taken down. Thanks for pointing that out Rattlesnake. I think there are other videos like that on YouTube so if you want to see the ending, just search "HIMYM alternate ending." With the way table alternate ending went, I thought it was perfect. So go check it out!

I'm guessing the difference in opinion from all of us about the ending shows just how much we really liked HIMYM. There's no show like this around right now, hopefully one pops up soon.

 

[Nate DaMac]

Well, what I cannot understand is how he can still have feelings for Robin.

Ted wanting Robin is completely understandable from the perspective of anyone who has ever been in a relationship before. You don't always want the person that's best for you, you want the person that you want.

Also, how does seeing his children urge Ted to go for Robin not quell the notion that she's a bad fit for him?

The Mother did not need to die. It was a meaningless twist, one given for the sake of giving a twist.

Horseshit. So you were hoping for an ending where, after 8 seasons of Ted telling his kids the story of how he and Robin couldn't make it work for a multitude of reasons, that he ended up just finding another girl and settling for her? What parent would tell this story? This was the logical ending and the one that they have obviously been building to the entire time.

If you had to show a death, then the creators might as well gone out with an apocalypse.

Now this would be a meaningless twist.

 

[Alastor]

Apparently the creators had an alternate ending that they will include in the DvD. Seem like the difference would be in the editing room instead of additional footages.

I guess it will be similar to the fan-made version and shut up the crybabies.

 

[jacdnwarrior]

I didn't like the episode because the execution was lousy. It all felt forced. Things done without any real thought to it. I didn't really like the idea of Robin with Barney as that didn't seem like a good idea as Barney isn't the settle down type. Then Barney and Robin are divorced in five seconds.They push him into fatherhood, when they could have paired him off with someone (like Quinn) and they have a child together. I didn't like it because Ted was stuck on Robin even though she didn't want the things he wanted in life, she said at least more than twice she wasn't interested in him, now persistence can pay off but sometimes you need to say there's more out there for me. I wasn't sick of her, I was just tired of Ted's obsession with her and him not letting go. I don't like the resolution because it's a depraved 'love is all that matters and we'll get to be together in the end', 'how do I make him/her love me' stuff. Imo, she wants to be with Ted (or is saddened about not being with Ted) as he is about to get married to Stella, when she gets cold feet during her wedding to Barney, after she's divorced and sees Ted ready to get married or is expecting with his soon to be wife. It doesn't feel like she really wants him just likes him when her first options fall through or when he isn't available or fawning over her like he usually is. How do you resolve the Ted/Robin issue ? How does any person resolve the issue ? We've all wanted someone who didn't want us back, (or at least many of us) and we found a way to move on or find some one who did want us or was a better fit. Just have Ted make the realization that while I was head over heels for Robin, I found that love is not enough, and as we grow older we realize we want partners with similar goals and life desires. By holding onto the dream of being with Robin, I was denying myself the possibility of finding happiness with some one more open to it and with similar desires for life. He wasn't 'settling' when he married his wife. He settled when he decided to keep waiting on getting with Robin. He was settling to be with someone who thought of him as a second option. He didn't live and achieve true happiness until he actually met his wife.

 

[X]

I guess I'm one of the few who enjoyed the ending of the finale. There was some stuff in it I really didn't like at first glance (like divorcing Barney and Robin five minutes after they're married after spending seasons on their romance) and in a way I suppose it was a bit lazy to just say "Aw fuck it, let's just have him wind up with Robin", but I wouldn't have had it any other way. I mean fuck we didn't even get introduced to the mother until what, last season? And as charming of an actress as she was, her romance with Ted felt totally underwhelming in every single way. It was like the writers just wrote a female version of Ted, no real character development whatsoever. Why would I care that they kill her off in the finale? She was never even a remotely interesting character to begin with. The only romance Ted ever had on the show that you actually cared about was with Robin, and in retrospect it certainly makes the entire show run make a bit more sense. Ted didn't even introduce the mother into the story to the kids until near the end, it's obvious the story was, as his kids tell him, about how in love he was/is with Robin. Love like that doesn't disappear, ever, even when you think you've moved on and have put it behind you forever.

Plus, I just loved the way they filmed those last few minutes. The combination of the Walkmen's "Heaven" with the ending credit montage sent some chills up my spine, though the show was always good at pairing music with montage. Robin's wig was goofy as fuck, sure, but when Ted holds up that blue horn and the show title rolls across the screen, I mean, I can't really think of a better ending. The good guy gets the girl he's been pining over for years. What's wrong with that? Honestly anything else and I don't think I would have enjoyed the finale as a whole, it would have felt far too underwhelming for a series finale. They needed one more surprise, and they delivered it splendidly.

I understand why people are upset with it, but I can't think of a more satisfying ending. I, and a lot of people, frankly didn't really give a fuck about Ted and the mother's relationship. We wanted the big happy ending and we got it.