I just watched the ending of one of my favorite series of all time, How I Met Your Mother (albeit 14 hours after everyone else in the world had seen in, so I’ve been avoiding all social media until now). After the 43 minutes all I can say is: my head hurts. I have a pit in my stomach. And I’m just confused.
I wanted such great things for this episode but, I hate to say it, it didn’t live up to any of my expectations. It completely backtracked on the past 9 seasons which had been repeatedly telling us that Robin was not the mother. While she is not ‘technically’ the mother, it is insinuated that the two end up together. For the first six or so seasons, I held on to the hope that the two would find their happy endings, despite not ending up together. But, by this stage in the game, I was ready for Ted and Robin to be just friends. I was ready for bigger and better things for this tragic couple. I thought the Robin-Barney epic romance was going to be that.
In my head, Barney and Robin were a terrible couple in the beginning. But as the relationship progressed, I found myself nodding along to their plot advancements more and more. And with this entire season being dedicated to their wedding, I was incredibly excited to see how their relationship would play out over the years. I was hoping to see some real redemption for arguable two of the most terrible people on the show (also, two of my favorite TV characters ever!)
But that divorce after three years took me by surprise. I didn’t see it coming. And I’m glad I didn’t because it was stupid. That is what you call lazy writing. Getting a divorce in this day-and-age is no crazy plot twist, which is what I was hoping would come from the show that is not afraid to push the boundaries. Instead, we end up with a lonely, traveling Robin and Barney who somehow goes from Electric Bang-aloo II to a daddy with a heart of gold. I know having kids changes people, but again, I think this character development was just an sloppy solution to tie up the legen-waitforit-dary enigma that is Barney Stinson. It definitely wasn’t the best way for the Barney character to end, but it was the easiest.
This episode continuously did not give me any of the satisfaction I was hoping for with Ted and the mom, either. Instead, the final was straight-up sad. Ted and the Mother (who finally gets a name: Tracy McConnell) do not get to spend enough time together. By following the timeline, where they meet in 2013 and Ted tells the story in 2030, you realize that the couple only had 11 years together.
A little over one decade to spend with the love of your life is just a sad concept for me to think about. Viewers have spent almost that long just trying to get to the end of Ted’s story and meet the darn mother already. Call me a romantic or whatever, but I’ve been waiting for this fricking fairytale romance to happen for nine seasons. I was really hoping for a happily ever after. In the end, however, all the show does is roundhouse kick me right in the face with a major character death. Not cool.
I don’t think it was the worst series finale of all time. I really don’t. But I was expecting the best, which everyone can admit, the audience did not receive. It’s going to take a while for me open up my heart again to a new show, especially now that Psych has ended too (which, by the way, I will be writing a review of very shortly. Spoiler: I give it a 7.5/10).
If I had to give the Finale a number, I’d rate it a 3.5/10 and that is mostly because we get to see Marshall become Fudge Supreme, which might be in greatest nickname known to mankind.
All I have left to say about a disappointing finale was that I hope it was a poorly executed April Fool’s joke. Happy April 1st, everyone.
TV.FOR.Days 