How I met your Mother - Finale

[Botch]

I did a search, was surprised there wasn't a dedicated thread on this show. I don't watch much TV, and I was slow to warm up to this series but the quirky story lines finally hooked me (some episodes would run completely backwards). Tonight was their finale.
It kept jumping forward a couple years at a time, unlike most episodes which skipped backwards.




SPOILER ALERT



Barney finally got a daughter and settled down, but it was only in the last 4 minutes that Ted finally ended up with Robin, after he married someone else, raised a family, and was widowed. I kinda identified with that, and it made it a bit special for me (not at the M*A*S*H level, but close...).

 

[AndySTL]

I loved the finale and the series. My wife hated the finale but also loved the series.

That said, I did not care for the format of this last season. But the finale was perfect for me in every way.

 

[Akula]

I liked the series in general.

It had really gone downhill over the last couple years (this was because the writers were ready to wrap it up and CBS ordered another couple seasons, forcing them to stretch it out). It still had its moments but wasn't that great anymore.

As for the finale, it was a giant meh. Here's why I think this (spoiler alert for those who don't realize that OF COURSE this thread will have spoilers):

1) The flash forwards were difficult to follow at first. It just didn't flow well.

2) The events weren't true to the characters. Examples:
2a) Barney and Robin go from having a whole season about their wedding and their love for each other to divorcing in nothing flat. Sure, there were 3 years of stresses there, but they had stresses before. It just didn't work.
2b) Barney becomes Mr. Dutiful Father the moment his one night stand gives birth. Sorry, that just runs against the grain of the character. He has his own father issues, but his playboy tendencies were reaffirmed at every turn and he just throws them out the window? Too abrupt.
2c) Ted and Tracy live together for 7 years with 2 kids before getting hitched. All through the series Ted had been jumping the gun and heading for the altar and now he didn't? Again, out of character.

3) The end (mother had been dead for years) just wasn't a twist. As much as they played up the Ted/Robin tension all through the series, the moment Robin and Barney got divorced you could see the train coming down the track. To end it on a freeze frame just seemed like a cop out. Of course they got together (even if I had to google the stupid blue french horn). As my brother in law said, they MacGuffined it.


At the end of it my wife and I just thought "well, at least it's over." I had hoped for a better ending than it was, but at least they didn't settle down to make babies with humanoid cylons on prehistoric earth after Starbuck Jesus leads them there.

 

[Randy]

I thought it was pretty good and I enjoyed the finale.

1. I agree with Akula on the flashbacks, the back and forth was a bit much to follow, but I was working on homework and not totally engrossed.

However, I disagree with Akula on 2b) and I think they were ok with their treatment of Barny and the whole kid issue. As someone who has been single most of his life and might even have a bit of a playboy reputation, although I don't agree with it, I can assure you that kids changed my life. My stepdaughters are still one of the most important things in my life and I would pretty much reprioritize whatever I have going to help them.

 

[heeman]

I really enjoyed this show and the way the actors portrayed their parts. The silly quirkiness is what drew me in.

Not one of the best finale's however not all that bad either.

Other than The Big Bang Theory, none of the other sitcoms lately have drew me in.

 

[Huey]

I had to avoid this thread yesterday like the plague until I got a chance to see it last night. Agree with most of what has been said, and it did feel like they could have done a better job at tying it all together at the end.

 

[Yesfan70]

I liked the series in general.

It had really gone downhill over the last couple years (this was because the writers were ready to wrap it up and CBS ordered another couple seasons, forcing them to stretch it out). It still had its moments but wasn't that great anymore.

As for the finale, it was a giant meh. Here's why I think this (spoiler alert for those who don't realize that OF COURSE this thread will have spoilers):

1) The flash forwards were difficult to follow at first. It just didn't flow well.

2) The events weren't true to the characters. Examples:
2a) Barney and Robin go from having a whole season about their wedding and their love for each other to divorcing in nothing flat. Sure, there were 3 years of stresses there, but they had stresses before. It just didn't work.
2b) Barney becomes Mr. Dutiful Father the moment his one night stand gives birth. Sorry, that just runs against the grain of the character. He has his own father issues, but his playboy tendencies were reaffirmed at every turn and he just throws them out the window? Too abrupt.
2c) Ted and Tracy live together for 7 years with 2 kids before getting hitched. All through the series Ted had been jumping the gun and heading for the altar and now he didn't? Again, out of character.

3) The end (mother had been dead for years) just wasn't a twist. As much as they played up the Ted/Robin tension all through the series, the moment Robin and Barney got divorced you could see the train coming down the track. To end it on a freeze frame just seemed like a cop out. Of course they got together (even if I had to google the stupid blue french horn). As my brother in law said, they MacGuffined it.


At the end of it my wife and I just thought "well, at least it's over." I had hoped for a better ending than it was, but at least they didn't settle down to make babies with humanoid cylons on prehistoric earth after Starbuck Jesus leads them there.

I agree with you on most of the points. I felt the finale was hurried after what was stretched out over a 7 year span. I have to disagree with you on:

2b: I have a best friend I've known since high school. He is not as arrogant as Barney, but he was as good at getting the ladies as Barney. He gave the marriage thing a try when he found he was going to be a daddy. It didn't work, but he is one of the most devoted dads I have seen and I see that every time I'm around him and his daughter. Why would Barney be any different??

2c: Ever heard the phrase "once bitten, twice shy" (and no this is not a nod to Great White)? Look at all the bad relationships Ted has been in, has had his heart stepped on, etc. That's going to harden anyone's heart who goes through that (it did me). I dated my wife for about 7 years before we got married. I knew she was the one, but man I had so many bad relationships before, the thoughts of another failed relationship kept me from pulling all the stops.





The thing I hated about the finale was the fact that Ted still ends up with Robin in the end. I really loved (even though she's only in the final season) Tracy, so I wanted to see those two have a long happy life. Instead, Ted has roughly 12 years total with her, "mourns" for her for about 6 years and then hooks up with Robin after his kids' blessing.

I've watched this show from the very beginning. IMO, Robin treated Ted like shit when Ted would start to have feelings again for her throughout the series, yet he still 'wins' her over in the end. WTF? Why couldn't the writers just have Ted and Tracy have a long blissful marriage?? Sure he mourned for her for 6 years after she died, but now I'm left feeling that Robin was always the one instead of Tracy since his kids pushed him to call Robin.

A bit disappointed.

 

[Akula]

I agree with you on most of the points. I felt the finale was hurried after what was stretched out over a 7 year span. I have to disagree with you on:

2b: I have a best friend I've known since high school. He is not as arrogant as Barney, but he was as good at getting the ladies as Barney. He gave the marriage thing a try when he found he was going to be a daddy. It didn't work, but he is one of the most devoted dads I have seen and I see that every time I'm around him and his daughter. Why would Barney be any different??

2c: Ever heard the phrase "once bitten, twice shy" (and no this is not a nod to Great White)? Look at all the bad relationships Ted has been in, has had his heart stepped on, etc. That's going to harden anyone's heart who goes through that (it did me). I dated my wife for about 7 years before we got married. I knew she was the one, but man I had so many bad relationships before, the thoughts of another failed relationship kept me from pulling all the stops.





The thing I hated about the finale was the fact that Ted still ends up with Robin in the end. I really loved (even though she's only in the final season) Tracy, so I wanted to see those two have a long happy life. Instead, Ted has roughly 12 years total with her, "mourns" for her for about 6 years and then hooks up with Robin after his kids' blessing.

Re: Barney, I've had others tell me that same thing. OK, I don't have kids, I'll allow it, but it still just felt abrupt.

I'm not budging on Ted, though, because he'd been bitten like that numerous times and never changed. Then, all of a sudden he's got a good life with the mother of his two kids and they still balk? Not buying it. Ted stays pretty well clueless, even years later (his kids point this out to him).

One other thing that bothered me is that his kids ended up having to make Ted realize that, even after all this, he really loved Robin and not their mother. Not that he didn't care about their mother, but it's apparent, even to them, that she was choice #2 all along. That's a hell of a thing to tell your kids about their deceased mother... it goes double when it's your kids who have to explain to you that this is how you felt all along.

So yeah, even after reflection I find the finale unsatisfying, but at least they didn't land on prehistoric earth and have hybrid babies with humanoid Cylons after launching all their technology into the sun.

 

[Randy]

Nope I don't agree with that, nobody said Tracy was #2 just the way shot worked out.

Robin and Ted had that unrequited love thing and then Tracy became #1 until she passed. He mourned her loss he suffered and then he fell in love with Robin again.

God we are crackin me up, we are seriously a bunch of hens. LMAO

 

[Huey]

Alternate ending to be included in the box set and season 9 dvd release this fall. :text-link:

 

[Yesfan70]

.......One other thing that bothered me is that his kids ended up having to make Ted realize that, even after all this, he really loved Robin and not their mother. Not that he didn't care about their mother, but it's apparent, even to them, that she was choice #2 all along. That's a hell of a thing to tell your kids about their deceased mother... it goes double when it's your kids who have to explain to you that this is how you felt all along..........

Bingo! My thoughts exactly!

 

[Huey]

I rewatched it last night, as I fell asleep during the middle of it, and thought it was a pretty good way to wrap up the series, right up until the very end. He could have still ended up with Robin, without his daughter being so excited about it. Like others have said, it just didn't feel right.

 

[Batman]

I had always suspected Ted would wind up with Robin. I just thought there'd be a better executed twist at the end to accomplish getting to that point. I lost track of the show and didn't see much of the final 2 seasons. Joanna and I discovered the early seasons in syndication and after getting hooked I purchased seasons 1-5 on DVD. We got caught up rather quickly watching marathons of the show over a few weekends. Almost immediately after that we discovered BBT (thanks to Zing & Barb) and got hooked on that. After that HIMYM took a bit of a back seat. Come to think of it, even what I remember of seasons 6 & 7 is hazy...

 

[Huey]

Like you Bats, I didn't start watching the series right away, it had been on for a couple of years before we got hooked, but this last season has been hard to sit through. Not that it was bad, but it had probably gone on for one season too long.

I forgot to mention a problem I did have with the finale, Ted picking up a land line to make the date with Robin in the end. I don't remember how far in the future that was supposed to be, but I figure at least 20 years, and I have a hard time believing there will still be personal land lines in use.

 

[Yesfan70]

Like you Bats, I didn't start watching the series right away, it had been on for a couple of years before we got hooked, but this last season has been hard to sit through. Not that it was bad, but it had probably gone on for one season too long.....

My wife and me watched the show from the very beginning, but we felt the same way with the last season. It felt like it was just going through the motions and I was wondering if this was one season too long. After seeing Tracy in the final season, I really wished she was introduced a couple of season back and the remainder of the series was about the adventures the 6 of them had. Her and Ted didn't get married until they were together for 7 years (or was it 8??).

......I forgot to mention a problem I did have with the finale, Ted picking up a land line to make the date with Robin in the end. I don't remember how far in the future that was supposed to be, but I figure at least 20 years, and I have a hard time believing there will still be personal land lines in use.

I think the "present day" on the series is 2032, but I might be wrong. Going by that number, figuring how long they were together before getting married and how long he was mourning for her until the call to Robin, I think they were married for only 5 years.

Good call on the lan lines.



I need to get caught up with BBT. At most, I've probably only seen a half season worth of episodes here and there, but each one of them had me in stitches. It would be really great if CBS would allow Netflix to carry that and some of their other shows.





EDIT: I found a pretty cool site covering the timeline of the show. (HIMYM Timeline)

WARNING! The sight will more than likely have spoilers if you haven't finished the series.

 

[Randy]

Ya but part of the suspense and build up was the constant tension between Ted and Robin, if Stacey would have appeared sooner and Robin and Barney would have gotten together sooner, then that would have spoiled part of the mystery as to whether or not it was gonna be Robin all along.

 

[Yesfan70]

Ya but part of the suspense and build up was the constant tension between Ted and Robin, if Stacey would have appeared sooner and Robin and Barney would have gotten together sooner, then that would have spoiled part of the mystery as to whether or not it was gonna be Robin all along.

I don't think it would spoil the mystery. It would still be there, but the only difference was knowing how it ends a bit sooner (about two season sooner). I guess, I just wanted to see more of Tracy. I would like to have seen a season or two of her getting to know the rest of the gang, her and Ted's relationship developing, etc. She had the same appeal as the other characters, plus she's a hottie. It really bummed me out that I knew we would see her in only one season when the final season kicked off.

 

[Randy]

Ya, I get that. I liked what I saw of her character too.