5 Ways How I Met Your Mother’s Ending Works (& 5 It Doesn’t)

How I Met Your Mother’s finale is one of the most unpopular to ever hit television, but as bad as it was, it still works in some ways.

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A series finale can turn a great television show into a classic or disappointment. No series exemplifies that better than How I Met Your Mother. The ending is the last memory that sticks with fans regardless of the quality of the series. Throughout TV history, there has been a long list of polarizing finales. Of course, How I Met Your Mother has one of the most controversial endings of all time.

The finale, “The Last Forever Part One & Two,” aired in 2013 and still has fans talking. The series spent nine long years building up the mystery of Ted Mosby’s future wife. Fans openly admitted they hated the finale. At the same time, fans began to recognize the positives of the ending.

10 Works: A Glimpse Of The Future

Fans and critics often focus on the negative of the series finale. However, there were a few high points. For instance, the flash-forward gave a glimpse of the characters’ futures and closure for their story arcs. Critics noted the reality of the friends drifting in and out of each other’s lives.

They all went in separate directions and sometimes even lost touch. Robin and Lily have an emotional moment during the finale in the empty apartment. Lily desperately wants to stay in touch, but Robin’s drifting away. However, they continue to go in and out of each other’s lives.

9 Doesn’t Work: Tracey’s Passing

After teasing the mother’s identity for eight seasons, the series finally introduced Tracy at the end of season eight. She had a prominent role in the final season, and audiences fell in love with her. Tracy indeed was Ted’s soul mate.

However, co-creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas went in a different direction. Tracy becomes sick and passes away in the future. In the end, Ted moves on and ends up with Robin. Ted discusses Tracy’s passing in a quick flash-forward, but the show swiftly moves on. Indeed, fans didn’t get a chance to grieve the loss of Tracy.

8 Works: Tracy Wants Ted To Move On

Fans of the show were furious with Tracy’s passing, although the show did drop hints. Regardless, Tracy’s death plays a big part in the ending. Her tragic passing teaches future Ted that any day could be the last and to cherish every moment. Tracy went through a similar experience after the death of her boyfriend, Max.

The Ted from the past wouldn’t have moved on so quickly as he does at the end. Tracy was even worried that Ted would get stuck in his stories after her death. She wanted him to move on. Ted learned and grew during the relationship, which motivates him to tell his kids the story. In turn, his kids convince him to profess his feelings for Robin.

7 Doesn’t Work: Barney And Robin Divorce In The First Ten Minutes Of The Final Episode

Initially, there were no plans for Barney and Robin to be a couple. However, the actors had such great chemistry the writers went with the story. Indeed, audiences adored Barney and Robin’s relationship. Regardless, the writers had other plans. The final season revolves around Robin and Barney’s wedding.

They finally get married in “Last Forever: Part One.” However, they divorce in the first ten minutes of “Last Forever: Part Two.” Fans and critics were frustrated that they became so invested in the couple, but it ended within minutes.

6 Works: Marshall & Lilly’s Love Story

Marshall and Lilly’s incredible love story remained strong throughout the entire series. In particular, they shined in the final season. Aside from a short break up, Marshall and Lilly remained a healthy couple to the very end.

They go through every significant event in life together. Their relationship goes through many obstacles in the final season, but they manage to work everything out. Their story has no surprise endings or twists. It’s a simple love story that has a happy ending.

5 Doesn’t Work: Barney Has A Kid

From the beginning of the series, Barney Stinson was a ladies’ man. He took talking to women as a challenge. Towards the end of the series, it appeared he’d marry Robin, but the writers abruptly drop the story. In the final episode, Barney suddenly becomes a father.

The birth of his daughter, Ellie, changes him drastically but in a short amount of time. Regardless, Barney meeting his daughter the first time is an emotional scene. However, Barney having a child might have worked as a season-long story. Instead, the writers rushed through the story in the last episode. They don’t even reveal the mother of Barney’s child.

4 Works: Ted And Robin’s Love Story Comes Full Circle

To this day, fans are still upset that Ted and Tracy don’t end up together in the end. As noted, the creators had a different vision. They had decided early that the love story was really about Ted and Robin. Ted and Robin meet in the first episode. Later, Ted steals her a French blue horn on their first date.

They eventually date, but they break up because they want different goals in life. The two get to achieve their goals but still get to be together at the very end. The series ends with Ted admitting his feelings to his kids and stealing a French blue horn for Robin. Their love story comes full circle.

3 Doesn’t Work: Barney And Robin’s Wedding Takes Place Over The Entire Season

The final season features many flashbacks and flash-forwards. However, the present-day events all take place over the long weekend of Barney and Robin’s wedding. Therefore, the series had to extend and drag certain parts of the story. However, the fact that Robin and Barney divorce in the final episode also upset fans.

The audience invested in the relationship and the wedding itself throughout the entire season. However, in the end, none of that mattered. The story makes an abrupt change, which hurts the conclusion of the show.

2 Works: The Alternate Ending

How I Met Your Mother faced a great deal of criticism once the finale was over. To appease fans, they released an alternate ending on the season nine DVD. The alternate ending satisfied many fans that wished it was the actual ending.

After getting married, Ted quickly recounts all the big moments in their lives and the heartbreak he went through until meeting Tracy. The alternate ending concludes with Ted and Tracy meeting at the train station under the yellow umbrella. It’s a perfect ending on many levels, but not the one the creators preferred.

1 Doesn’t Work: Ted’s Story Is About Meeting Robin, Not Tracy

Ted spent years telling his kids the story of how he met their mother. Fans were invested in the story and wanted a fulfilling ending. Instead, Ted’s whole story isn’t about meeting their mother/Tracy. Indeed, the story is really about Ted and Robin. Fans felt robbed as they were so invested in Tracy.

The finale quickly moves on after Tracy’s passing. The show abruptly shifts focus onto Ted and Robin. Of course, fans wanted Robin to end up with Barney. The creators stuck with their original plan after shooting the kid’s reactions during season 2. They wouldn’t deviate and went with the original idea.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/how-i-met-your-mother-ending-works-not/