Was the “How I Met Your Mother” Ending Really That Terrible? A Debate

Did you love it or hate it?

*Major spoilers for all seasons of How I Met Your Mother below.*

Caitlin Paroczai, Editor at Student Edge: So, all nine seasons of How I Met Your Mother are landing on Aussie Netflix this week and it got me thinking about how much I adore the show. Of course, nowadays no one can even talk about the series without immediately ranting about how much they hated the finale.

Marie Gooley, Writer at Student Edge: I have to say, the ending was a real let down for a lot of fans. Although I was high-key disappointed, I wasn't surprised by the ending.

I felt like the show had been set up from the very beginning to have Ted (Josh Radnor) and Robin (Cobie Smulders) get together, but it didn't make it any less frustrating. Did you find that you guessed the ending?

Cait: C'mon, to say it was "a real let down" is a massive understatement! People hated it. I know it's an unpopular opinion, but I'm prepared to take a stand here and admit that I was satisfied by the finale.

I did guess that Ted and Robin would end up together, so perhaps I'd had time to emotionally prepare for the ending. Before we get stuck into that though, what did you love about the show so much?

How i met your mother has the WORST ending ever I'm so pissedddd

— matchawhore (@noorsgf) November 24, 2020

Marie: Tbh, I think what was so good about the show was its emotional core.

I'm not a superfan of sitcoms 'cos they usually feature a lot of poor taste jokes (even HIMYM isn't an exception to this) but the long-form storyline of the characters falling in and out of love and growing old together just warms my little heart.

Cait: Omg same. I loved the show's ability to jump between super funny moments and super serious ones in a matter of seconds. Plus, once I'd heard "Let's Go to the Mall" (the most iconic song of all time), I knew I was never turning that series off.

Basically, it's just legen... wait for it... dary!

Marie: Yes! I also loved all the relationships in the show. I personally felt that Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) and Robin were meant to be together.

Cait: Okay, but... really? Sure, they had great chemistry but neither of them was ready for a long-term relationship. It was never going to work.

Marie: Look, maybe not at the time, but I'm sure they were soulmates. I think Robin's problem wasn't that she couldn't be in a long-term relationship, it was just that she had other stuff to get out of the way first.

I reckon if Robin and Barney had tried again after Barney's daughter was born, and Robin finished kicking her career goals, it would've worked out perfectly, but Ted just had to swoop in again *angry react*.

Cait: It was always going to happen! Anyway, let's get to the real point of this discussion: Why did you hate the finale?

Marie: I think the finale sucked because of how they just ended the story in a matter of seconds, while the lead up to the ending was a whole season long.

Don't get me wrong, I think dragging out the wedding and meeting the mother was a great choice by the writers. It gave us enough time to get to know Tracy (Cristin Milioti) so that we could accept her in the gang, and with Ted.

However, the finale just felt too rushed. It wasn't enough time for me to come to terms with Barney and Robin's divorce and I was also sad that they killed off Tracy so soon. Don't make me love a character and then immediately get rid of them!

Cait: I will admit that the finale did feel rushed. However, was that really the finale's fault or was it a problem with the structure of Season 9?

In my opinion, viewers didn't get enough time to actually meet the mother. Sure, we saw her in some shots with Ted and the rest of the gang, but we never learnt much about her life with him or the ins and outs of their relationship.

If the writers had spent less time on Barney and Robin's wedding and more time exploring Ted and Tracy's relationship, people would have been less disappointed when Barney and Robin didn't work out (still don't get how people thought they were going to work though).

Plus, anyone who really paid attention to the show would have always known that the mother was dead. Why on earth would Ted spend so many years telling his kids about how he met her if she was just chilling on the couch sipping a cup of tea?

Marie: True, I don't think they should have spent so much time on Barney and Robin's wedding if they were going to end their marriage so quickly.

As for Tracy's death, I was shocked like the Pikachu meme. To me, it looked like Ted's story was being told over a few days (considering his kids changed clothes like three times) and I felt the choice to remove Tracy from the picture and replace her with Robin was a last-minute decision.

Cait: That's interesting! Did you know that the writers planned the ending from the very beginning? So, Ted and Robin were always going to end up together.

Marie: Damn, I didn't know that for sure, but It doesn't surprise me to hear.

In my opinion, Ted and Robin were set up to fail from the start. It's almost like watching your friend go back to their loser ex-boyfriend over and over again—you know it's not supposed to work.

How did you feel about Tracy? I was expecting to hate her because she was introduced so late, but I think her character was built perfectly for Ted.

I hate the ending of HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER. Its so stupid to have ted and robin be together. Its like they were saying that robin was really the love of his life not Tracy. Gaaah I hate it!!!

— Linda (@LindaPsantos) October 5, 2020

Cait: I absolutely loved the mother and I thought Cristin Milioti nailed the character. She was the perfect woman for Ted at that time in his life. Ted always wanted to get married and start a family—which he wouldn't have been able to do with Robin—and Tracy was his ideal match.

It is tragic that she died but it's also reflective of real life. People get sick. The timing isn't always right. HIMYM was always quite realistic in that way. Remember when Marshall (Jason Segel) found out his dad died?

Marie: Yeah, and that's why I love the show. That episode where Marshall found out his dad had died still makes me cry. It's just so emotional and real.

Cait: Do you think you would have found the ending more, uh, acceptable if we'd got to see Ted grieve Tracy's death and reconnect with Robin?

Marie: Hmm... maybe, but not for me.

I was just such a massive Barney and Robin stan, and Ted and Tracy were quite literally made for each other. But as you said—if the show was supposed to be more realistic, we don't always get what we want.

Cait: We most certainly don't. What did you think about how things ended for Barney?

Marie: They nailed it. I think it was such a funny move from the writers to make him fall for someone despite always claiming he'd never be tied down. I think it's even more beautiful that it was his daughter that did it, considering how much he couldn't stand kids.

I think the choice to make him finally grow up because of a child rather than a relationship was the best way to end Barney's story; he wasn't like the rest of the gang, and his ending fit that perfectly.

Cait: Well, that's something we can finally agree on! That scene where Barney meets his daughter for the first time was so heartwarming, particularly considering Barney had avoided commitment his whole life due to his own ‘daddy issues'.

Marie: How about Lily (Alyson Hannigan)? Her character upset a lot of viewers throughout the series. She's renowned for being the most hated character because she left Marshall in Season 1 and made him move to Italy and postpone his career goals.

Cait: I never had a problem with Lily. I didn't necessarily agree with her leaving Marshall in Season 1, but her character developed massively throughout the show. Plus, why was Marshall's dream job more important than hers? In the end, I felt like they managed to compromise and support each other. They lived in Rome for a year before returning to New York, where Marshall became a judge.

Marie: I totally agree with you. I never had a problem with Lily either and I think she—much like the rest of the cast—is such a realistic character. No one is perfect and I think condemning her for making a mistake and wanting to follow her passion is a bit unfair.

I think Marshall is tied with Barney as my favorite character and you just can't have Marshall without Lily.

Cait: The real question is: Will you be binge-watching HIMYM again now that it's on Netflix?

Marie: I think that's a hard yes. Even though I totally wish the alternate ending was coming with the re-addition to Netflix, the show will always be one of my favourites.

I can't tell you how many times I've watched HIMYM through. I've lost count, but it doesn't make it any less fun to watch each time. This girl is not going to become the blitz for missing it in 2020.

Update 27/11/20: This article was updated to reflect that all nine seasons of HIMYM are now hitting Aussie Netflix on 28 November. 

Header Image: Fox