The Day How I Met Your Mother Died

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An exploration into the history of How I Met Your Mother and the episode that sparked the show's downfall to mediocrity.
PATREON - / entertaintheelk
INSTAGRAM - @adamtinius
TWITTER - @EntertainTheElk
WEBSITE - www.entertaintheelk.com
MUSIC IN THIS VIDEO:
"Black Heat" by Ross Bugden - Music is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommon...)
Link: • ♩♫ Intense and Upbeat ...
"The Dreamer" by Lakey Inspired - Music is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommon...)
Link: • The Dreamer - Lakey In...
"Payday" by Jason Farnham - Music is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommon...)
Link: • Payday - Jason Farnham...
"Weightless" by Ross Bugden - Music is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommon...)
Link: • ♩♫ Happy Instrumental ...

[@EntertainTheElk]

What should I explore next in my "The Day ___ Died" series?

[@SamiOwens]

Entertain The Elk Jimmy Neutron.

[@Bryan-T]

Grey's Anatomy was a show I liked for quite a while but now you'd have to pay me to watch it.

[@calebboatman9840]

Community or Arrested Development

[@PeiceofNick]

The Day Community Died?

[@rorcknar]

Entertain The Elk Heroes

[@janninmarie8385]

Tracy is the most hyped up character that ACTUALLY SUCCEEDED. It’s amazing how lovable she is despite the very short screentime.

[@kevintanza6968]

Even I fell in love with her lol

[@andyvillaveces477]

exactly, I don't think that people should focus on two and a half minutes of a 20 minute episode, that was awesome

[@Zbykobyl]

Welp, I hate ending... Until i watched the whole thing again lately. It's giant love letter to his dead wife, We didn't get to see any of her flaws, She was perfect for him, and it's easier to understand when we know what's going to happen.

[@syafiquegigs]

@@Zbykobyl exactly! The great Ted's speech about wanting 45 more days with Tracy just feels a lot sadder after knowing Tracy died.

[@RAch711baby]

We all fell in love with and I hated when she died

[@Haggart9]

The best comment i've ever seen on any article published that summed up the finale up perfectly was this: "The fans wanted the yellow umbrella except they gave us the blue french horn"

[@ZuyFean]

They actually gave us both.

[@nykerianash1590]

ZuyFean Yeah they gave us the yellow umbrella threw it away then shoved the blue horn in our face. So much much character regression.

[@Haggart9]

@@ZuyFean no one wanted the blue french horn after season 2, especially season 4, especially after the Robin in Season 8....

[@MisterWhat]

There was no regression. The show takes after a story that narratively goes pretty much like that.

[@BrokenSocialScene23]

@@Haggart9 the same reddf

[@medd0ws]

It's one thing for Ted to move on after the mother's death, but the way the show handled it makes Robin seem like Teds' true love all along & the mother like a consolation prize.

[@sanchitchandra8990]

Lawyered

[@EvaaLvsM]

EXACTLY

[@grg150svr2009]

I think that indeed Robin was his true love but not the love he needed. Maybe something was missing in the middle or the editing was really bad and it came out like this but for me it made sense.

[@lukedodson3267]

Especially since they spent so much time pointing out how fundamentally incompatible Ted and Robin were.

[@nzalmeida]

That because you are still on 30s Ted an not on 50s Ted. That is the problem with all of us. We are not being very empathic with 50 year old Ted.

[@shannonanniebrennan]

i didn’t even mind tracy’s death that much robin and barneys divorce is what annoyed me the most

[@shingwong4418]

Wasted a whole season just to undo it in one scene

[@Avalon_1991]

It felt like they just wanted a few surprises for cheap shock value, and it felt like a lot of the characters just reverted back to the characters from the pilot especially Barney.

[@mrvnkraber8411]

@@Avalon_1991 they spent half of the show building up robin and Barney just to break them up an episode after there beautiful episode

[@alexlilano1931]

I actually like it. Real life a lot of my friends ended up divorce. It felt more real.

[@rachel-in-the-208]

@@alexlilano1931 For me, it wasn’t so much that Barney and Robin got divorced ... Well, yeah. It kind of was. But what REALLY upset me was that they had so much invested in Barnie maturing as a person and deciding he did in fact want to settle down. Let’s not forget he had 2 serious girlfriends before Robin. One girl he even got engaged to (only to realize how much he loved Robin) So we had all this emotional growth ... and then POOF! It was all gone. He reverted back to the man-child in a blink of an eye. It was beyond disappointing and I felt it was just ridiculous!

[@ShinOmega1196]

Watching Barney grow as a character was one of the most compelling aspects of the last couple of seasons, seeing that even someone as horrible as he was could change and be a better person, that to throw it all away left me feeling empty. It's such a pessimistic turn to say that that way of life for him is inescapable, when they'd brought his arc to such a satisfying conclusion already.

[@sombrerohero8793]

He changed again when he got his kid

[@benjaminvanhaagen9117]

OmegaMan1196 I think it showcases how arcs don't always end well. Barney and Robin's relationships always had this problematisch aspect to them, and I think it's more important to show how these two characters would actually react instead of try to appeal to the audience. The death of the mother also gives a reasonable explanation for explaining how they met. I might be a bit baised since it's my favorite show and i've already watched 7 times

[@AlexGatter]

I personally believe when “he goes back to his old ways” it is just to run away from the truth and more of a mid life crisis that then led to the birth of his child which is what he needed to get him out of that and to finally face life

[@blue3616]

@@benjaminvanhaagen9117 I'd be fine with Barney reverting back to his old ways if they actually took the time to explain how it happened. The final season took place 24 hours before Barney and Robin's wedding and there was nothing to indicate that their relationship would end badly. Of course in real life you can't tell if a relationship will end based on the wedding, but this is a TV show where we have watched these characters mature into different people from who they were at the start of the show. To watch all of their development completely backtrack with no warning in the final episode feels like a slap to the face. (For me at least.)

[@edwardmarshall8333]

How did they throw it away?

[@taccos3524]

Tracy was a female Ted with hints of every character. By the time we meet Tracy, we already knew and loved every character, making us all love Tracy. Sadly they threw away such a wonderful character for that ending

[@Zbykobyl]

They threw away? The whole story was big love letter to her.

[@kayliennabyrdsong8899]

@@Zbykobyl No it wasn't, it was Ted telling his kids he was in love with Robin. And that's not my opinion, Ted and his kids said so themselves. If anything, it was a love letter for Robin.

[@talha1349]

@@ab-jl5bz yh that's the point, that's why it doesn't make sense. Why Robin, when Tracy is "the one" who seems perfect for Ted? The entire show was building towards nothing in the end That's one of the problems in the finale

[@victorbrinch1043]

@@talha1349 she had been dead for 6 years

[@xcaliber4141]

@@talha1349 n tbh its thier show not robins writers didnt listen to the audience n were stubborn they need to learn like doc strange its not about u

[@guzvar]

It's funny that in the Season 5 episode19 "Zoo or false" Ted says: "You can't just tack on a new ending because you're not satisfied with how a story wraps up" and yet the creators did just that lol

[@juliacamposfrasao1048]

yesss i was rewatching and i started laughing in this part kjfnfjv and also only now i realized that this whole ep was basically saying that ted is an unrealiable narrator!

[@cartograph8162]

did you not watch this video? The ending was planned from ther beginning. it wasnt tacked on or anything. they even hinted at the ending throughout the series with multiple different reasons. Yes most people dont like the ending but it was a creative choice they decided on well in advance

[@100nitrog2]

@@cartograph8162 Then they shouldn't have destroyed their own ending. They made it clear multiple times why Ted and Robin don't work together. The original ending they wrote could have worked in the first few seasons, but not by a longshot by the time they reached season 9. It was extremely poor judgement to use their original ending by the end of the series. They were clearly capable of making such judgements, given that they planned for Victoria to be the Mother if the show got an early cancellation.

[@cartograph8162]

@@100nitrog2 Let me repeat myself. Watch the video. The whole thing was planned out even to making the viewer think that robin wasnt the one but in the very beginning it was hinted at episode one. when ted meets robin

[@100nitrog2]

​@@cartograph8162 I'm not entirely sure what point you think you're making...I KNOW that they planned this ending from the beginning. Everybody knows that. What I'm saying is that the ending they wrote early on no longer made sense by the time they reached the end of the series. It doesn't matter that they planned for Ted to end up with Robin in the end. What they did wasn't misdirection. It was just plain bad writing. A lot of character development was thrown out simply so they could revert to an ending they wrote and filmed 7 years prior, back when they thought they'd be lucky to make it to 3 seasons.

[@delfs9103]

Imagine killing a show in two minutes, the two final minutes

[@majorasmask_8288]

when they could have easily erase the 2 minutes and end with "and that kids, is how I met your mother"

[@starlord6433]

Delfina Medicina wrong, season 8 and 9 was whack

[@305Independent]

The whole episode. Barney and Robin splitting up after spending really 5 seasons, but especially the last season and a half, building them up as endgame, just to tear them apart in the first 15 minutes of the finale, was far worse than killing Tracey.

[@paristexas1984]

Clef the Misfit the writers never build them as endgame, the fans did. Everybody said they were perfect and meant to be while the show - especially the last season - showed us what they had wasn’t more than a platonic love, that none of them were ready to get married, and all the indecision and stress both went to was to show that they shouldn’t get married. But the marriage was the only way Robin, Barney and even Ted could have an happy ending: Ted needed for Robin and Barney to get married so he could move on from Robin and met the mother, and after her death see that he still had a second chance with someone he loved; Robin needed to marry Barney or she would stay with Ted in 2014, maybe ruining the perfect relationship they kept safe cause it wasn’t the right time, and she also needed to get married so she could see that her relationship with Barney would never work with marriage and that Ted was the one that got away; Barney had to marry Robin or maybe he would never met the love of his life, his daughter, and finally settle down with the person he knew would never abandon or reject him. So maybe the fans were the problem after all If you still think that the end doesn't makes sense, try to watch this: kzbin.info/aero/PLBu5py_CHHt2oL-RilFNZf5qLycENbFDc

[@delfs9103]

@@paristexas1984 If almost every fan is unhappy with an ending, if it makes everyone so disgusted that ruined for them the experience of rewatching the show then maybe no amount of essays or analysis are really worth it, all of a fan community can't be wrong in what they want for a finale and if this one fails to deliver then it's bad.

[@andreidragostin]

9 seasons: people can change and learn and grow! Last episode: Not!

[@TheLivingPizza4]

Which is true people dont change

[@XEVN7]

@@TheLivingPizza4 Not true

[@victorpradha9946]

It would be the LOST finale where Jack just says F-it...and leaves the Island and Hurley runs a food truck business.

[@Fmessi23]

This is true but it also taught us a much less pleasant and perhaps equally true lesson in that people can revert to type and go back to being who they used to be. Not satisfying if you’re a viewer but that’s just the way life goes sometimes.

[@FriendlyCroock]

@@Fmessi23 lol It's quite fascinating how many "geniuses" hate on the last season not realizing that the entire story was made from the beginning. People actually think they just improvised along the way and somehow ended up with those last episodes.

[@paulinecollin7282]

The divorce of Barney and Robin is the thing that annoys me the most. So the writers told us the couple didn't work because Robin put her career before Barney whereas in the end of season 5 you see Robin put her couple with Don before her career ? So Robin evolves for a 3 months relationship but not for her marriage ? Besides Barney became the same man he decided not to be anymore. And the saddest about all of this is that Robin used to be my favourite charachter from the gang but after the finale I hated her so much. The alternative ending would have been way better than the official one.

[@user-qm5yu8jo8i]

agreed. as soon as they realized her job was low-key getting in the way of their relationship robin looked for the quickest way out and suggested they break up and barney was like but I still love u, you could tell he didn't want to but she didn't have any perseverance to hold onto a relationship, many of the reasons why she and ted didn't work out

[@enora-973]

robin wasn’t working for world wide news back when she was with don. this was her dream job, the reason she moved to New York. it makes sense to give up a job in Chicago (i could be wrong but I remember it wasn’t in New York), but it wouldn’t make sense for her to give up her dream career.

[@gh0rochi363]

Always hated robin.

[@Stanimalistic]

Maybe Don is why she didn't put Barney first.

[@owendillon3289]

@@gh0rochi363 she did cheat on Kevin with Barney and continued to date Kevin anyway

[@jaidoncrawford1163]

Ted: "And kids that's the story of how I met your mother... who died so I got with your hot aunt instead"

[@1996koke]

Your hot aunt that I already told you several times why we are not compatible but I'm going to insist just because I can't get over her.

[@meganspisak4927]

How I settled for your mother lol

[@thatrainbowgirlash]

I just pretend that Robin and ted never broke up

[@koharushjsjs296]

I would have rather robin and ted end up alone.

[@michaelh9649]

@that rainbow girl ash You’d have to pretend never to have watched the show then...

[@TisNessie]

I love that you say the audience was “betrayed” by the ending. That’s exactly how I felt watching the ending/last episode. I mean killing off the mom wasn’t the worst part since they had been leading up to it for a while, but the idea that Ted wanted to be with Robin again underlying the whole show we spent so many hours and years watching, just felt cheap.

[@kennethhizkia3864]

You know I would be weirded out if my mom died and my dad told me the story of how they met, just to tell me that he was in love with a family friend.

[@WillowJordan1979]

Let alone YOU telling him he's in love with the family friend.

[@ingenide]

imagine your dad just telling you about all the chicks he’s banged, only for them to not even be the correct person, when the real person he loved was the first person he went out with in the story

[@ZIEIaou]

How i met your mother: worst series finale ever Game of Thrones: Hold my mead

[@aureliemawete552]

😄😄😄

[@josephdavis9234]

Anyone who says HIMYM or GoT had the worst ending ever clearly never saw a protagonist toss his sister into the ocean, fake his death, become a lumberjack, and leave his young son in another country with an unrepentant murderer.

[@abbygaleon1731]

You mean starbucks

[@Fangs1978]

To be fair HIMYM only had a bad final episode. GOT had two horrible final seasons.

[@Ryan-pg1tw]

Maybe you should be more respectful

[@Karragh]

The mother dying, by itself, was never the problem with the ending. That was thematically consistent. The show always had a melancholy tone, there were some episodes that already implied something bad had happened, and it just made sense: Why do these kids need a long story about how he met their mother, surely they would know a lot of the details already. But if the mother had been dead since they were very young, of course they wouldn't know the story. It also somewhat justifies the story dragging on so long in a weird way. Ted is this lonely sad old man who wants to relive happier days, before the love of his life died, before he and his friends had all gone separate ways in life. He is using it as an excuse to spend more time with his kids, and using his kids as an excuse to get to do this reliving. It all was good, until he ended up back with robin. That was the sinking moment that ruined everything. And yeah, having Robin and Barney divorce just so that Ted can get back with Robin makes me angry in ways I can't describe. I think my ideal ending would have still had the mom die, but done the big recap thing from the alternate ending and never divorced Robin/Barney. Let Ted just be a sad man who wants to spend time with his children and mourn the loss of happier times in his life.

[@mycollegeshirt]

You know what your right, it would have been a beautifully sad ending mirroring how Robin couldnt have kids, and could still have barney, and Ted could be comforted by the wife he once had, and the kids

[@eadlynjune]

You could even have had him finish his story and as he gives one last smile says “And that’s how I met you’re mother” show all of them living their separate lives.

[@White_Recluse]

You are absolutely wrong about there always being an air of melancholy through out the show

[@oldmanlogan9616]

You defined it perfectly. The show always had a sad feel to it.

[@babasilikum7557]

@@White_Recluse The show regularly had its sad episode just to have the melancholy tone. he is right on this one. Karragh wrote it perfectly. The mother dying ist not the bad thing. That ending with Ted being alone and Robin and Barney still being wed and going with their development throughout the series would have been bittersweet but the perfect ending. I dont need a Happy Ending fo this series. But I had the impression since season 4 or 5 that they desperatly and unfittingly forced the whole "Ted still loves Robin"plot on the show. It fitted in season 3, maybe 4, but after that it was just ridiculous.

[@edwardlafferty8796]

As people said, that The Mother ended up dead was not the issue. The issue was breaking up Barney and Robin, ignoring the development and growth of both those characters, and forcing Ted and Robin together despite spending seven years showing us they were wrong and getting both characters to accept that. Putting all that development and growth aside also turned The Mother into a consolation prize...someone to hold Teds attention until Robin was ready to marry him. This finale was truly awful. About the only original aspect of the finale that worked was Barneys daughter. Otherwise, most of it needs to be ditched and ignored.

[@douglasamorim9382]

I don't like the end either,but what bothers me the most is the fact that the mom died. Ted is the best human being of the show,he didn't deserve that,he deserved someone who really loved him like the mother did,not someone who had him as their second option almost throughout all the show

[@MFD00MTR33]

My thoughts exactly.

[@MrDeflador]

The mother beeing dead actually does makes kiinda sense (teds way to coap with a lost one), but the whole robin/barney thing really left a sour taste in my mouth

[@jimyvenecadion5003]

I think the show was try to tell us that timing is important

[@85set05]

@@douglasamorim9382 I could have dealt with the mother dying if it wasn't just a cheap way of shipping Ted with Robbin and I say shipping because it was in no way a natural progression.

[@rasaecnai]

actually i was more upset with how barney and robin end up more than i was angry with the ted and the mother...i mean they built the barney story for two seasons and for what? it was unfair to the audience using cheap tricks

[@joe5058]

Yea more like 5 seasons. The barney and robin stuff started at season 3 soooo

[@mbaer3592]

Yeah, championing the "alternative ending" ignores a lot of the other stuff they got wrong. Plus, they'd been hinting at Tracy's death in prior episodes. Honestly, the problems started long before the finale, as a show with characters we cared about and stories that left us speechless turned into just another sitcom. One thing the video got right, though, is Tracy's upping the quality ironically making the ending even worse. If it'd been like many sitcoms, limping along to an "are we there yet?" ending, that would've been one thing. But raising the bar just before giving up the ghost made a bitter ending that much more so.

[@mbaer3592]

Ted and Robin were far more foreshadowed as being incompatible than Barney and Robin. So that argument justifying Robin winding up with Ted doesn't hold water. In fact, in episode "Brunch," it's shown that they're pretty much parallel to Ted's parents, who divorced at about the same age Ted and Robin "finally" got together, kneecapping the best argument for their being together, that they just needed to live long enough for their incompatibilities to no longer matter.

[@oddluck4180]

I mean honestly, if you build up a romance between two fan favorite characters you can't just have it end with "Oh yeah they broke up at some point."

[@CatProductionStudios]

Cheap Tricks? Not one of these are cheap tricks. Except for Cheap Trick.

[@ivy16x81]

It's been almost 5 years and I am still as bitter about this finale as I was the day it aired. They treated a wonderful character like Tracy as a cheap lame plot device, completely destroyed everyone else's character develoment and went against everything their audience wanted as closure for the show. To this day the most disappointing thing I've ever watched.

[@brettpgh3312]

I loved this show, it was like a friend to me. After the finale I haven't been able to watch an episode. They retroactively ruined the entire series.

[@deusexmachina9776]

Same here. I started watching it a month ago again and realize it was such a good show. It is amazing how the ending managed to ruin the entire series to a point where you start to think every episode was trash.

[@SeraphSeph]

@@brettpgh3312 I actually havent been able to watch an episode in 3 years either. Every time I watch it I just get that same disappointed feeling again.

[@InsomniacUN]

This is what I hate the most about the ending. The fact that it ruined the whole show for me. I can still watch some episodes and enjoy myself at times, but that ending just looms over everything. It's the only show I can think of that retroactively ruins itself.

[@VictouffeVideos]

What i hate the most is that i would have been fine with that storyline, if it had not been rushed in the last few minutes in the show. for example I'm fine with the mother death because it makes some of the previous scenes better (the scene where ted said that he would do anything to meet her sooner and spend more time with her). But i would have loved to see the beginning of their relationship, the time she knew she was pregnant and so on. In a similar fashion i'm fine with barney not being woth Robin, but i want to see how he is after their divorce and so on. This is especially bad because the last few seasons feel so long. It feels like they artificialy made them longer, and then we have this finale that feels rushed.

[@sllimjimsinkhole]

I'll never forget that I didn't realize the finale was 2 parts, so for over a month I thought the ending was Lily in that Whale costume crying in the empty apartment. LOL

[@brunoinofuentes7890]

oh honey

[@skizzler1232]

🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂

[@justanotherupscaspirant8837]

Still a better finale than the actual one

[@TheTwistyCuber]

Alternate ending: Ted: That kids is how I met your mother. (*Barney enters the room*)There wasn't a better way for this story to be told. Barney: Challenge accepted. Kids I am going to tell you the story in a much better way and its going to be legen.. wait for it .. *Credits roll* *END OF HIMYM*

[@gigi.l]

this is the best alternate ending ive seen ever and the fact that it didnt end in that way physically hurts lol

[@Snow-vi3ik]

As soon as the credits end you hear "DARY!" ...seems fulfilling XD

[@cr9842]

This is actually better than the ending they showed

[@robertoaguiar6414]

This would have been the greatest ending it could’ve had. This right here, thank you for replacing the last 2 and a half minute of the finale for me

[@vctrsigma]

That is pure gold.

[@raiiban]

The smartest thing they could have done was break out of the original planned ending and bring back the kids to record a new scene. Even if they're visibly older they could have made some joke about how they felt his story was taking years to be told or something, i don't know a writer could easily make a joke there to play it off and give the show a more proper ending. Not everything needs to be 100% rigid continuity to work right in a comedy finale.

[@afonsolucas2219]

Or! Instead of 2030, Ted took so long telling the story that he only ended in 2037!

[@nicemimomisu]

They did make the joke at the beginning of season 2

[@evernolasco19]

Or they should've just ended it right when he says "And that kids, is how I met your mother" then credits.

[@nicemimomisu]

@Ever Nolasco - in this cut...it would never really work either

[@EntertainTheElk]

Agreed. Or just don't include the children in the end. I don't care about them.

[@StewartFletcher]

In 5% of the screen time, the show made us love the mother head and shoulders over Robin. She was perfect for Ted. Robin was toxic and not complimentary. Broke my heart when they went with Robin over Tracy

[@Maxisamo1]

Like he says, they wrote themselves into a corner. Robin was originally supposed to be Ted's true love, and you can tell with how she's introduced into the story. However she and Ted over the seasons became very on-and-off (kinda like Ross and Rachel), which then turned into her getting with Barney and eventually marrying him. They became too diverged from each other and so all the audience had to look forward to was the mystery of who the yellow umbrella carrying mother was.

[@racheljackson6253]

Yes Ted and Robin were so bad for each other. Time and time again Robin didn’t appreciate Ted because he just wasn’t the one for her. You can see it several times throughout the series that sentimental things Barney does for her mean so much more to her even though Ted literally did things that were just as sweet, if not more so. Tracy from what we heard, felt the opposite way and always loved everything Ted did. Ted goes on and on about how his wife shouldn’t want to change him and should accept him but he ends up with Robin who might finally accept him but literally spent years not accepting him and his ideas about relationships and life.

[@pedroj3432]

@@racheljackson6253 exactly! Very well put

[@annaf3915]

Funny how everyone seems to love the mother. I thought she was way too perfect to seem like a real person. The moment when she sang La vie en rose on the balcony, I thought are they kidding me? Am I still watching the same show?

[@StewartFletcher]

@@annaf3915 I disagree, mate. That's one of my top ten HIMYM moments. But to each their own!

[@OfficialRedTeamReview]

I don't know man.....the last season was just not good. It had cool moments but I completely agreed on the Barney thing. His character arc was just ruined by him and Robin getting divorced and then getting a kid? uh...what? and then we don't even know the child's mom!?!? what?!?!? I just wish we had a full good season of Ted and Tracy together because they did seem like the cute together. Oh well :/

[@EntertainTheElk]

Totally agree!

[@crystalfairy912]

I was hoping that no more than half the last season was going to be dedicated to the wedding, with the last half focusing on Ted and Tracy. I thought it would make perfect sense to go that route, but they dragged out the wedding. I guess it makes sense for the last words to be "and that is how I met your mother," but it would have been nicer to see more of Tracy bonding with the group.

[@whodatninja439]

That would've been better. But nah what's more important is a 22 episode slow ass buildup to a wedding that doesnt matter in the end.

[@firstname4382]

I thought they would reveal the woman he knocked up was Robin. >Years prior Robin finds out she's in fertile >Robin (seems) to become bitter and drops all contact with the main cast for years >Barney (seems) to be filling the void Robin left with pointless sex So trailing the divorce and seeing them be worse off without one another, I was expecting Barney to wheel out Robin and the baby, revealing there was some error years ago when she found out she was infertile. But nope! Just some random person we never see. They undid 9 years of character growth in 5 minutes and by God they stuck it out! ...Sorta... Being that suddenly having a kid made him do a 180 that 9 years of growth and marrying the love of his life couldn't achieve.

[@lukethomasdillon3762]

Love your game of thrones podcasts. Keep it up.

[@Angi3_6]

It's funny how one of the themes in the show was that life can be unpredictable and you sometimes had to adapt, yet the writers did the exact opposite .

[@mycollegeshirt]

Soo true, instead of the show being about growth and moving on and learning, it became about not ironically clinging to the past

[@wm502]

THANK YOU!!!

[@shayla106]

mycollegeshirt Thank you everybody says that’s life, but life would have been Ted getting back in the dating game not running after Robin. Also, I’m pretty sure real life doesn’t work out this neatly. Got to have kids and his ex (who couldn’t have kids).

[@TheLivingPizza4]

Because thats we all do

[@breajones4012]

The worst part about the finale was that the kids had to realize Ted wasn’t in love with their dead mother, rather a woman he already had two or three failed relationships with. If my mom had died and my dad told me he was actually in love with his friend I would feel cheated. I wouldn’t tell him to go win her back, I’d tell him to go to hell.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Seriously!!!

[@itsmeLori]

So people should just end their lives after their spouses die?

[@PhoenixEnforcer101]

@@itsmeLori missed the point completely. Moving on after death is fine but don't tell your kids, hey I loved your mom but I've always loved my friend who I've had more than one failed relationship with and also married my best friend more. If my dad basically told me that I would feel like a mistake

[@itsmeLori]

Act 3 he never actually said more. He was asking for their blessing and felt the need to justify it with their long history. All the other stuff is projection from people who feel betrayed that they thought the love story was only about his deceased wife.

[@itsmeLori]

In a better world, we could teach children to be as loving and generous as his kids were in this show. Kids are naturally upset when their parents move on, but it happens, and it doesn’t have to be an insult or offense to the other parent.

[@Persephone01]

Tracy was so much better for Ted than Robin ever could be. It should have just stopped at him meeting his wife. A perfect more reasonable ending for everyone.

[@isthou]

yes, she was, and guess what? they ended up together Then she died. Is a dead Tracy a better match than a living Robin? He got his happy ending with Tracy, for years, they were deeply in love and they had kids. Then life happened. What was he supposed to do? mourn for his entire life? commit suicide on the spot?

[@nicolev.3532]

Xavier Lesueur pretty sure if it stops at him meeting his wife then she doesn’t die so no, no one is saying that

[@kowsikreigns3216]

Victoria was right

[@KiSwordsman]

Not for everyone. I appreciate the actual ending

[@SKyrim190]

I would be totally okay with a new ending where the kids are grown up and say wow, that story really took a long time... As a final punchline

[@carterpaine5079]

So there's a scene where Ted says to Jenette in season 9 "If I could just move on that wouldn't be love"... so does that mean he never loved the mother?

[@jotarokujo4385]

But still runs to Tracys apartment in one scene many days before the wedding hoping it could give him more time with her

[@mattiasakemalm1412]

@@jotarokujo4385 But still chokes Tracy with stories about other girls and, especially, Robin

[@jonassantana5707]

But he move on from Robin when he let her hand before the wedding

[@flashblack7811]

I wouldn't call it to "just move on" when it's 6 years after the mom literally died..

[@andrewjones575]

@@flashblack7811 But Ted doesn't start to fall back in love with Robin 6 y after Tracey's death.

[@randysmith7094]

AKA "How I hooked up with over 20 women before I met your mother".

[@sheikhsuleiman9208]

Not only that, how he had threesome 🤣

[@dominicjeffrey9477]

@@sheikhsuleiman9208 Naaa that wasn't confirmed, it was implied but nobody knows if he actually did it

[@sheikhsuleiman9208]

@@dominicjeffrey9477 well he did. And the faCt that he's telling his children about this story makes it awkward af

[@ghostflame9211]

I’m pretty sure in that 8 year story (cause remember, the last season takes place over two days!), ted was with way more than 20 lol. But I see your point. Why is he telling his kids about his conquests prior to their mom...

[@purp1e300]

Over 50

[@lizh804]

Bays: "But we recorded the kids saying some lines about ted and robin already" Everyone else: Ted ends with "And that's how I met your mother" cut to montage of the Mosby family memories "and how you two got here" FADE TO BLACK. Oh look, I fixed it.

[@wernerwombo3789]

You didn't make it though😂😂😂

[@mooganify]

Yeah it’s a terrible excuse to say they already filmed it. Rolled my eyes to the point of pain when I saw that part

[@amitbhagat2947]

In my opinion perfect ending should have been like this including prerecorded video of kids.... Ted goes in restorent to steal the blue horn, while approaching another object catch his eye hanging in another coner it was yellow umbrella. He sees both items simultaneously shok his head. And he steal that umbrella, walk in to rain smile on his face. And that's how story should have ended.

[@kswkiss]

EXACTLY

[@ultramate_noodle5367]

Amit Bhagat, Nice ending!

[@ayyiramadhini]

with that ending, the title should be " How I met your step mother"

[@DavidMyrmidon]

Spin-off.. mayhaps? **twirls moustache**

[@Maxisamo1]

@@DavidMyrmidon How? It would be literally the same show, but more honest

[@dravidbrown7072]

Then it wouldn't be very long would it

[@annaf3915]

Or "How I found out over the course of several years that Robin isn't right for me but after your mother died and I was lonely and in my 40s still decided to give it another go"

[@brentos96]

I feel like they shot themselves in the foot with the episode "How Your Mother Met Me" (S9E16). This episode that was based completely around Tracy/The Mother and her life through the years, and how she was always around Ted's life, but never in the forefront, and at the end when she sings "La Vie en Rose" ukulele, I feel like the entire audience fell in love with her. I actually love the writing in that episode, and find it incredible that they manage build a connection through a short 22 minute episode. She was sitting on that balcony singing, heart broken, feeling lost, scared, and hoping for direction of where to go next, I we were right there with her. We bought into a character from one episode. We loved her just as Ted did...and then they ripped her away, they went over her death like it's a passing moment in a 15 second montage. We just fell in love with the Idea of Ted and Tracy, but we also believed that Tracy deserved the same sense of happiness that Ted was looking for...but we never got that. She was an after thought. She was a hurdle for the story to get over to get to Robin, and that's what I hated the most. I bought into this character, and I cared what she thought, but it didn't feel like the writers cared to tell anymore of her story aside from that one episode. what happened after this episode meant nothing to me. I'm confident that the show died on the following episode, "Sunrise" (S9E17). I did not care about Ted's "will they/won't they/I can't let her go/I'll always love her" storyline. I really didn't care at all. I was only invested in seeing Tracy and Ted end happy together. Plus this episode was just SOOOOO BAD compared to the previous one. I hated Barneys drunken mission to pass his wisdom on others, even if it did end with a happier message of nothing mattering unless you're with people that you love, but the approach of his character the entire episode was so off putting giving the character development he's had. And don't ever get me started on the floating Robin! * *edit* * I commented after watching half the video to realized that you hit similar points that I made. whoops.

[@justanotherupscaspirant8837]

The only time floating Robin was great was the absinthe episode. Period

[@nevyelysa9549]

It's been 5 years but i'm still mad with the ending. I totally agree with yours. Tracy is right person to end Ted's love story. PERIOD.

[@kratochvil11]

Agreed.

[@kittikau7733]

It’s 2020 now , I’m still mad

[@Scisca1a2a]

Disagree! She's the perfect woman to end MY love story... Why can't real women be like that...

[@jblue1622]

Thumbs up for starting with "Kids..."

[@EntertainTheElk]

You're the first person to catch that. Bonus points for you. :)

[@devanshyt]

This video is brought to you by skill share kids 😂

[@isa2758]

@Memestealer696 u mad bro?

[@Hhammer]

The fans ended up loving the mum so much... and ted going back to Robin is the shittest ever

[@chrismiller4364]

That's what makes the ending so heart wrenching. You as a fan end up loving the mother so much it breaks your heart when she dies, and that's part of why this show is so good. It perfectly illustrates how some things in life are 100% out of our control, like love. If you think back to Teds love speech to Jeanette he says that he can't stop loving Robin, he simply can't, because if he could, it would be some disposable thing, and then it wouldn't be love. The writers gave us a character to love and hope for and then takes that away from us, like life, it is 100% out of the viewers control.

[@MisterWhat]

The Mother you get to know is mostly a fairy tale. She`s too perfect and everybody loves her. And that is why it works, that`s how you can see how much Ted loved her because you don`t get to see any of her bad parts. Besides, I never understood this necessity of some shippers of painting Ted badly because he chose to still believe in love after she passed away when the Mother did the same thing regarding Max. The only difference between the two is that the Mother looked like a prude next to single Ted. Or simply more mature.

[@AJ-ns8st]

The mum, in my opinion, was poorly written. She was basically a female Ted. Her character was being Ted's wife. She wasn't a character in her own right making her death lame. Even with her weak character, it would have made the ending more impactful having her live, and not die in a cliche way.

[@chrismiller4364]

@@AJ-ns8st I mean it's everyone's own opinion at the end but they did make an episode just about the mom, she has plenty of backstory. A love story of her own, she's introduced through every one of Ted's friends before him. They only hade one season to work with which is difficult right but they created a lot within that season to build the mom as a character. Whether or not that was enough to make the viewer care for the mom is up to each and every viewer.

[@AJ-ns8st]

@@chrismiller4364 A character needs to have flaws. Name one flaw she has? She is perfect because she was made to be perfect. That makes it harder for her to get my sympathy. Even if she did have flaws it was just the same...as....Ted. But yeah I agree it is up to the viewers interpretation.

[@titania7768]

Its amazing how little screen time Tracy had but in my mind she is a main character in the show. Even when she isn’t on screen her presence is felt.

[@zimzimzalabim]

I don't know why Carter and Bays felt they locked themselves in. They could've shot a new scene with the kids all grown up saying something "so uh, Dad, it's been years and you never finished the story of how you met mom. Mom, sit down and and fill in the blanks, please? " Barney and Robin felt good together and the writers ruined them by destroying their character arcs. Tracy stole every scene she had and won the audience over. You just don't mess with that, and the emotional investment of people that followed the story for 9 years. Boy am I glad I waited until it was all on Netflix because I would've hated that feeling of betrayal. And that kids, is why Carter and Bays have trouble finding new job opportunities today.

[@Gabriel-ip6me]

Do they really? That would genuinely make me so happy

[@zimzimzalabim]

@@Gabriel-ip6me they're not going to reshoot a new scene, sadly... I can also imagine a scene about future Ted and future Barney going back in time and doing something to save Tracey. So they really several angles to finish the whole story and they really shot themselves in the foot with this ending because of arrogance and stubbornness. Lots of angry fans for eternity. BTW, where I live, the show was taken off Netflix and it's now on Amazon Prime video.

[@the_bottomfragger]

@@Gabriel-ip6me If them not finding work because of the series finale of a show you obviously loved makes you happy, you have things to sort out. Maybe rewatch HIMYM, tends to bring out the best in us. They definitely could've had better pacing on the finale but that doesn't make it invalid and most definitely not the entire show.

[@braziliansimon2737]

@@zimzimzalabim Yeah, where I live it's on Amazon too

[@vicenteortegarubilar9418]

And that kids, is how I killed our tv show.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Yep. Pretty much.

[@giovannigiovanni.7220]

@@EntertainTheElk I have question was it ever explained why the Ted narration voice didn't appear when they showed older Ted?

[@MH-sg8rn]

Giovanni Giovanni. Because that wouldn’t make sense

[@rubyhhh2715]

This is the reason why the use of commas is important

[@giovannigiovanni.7220]

@@MH-sg8rn What you mean it wouldn't make since? Then that would mean Bob seget just wasted 9 years of his life. They should have just have had current Ted voice older Ted from the beginning then. They could have done what they did in Men In Black 3. Where they did voice dubs.

[@thenewclassic4]

Barney and Robin should have ended together. It was pretty clear from the beginning that they were a match made in heaven (Ironic phrasing lol), they had the same humor, the same life purposes, so much In common and were in love. "The final page" in my opinion was the best episode in the series. It wasn't the funniest or anything but so powerful emotionally for a sitcom.

[@logarugamon2645]

Not likely given their personalities.

[@thenewclassic4]

@@logarugamon2645 Precisely because of their personalities. Being with someone like Ted will most likely drive Robin insane in the long run and same goes for Barney. While together, they will know when to give each other space which they both need the same amount of : a lot and since they enjoy the same stuff, they will have fun with a tad bit of romance, not overwhelming for any of them.

[@MisterWhat]

What you are doing is exactly looking at their relationship from a ship point of view. What the show actually did was show that whereas Robin and Barney had sexual chemistry, their connection was only superficial. When you say Ted would drive her insane in the long run how do you account for the fact that both times Robin and Barney were together they were terrible communicators and spent most time fighting? How do you account that besides enjoying Scotch, snark and smoking that their main reason to bickering and fighting was that they didn`t work as a team? How do you acount that the reason Barney claimed to love Robin was because they were both screwed up? How do you account that even before they marry there is a flashforward where Robin states that Barney simply does not listen? How part of the reason he loves her independency is because that way he doesn`t have to go the long way? Ted had a lot of issues but unlike Barney he actually met someone that taught him to chill down. Barney was always Barney.

[@thenewclassic4]

@@MisterWhat First point : Their connection definitely wasn't superficial as the foundation of their relationship was a strong bond and a long friendship through which they knew each others' strengths and weaknesses. In contrary with when she got with Ted for the first time. They were the closest out of the group aside from Marshall and Lily who were married so that says something. First question : Barney and Robin were both growing as characters and dealing with their own struggles. The first time they got together was one of Barney's first real relationships and Robin was still figuring out a lot of shit. I was a bad communicator in my first relationship, I got better with time and learned from my mistake and that's the case for most people. Wether they give it a second try or try it with someone else. Second question : Actually we don't see the characters whole lives but from the bits we see, they always laugh at each other's jokes, get each other, agree on most points and have fun together. They teamed up on an early episode which one the first one in which Barney suggested a relationship and it was pretty clear they made a good team. Third question : People who are screwed up get along with people who are screwed up better because they get each other. Just like if you went through some shit, it's extremely hard to get with someone who doesn't understand. She was freaking out common for a bride. He loves her independency because he's also independent and that's what makes them work. Imagine someone independent with someone controlling, insistent or too loving. It doesn't work. Second point : Barney grew a lot as a character. Season one Barney would have laughed at even considering a marriage. And it's passed off as humor BUT it's because his father gave up on him that he has a fear of commitment and it's because his mother was unstable with men that he is unstable with women. By meeting his father and working on his relationships with his family and gaining maturity, he changed.

[@joebagano4730]

I strongly disagree. I think the show got Barney and Robin's relationship dynamic exactly right when they were good together for a bit, but then drove each other crazy and broke up. They never should have gone back to that pairing.

[@zara-uu1ux]

in the second season, ted tells the kids that they already know the short version of how he met tracy, the umbrella story, that this story was instead about how he became the man he needed to be to meet her. a theme present throughout the show. and they threw it all away making it a story instead about how he has always loved robin and always will. they should’ve always filmed multiple versions of the ending to: a) keep it open b) keep it a secret i absolutely loved tracy, one of their best characters and she was reduced to a surrogate doing the hard part for robin to step in and become ted’s wife. makes no sense, still has to raise teens and be their stepmother for the rest of her life. tried justifying it by saying she’d be with max and he’d be with robin, their true soulmates. forever mad.

[@timy9197]

I think the worst part about it is that it feels less like "she's who I belonged with all along" and feels more like "I'm lonely and in my 50's and so is she." They did a poor job at making the entire story lead to that. It feels like it's not the point but after the point. I mean, is thinking about your dead wife and the emotional journey of finally finding her the mindset you want to be in when looking up old girlfriends as a rebound? It's like that quote "I found out my favorite love song was written about a sandwich".

[@ddogbud]

I always saw it as a rejection of the idea of "the one." The whole series, Ted is looking for "the one," but his life actually had two great loves and just as he wasn't ready to meet Tracy until after Jeanette, Ted and Robin weren't ready for each other until later in life. I don't think it was done well, but I also don't think we should disregard love later in life just because the two people didn't work out previously. If you think about it, much more time passed from the wedding to narrator Ted's time than from the beginning of the series to the wedding. The show continuously puts forth Lily and Marshall as the ideal love, but sometimes we aren't as lucky as them. Sometimes a partner passes too soon. Sometimes the love of your life isn't a romantic partner at all. That's why we don't see Barney's baby momma. People would make it too much about her when she's altogether irrelevant.

[@ddogbud]

Tekno Pathetic "but his life actually had two great loves" "sometimes a partner passes too soon." Him breaking up with Robin twice didn't disprove the idea of the one if he then married Tracy and lived happily ever after or never dated after her death. Him getting together with Robin at the end shows that love can be found after the end of a great love, much in the way that Ted was a second great love for Tracy.

[@ivmisme]

@@ddogbud you make a good point, but in think most people see it as a story about how ted was able to let go of his love for Robin to finally be able to get with Tracy. There was literally an episode where she literally flies away in a very cheesy way. If they ended the series there, I can almost guarantee nobody would be mad at the show on how it ended. It showed growth, but it literally felt like they just back tracked 6 seasons. It sucked cause the few scenes that Ted and Tracy were in together had great chemistry. It really felt like he moved on.

[@feraflauna3238]

+Ti My-And basically with the way it ended, Ted is just old, lonely, and horny, with a dead wife and pining for who his children consider an Aunt. "Well. . .your mom's dead kids, can I go bang your Aunt Robin now?" And given that the ending went the extra mile to establish that everyone in the "family" (Marshall, Lily, Ted, Barney, Robin) all lost contact with each other over the years (which is reprehensible enough. . .), Robin hasn't had much close contact with Ted for a long time. Even in the show's own ending, their romantic chemistry is STILL not even there. It's basically, "Well. . .we're old now and lonely. And we don't have anybody else now. . .Eh. . .why not?" Wow. . .I got to get me some of that. . . It just utterly annihilates what was supposed to be a sweet, adorable story of how Ted found his wife and his remarkable "family" that found a way to always stay together and be a part of each other's lives and just veers into something more simply ugly: dour, depressing where Ted has lost his wife (to cancer or something or other. . .I really don't know) relatively early on to where he had to watch her die for such a long time. . .Barney cheated on who was supposed to be the "love of his life" and just completely went back to even worse of an asshole where he simply didn't give a shit about a future woman (prostitute) who happened to get knocked up and happened to give him a child to where Robin was forced to go through an entire "wedding" knowing her fiance/"husband" cheated on her and absolutely abandoned her. . .Not to mention outright callous where Robin and Ted basically only find each other after so many years due to, "Well. . .we're still alive. . .and we still are not married. .. want to bone some more? " *sighs, not really into it. . .* "Sure, why not?"

[@alexanderstrain6250]

Tekno Pathetic do you think that’s the point. This show is messy and filled of epic nights but not epic lives, during the season, until the finale that is. I feel both robin and ted had to move on and so they thought to give it another shot. It may not be happily ever after or the perfect relationship but it will work.

[@sapienveneficus]

I still remember this one tweet from the night of the finale that blew up on when it was reposted on tumblr: "You can't ruin 9 seasons of television in 20 minutes...challenge accepted!"

[@MrDeykar]

I hated the ending not because they wanted Ted to eventually end up with Robin. I hated it because it train wrecked the character growth and relationships of 9 seasons in one episode. This ending needed another season of build up for it. The way they did it was cheap and undeserved. Why do you watch Barney and Robin overcome all hardships t get married and even watch a super cringe worthy strange episode of Ted letting go of Robin just to undo all of that in 50 minutes?

[@spirosaris1630]

True, season 10 would've been a great (when you make something whole) to the story... Or they could've just killed Barney off...that would work too and wouldn't spoil his character arc.

[@mooganify]

What’s this cringe worthy episode about letting go? When she flies off at the end?

[@jayinthebx]

The writers got lazy with the last season. How is a whole 20 something episodes about a wedding weekend. Unlike most who watched this season I didn't dislike the ending it made sense. He went back and forth on feelings for Robin in his 20s and early 30s. But I feel like they could of made season 9 about more than a wedding have Ted and Tracey have a first date show some progressions of Barney and Robin's marriage. Something more than a wedding weekend would've been nice

[@braziliansimon2737]

@@spirosaris1630 AGREE

[@WhiskeyMindset]

Just rewatched the series with my wife, she had never watched the show and started watching it on Amazon. I told her that I love the show right up until the last 2 episodes. Once we finished the show I honestly think she was more furious than I was at the ending lol.

[@andrewjones575]

What do you love about the rest of s9?

[@jonathanshawver4678]

If one or two episodes of the last season had been dedicated to the wedding and the rest to Ted and The mother relationship and Barney and Robin drifting apart it may have worked. But having a whole season about the wedding dragged and the 15 min for the big reveal was the last straw.

[@mooganify]

Yeah it seemed pretty weird, Ted wasn’t even the focus of his own story at that point.

[@siddheshborse3500]

We wanted the yellow umbrella, they gave us the blue french horn😡😡😡

[@panferno10000]

nice copy idiot

[@sicariipomona7211]

Siddhesh Borse 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@Ryan-pg1tw]

Maybe you should express your opinion more respectful

[@Ryan-pg1tw]

@@panferno10000 You should be more respectful i think

[@amiarooba]

How beautifully put

[@DoctorNobody]

Can't agree more... Christine Milioti did a fantastic job in bringing to life the mother and the involution they made with the characters of robin and barney was a cringe to see ... years of character development thrown out of the window (even if I concede that the moment with Barney and his daughter was fitting and sweet). And the "fake" alternative finale is of little help.... what aired was the finale.. that is just a "what if" to please the fans...

[@EntertainTheElk]

Totally agree. And yeah, Barney's moment with his kid was sweet.

[@anthonymora7581]

Totally disagree, ending is as natural as human relations are. If people wanted a sugar coated ending that fills the expectations one can develop over the years of watching tv shows, well... life is not like that.

[@DoctorNobody]

Anthony Mora I respect your view... but killing the mother character, just so that Ted could date Robin for the nth time again... in my opinion fits more the narrative one's accostumed from years of telefilm watching..(it was the first woman ted laid his eyes on at the beginning of the tv show, and for whom the majority of spectators rooted for, but that time and time again was proven wrong for him). A not sugar coated ending in my opinion would have been having Tracy die, as she did (because life sometimes sucks) but not having Ted coming back to robin. As i said I respect your view and I am happy you enjoyed it... 😊... but I didn't.😉

[@anthonymora7581]

Cristian Agostini thanks for your reply, my comment was to the video in general and not meant for you specifically so sorry about that. Sadly this story ended in a very recursive and cheesy way, it’s just that I don’t picture how a different ending would have made it better. Much people argue they didn’t like it and that’s ok, its not that big of a matter.

[@DoctorNobody]

Pranav Sriram it was really good. Probably my favorite of season 9

[@lilyzhong7458]

I'm okay with Tracy dying, as tragedy is an unavoidable part of life. I would even go along with Barney and Robin divorcing, as feelings can fade away with time. However through the entire season nine, through that very very long weekend, Barney, Robin and Ted have all grown SO MUCH. They have gone back and forth in this triangle and thought/argued about almost all the possible scenarios. The episode when Ted let go of Robin like his childhood friend (the Balloon) was so beautiful. It was a perfect wrap-up of this long drag of a relationship (and I mean it the most respectable way). The proposal, the rehearsal dinner and the vows of Barney were so romantic that I cried so much while watching these episodes. When all of these build up to nothing, it really is hard to accept. To be honest, with the faith that this was a comedy, I was waiting until the last moment to see that Robin would go back to Barney. I thought this divorce was just another obstacle that they had to go through to show that they will be able to work through everything together. Robin would go achieve her dream and then come back to Barney. Barney would try to be a playboy again only to find that he can't anymore. After all, their conflict can really be solved by an unlimited Data package (jk I understand that the wifi was just a trigger, but still, there is gotta be a solution if they work together as Lily and Marshell did). I just finished watching this show on Netflix and I can't imagine how the fans who followed it through years felt when they saw this ending...

[@SeaskyLe6]

I couldn't say it better! You are absolutely right! I started watching the show about 2010-2011 and it grew to be my absolute favourite tv show. It still is, but the ending was disappointing. I will still love the show and will enjoy it again in the future, without the last few minutes of the last episode.

[@trafficcontrol2420]

Season 9 of HIMYM is like the last arc of Naruto....

[@Farisss11]

people cant get sad ending, people always want ending they wants im ok about this ending 1000%

[@Oceanlinx]

I think most people who liked the ending probably shipped robin and ted together all along and didn't get how frustrating it would be for others to waist 9 years of their lives with an ending that could work if it were in season 4, why drag the show and have characters grow if you just want regression? The ending was a waist of time and that's why I hate it.

[@user-nv3cc8zo7x]

so agreed with you! I can't even imagine what people who watched from 2005 to 2014 every week felt... i'd sue lol what a betrayal and disrespect to the viewers

[@SaturdayParker]

There is a silver lining. Since the ending is basically universally hated. That means deep down we all cherish what marriage and friendship represent we are all big softies under the right conditions.

[@thatgirlreacts5465]

dragongirl37582 that's a cute way of looking at it!!

[@rainystone3]

Wow that was beautiful

[@DeepakTheDevastator]

Never looked at itn that way....

[@Rose-nk6qu]

that's adorable

[@arroranschwartz3802]

You beautiful bastard

[@pete490c]

I agree 100 percent with everything in this video. The Mother (or Tracy, if you will), is simply one of the most lovable characters ever. She was perfect for Ted, and they killed her. Whenever I re-watch this show I stop at the scene with Ted and Tracy under the umbrella, and tell myself that that was the end, and that they lived happily ever after.

[@highfiveforjesus]

Yup, anytime my wife and I rewatch I refuse to watch the "real" ending. It just enrages me, lol.

[@yowhaddup9763]

Peter Rosenbæk Olesen I have the last season bought and there’s an alternate ending so whenever I get to the end I switch it to that😂

[@LuuCaicedo]

I do the same.

[@Traumglanz]

Is the alternate ending not the new official real ending? ;-)

[@riss0is]

Urgh, disgusting. The whole point of the show is that there is no such thing as a "happily ever after", life happens. It has its ups and downs. I'm part of the 1% that did enjoy the finale (although I have to agree that I didn't like Barney's comeback to his old self), because it shows exactly that. Life happens, it's messy and not by any means perfect. And at the same time, it kind of is. Robin didn't want to have kids, she just wanted a career and to travel the world. But after years of that life, she wanted to settle down. She finally had the same answer as Ted for the whole "where do you see yourself in five years" question. And don't even get me started on the "boo-hoo, Tracy was disposable, Ted's love was Robin all along" bullshit. The love of Ted's life is Tracy, period. But life happens, she was dead for six years and Robin was always his "what if" scenario, his "girl that got away". Life goes on. Again, I reiterate that the ending is not without its flaws, but I like it.

[@DaveyJonesPewbacca]

I probably would have bought the ending if it had happened four or five seasons earlier but by season nine the show had thoroughly convinced me to love Barney and Robin together and Tracy and Ted together too. I find it so frustrating that they knew how the show was going to end and they let the characters get thrown so far off course. If you know that Robin and Barney won't end up together, why string us along for 20+ episodes leading up to their wedding only to tear it all down in mere seconds? Why bother? Why have Ted get over Robin 20 billion times every season if you want us to be happy when they end up together? This could have been avoidable and well received if you stuck to your ending. And if you decide to let the natural growth of the show happen, change the ending! It looks like the creators wanted to have it both ways and it just didn't work at all. Makes me very sad

[@EntertainTheElk]

Yes yes and yes.

[@simonbrunner3062]

When exactly did Ted get over Robin? The day before he met Tracy, he was set to move to Chicago because he was convinced he'd never get over Robin. I agree that all the build-up to Robin and Barney's wedding seems weird knowing they'll get divorced 15 minutes into the finale. I disagree, however, that Ted and Robin weren't right for each other or that her and Barney were a better fit. Ted and Robin only broke up because in 2007 their plans for the future were incompatible. Turns out, Robin putting her career first and travelling the world didn't work out any better for her relationship with Barney. In 2030, those issues are out of the way. Ted has raised his kids and Robin is done travelling all the time. The ending makes sense. As for Tracy: People die, and their loved ones move on eventually. And so should everyone who's still pissed about the ending.

[@triplflip900]

My thoughts exactly. They had two different options to make the ending work and they stupidly tried to combine them and totally screwed it up.

[@feraflauna3238]

+DaveyJonesPewbacca-Actually. . .few people realize this, but as for that horrendous abomination that they call an ending being supposedly planned out from the start. . .THAT simply is not quite true. It's hard to pin down the full story but according to more than a few interviews, when it was uncertain that the show was going to be renewed for a third season, Carter Bays and Craig Thomas said they had Robin considered as the mother. (And I'd argue that was always an ill-planned out and horrible ending because Ted always mentioned Robin in the future as "Aunt" Robin. Not "Mother" Robin-Just Aunt Robin.) ONLY when the show was uncertain to be even be renewed as long as it did. There were several other reports that said that they considered even making the flower girl The Mother. So for Robin even to be "The Mother", that was only when the show hadn't quite evolved into what it turned out to be, and the Robin thing was planned on the constituency THAT the show would end in SEASON TWO. That obviously never happened. And when arguably Carter Bays, Craig Thomas, and the rest of the writing staff got much confident in themselves after season two, the plan for Robin to be The Mother was obviously scrapped in lieu of Tracey, the woman with the yellow umbrella. That storyline was effectively dead after season three became a reality, and it was even effectively active UNLESS the show had ended early. So the writers obviously all went ahead with knowing that Tracey was The Mother and the show was going to end with Ted obviously. . .finding Tracey. . .The Mother. That was obviously the true plan for seasons three-eight and possibly even most of nine. As for why Carter Bays and Craig Thomas just completely steered course at the last possible minute. . .I. . . just have no idea. . . Maybe they felt that they made a mistake with not making Robin The Mother-they actively SAID that in some interviews around season eight-nine. For some reason, that horrible, horrendous idea always stuck with them and when season nine came around when the series was supposed to end at season eight. . . Bays and Carter seized on this horrible, bad idea and COMPLETELY unraveled the entire show at the last minute. BECAUSE WE SAID SO. And rather than coming clean that they had a change of heart about Robin being The Mother or. . .rewriting season nine effectively to where there was any romantic connection left between Robin and Ted or. . .just not doing anything at all and leaving the show be. . .they come up with the absolute contrived bullshit that this was "always planned out, the true ending we always wanted." NO. . . IT WASN'T!!!! And, to add insult to injury, because they realized it was too late to change the plans back to Robin, they decided to "have their cake and eat it too" to where Tracey is still The Mother of Ted's children but. . .she's dead now. Mostly offscreen too. It's less of a sweet, adorable bedtime story for his children now and more of, "Your mom's dead now and I'm old and horny. I want to bang your Aunt Robin now, is that okay?" It's just. . .all kinds of MESSED UP, completely renders the entire show moot, and simply should never have happened.

[@rosssapp6990]

Exactly how I feel!

[@starksnova]

as much as i hate the finale, i love the very last season. one thing i LOVE is how tracy met every other character and got along with them before we even saw her interact with ted. i just thought it was such a unique way to do it and showed how perfect tracy was as a character

[@ghostcollectorobscuro]

i also really like how she was such a catalyst for the show because like what would've happened if she didn't tell barney to go after robin or what would've happened if she didn't pick up marshal in her car

[@guineveregentiana]

Actually, the show should have been called "How I never really loved your mother", perhaps with the adding of "(because I'm obsessed with another woman who has shown over and over again that she doesn't love me back, but I'll keep trying until she gives up and settles for me"). That works nicely with the-reacher-and-the-settler thing. And it's also why I think the ending was so sad.

[@meganspisak4927]

Jennifer Onezinger I never liked robin lol

[@DsRelaxingSounds]

In my opinion you're completely wrong. It was so clear he loved her. What about the scene where he was imagining going up to her house 45 days before he would meet her and getting really emotional about wanting to be with her for those extra 45 days? Would you feel that way with someone you never loved? What about when he started crying when he realises she won't be around for their children's wedding (because she's going to die)? He had _six years_ to mourn her. People are allowed to find love again after their partner died. Doesn't mean they didn't love them.

[@magwit123]

I think the problem is, the ending suggest that he never really stopped loving Robin during his marriage and that she was his true love. It feels like a betrayal of Tracy.

[@garrycotton7094]

@@magwit123 Welcome to the real world where it's entirely possible to love more than one person at once. It's completely normal, in fact, unless you try to force your feelings into boxes (and all that does is make you blind to your feelings).

[@magwit123]

​@@garrycotton7094 Yes but what's important here is what Ted believes in. And he believes that there is "the one" and that it's Robin. So it's hard not to feel sorry for Tracy, who was only second choice.

[@a2falcone]

It's not the "mother dies and Ted and Robin get back together" finale that killed the show. It was the build up towards that ending. The mother's death was a great decision in my opinion, staying in tune with the bitter-sweet tone of the series, and the build up was good: I don't think it was a shock for anyone. The idea that Ted was really telling the story to explain that he loved Robin made a lot of sense too, as the kids point out. But what happened in the middle, when they were extending the series and diverging a bit from the original plan, cornered the writers and ultimately ruined the finale: with so many break-ups and come-backs they ended up convincing everyone that Ted-Robin couldn't work, while Barney-Robin was the perfect imperfect couple. Therefore, the Barney-Robin break-up wasn't believable. I mean, they even made 90% of the final season about an epic wedding that ascertained they were meant to each other... only to end their marriage with a 3 minute argument!? And the reason was baffling: Robin couldn't put her personal life over her professional life? Hadn't she learned that lesson when she turned down a job offer in other city to stay with Don? And then Barney goes back to the being the same soulless womanizer as before! They threw their characters development to the trash! If they wanted that ending to work, they would've needed several episodes to prepare us for the divorce, if that was possible at all. Giving us a short sight of the mother with the gang would've been good too. Maybe the lesson is that IF you have a long-term plan that you can't get out of, you should stick to it strictly, instead of risking it by overextending the plot.

[@joebagano4730]

I most definitely agree that the rest of the final season is a much bigger problem than the final episode.

[@CSPlayerDamon]

Wow, someone who gets it.

[@TheThoerlChannel]

I can definitely see the problems with the TedxRobin thing, however, I actually loved it in a way. I thought the ending was really neat, even if they had to ham fist some stuff. But yes, I will definitely agree that they did Barney dirty. And I don't even particularly liked Barney, but giving him TWO 180°-s in one episode, from married man to womanizer to loving father (???) was a gigantic fuck up. THAT one really feels like they desperately needed an ending for him that they never envisioned.

[@MonteiroLucas]

I completely agree!!! I even go to think that instead of that lousy divorce, Barney should have died too. And it would be a perfect motivator for Ted Like "look kids, I'm old. You're both almost adults. Your aunt Robin is all alone, I will soon be all alone. I loved your mother deeply, but I'm only human. Is it okay with you?"

[@kevinvu5432]

There was one deleted scene where Ted and robin met at a coffee shop and robin admitted she missed Ted. That scene wouldn't have justified it, but it still would've been better.

[@semird615]

HIMYM was probably the only tv series I was seriously emotionally attached to.and I have to say that the ending was a huge letdown for me. I expected some resolution and logical yet unpredictable ending,instead we got something that felt really forced.

[@jonaswolthaus1901]

It's just sad that they wasted all that potential. They litterally had every ingredient for one of the most amazing sitcoms ever, but then that happens

[@EliGutie]

We all feel this way

[@suha.14]

Ted: “And that kids, is how I met your mother.” Me: “yeah that’s all you have to say nothing else-” Penny: “No u like Aunt Ro-” Me: “ *SHUT UP PENNY!!* ”

[@moistgoat8170]

The worst part of the HIMYM ending was how it killed the rewatchability of the show. Once you know the ending the entire show no longer matters, so there isn't any reason to rewatch it.

[@chongheng3541]

I was thinking of starting but seeing this makes me skip the entire show ,imma just get back to watching the office for the 700th time

[@johnpangarakis396]

Chong Heng I recommend watching it, but watching the alternate ending instead of the original finale. It’s much more satisfying that way

[@juliacamposfrasao1048]

TOTALLY! i was young when i first watched himym and since then i didnt actually rewacthed since the beggining i only watched random episodes. now that im watching since the beggining i get why i never did it before.. the far i am in the show more angry i get

[@sarasamaletdin4574]

Would that not be the case with any ending when it’s a mystery? Or you like the ride because odd other thing.

[@nickymo]

Every season of this show took place over the course of a year-ish except that final season, which takes place over one weekend leading up to Robin and Barney’s wedding, which is quickly reversed in the final episode. They wasted the entire final season on an event that didn’t even matter when we could’ve spent all that time maybe watching the beginning of Ted and Tracey’s relationship. I have no idea why everything is slammed into the last ep. I was always under the impression that they’d shot many different endings with the kids but I could be wrong.

[@hrspedro]

I once read a fan saying that they rushed in the last episode to give us the impression that we had very little time with Tracy. By that, we could understand what Ted felt when she passed away - that the years they've been together wasn't nearly enough. It actually makes sense, but it's no excuse to waste the entire season in a meaningless event. They could've easily made the wedding shorter, gave us a whole episode telling Ted and Tracy's first meetings and dating start and, after that, done the rush thing in the last episode. They had a LOT of ways to handle this finale. Sadly, they picked the worst possile.

[@Dazen101]

This was an easy one. I remember being so mad by that ending especially because just 3-4 episodes prior Ted let go of his love for Robin like a balloon.

[@NumberNeverLie]

but he says at the start during the flashback of losing the balloon as a kid, that when he was little he thought that letting go of something meant you'd never get it back. Implying he will get her back, when the timing is right.

[@bigpoppabotch3523]

Sean Thompson and just 1 episode after that they foreshadowed Tracy's death, lol take this L

[@hellomynameisjen]

I feel like they could’ve filmed multiple endings with the children instead of just filming the one with them telling him he’s in love with aunt robin

[@lilianab4756]

So true! Clever😄

[@gideonxr]

Barney and Robin should have stayed together. Tracy should be alive and still with Ted. And that kids is how it would have been a perfect ending to an awesome show.

[@dominicjeffrey9477]

They literally killed off the character who the whole TV show is about. All I can say is Boi

[@Loial731]

I didn’t mind that Tracy died. It felt like they killed her so he could get back with Robin though. That was the problem. I figured out the mom was dead early on in series. That’s why he was so formally telling the story.

[@alexwright4930]

Or if they insisted on killing Tracy they should have taken more time over it rather than that mood whiplash in the last few minutes of the final episode (plus a couple of hints) - there was plenty of time to do that in the final season.

[@MGsubbie]

This show would have been so much better if it was just 6 seasons long. But the whole mother/Robyn thing is not what pissed me off the most. What did, was taking the character development that had the potential for the best one in the entire show, and making it maybe 90 seconds long. Barney becoming a father and finally learning to respect girls/women could have been a great season-long character arc. Instead it gets a tiny bit of attention in the last episode.

[@krauser18x]

Yeah, the episode that was just about Tracy is one of my favorites.

[@josh043p6]

The entirety of the final episode shouldve been at least 3 episodes minimum.

[@Sugabug75]

@@josh043p6 That's what annoyed me the most. The show is named "How I Met You Mother" and stretched out for several years. To have them finally meet, and then high-speed their life together in a series of time jumps culminating in killing her off as a vehicle to getting him and Robin back together just felt lazy and rushed. The forcing of Robin and Barney's love story and eventual marriage took well over a year, only to have them divorce in what felt like 5 minutes was annoying. Was it that they intended on another season but got cancelled so, they crammed it all into pretty much one episode? On another note: if my dad made me listen to a very long story about how he met my mom, only ended up telling a very long story that was mostly about his desire for the family friend, I'd be a lot more upset than those kids. I'm just sayin'.

[@NM-hq1io]

Literally just finished the show, that ending left a hole in me. That being said, I’ve never felt as bad for a character as I have Ted - spent so long searching for the one only to have her for a short period of time.

[@ghostcollectorobscuro]

real but it felt weird to watch him go back to Robin esp after this entire "bro code" stuff

[@mhammed2087]

How I met your mother didn't just die.... It was MURDERD

[@EntertainTheElk]

:o

[@MegaVIDEOGAMEVIDS]

in a few days "I Was Wrong about HIMYM"

[@remlapwastaken8857]

Someone needs to catch this guy already.

[@jblue1622]

How I Met Your Mother and Murdered Her

[@justafork2642]

Hahah bro I love thay channel.

[@daniel_netzel]

I actually think it died well before the finale. I think the first 6 seasons are some of the best of any sitcom out there, and probably my personal favorite. It had many of the same tropes that a lot of other sitcoms did, but the character dynamics felt fresh. Lily and Marshall were a great example, besides their end of season 1 troubles their romance stayed solid all the way through, a farcry from the typical "will-they-won't-they" format of so many other sitcoms. Barney was fucking hysterical; misogynistic as hell but the show did a great job of demonstrating how he became that way, and they allowed him to grow naturally. The problem for me was that after Season 6 it felt like the main focus of the show became Barney instead of Ted. Like, the entire show is trying to build towards this amazing romantic encounter with the woman of Ted's dreams, but the last two seasons are entirely dedicated to Barney and Robin's wedding, and even Season 7 seemed way more interested in what was happening with Barney than with Ted. And it was just structured so poorly I have no idea how it made it past the initial writer's room meeting. Oh, let's stretch this wedding weekend for the ENTIRE SEASON. But then everything that leads up the present moment, all of the stuff they've supposedly been building towards for 9 years? Let's cover that in about five minutes. I couldn't believe it. It just felt like a complete betrayal of everything they were working towards. And the worst of it was definitely the whole Robin twist. They spend the entire show telling us over and over "ROBIN ISN'T THE MOTHER YOU GUYS. STOP ASKING." and proceed to dedicate many seasons demonstrating exactly why they would and could never work as a couple. It felt like a great subversion of the will-they-won't-they thing by telling us right off the bat that she wasn't the one. It felt like a beautiful example of how we can be caught up in the moment and our feelings can lead us astray, but how sometimes things just aren't meant to be, and that's okay. I loved it. And then at the very end of just to be like "GOTCHA!" felt like the laziest thing in the world. So when I found out that they had planned that from the beginning, all I could think was, "and this is the best way you thought of working towards this?" Why constantly tell us they're not right for each other, have them on and off, why fucking call the show "How I Met Your Mother" in the first place? Honestly, this is a sore one for me. I adore the first few seasons, they're not the best compared to other sitcoms but there's a certain charm to it that I can't even really describe, I just absolutely love it so much. And it genuinely got better and better as it went along. The narrative concept allowed for some genius moments on the show that I'd never seen before. They had a million amazing gags and episode premise's that felt entirely unique to the show, while covering familiar territory with a flourish few other shows had. The cast was amazing, and the writing was genuinely mostly great. And then they just totally fucked it all up, worse than I think I've ever seen on a sitcom before. Because the ending isn't inherently a bad idea, it's just that they spent every season leading up to it in the dumbest way possible if that's the ending they knew they had in the can from the start. I don't know man, I could rant for hours on this subject, haha.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Damn. Love your passionate comment so much! :)

[@richardkelly3443]

I totally agree first 6 seasons legend.... (just skip the last 3 seasons) dary legendary

[@Mbeluba]

Film Radar Barney wasn't misogynistic. He was at most someone with no compassion and focused on sexual satisfaction so much, he didn't care for others. But that's it, a far cry fron actual hatred of women. Don't misuse terms just to make your statement look stronger.

[@Zordon06]

I think they just wrote themselves into a corner at the end of the eighth season. They set up this motherload of tension leading up to the wedding, and Ted planning on leaving, and The Mother finally being revealed, and we knew it was getting close to the end. But let's say they did just cover all the wedding stuff in 2-4 episodes... then what do you do for the next 20? The mother has been met, the tension is gone, mystery is solved. They should've just cut some episodes from the eighth season and made that the final one.

[@feraflauna3238]

+Film Radar-Beautifully, put. :D. As for the finale being the "worse I think I've ever seen on a sitcom before. . ." . . .it very well might be, honestly. I at least easily count it as one of THE WORST TV finales EVER, it's that genuinely bad. It's right up there with Dexter completely abandoning his family in order to, paraphrasing someone else's worlds, take up being the Brawny Man somewhere up in the remote wilderness-and I think those both were relatively around the same year. It is definitely up there with one of the WORST, fucked up plot twists anyone could ever do. This was the worst way to close out this show. I've seen bad finales before. Unfortunately, those tend to be fairly common, and almost commonplace. I think the most recent (comedy) show around the time for me is that Scrubs didn't exist in season nine (tends to be a common trend I guess in comedy. . .just don't do a comedy show for nine seasons. . .) and petered out in its technical "series finale." (I always considered season eight to be the true end and never looked back. If you are a fan, it's better if you do. . .) However, for me, I don't think I've ever seen many shows that have been so wholehearted in shooting themselves in the foot (especially at the last minute) and completely sabotaging even the entire concept of the whole show. Season nine by itself should never have been allowed to exist but the finale was really when the bullet finally lodged in to where there's just no salvaging this show anymore. It just utterly annihilates the whole show in one fell swoop and renders it completely moot. Yes, it completely spits in the face of all the fans that have waited for nine freaking years and especially waded through the horrendous ninth season just to get to the good ending, only for it never to happen and pushes them in the stomach, laughing at them for ever bothering. It makes both Barney and Ted completely turds, contemptible human beings. The show even destroys the entire fabric of this "family" unit for everyone involved. . . I. . .it just. . .I just still can't believe how bad this finale turned out. This is absolutely the worst thing they could have done to end the series and it was a worst thing to ever consider this in the first place. It's so bad and so wholehearted in sneering and showing absolute scorn and derision for the show that I have to wonder if Carter Bays and Craig Thomas ever truly loved this show.

[@olandir]

The problem that happened with HIMYM started with casting Neil Patrick Harris. For some strange reason, no one involved with the show knew that he was awesome. When an actor like him takes up the mantle of a character like Barney of COURSE he's going to become the star of the show and it's going to influence the plot dramatically. I'm 100% certain that just like the video showed with other shows, NPH's character was supposed to be a throwaway character with no real arc or substance but that all changed as time went on. Barney became the star of that show. Evidence is the fact that whenever I saw HIMYM advertising new episodes on TV, in the final few seasons the production still they showed was ALWAYS a picture of Barney with a smirk adjusting his tie. He was the 'lead'. He did what Steve Urkel did to "Family Matters" his character just took over the show. So in the end it became about him and Robin and him giving up everything for her. The entire final season was dedicated to their wedding for crying out loud. So to take this character that we ALL love and sacrifice him for the sake of "the plot" was a betrayal to the viewer. If Barney had just been a throw away misogynistic character who we didn't care about, his marriage to Robin and it falling apart wouldn't have mattered (and they wouldn't have spent a season leading up to it). But they destroyed his character and forced an ending that just no longer worked.

[@JThePervertedSummoner]

I agree with that. Even though Ted was the main character, Barney was the most fun to watch. I think his character was the beating heart of the series, that slice of comedy and fun gigs that make you smile every time he was on screen.

[@nemtudom5074]

Its for the better tho. As a side character Barney would have been VERY bloody annoying, if he was nothing but a shallow 2 dimensional person. NPH Made his character much better, and im thankful for that. Without him, Barney would have been a TERRIBLE addition to be listened to for 9 seasons.

[@Daniel130782]

completely agree. if they really wanted ted to end up with robin, they should not have allowed barney and robin to have any kind of relantionship. Make barney date someone else, make robin date someone else. The show is a masterpiece right until they star dating. Single Barney, with the playbook and all the stuff is prob one of the most entertaining characters of any comedy.

[@RalphJr-xp3hp]

olandir THANK YOU 💯😤✊🏾

[@44excalibur]

olandir Sorry, but if they hadn't ended the show with Robin ending up with Ted and instead had her end up with Barney, then the ending would've contradicted EVERYTHING that had been established in the previous 8 seasons, especially seasons 1, 2, and 3. Those first three seasons, if you pay close attention, all have future Ted giving away major hints that Robin was far more involved with Ted's family than anyone suspected, and that she had in fact become a surrogate mother to Ted's kids. The most obvious hint was the crayon drawings that Penny and Luke made of them with Robin, indicating that she was spending an inordinate amount of time with Ted's kids in the future, far more than one would expect an ex-girlfriend to do, especially if "the mother" was still in the picture. And of course, the "mother" was never part of the story to begin with, only referenced in the past tense while "Aunt Robin" was always referenced in the present tense. While I agree that the writers didn't set up their ending properly in the final seasons, and allowed the whole Barney/Robin storyline to go way overboard and undermine their ending, the fact remains that if the show did not end with Ted and Robin together, it would've contradicted the entire trajectory of the show that was initially set up in those first three seasons, not to mention the fact that a love story between a man and a metaphorical umbrella belonging to a woman who is never part of the story is a lousy, horrible love story. Even worse if the love story doesn't end with Ted ending up with the woman he's has been telling his kids about throughout the entire story, and that woman is Robin. Didn't you ever see the movie 'Definitely, Maybe' with Ryan Reynolds and Isla Fisher? It's the same damn story.

[@GhostMerc86]

I fell in love with Tracy when she sang La Vie En Rose. I knew the last episode was in trouble when Josh Radnor was the narrator for the first time ever.

[@williamoldham7601]

Shoulda given Tracy's character her own season.... Shoulda been 9th season

[@drumguy1384]

I agree. The ending could have worked if they hadn't spent soooo much time focusing on Robin and Barney's wedding. They spent the entire season over one weekend, then crammed 15 years into the last two episodes. As an idea, they could have taken the last 4 or 5 episodes to explore the passing of those years for each set of characters. One for Marshall and Lily, one for Robin and Barney, and one for Ted and Tracy, with the finale being life bringing the original characters back together again for one last time before the end of the show. Ted and Robin could still end up together like originally intended, but if they had the time to explain it better it wouldn't have felt so forced.

[@MisterWhat]

That I agree with. They also should have not cut the deleted scenes because some where pivotal.

[@CaptJosmy]

In my opinion, the wedding should have been 2-4 episodes, so we could dedicate the following 20 episodes to Tracy, the divorce etc. I still dislike the idea of Barney and Robin breaking up after SEASONS of build-up, but if they had SHOWED them not working as a married couple over a period of time instead of showing NONE OF IT until they suddenly break-up, I could have tolerated it. They just used the screen time of their most important season (the mother was finally here god dammit) on the wrong event. Honestly, the better alternative would have been to end the show earlier so not to give Barney/Robin so much screen time as a couple and rewrite their story to make their break-up more believable. The best better bestest alternative for me is Barney/Robin and Ted/Tracy (whether Tracy dies or not), but I will have the official alternate ending for that.

[@Kinglink]

They tried it. Check out "How I met your dad" pilot. Interesting idea but had the same flaws as the original show (plus we know the father already) . Still interesting Trivia.

[@JYRound]

Tracy needs her own show.. “The Girl Who Ended Poverty”

[@HuntersReject97]

The more I think about the ending the angrier I get

[@logarugamon2645]

Um... YEAH! He did love Tracy & would have been happy with her all his life if she had lived, but... SHE DIED. Death of love doesn't mean you never love again. It's tragic & sad, but life goes on & the end was about how Ted met their mother, but she's dead & it is time to move forward, not forgetting Tracy,but knowing that loving her, doesn't mean Ted has to be alone forever.

[@anyareyes2663]

Logan F. They never made that a theme though. You can read meaning into it all you want, but it’s clear none of that stuff was intended to be seen as a concept. They just wanted him and Robin to end up together. The whole “turns out she’s dead but now I have to move on” was never made into a theme. It was rushed as hell.

[@silviaq.6250]

The theme of the show was that in the end you can find the true love, your Yellow umbrella even if some times it's hard to believe. It was about hope and destiny. With this ending everything you see with a rewatch is not the same. I undestrand that the life goes on and you Can find another love but that wasn't the theme

[@theatrix333]

Don't rage too hard you might pop a vessel

[@anxofernandez3344]

I think they should have just ditched that scene and everything to do with Tracy's death. They could have ended with an older looking Tracy coming into Ted's office, making some snarky comment about Ted's storytelling ability and that's about it, the end and everyone is happy.

[@mrinfinity4003]

Anxo Fernandez yeah, but the scenes with the kids were shot 9 years before the series ending.

[@Raspygrain]

no

[@mooganify]

Tbh I thought that was going to happen.

[@emmanuel7489]

The worst part is that they pretty much had the finale written for them. Every fan of the show was expecting the last line to be... "and that, kids, is how I met your mother" (which they only did for the alternative ending after the backlash). Nobody would have complained that the ending was predictable. It would have worked exactly because it's the moment we were waiting for.

[@JoseTorres-ev1jk]

only show EVER that has made me so mad with its finale that I can't go back and watch the rest of the show again. Every episode is ruined because of that finale.

[@logarugamon2645]

Um... YEAH! He did love Tracy & would have been happy with her all his life if she had lived, but... SHE DIED. Death of love doesn't mean you never love again. It's tragic & sad, but life goes on & the end was about how Ted met their mother, but she's dead & it is time to move forward, not forgetting Tracy,but knowing that loving her, doesn't mean Ted has to be alone forever.

[@hoolahooop]

Wow. I never thought of that. It's so true. HIMYM was one of my favorite shows ever, but since the finale I have literally not watched another episode, while all my other favorite series I have watched time and time again.

[@juntao3329]

Really? I'm just going to return to all the episodes and change a bit, such as pretending as though Ted sues whatshisface for making The Wedding Bride Too, but Stella doesn't harbour any hard feelings but reluctantly gives Ted Robins necklace back, to which the events play out until the ending to which i pretend isn't Canon and instead the Alternate Ending is the Canon one, but Tracy still dies since well there's a ton of foreshadowing on that part. Plus it keeps the core theme in mind and is a tragic ending, but I'll also pretend Ted finds love and Robin and Barney make it through that travelling rough patch and stay married and adopt a kid. I'm also going to pretend that The Fresh-Prince of Bel-Air is canon and that Robin couldn't make bank solely as a global news reporter and went to work at fucking SHIELD. Anything can happen when you use your imagination, kids.

[@SmearedBlackInk2003]

Same. I must have rewatched all seasons 5 or 6 times, if not more, during the run of the show (I found it around Season 3). After the finale aired, I haven't rewatched it once.

[@TheodoreBotman]

The worst show for this is Two and a half men, How I met your mother ending is EH, but two and a half men is a giant fuck you to the audience.

[@kenjohns1982]

If a show is going to die the last 2 minutes of it is probably a decent place to do it.

[@caesarmatty]

I like your positive outlook.

[@PatoGuzmanAd]

Yeah but not if those 2 minutes ruin the whole 9 seasons

[@tomkenning5482]

@@PatoGuzmanAd they don't ruin the whole 9 seasons, you can still watch them and find them funny and just use the alternate ending in your head

[@Anam.Fatima19]

@@tomkenning5482 yeah that would be nice. Except they tease the appearance of the month a lot throughout the show and it becomes hard to ignore the ending :(

[@maggiemcfly5267]

@@tomkenning5482 they completely ruined Barney though

[@nickymo]

It was incredibly contrived that Barney had that arc throughout S9 that was abruptly undone and then redone in the same episode. Neil Patrick Harris is so fucking great though, when he’s holding the baby in his arms and he repeats the lines he said sarcastically earlier in the episode like “everything I am is yours forever” or whatever and its literally giving me chills thinking about it.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Yeah, NPH is fantastic. But they messed up his character in the end.

[@simonbrunner3062]

So he had an arc throughout one weekend which was then undone and redone over the course of the following 16 years. The biggest problem with the finale is the sudden change of pace. The plot itself makes perfectly sense if you consider the time frame of the story.

[@nickymo]

Simon Brunner I just don’t understand why that last episode wasn’t just the entire season. Why was the entirety of the final season wasted on covering an event that wasn’t really that important?

[@nickymo]

Entertain The Elk really incredible high quality youtube content man! Keep up the great work! Love your videos

[@caleblollis5806]

I'm a manly man, and every time I see that I cry

[@donatsuobrasco3593]

So, Tracy was hyped for all of the series, and only appeared in the end, just to be killed and replaced in a way that disappointed fans, so she's basically the Madara of the HIMYM-verse

[@king_thanos_2116]

Except madara had loads of cool moments

[@chelnahtheegghead]

I remember my family watching the finale for the first time; we had missed it when it had originally aired. So we finally sat down to watch it (probably TIVO'd it or something...), and, as soon as the credits started rolling, we all just sat there, dumbfounded... Then, my mom picked up the remote to turn off the tv, saying, "Well, that was a terrible ending", and the rest of us immediately agreed. My dad lamented the ending since the rest of the show was pretty good; now, it would be pretty difficult to rewatch the series (it still is) knowing how it all ends--with the woman we were all excited to meet dead and Barney & Robin divorced. :/

[@Zbykobyl]

So... You can't rewatch series because it's not sweet story with happy ending but more love letter to love of his life?

[@Oceanlinx]

@@Zbykobyl if you think about it, the ending made most of the show later seasons a waste of time, if they wanted to stick to that ending they should have ended the show in season 4 or something, later seasons especially the season revolving around the wedding became obsolete.

[@SurahOnline]

*Am I the only one who thought the mother looks like Lily + Robin mixed together ?!?!?* 🤔😕🤷‍♀️

[@rach2345]

Yeah I kind of agree, but think she looks more like Lily out of the two!

[@adrianazashen]

Lily would love this 😂 (As she had fantasies for Robin throughout the series)

[@CaptJosmy]

I read somewhere that they had doubts about casting Cristin Millioti as the mother because she looked too much like Alyson Hannigan

[@TempSS2677]

Maybe. I feel like she is a female version of Ted... Broke my heart when it's revealed that she died😭

[@theatrix333]

That's racist what do you just think all white chicks look the same?

[@Jazzzgot]

Alternate ending was also better because it ends whole show with same narrator, whos voice we hear in the beginning of it. Great video, man :)

[@pattykrabbies]

Jazzzgot Shit, it made me fucking emotional too, heeeck

[@logantotman]

I just love how the show died two minutes before the show actually ended. HIMYM will always be the best sitcom my man but that's my opinion.

[@suha.14]

Yeah

[@Yoshiiro]

In my opinion, a beautiful ending would have been : "And that kids, is how i met your mother. Now go get dressed." and they go together to the mom's funeral. THE END

[@CarlosTorres-cb6oe]

the show already hits different for me, it was with me throughout the years and helped me a lot at times, but if they did this... boy, I'm crying just thinking about it

[@moviemike1996]

This would have been perfect and would have made Tracy's death even sadder. The actual episode doesn't even leave space to be sad about her death. How did they waste such an amazing character and such an amazing actress?

[@palettetowne3676]

WOW I GOT GOOSEBUMPS READING THIS

[@mandyvandenbogaard4243]

I was watching this show,and when i heard the ending was horrible,i skipped the last 5 episodes,for 5 years. I finally watched them a few months ago,and i was totally pissed. You are so right,they totally killed the show. I was so disappointed,in everything. i loved Barney's character development,i loved Tracy,i loved the friendships. Tracy never got enough screen time,Barney and Robins wedding got screwed within 15 minutes,after a build up of around 480 minutes,and Robin totally started ghosting her friends. What an depressing screwed up end that totally undoes 9 previous seasons. Good piece my Elk dude,you are spot on here!

[@EntertainTheElk]

Thank you!! :)

[@kaworunagisa2063]

Spot on. The backlash could have been avoided. I remember a KZbinr offering a better end to the story back then: Ted tells the story. They take in the moment. They think about the mother. No "You're in love with aunt Robin" shit. Ted needs to take walk. Leaves the children. Wanders through NYC. Thinks about all that has happened. Lands at McClarens. Goes in. Has a beer at the bar. Turns around. Sees Robin and they smile at each other. THE END. That way you could have satisfied both fans (Ted + Robin and the people who hate Ted +Robin)

[@Mani26031981]

Kaworu Nagisa No. That person clearly paid no attention to the story being told, which was proved by his not knowing that Robin had been spending the six years after Tracy's death reconnecting with Ted and his kids. That proposed ending would have been a cop-out because of the lack of closure. The story ended the way it was meant to end. It's as simple as that.

[@SolitareHeartz]

Even so. Show the audience that they did not just tell them in a line that could be missed.

[@Mani26031981]

SolitareHeartz The audience must be willing to pay close attention and think about the way the story is progressing. Bays and Thomas structured their story like a murder mystery in that every clue and hint was important, and they were by no means straightforward in their attempt. They deserve credit for sticking to their guns and telling their story their way.

[@305Independent]

The problem is the alternate ending doesn't undo the worst part of the original finale: They split up Barney and Robin and undid his character arc.

[@SpikeWheelGaming]

I always told people that HIMYM was the greatest show ever written... If you didn't watch the last two episodes. I never knew until just now that my opinion was so shared!

[@myrest3334]

Please someone tell me they publicly apologized for what they did. This video made me remember how much the finale butchered my heart.

[@Bells_Haven]

Yeah me too... I watched the show as a little kid and back then I hated the ending... I always pretended it ended when they met on the train station

[@MrDukeSilverr]

As a little kid???

[@MrDarkKobe24]

Did you finish this video? Because the creators made another ending for the show like a way of saying "Woops, we fucked this up. Here's the ending you guys really wanted."

[@TLcool4]

The ending to the show was amazing

[@myrest3334]

@@MrDarkKobe24 I guess the alternative ending was a way to apologize. I didn't see it that way, I think you're right. I was sharing how awful the original ending was for me.

[@GradualGhost]

I'll throw my opinion in the ring here. The day How I Met Your Mother died was when the show was during the season 2 finale. Not because anything was wrong with that, but because that was the time the show was approved for 8 seasons. The story the writers wanted to tell would have fit into a 3 season format a lot better than bloating it out for 9. And that's why it's tragic that they stuck with the original ending.

[@davincent98]

Kids, this is the story of my obsession with your Aunt Robin up until I met your mother

[@edduclervil]

I agree with what you’ve said, but I also believe they could’ve kept that ending and gotten a better reception if they added an extra scene. Right before Ted steals the horn, he stops, thinks about it, and walks away. All of a sudden Ghost-Tracy shows up (it’s a sitcom, and it wouldn’t be the first hallucination Ted has had). He talks about how he misses her and it’s not fair and she says life isn’t fair and he needs to cherish the past while still moving forward; maybe bring up her dead ex as an example. Pretty much, make Tracy give a speech similar to what Lily gave in The Leap. Don’t focus on Robin, but focus on moving forward when life throws you curveballs. People grew to hate the Ted-Robin pairing, so hate was coming regardless, but by taking the time to show that this choice was truly gut wrenching for Ted, the finale could’ve been divisive rather than universally hated.

[@sidkhanna3497]

I'm so happy you made this, himym has always been my favourite!

[@EntertainTheElk]

Thanks! I hope you liked it. :)

[@nickcampbell5626]

A strong theme of show was that as we grow up, what we want in life can change. While Robyn was a great character, she was the dream of the younger Ted who was willing to settle with strong differences in values in exchange for faster happiness. In the end, he found someone who gave him real happiness, then took his summer fling as a consolation prize.

[@Corrupted]

How I met your mother is the perfect mix of emotions with amazing characters, I absolutely loved it. The ending "twist" was meh, but it didnt bother me that much to be honest. Man, I need to watch it again :(

[@jimyvenecadion5003]

Same

[@squidward8261]

Wait, so the show died on the last episode? Yeah no shit

[@FireFog44]

It didn’t die, it killed itself

[@FireFog44]

It’s the difference between passing away in your sleep and taking a gun to your head

[@Dead_Hitori]

the show didn't just die, it was murdered

[@DWN-024ShadowMan]

😂

[@jejejesson]

it died *on the last two minutes of the show

[@Screened]

PREACH. Yes thank you for putting this into words! The characters outgrew the original plan. The creators let the twist lead the story instead of letting the characters do it.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Glad you liked it!

[@Akuzastar]

The end was awful, the alternate ending isn’t brilliant or what we waited for, but it at least gave us the end we knew was coming at some point. The show was proof some writers/directors really don’t know what the audience wants.

[@ciaran9738]

The finale just spits in the face of Season 9 and literally just ignores the entirety of the plots and development. I saw the alternate ending to the show and it was great. So much better than the original.

[@RedFire998]

Can't agree more. We all waited for the mother to show up for 9 seasons... and then they kill her off, so Ted can get together with Robin, when we were already shown so many times that they aren't good together and in the 9th season, Ted even has a symbolic moment when he gives up on Robin ffs... Everything that happened in the series was simply erased for a "shocking" finale that sucked... And don't get me started on Barney and Robin's divorce. That was so freaking dumb. We have an entire season focused on their wedding... only for them to divorce immidiately? I love the series, especially the early seasons, but the finale was dumb and brings it all down for me.

[@ronyorobio7096]

Agreed a hundred percent with you.

[@lisnavora]

So true. Watching the last seconds of the show I was like: "Are you kidding me, can't believe this shit is happening AGAIN!"

[@justaninnocentpomegranate3702]

Redfire I agree 100%

[@MisterWhat]

They divorced 3 years after the wedding. Ted and Robin are in a place of getting together again 6 years after Tracy passes away. I understand people are talking about how the finale was cut, and that`s valid, but these dates are spelt out for everyone. The finale was written early in the show, that was always the endgame and I disagree with development being thrown away. Ted needed to let go of Robin, it`s only then he can be at the place to meet Tracy. In the same nod, after Tracy, there is only one woman Ted always desired and could always have been with if not for timing: Robin. People also conveniently "forget" the times Robin wanted Ted in the show just because she`s more low-key. She made the 40 pact, not Ted. She asked him not to marry Stella - not him. She went off country because she couldn`t deal with girlfriends of his. I think people take ship wars too much at heart and miss the positive message of the ending, in that, despite all the heartache and the loss of incredible happiness, you can go outside and keep moving foward. Tracy warned Ted not to become a bitter old man living in his memories and that`s what he did. He`s taking another shot at love/companionship with the one woman that only Tracy managed to be "better" at. This time, in 2030 with a big difference: she settled down. They have the chemistry and now, they also have the timing.

[@MisterWhat]

I found it not only plausible but sort of telegraphed the past two seasons. Look at Barney`s response to Robin about lying about burning the playbook. Look at how the great chemistry they have is more on the physical aspect and being "awesome". They hardly ever had an actual difficult conversation, nevermind the times they shut each other off to not have them. There`s a fundamental lack of communication between these two, unless the topic is about sex or being cool. That`s what they`re comfortable with. They meant well and had obvious feelings, no doubt and Barney became a better person because of Robin but I like his conclusion: it was awesome for 3 years. I also like that the one woman who makes him change inconditionally would be a daugther of his. Robin otoh needed that marriage to see if it was destined and she would feel what-ifs about Ted or not. Turns out, she found out she did.

[@gabson1336]

"and kids thats how I met your mother.." tracy comes says dinner's ready... barney and robin came out from the kitchen still together saying the turkey or whatever is sooooo yummy n give themselves a high five (both of them still married) barney asking ted "are you really going to tell all of our story ted?" then Marshall came n Lilly saying "yeah ted... its nothing..cmon lets eat dinner" then tracy came saying.."kids.. wanna hear my story of how I met your dad?" kids "he told us already.." tracy gives the "you are dead" eyes to ted which she casually say "welllppp lets have dinner!" then the camera zooms out or the flashbacks start from the beginning the big moments... highlights.. example Marshall n Lillys break up n then flash forward they are on the dinner table happily married... all that kind of stuffs... then... *intro songs* showing lovely bloopers along the way... then the moment where they took the picture in the bar (shown in the intros)... fin

[@mintymongoose7985]

Gabriel Sondak yes

[@joeexotic2545]

The idea that Ted ends up with Robbin is absurd - it makes no sense . They dated and realized they're too different and want different things - the show spent a long time telling us why they weren't right for each other and then at the end the show goes - "fuck that , I didn't mean that " even though years were spent on that and forces them back together again like nothing happened. Very similar story is the show New girl - Jess and Nick are the main couple that dates for a season , realizes they are too different , want different things and are incompatible and then seasons later just cause the writers ran out of ideas they brought them back together like - " fuck it , people want these two to get back together , doesn't matter if it makes sense "

[@AHouseDivided1998]

Ceco Elvisa Oh, but since he got the kids he wanted via Tracy and didn’t need a uterus anymore then he could be with the woman he REALLY loved ! ...I never shipped Ted and Robin together. They didn’t work together. She and Barney were a far better couple together and should have been endgame.

[@lvoverride]

At no point - at *no* point - does the show say Ted and Robin weren't right for each other. The show in point explicitly says the opposite, with things like the Marshall/Lily bet, the Christmas lights, the hand-holding by the carousel. What the show actually said about those two is this: what are the two things Robin says a relationship needs? Chemistry - which those two showed many many times they had in spades and always would have - and timing. Timing is and was always what they lacked. The show's entire premise can be summed up in two words: life happens. People who say the show "told them Ted and Robin don't work and aren't meant for each other" are reading what they want to read into the show, not what's there.

[@AHouseDivided1998]

David Key Sorry, but I didn’t think they had the romantic chemistry the entire 9 seasons. At least Robin didn’t have it for Ted. I believed she loved him, but she was never in love with him.

[@eyobbekele8703]

When they broke up robin told ted that if they had meet when they were 40 or something they would have been a good match....the kinda of life he wanted at that moment was the kind of life she dreamed she would have when she got older........................AT LEAST THAT WHAT I UNDERSTOOD.

[@eyobbekele8703]

so if u consider this, its kinda of the right thing to do on the final episode

[@rtab722]

There were countless scenes throughout the seasons where Ted tries to get over Robin and let her go, albeit in deep emotional pain - which I think are poignant and beautiful. Adulting is basically about letting go, after all. Ted’s character growth was learning how to let go of his obsession with Robin - and he succeeded by giving Barney and Robin his blessing, as well as moving on and having a life with Tracy. That’s why it feels absurd to undo all of these in the last 2 minutes of the show. It wipes out years of character development and makes you question “what is this all for”. I mean it’s not entirely unacceptable for Robin and Ted to get together, it just happened too fast - in 2 minutes of screen time they both turned 180 degrees into totally different people and that just feels a bit lazy (to say the least).