# "How I Met Your Mother" \[final season\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 24, 2013, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-final-season/669560 "2013-09-24T03:06:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 29
**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2014, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-final-season/669560/561 "2014-04-09T01:37:18Z")
Ok, the two quotes I was paraphrasing yesterday are: > [@](#): > > Vince Gilligan: At one point, we talked about killing off every major character, and one particularly dark week along the way we talked about killing everybody-having some sort of Wild Bunch bloodbath of an ending. but you live with those ideas for a while and you think, “What do we need to kill all these characters for?” **Just because an ending is dramatic or perhaps overly dramatic does not ensure that it will be satisfying.** > [@](#): > > The Shield’s Shawn Ryan: I went back and watched as many classic finales as I could. The biggest mistake I always noticed was they make a different show for the finale than they made leading up to then. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2014, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-final-season/669560/562 "2014-04-09T12:14:59Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > Just out of curiosity, now that it’s been a week for people to digest it, is there anyone here who HATE HATE HATED that finale at first but now they’ve come to appreciate it more? Or maybe you loved it and thought it was perfect at first, but came to see it as flawed? > > After having talked about it with several people and other fans, I’ve come to agree that it wasn’t the absolute perfect finale I thought it was. I think it is disappointing that Ted came full circle a bit with Robin, I think the writers missed an opportunity to show a more clever way of getting them back together. I still think the final scene with the children was BRILLIANT and hillarious, and will forever be one of my most favorite unexpected moments in television. > > As good as that scene was though, I definitely love the scene with Ted and Tracy at the train stop the most. I’ve been listening to Downtown Train a lot, the song they played during that scene, and it was a fantastic choice. It was a really sweet, emotionally powerful scene with almost perfect acting and writing. You could really feel the chemistry between the two and it was amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better depiction of “love at first sight” in fiction (even though it wasn’t technically the first time they saw each other, it was the first time they interacted). > > I don’t think that Tracy’s death cheapened or ruined the show in any way. I think it was just a way to show us all that there are many types of love, and many opportunities, and some are perfect and last forever until old age (Marshall and Lilly), and some are perfect but fleeting due to circumstances (Ted /Tracy), some are really great for a very short time and fizzle out quickly (Robin/Barney), and that there’s not just The One, but really that there is The One That’s Perfect For Right Now (Ted/Robin). > > Really enjoyed the overall message of the show but I will admit there were some low notes in the finale. I was torn between being sad that they killed off Tracy and happy that Ted and Robin got back together. I can’t say enough good things about the writers, this I believe will be remembered as one of the best written soapcoms ever. As skilled as the writers were, I wish they had spent an eppy showing some of the Ted/Tracy moments of their lives together- births of their kids would have been nice. And an episode of Tracy dies would have been memorable. Maybe some time with Barney and seeing Ellie grow up. All that said, the show gave us 9 strong years, then topped it by introducing us to an incredible talent- Cristin Milioti. Besides being drop-dead gorgeous, the girl has great screen presence. I want to buy stock in her- it would skyrocket. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2014, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-final-season/669560/563 "2014-04-09T14:00:55Z")
… “incredible talent”? ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2014, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-final-season/669560/564 "2014-04-09T14:14:24Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > … “incredible talent”? I’m with you here. She’s definitely charming and funny, but her screen time in _HIMYM_ didn’t really require much more than that out of her. Not to keep beating this horse, but extending things so that we actually got to see her have a marriage with Ted (even just highlights of a marriage), and conversations other than easy banter (maybe an argument?), would have told us a lot more about whether or not she’s an incredible talent. She made a spectacular MacGuffin, though. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2014, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-final-season/669560/565 "2014-04-09T15:28:59Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > … “incredible talent”? I think so. I’m not a talent scout by any means, but to me, she has star written all over her. I see some Emmys and Oscars on her mantle in the future. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-final-season/669560/566 "2014-04-10T00:39:15Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I think so. I’m not a talent scout by any means, but to me, she has star written all over her. I see some Emmys and Oscars on her mantle in the future. Plus, she’s already got the Grammy, and a Tony nomination, which is a pretty terrific start for someone who’s only in her twenties. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-final-season/669560/567 "2014-04-10T01:34:07Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > \*They made a huge casting mistake with whatshername–Tracy–she had more chemistry with Ted than Robin+Victoria+Stella combined. (Zoe never had any chemistry with Ted. I mean, aside from the character being loathesome, the actress just didn’t…click…with the guy who played Ted–Hell–the crazy-assed lady.). If they really wanted to kill the mother off, they should have stuck with someone who had a, say, Stella level of chemistry–good, nice, pleasant, but not the crazy-ass over-the-top chemistry that they got. I don’t agree with your other points - but I can see them. But on this one - the whole point is that Ted/Tracy are each others One. They’re supposed to have more chemistry than Ted with anyone - even Robin. Robin really is the rebound/consolation prize here. Both of them had their real loves, and now are moving on to their next stage. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-final-season/669560/568 "2014-04-10T02:04:15Z")
This is probably the first time in history a series finale has been criticized because it introduced a character who turned out to be popular. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-final-season/669560/569 "2014-04-10T02:07:32Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > This is probably the first time in history a series finale has been criticized because it introduced a character who turned out to be popular. Probably! 😃 I retract none of my criticisms of the last episode (or last season), but you probably have a point. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-final-season/669560/570 "2014-04-10T03:11:18Z")
She’s a reverse Oliver. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-final-season/669560/571 "2014-04-10T12:58:22Z")
I think that’s my biggest disappointment. Tracy and Ted _clicked_. Barney and Robin did, too. I also understand why they ended like they had. They shot the final conversation with the kids at the end of season two, when they thought Ted and Robin was the way to go. I remember reading an article at that time saying how disappointed the writers were that they were going to have to break up Ted and Robin because they had already established that Robin wasn’t The Mother. I just wish they had not painted themselves into that corner seven years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-final-season/669560/572 "2014-04-10T13:11:49Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > I just wish they had not painted themselves into that corner seven years ago. They didn’t. They filmed multiple versions with the kids. And if they wanted, they could have abandoned that footage anyway. Regardless, it’s their show, their decision - and I still like the ending. ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-final-season/669560/573 "2014-04-10T14:08:06Z")
I have seen the ending defended in various places by saying, essentially, “it’s the creators’ show, they could do what they want with it.” well, so what? How is that a point at all? I still have a right to my opinion (hate it) as do those who disagree with me. If creators don’t want a discussion of their work, then they should keep it in their basement. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-final-season/669560/574 "2015-09-28T18:39:11Z")
Well, I’m bumping this because I just finished season 9 on Amazon, and have some thoughts to add. After reading this thread, I agree with many of the people’s reactions-- both the people on the “love” side and those on the “hate” side. After my wife and I burned through the final four episodes last night, we both felt like it was just “off.” After reading this thread, and thinking about it a bit, I think the story was fine, but like others have said, the execution was shitty. Here’s how I would have done it differently: The final season was basically a gimmick-- 20-odd episodes covering one wedding weekend. Then ten minutes after the wedding, Barney and Robin are divorced. I was like “What?! Fuck that!” It wasn’t so much that they \*got \*divorced, but that the writers just shit on us after having us become completely invested in the Robin-Barney thing for 20 episodes only to say, “Oh never mind, just kidding.” In my re-write, my season 9 gimmick would be to have the season premiere be a two-parter consisting of the wedding and Ted’s titular meeting of Tracey, concluding with Ted’s line “And that, kids is how I met your mother.” Basically, close the first episode with the alternate ending. Then the remaining 20-odd episodes of the season would be an epilogue (there’s my gimmick). Each episode would cover a different year-- then we get to experience Robin and Barney’s struggles, divorce and aftermath (not rushed); Ted’s and Tracey’s birth of their kids, wedding and life together (gives us a glimpse at how perfect they are together); Tracey’s diagnosis and death (not glossed over, gives us the audience some closure); and finally a little of Ted’s life without Tracey (to make us appreciate Ted’s and the kids’ motivation for him going back after Robin). Then the series finale: Cut back to Ted saying “And that, kids, is how I met your mother.” Then the camera goes to the kids on the couch saying "Dad, this has been the story about you being in love with Aunt Robin, etc. The rest of the episode is about Ted tracking her down and the two of them reconnecting. Will they become an item after all these years? Maybe, maybe not. And scene. Blue horn optional. Basically, they shouldn’t have spread out the wedding weekend so much, and then rushed through Ted’s and Tracey’s life together. They should have done one (or two) episodes of the wedding weekend, and then done a season-long look into Ted’s (and the gang’s) life after meeting The Mother. A season-long epilogue. They could’ve even had episodes dedicated to fleshing out the other characters’ lives in the ensuing years (Marshall’s run for office, Robin’s globetrotting and love life, Barney’s fatherhood, etc). What are people’s thoughts? Does this execution make things at all better? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-final-season/669560/575 "2015-09-28T19:12:36Z")
No, not really. It still contains elements of the actual ending, and is therefore awful. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-final-season/669560/576 "2015-09-28T19:25:19Z")
HIMYM’s final season was well-wrought, Happy, on a technical level. The problem wasn’t the execution; it was the very concept if Ted ending up with Robin (and thus, necessarily, Robin and Barney divorcing). To fix that, just end with Ted and Tracy at the train station. Adding the gimmick of Tracy dying and the Eros dd machina of Robin and Ted getting together is what makes people feel jerked around. ETA: I’ll grant that having Ted be eaten by a fire-drake would also have worked. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-final-season/669560/577 "2015-09-28T20:28:46Z")
So are you guys just against any whiff of Ted and Robin ending up together, even if it’s presented with a greater degree of context as a post-script to the “HIMYM” story? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-final-season/669560/578 "2015-09-28T20:51:26Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > So are you guys just against any whiff of Ted and Robin ending up together, even if it’s presented with a greater degree of context as a post-script to the “HIMYM” story? Tobin was old before they ended it in whatever season that was. Then they spent a season or more having Ted get over her in that way, then smooshing Bobbin together, then pulling them apart just to smoosh Tobin back together…too much. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-final-season/669560/579 "2015-09-28T21:15:27Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > So are you guys just against any whiff of Ted and Robin ending up together, even if it’s presented with a greater degree of context as a post-script to the “HIMYM” story? I am against any whiff of it that reads as though the writers stuffed it in at the end. I am not opposed to Ted and Robin ending up together on principle. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-final-season/669560/580 "2015-09-28T21:48:00Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > So are you guys just against any whiff of Ted and Robin ending up together, even if it’s presented with a greater degree of context as a post-script to the “HIMYM” story? There was plenty of context. In retrospect you can see how they laid the groundwork. But as you yourself pointed out, they spent over a year setting up Barney and Robin, and then undercutting that as they did made many viewers feel fucked with. And not in the good, horny Lily Aldrin way, either. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-final-season/669560.md?page=28) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-i-met-your-mother-final-season/669560.md?page=30)