Loved the show, but I thought that the finale was the worst ending to any show over the last decade. I watched this show loyally and own many seasons on DVD, but I can't believe how this show ended. Not sad to see it go when you end it like that. :p

Sorry, just had to get that off my chest.

I wasn't the only one thinking this...

MAYBE THE ENDING TO #HIMYM WAS JUST AN EARLY APRIL FOOL'S JOKE!!!! #WISHFULTHINKING


This post taken from

https://tv.yahoo.com/blogs/yahoo-tv/-how-i-met-your-mother--series-finale--ted-meets-tracy--but-ending-sparks-outrage-021612431.html

THIS is how it should have ended!!!


Flashback to the train platform, 2014. Ted finally gathers the courage to approach the Mother. They know who the other is — he's the best man, she's the bass player who was roommates with his ex Cindy.

They banter about the umbrella, which sports the initials "TM." Ted argues they stand for Ted Mosby, while she says they stand for Tracy McConnell. They soon realize that they've crossed paths multiple times over the years, and it's clear from those first few moments, that this is a thing — this is a real thing.


"And that, kids, is how I met your mother," as Ted from 2030 concludes his nine-year saga.

---From the same Yahoo TV article

"And that, kids, is how I met your mother," That's it. The last line, the last word, the last everything. Fade to black and print it and you have the perfect finish. But then the kids had to speak up and ruin everything and then when I saw the real ending, my thoughts were-----wait for it----that it sucked!! Sorry, but that's how I feel.

THIS is how it should have ended!!!


Flashback to the train platform, 2014. Ted finally gathers the courage to approach the Mother. They know who the other is — he's the best man, she's the bass player who was roommates with his ex Cindy.

They banter about the umbrella, which sports the initials "TM." Ted argues they stand for Ted Mosby, while she says they stand for Tracy McConnell. They soon realize that they've crossed paths multiple times over the years, and it's clear from those first few moments, that this is a thing — this is a real thing.


"And that, kids, is how I met your mother," as Ted from 2030 concludes his nine-year saga.

---From the same Yahoo TV article

"And that, kids, is how I met your mother," That's it. The last line, the last word, the last everything. Fade to black and print it and you have the perfect finish. But then the kids had to speak up and ruin everything and then when I saw the real ending, my thoughts were-----wait for it----that it sucked!! Sorry, but that's how I feel.

You would have saved the finale from being the Titanic of finales!!!

Kevin McFarland @km_mcfarland
Follow
There aren’t enough swear words in all the languages in all the world to express the frustration and utter despair I feel right now. #HIMYM

:mad:

Marshall was pretty darn funny in the finale though, i.e. with short stories about his mean boss.

I have it on DVR and will judge for myself tonight.

I have it on DVR and will judge for myself tonight.

please, let us know what you think.

http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/series-finale-review-how-i-met-your-mother-last-forever-how-they-conned-us-all/

Creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas had a plan from the beginning, a plan they couldn't deviate from, which led to misdirection, says Alan Sepinwall. "The problem is that at a certain point the misdirection became vastly more entertaining than the illusion it was designed to facilitate, and as a result we just wind up feeling tricked, and annoyed, and wondering why we went along with all of it, when we should have known from the very first episode — from the Aunt Robin joke that got us into this gigantic mess — that this was a show that would not hesitate to make us feel tricked. And once upon a time, when we and 'HIMYM' were younger, that was fun, but at a certain point, like the idea of Barney Stinson still having a Playbook in his 40s, it's just sad." PLUS: The finale bailed on the entire show (http://www.vulture.com/2014/03/how-i-met-your-mother-finale-review.html), the finale turned the entire series into an elaborate con job (http://time.com/44702/how-i-met-your-mother-finale-review/), what a hackney last-minute plot twist (http://arts.nationalpost.com/2014/03/31/how-i-met-your-mother-series-finale-did-that-seriously-just-happen/), this was the worst possible ending (http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/media/review-how-i-met-your-mother-finale-ends-in-the-worst-way-possible/2172846), and it should've been called "How I Settled For Your Mother." (http://www.cosmopolitan.com/celebrity/news/how-i-met-your-mother-series-finale-recap)
Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/tv-tattle#CLtdER7lIy6ez3ah.99

http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/series-finale-review-how-i-met-your-mother-last-forever-how-they-conned-us-all/

Creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas had a plan from the beginning, a plan they couldn't deviate from, which led to misdirection, says Alan Sepinwall. "The problem is that at a certain point the misdirection became vastly more entertaining than the illusion it was designed to facilitate, and as a result we just wind up feeling tricked, and annoyed, and wondering why we went along with all of it, when we should have known from the very first episode — from the Aunt Robin joke that got us into this gigantic mess — that this was a show that would not hesitate to make us feel tricked. And once upon a time, when we and 'HIMYM' were younger, that was fun, but at a certain point, like the idea of Barney Stinson still having a Playbook in his 40s, it's just sad." PLUS: The finale bailed on the entire show (http://www.vulture.com/2014/03/how-i-met-your-mother-finale-review.html), the finale turned the entire series into an elaborate con job (http://time.com/44702/how-i-met-your-mother-finale-review/), what a hackney last-minute plot twist (http://arts.nationalpost.com/2014/03/31/how-i-met-your-mother-series-finale-did-that-seriously-just-happen/), this was the worst possible ending (http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/media/review-how-i-met-your-mother-finale-ends-in-the-worst-way-possible/2172846), and it should've been called "How I Settled For Your Mother." (http://www.cosmopolitan.com/celebrity/news/how-i-met-your-mother-series-finale-recap)
Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/tv-tattle#CLtdER7lIy6ez3ah.99

LAWYERED! I mean... agreed!
For the finale to be written 9 yrs. ago was one thing, but to stick with it no matter how the characters grew is RIDIC... wait for it... ULOUS! It's so sad that Barney and Robin had to get a divorce for this ending to happen and it tore apart the entire gang. The entire concept was about Ted finding his true love and finding someone that could make him forget about how Robin and he just didn't have the same values. Life is not a bed of roses sometimes and people move on and grow from it, as Ted SHOULD HAVE. For them to be SO DECICATED to something written nine years ago is a something I like to call... LAME.

LAWYERED... and now... JUDGED!

Poor Barney with his "NEW" play book seems to have absolutely no future.

i agree - watched the show from the beginning and the twist at the end was stupid and made the rest of the entire series seem pointless.

i was never really a big fan of Robin and Barney together, but much better than Robin with Ted AGAIN :rolleyes:

the show should've just ended with them getting together at the train station and then maybe have a brief montage of some of the show's best memories.

I liked the finale - up until the ending, which left me disappointed over all and made it seem like such a big letdown.

I liked the ending. It ratified the entire show.

And, it wasn't even a trick ending.

The show was how I met your mother.

We all (slap ourself in the head) got sidetracked

It didn't say how I met my lifetime wife

It was called How I met your mother.

Dang that they pulled off the ultimate Hitchockian ending.

Like Psycho itself. (where the whole matter of the money Marion took was totally unimportant only 1/2 way into the movie. It disappeared as reason for the movie.(something I think was unheard of prior to Psycho).

NOTHING in the middle actually mattered, it was all a vessel to get one to forget and to have in the end the true love of Robin and Ted

To use a phrase so often seen on this very board, HIMYM actually boned the fish when the two separated. All those wasted years. All those red herrings.

Ted didn't realize, Robin didn't realize, what they had was right in front of them when the two were standing next to each other.

I for one love the ending (and anticipate a future sequel).
(but then I loved Bobby in the shower too.)

Not of course as good as Newhart, the #1 ending of all time.

by the way, in thinking about it-this ending is similar to That 70s show ending (one I never saw at the time, because I gave up on the show when Donna and Eric broke up and only watched every once in a while
and only in reruns did I learn that Donna and Eric got back together in the final episode (and lived Happily ever after together?)

Mary @thatmarygirl
Follow

More like:

'How I Settled for Your Mother After I Accidentally Knocked Her Up After Robin Turned Me Down. Repeatedly.'

Amirite??? #HIMYM

I seen the finale last night and I liked how it ended. I didn't think Barney and Robin would last, it did come full circle with Ted downstairs with the blue trumpet. It was sad his wife had died, and the kids knew he liked Robin so it made sense. Marshall made Judge, it was cool to see Barney becoming a Dad out of wedlock of course.

http://www.dailydot.com/entertainment/himym-finale-ending/

"How I Met Your Mother" fan EJ Dickson is convinced the creators threw in the towel a long time ago. "In truth, HIMYM never jumped the shark, because HIMYM was always terrible," he says. "And frankly, I wasn’t as disappointed by the finale as other fans were. In a way, it was fitting, because it exemplified the lack of respect for its audience’s intelligence and desire to pander to the lowest common denominator that have been part of HIMYM’s modus operandi all along."
Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/tv-tattle#Xa0UIxv3cHTyyAYz.99

LAWYERED! I mean... agreed!
For the finale to be written 9 yrs. ago was one thing, but to stick with it no matter how the characters grew is RIDIC... wait for it... ULOUS! It's so sad that Barney and Robin had to get a divorce for this ending to happen and it tore apart the entire gang. The entire concept was about Ted finding his true love and finding someone that could make him forget about how Robin and he just didn't have the same values. Life is not a bed of roses sometimes and people move on and grow from it, as Ted SHOULD HAVE. For them to be SO DECICATED to something written nine years ago is a something I like to call... LAME.

LAWYERED... and now... JUDGED!

http://www.avclub.com/review/does-how-i-met-your-mothers-finale-ruin-it-all-tim-202906

No way, says Todd VanDerWerff, who adds: "Any TV show worth its salt understands that the age of endless Internet chatter about TV series overvalues endings in the grand scheme of things. The pleasure — particularly in a sitcom — is all in the journey....Though the finale can’t invalidate the pleasures of the show’s run—particularly its first four years and substantial portions of seasons five through seven—it does create the impression that the series’ creators were telling a vastly different story from the one they seemed to be, and it provides the ending for a story that much of the audience wasn’t aware it was even supposed to be watching. Does it ruin the show? No. But it’ll make it play more strangely in syndicated reruns." PLUS: Fans vented their anger on Twitter (http://mashable.com/2014/04/01/how-i-met-your-mother-finale-reaction/), how to cope (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/wp/2014/04/01/how-i-coped-with-your-tv-show-finale-for-instance-on-how-i-met-your-mother/) with a disappointing finale, Cobie Smulders posts her view of the final scene, what do the kids look like now (http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/met-mother-kids-now/story?id=23141135)?, the ending was perfect (http://www.thewire.com/entertainment/2014/04/how-i-met-your-mother-aired-the-perfect-finale-for-everyone-who-stopped-watching-the-show/359963/) if you stopped watching the show, Lily and Marshall were TV's best couple, TV finales will inevitably disappoint (http://www.vulture.com/2014/04/himym-lily-marshall-best-sitcom-couple-tribute.html), and this finale shouldn't affect "How I Met Your Dad." (http://www.vulture.com/2014/04/how-i-met-your-mother-optimism-how-i-met-your-dad.html)
Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/tv-tattle#Xa0UIxv3cHTyyAYz.99

I will defend the show by saying that this was a great series finale. I enjoyed it. I don't think that it sucked at all. If they were following the story from nine years ago, then I applaud the writers and producers for sticking to their integrity of the story of the show.

I do wish that we found out what happened to the mother regarding her sickness. It was sad that she died. I wish that there was more focus on her death. I love that Ted and Robin had another opportunity after all those years to start over again. They should have ended up together after all. I think that is great. I love the finale and support the decision of the writers and producers.

I seen the finale last night and I liked how it ended. I didn't think Barney and Robin would last, it did come full circle with Ted downstairs with the blue trumpet. It was sad his wife had died, and the kids knew he liked Robin so it made sense. Marshall made Judge, it was cool to see Barney becoming a Dad out of wedlock of course.


Agreed very much with this comment here. I love the finale and it seems fitting so I had no issue with it.

He told that story for nine years purely to ask his kids permission for a date?

Wow.

Great finale. I loved it. They did a good job.

http://hollywoodlife.com/2014/04/02/how-i-met-your-mother-ending-petition-change-himym-finale/

More than 5,000 fans of “How I Met Your Mother” so far are demanding the series finale be rewritten and reshot.
Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/tv-tattle#4bjH43rHXhldwhvy.99

http://www.avclub.com/review/does-how-i-met-your-mothers-finale-ruin-it-all-tim-202906

No way, says Todd VanDerWerff, who adds: "Any TV show worth its salt understands that the age of endless Internet chatter about TV series overvalues endings in the grand scheme of things. The pleasure — particularly in a sitcom — is all in the journey....Though the finale can’t invalidate the pleasures of the show’s run—particularly its first four years and substantial portions of seasons five through seven—it does create the impression that the series’ creators were telling a vastly different story from the one they seemed to be, and it provides the ending for a story that much of the audience wasn’t aware it was even supposed to be watching. Does it ruin the show? No. But it’ll make it play more strangely in syndicated reruns." PLUS: Fans vented their anger on Twitter (http://mashable.com/2014/04/01/how-i-met-your-mother-finale-reaction/), how to cope (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/wp/2014/04/01/how-i-coped-with-your-tv-show-finale-for-instance-on-how-i-met-your-mother/) with a disappointing finale, Cobie Smulders posts her view of the final scene, what do the kids look like now (http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/met-mother-kids-now/story?id=23141135)?, the ending was perfect (http://www.thewire.com/entertainment/2014/04/how-i-met-your-mother-aired-the-perfect-finale-for-everyone-who-stopped-watching-the-show/359963/) if you stopped watching the show, Lily and Marshall were TV's best couple, TV finales will inevitably disappoint (http://www.vulture.com/2014/04/himym-lily-marshall-best-sitcom-couple-tribute.html), and this finale shouldn't affect "How I Met Your Dad." (http://www.vulture.com/2014/04/how-i-met-your-mother-optimism-how-i-met-your-dad.html)
Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/tv-tattle#Xa0UIxv3cHTyyAYz.99

Okay, sure, I like the show and the comedy along the way, of course it was a good show and the journey is well worth the trip. But, it's kind of like reading a really great book that you're getting into and then it ends by being a dream. Something like that doesn't make one want to start reading the book all over again.
I didn't slap you. I high-fived your face.

I guess the series finale of How I Met Your Mother was a perfect example of, "You Can't Make Everyone Happy All of the Time." And let me ask you this: Is a bad series finale really better than no series finale at all?

I guess the series finale of How I Met Your Mother was a perfect example of, "You Can't Make Everyone Happy All of the Time." And let me ask you this: Is a bad series finale really better than no series finale at all?

http://i.imgur.com/Ojfcs0G.png (http://lunapic.com>)

Its better to have complaints that there was no ending at all as opposed to fans complaining about a horrible, terrible ending. In other words, no ending would be less traumatic and terrible than an ending that lefty so many loyal fans feeling betrayed and in a uproar.

So the How I Met Your Mother series finale was "terrible" just because they had the mother die sometime before the year that Ted told his children "the long story"?

I guess the series finale of How I Met Your Mother was a perfect example of, "You Can't Make Everyone Happy All of the Time." And let me ask you this: Is a bad series finale really better than no series finale at all?

Great question!!!

I guess it depends on the how bad the finale is. In this case, it also has to do with the series because the very title of the show focuses on the finale from the start. So we were expecting a great romantic finale.

So to answer your question, for sake of closer, I bad series finale is better than none at all. I mean, like you said, "You Can't Make Everyone Happy All of the Time". Not everybody liked it, but some did.

So the How I Met Your Mother series finale was "terrible" just because they had the mother die sometime before the year that Ted told his children "the long story"?

As others have posted, it seemed more like "How I Settled For Your Mother".

In my point a view, the fact that the finale was filmed during the first season and they didn't change it at all, makes me think that no matter what happened in seasons 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,& 9, it didn't amount to a hill of beans. The character growth and experiences wasn't enough to have to alter the ending.

It was almost like watching a show about a blind person in a nine season series called The First Time I Saw The Sun only to end it with the blind person seeing the sun before he/she went blind again by looking at the sun.

Okay, with that said. Here is my point of view on what went wrong with the finale:

1A) In order for them to make their ending work, Barney and Robin had to divorce. OUCH! Why did this hurt us so much??? We only spent ALL OF SEASON NINE building up to their wedding. This was a LONG DRAWN OUT BUILD UP to then be snuffed out in the first few minutes into the finale. Before the finale, Barney finally was hanging up his skirt chasing days and settling down and I think that was great closer to see the season end that way.

1B) This divorce led Barney back to his play book and chasing girls for meaningless relationships. HOW SAD.

1C) The divorce broke up the gang. Robin didn't want to hang around with the gang and watch her ex-husband hit on women.

2A) Yes, the death of Ted's wife was terrible. They had to rush that in so quickly to get Ted and Robin together, that it seemed so rushed and heartless. We only found out her name a few minutes before we found out she died. Everybody saw that they were the perfect match. Lilly seeing Ted on the phone with her: "No, this one's different." Barney so desperately wanting to introduce Ted to her. Ted cancelling his plans to move to Chicago just after meeting "the mother" the night before.

2B) Ted didn't seem to be bothered with moving on to Robin and obviously, neither did the children. Yes, it had been six years, but the way it was filmed, there seemed to be no respect for their mother.

3) Robin didn't want to hang around watching Barney pick up on women and now that she was with Ted, I think it would even be more awkward for Ted and Barney to be friends.

4) Robin still had a professional career that caused her to travel a lot. So, either Ted wouldn't be seeing her much, or he would not be seeing his children much.

The series finale re-enforces how I have felt about marriage - you might get married to whoever loves you back at the time - and NOT be available for the love of your life when she becomes available. Moral of the story - Love who you love while you love them and while they love you, but remain unmarried (and without children) until you meet the one true love of your life and soul mate.

http://i.imgur.com/m6iKSSQ.gif (http://lunapic.com>)

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

I still loved the ending. Loved it so much that I watched it again last weekend. I may do it again this weekend.

ThomasE, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I really am. It just wasn't for me. I've enjoyed some of the earlier episodes and have many of the season box sets. I think Barney made the show. Marshall was pretty darn funny as well.

Still think of Marshall and Ted's road trip in Marshall's car when I hear the song: "I would walk 500 miles".

Loved the show, but I thought that the finale was the worst ending to any show over the last decade. I watched this show loyally and own many seasons on DVD, but I can't believe how this show ended. Not sad to see it go when you end it like that. :p

Sorry, just had to get that off my chest.

Obviously you did not see the finale for "Seinfeld". THAT was one of the worst finales, if not the THE worst, ever.

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/05/social-analytics-show-people-actually-loved-the-how-i-met-your-mother-finale/361538/

Data analysis of Twitter users found that the negative reaction to the finale was overblown.
Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/tv-tattle#FBEMlSMYESedFd7E.99

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/05/social-analytics-show-people-actually-loved-the-how-i-met-your-mother-finale/361538/

Data analysis of Twitter users found that the negative reaction to the finale was overblown.
Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/tv-tattle#FBEMlSMYESedFd7E.99

WOW! :eek:

Didn't see that coming, especially when there are so many Internet articles calling it possibly the worse finale ever.

FB has an account "Reshoot 'How I Met Your Mother' ending"

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Reshoot-How-I-Met-Your-Mother-ending/609489995792364

Worse Finale of all time?
http://www.eonline.com/news/527054/was-how-i-met-your-mother-the-worst-finale-of-all-time-see-how-it-ranks-against-lost-dexter-and-more
and
http://www.theweek.co.uk/tv-radio/how-i-met-your-mother/57955/was-how-i-met-your-mother-finale-worst-ending-ever

Was it the worst finale ever?
http://www.eonline.com/news/527054/was-how-i-met-your-mother-the-worst-finale-of-all-time-see-how-it-ranks-against-lost-dexter-and-more

http://okmagazine.com/get-scoop/what-did-you-think-of-the-how-i-met-your-mother-finale-vote-here/

Did you like the series finale of How I Met Your Mother?


RESULTS

No. I hate that she was dead. 67.4% :thumbsdow

Yes! Perfect. 22.69%

I can't answer yet because I'm too emotional. 9.91%

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIDjIiQjDjQ

AIDjIiQjDjQ

Warning: Spoiler Alert!
We faithfully watched the shows, but were bitterly let down by their finales. Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the top 10 disappointing TV show finales. Special thanks to our users sarahjessicaparkerth, Gabriel Domingo, Damian A. Medellin, Andrew A. Dennison, Hunter Tim, smokey, aldqbigsquare, dmbahlmann, SeeDotCdot, Josh Sinclair, Nyasha Carter, HugeMLDs, Gummser, MultiPearl007, nneptune1, PowerCosmic901, kyle_hodge, The Chum Chumps, shadowblade528, Kevin Stolaj, Brody Nicholas Eiffel Jay, Mara Steinhardt, Emily Turner, Riley Sickler, Jacob Edwards, David Noel, Tarnim80, Jimmy McKee, mukai_soldier, betocrazy, John Martin, Gabriel Tim Drake Berdut, misterboo, almothewrestler, David Portilla, Mcheetah, Christopher Bennett, account456788, Opst3r, MTB675, Bryant Alcaraz, Magmaster12, Kari7, Isarael Villa, TheRimGreaper and Wiber002 for submitting the idea on our Suggestions Page at WatchMojo.com/suggest!

Re: the discussion at the Seinfeld finale, I quite liked it. No idea why it gets so much hate.

But HIMYM...for all the reasons stated above, it betrayed the best bits of what had gone before.

Re: the discussion at the Seinfeld finale, I quite liked it. No idea why it gets so much hate.

But HIMYM...for all the reasons stated above, it betrayed the best bits of what had gone before.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIDjIiQjDjQ

AIDjIiQjDjQ

Thanks for posting this. I would have to push up HIMYM to #1. The Sapranos was pretty bad, but for it to be above HIMYM, the show would to have been called, "How Tony Saprano Died".

The biggest mistake of the entire show is the episode where Barney and Ted have a bet who will have a "Tricycle" experience first. Now this is Ted Mosby telling his children how he "rode a tricycle".

IMHO, Anyone that keeps whining that the How I Met Your Mother series finale is the worst series finale of all time probably wishes that the sitcom had never been created at all.

Its better to have complaints that there was no ending at all as opposed to fans complaining about a horrible, terrible ending. In other words, no ending would be less traumatic and terrible than an ending that lefty so many loyal fans feeling betrayed and in a uproar.

No one's gonna agree with you on this statement. Logically, How I Met Your Mother needed to have its ending, whether good or bad, no matter what anyone's opinion is (That can be the case for any other particular work as well.). Besides, if HIMYM had been cancelled with no series finale or ended on a cliffhanger, then it would actually have been more traumatic and terrible, not less. It could have been worse that way. It's always a case of the writers and other crew members backing themselves into a corner.

An opinion is just an opinion. It doesn't mean one can assume any more or any less.

IMHO, Anyone that keeps whining that the How I Met Your Mother series finale is the worst series finale of all time probably wishes that the sitcom had never been created at all.



No one's gonna agree with you on this statement. Logically, How I Met Your Mother needed to have its ending, whether good or bad, no matter what anyone's opinion is (That can be the case for any other particular work as well.). Besides, if HIMYM had been cancelled with no series finale or ended on a cliffhanger, then it would actually have been more traumatic and terrible, not less. It could have been worse that way. It's always a case of the writers and other crew members backing themselves into a corner.

James28, I've been thinking about your last post and I wanted to apologize to you for any offense I may have caused you. I will be more positive in my posts.

http://www.411mania.com/movies/columns/333897/The-8-Ball:-Top-8-Worst-Series-Finales.htm

#4: How I Met Your Mother (2014)

As much as people hated the True Blood and Dexter finales, How I Met Your Mother has to take the cake for the worst series finale of the past year. And the reason is simple: no other show teased something for so long only to make it utterly and completely irrelevant in the finale. The CBS show ran for nine years, with Josh Radnor's Ted Mosby telling his kids in long, long detail how he met their mother. The show was legitimately funny for years and then began to seriously taper off as they began to run out of story around the middle of the seventh season. By season nine it was clearly time to end the show, and they did. But when the ended it, it was clear it should have ended much, much sooner. There was a rumor going on throughout the final season that the mother--introduced in the season eight finale as played by the wonderful Cristin Milioti--would die, and I was okay with that. The important thing wasn't the mother so much as the journey that got them there. But then in the finale we learn that she died essentially, from a writing standpoint, so that Ted could get together with Robin. In order to do that they had to split up Robin and Barney in a contrived way and then kill the mother, effectively making her the victim of the slowest fridging of all-time. (For those not familiar with the concept of "fridging," it is killing someone solely as a plot device to facilitate a particular course of action.) It didn't help that the Robin/Ted relationship was already irritating to fans considering they kept going back to it throughout the show's run. Killing the mother: that was fine. Treating her like an afterthought? Nope.

Read more at http://www.411mania.com/movies/columns/333897/The-8-Ball:-Top-8-Worst-Series-Finales.htm#oY25CL6UYUFypXE7.99

Something was definitely cut in syndication. Robin interacts with Ted's daughter in that scene, if only for a moment.

I tried to watch an episode on TV and Ted getting so excited that he was going to meet the woman of his dreams in 45 days and get married to her. It was hard to watch. I've got most seasons on DVDs, but can't bring myself to watch them after that finale. :p

Thank you! I was able to find an online script, this seems to be the deleted exchange:

"Hi, Penny. Oh, my gosh, I haven't seen you in forever."
"I like you, bus lady."
"Oh, I like you, too. Never call me that again."

It's still a strange scene until she turns her attention, but at least not completely deranged. It's a very unfortunate cut.
The alternate ending (which was so much better than the original ending imo, has that scene.

http://www.avclub.com/article/worst-tv-2014-212141

Worst ending: How I Met Your Mother (CBS)

For nearly a decade, Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor on-screen, Bob Saget in voiceover) kept his teenaged son and daughter frozen in suspense (and time) as he unspooled the tale of how he met the kids’ mother. Eight years into that story, viewers finally met the woman Ted spent his whole life searching for, a soulmate played with ample soul and wide-eyed affability by Cristin Milioti. A living question mark finally resolved, The Mother blossomed into the only reason to stick with HIMYM through its lopsided final season, with Milioti’s performance endearing her to viewers just as she’d soon endear herself to Ted. As promised all those years ago, the couple finally meets under the yellow umbrella in the series finale—then The Mother falls ill and dies offscreen. Abruptly shifting gears in its final moments, How I Met Your Mother contradicts more than 100 hours of television in mere seconds, recasting its titular tale as Ted asking his kids for permission to bang (bang bangity bang) their “Aunt” Robin (Cobie Smulders). It’s a betrayal of the show, its audience, and Milioti’s winsome work, something that could’ve been avoided all together in the show’s first ending: the pilot-script twist that suggests Ted and Robin won’t end up together in the end. [Erik Adams]

Worst ending: How I Met Your Mother (CBS)


For nearly a decade, Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor on-screen, Bob Saget in voiceover) kept his teenaged son and daughter frozen in suspense (and time) as he unspooled the tale of how he met the kids’ mother. Eight years into that story, viewers finally met the woman Ted spent his whole life searching for, a soulmate played with ample soul and wide-eyed affability by Cristin Milioti. A living question mark finally resolved, The Mother blossomed into the only reason to stick with HIMYM through its lopsided final season, with Milioti’s performance endearing her to viewers just as she’d soon endear herself to Ted. As promised all those years ago, the couple finally meets under the yellow umbrella in the series finale—then The Mother falls ill and dies offscreen. Abruptly shifting gears in its final moments, How I Met Your Mother contradicts more than 100 hours of television in mere seconds, recasting its titular tale as Ted asking his kids for permission to bang (bang bangity bang) their “Aunt” Robin (Cobie Smulders). It’s a betrayal of the show, its audience, and Milioti’s winsome work, something that could’ve been avoided all together in the show’s first ending: the pilot-script twist that suggests Ted and Robin won’t end up together in the end. [Erik Adams]

I don't want to post a negative reply here, so let me just respond like this :yeahthat

I guess the series finale of How I Met Your Mother was a perfect example of, "You Can't Make Everyone Happy All of the Time." And let me ask you this: Is a bad series finale really better than no series finale at all?

MOST of the time.

http://whatculture.com/tv/how-i-met-your-mother-10-simple-fixes-that-would-have-saved-the-ending.php

The ending could have been legendary!

I still loved the ending. I was very pleased and happy that it was done the way it was done. I wanted to see Robin and Ted together. I'm sad that mom died but am pleased that he had another chance with Robin.

http://www.eonline.com/news/624518/neil-patrick-harris-defense-of-the-how-i-met-your-mother-finale-may-help-ease-your-pain

"I loved the ending, yeah," Harris tells James Lipton in the episode airing Thursday on Bravo. "(Robin and Barney) didn't belong together. She was meant to be with Ted…I loved the circles about the show and I love that whole season nine was trying to want them to be together and thinking that they're perfect together."

http://www.manic-expression.com/tv-trash-himym-finale/

Kids, this is the story of how the best sitcom in recent years ended…

Let’s See How ‘How I Met Your Mother’ Fans Are Celebrating One Year Since The Finale (http://uproxx.com/tv/2015/03/lets-see-how-how-i-met-your-mother-fans-are-celebrating-one-year-since-the-finale/)

http://screenrant.com/awesome-tv-shows-worst-series-finales-last-episodes/

5. HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER

As the show that boasted its finale from the VERY FIRST EPISODE (hence the title), living up to the hype was not going to be an easy task. That being said, when such a popular series goes on for nine years, and the showrunners allude to certain outcomes, only to fake out viewers in the end, it’s safe to say that most fans are not going to be happy with that decision-making process.

Of course, the characters each had qualities we loved about them, which is really what made the show so great. We adored the antics between Marshall and Lily, and always pondered if Robin would end up with Ted or Barney. We all knew she was “Aunt Robin” but still, she was Ted’s main love interest. How were we going to get that happy ending?

Here’s how – introduce the mother just before the series ends and then reveal in the finale that she eventually dies. Piece together the stereotypical behavior of everyone else, thereby allowing inevitable outcomes which of course, eventually brings Ted and Robin back together. The show really should have been called, “So, I totally met your mother but I really always wanted to marry your aunt.”

One theory that I've discovered is that Craig Thomas and Carter Bays didn't really think or expect their quirky little show to become a quasi hit. Due to the narrative device of Ted talking to his kids, they had to shoot the finale scene of the show in the second season so the kids still looked like kids. As the show kept getting renewed, the writing and the characters all matured and became different people than they were in the early seasons. But because the ending had already been shot, they pretty much had to quickly devolve all the characters back to their Season 2 selves. Consequently, it came off as jarring and out of place. I wouldn't be too surprised if stubbornness was involved too. They were so locked into the "Robin is the one" thing (when the Ted/Robin storyline had run its course long before the last season), that it blinded them from how off the finale was.

He told that story for nine years purely to ask his kids permission for a date?

Wow.

I'm reposting a summarization of the ending that I read elsewhere online. Ted pretty much could've simply said "Hi kids! I met your Aunt Robin and immediately fell in love with her! But she didn't want to have kids, so I spent years looking for a brood mare to pop out you two brats. Then she conveniently dropped dead so I could be with the woman I wanted to all along! And that's how I met your mother!" :lol:

But seriously, one has to wonder if producers seemed to really resent the fact that Robin/Barney took off as a couple. So instead of just going with it and jettisoning their planned original ending, they stuck to their guns and killed the syndication profits and potential sequel in the process. Apparently, the original finale (https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2552905/how-i-met-your-mothers-ending-the-real-vs-alternate-ending-and-why-it-was-so-divisive#:~:text=The%20Way%20How%20I%20Met,been%20dead%20for%20six%20years.) was 18 minutes longer and had more scenes that apparently softened the abrupt ending. The original plan was always that Ted would end up with Robin after the mother died young. They'd filmed that ending with the kid actors early on, and they wouldn't change their plan even after Robin/Barney took off they cast (https://screenrant.com/himym-cristin-milloti-cast-mother-why/) Cristin Milioti (https://ew.com/article/2013/05/14/how-i-met-your-mother-casting-cristin-milioti/) as the mother (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mother_(How_I_Met_Your_Mother)).

And even without the dead mother twist, they had Barney and Robin split up within 15 minutes in the finale after they already spent a full season and much of the season prior on their relationship and eventually, their wedding.

jQPkJgttUtg


0:00 Intro
5:28 The Story
9:44 Season 9
16:22 The Finale
35:57 Conclusion

5 Worst TV Finales That Ruined The Entire Show In Retrospect (https://screenrant.com/tv-show-endings-ruined-entire-series-retrospect/)

Sometimes, a TV show's finale can be so disappointing that it ultimately ruins and undermines the entire show when viewed retrospectively.

"I Didn't Understand The Weight": HIMYM's Cristin Milioti Reflects On Divisive Series Finale & Not Watching The Show Before Being Cast In Crucial Role (https://screenrant.com/how-i-met-your-mother-divisive-finale-cristin-milioti-response/)

The actress who plays How I Met Your Mother's titular character, Cristin Milioti, has recently revealed she didn't see the show before she was cast.

Focusing Ted's whole story on Ted and Robin getting back together reduced the story to just two relevant points: Tracy's dead, and Ted and Robin have been flirting recently. The kids knew both of those things before Ted ever started talking.

xV5wfVk7TWM


0:00 - Game of Thrones
3:09 - Attack on Titan
6:25 - The Sopranos
9:15 - Lost
12:35 - Death Note
15:08 - Dexter
17:48 - How I Met Your Mother (https://www.reddit.com/r/sitcoms/comments/1m1m656/comment/n3i2bpz/)
20:11 - Evangelion

The Perfect Sitcom For How I Met Your Mother Fans Has A Much Better Ending (https://screenrant.com/new-girl-similar-how-i-met-your-mother-better-ending/)

How I Met Your Mother (https://screenrant.com/db/tv-show/how-i-met-your-mother/) had a notoriously rough series finale, so if you want to watch a funny sitcom with an actually good ending, check this out.

4F6Thboc3IQ

Welcome back, Catodici friends! Today we dive into the beating heart of one of the most beloved and discussed series of all time: How I Met Your Mother. Between laughter, unforgettable friendships and a finale that made half the internet furious, we retrace the genesis of the show, the behind-the-scenes of the production and the reasons why the finale split the fandom. Is it really that terrible? Or maybe… we just didn't understand it? 🤯

📺 Discover how Carter Bays and Craig Thomas transformed their life in New York into a cult series, and why their narrative approach changed the language of sitcoms forever.

👉 If you love stories with juicy backstories and plot twists, this video is for you. And remember… the truth is in the details.

How I Met Your Mother Creator Reveals His 1 Regret With the Sitcom's Controversial Finale (https://www.cbr.com/how-i-met-your-mother-finale-regret-craig-thomas/)

How I Met Your Mother co-creator Craig Thomas reveals the one regret he has with the fan-favorite sitcom's final episode.

How I Met Your Mother Creator Reveals His 1 Regret With the Sitcom's Controversial Finale (https://www.cbr.com/how-i-met-your-mother-finale-regret-craig-thomas/)

How I Met Your Mother co-creator Craig Thomas reveals the one regret he has with the fan-favorite sitcom's final episode.

We just wanted to plant the seed that she missed Ted

There's a lot of reasons why "the deleted lunch scene" can't work, but this statement reveals the main one: Ted can't know that Robin is still stuck on him while she's coming by and becoming "Aunt Robin" to his and Tracy's children.

L_3BB-zs63I

People hated How I Met Your Mother's series finale (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQPkJgttUtg), and it's all because of a decision the creators made seven years prior. How I Met Your Mother turns 20 years old this month. So here are some things I bet you never knew about it.

wcsjs8pvqdo

This is a video about Ted and Robin from How I Met Your Mother.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
0:29 Pre-Dating History
15:26 Ted's & Robin's Romantic Relationship
27:28 Post Breakup
51:21 The Ending
1:06:22 My Thoughts/Analysis

Neil Patrick Harris Defends Much-Hated 'How I Met Your Mother' Finale: 'Big Supporter of It' (https://people.com/neil-patrick-harris-defends-how-i-met-your-mother-finale-exclusive-11922371)

Neil Patrick Harris has remained a steadfast defender (https://share.google/aimode/4QR9iTM7nk0dUKdOL) of the How I Met Your Mother finale since it aired in 2014, recently reaffirming that he is a "big supporter of it" during a March 2026 episode of the How We Made Your Mother podcast.

Despite the long-standing fan backlash over Barney and Robin's divorce and the death of the Mother, Harris argues that the ending stayed true to the characters' roots rather than following "TV sitcom logic".