‘How I Met Your Mother’ Series Finale: What Was Good, What Was Bad

Let me start out saying that I love How I Met Your Mother.  I started watching the show in the middle of the fourth season, and binged watched seasons 1-3 to catch up.  (I’ve never done that with a TV show!)  I love how Carter and Bays have stayed consistent with the running gags and tag lines.  However, for the past two seasons I haven’t really been into it.  I feel like the show has lost its luster.  But, I had to tune in to the series finale to find out what happens to the five friends.  Here are my thoughts.

**CAUTION: SPOILERS AHEAD!**

What was Bad:

1.  It was Predictable

• Twenty minutes before the show ended, I KNEW what was going to happen.  I said to my mom, “the mother is going to die and Ted’s going to end up with Robin.  And the mom’s name is Tracy.”  Here’s how I knew:
• True fans of the show knew the mother’s name was Tracy because of the episode Belly Full of Turkey.  Ted makes a joke to his kids that he meets a stripper named Tracy and that’s how he met their mother.
• I KNEW that Ted was going to end up with Robin because of the episode No Pressure.  At the end of the episode, Marshall alludes to the fact that Ted ends up with Robin.  Avid fans of the show kind of had a hint that Ted ends up with Robin.
• The rumor that the mother was dead has been circling on blogs for seasons.

2.  It was Rushed

Instead of having the entire season at Robin and Barney’s wedding, why didn’t producers stretch out the story lines that occurred last night?  They could’ve had an entire season about Barney and Robin’s divorce, Barney’s baby girl, Tracy’s sickness, Marshall’s new job, Robin leaving the group, and then Ted falling for Robin again.  Come on!  Instead, they wrapped up huge story lines within two minutes.  Robin and Barney’s divorce seemed forced.

3.  PINEAPPLE!

Where did the pineapple come from?!   Really, we want to know!

4.  Ted Having a Long Engagement

The Ted that viewers know and love is a helpless romantic through and through.  Even if Tracy did get pregnant before their engagement, he would make sure that they were married shortly after his baby was born.  He was a traditional, hopeless romantic.  That didn’t make a lot of sense to me.

What Was Good:

1.  Barney’s Baby

Barney is the Samantha of How I Met Your Mother.  He’s just one of those characters that needs to be single and can’t function in a relationship.  The story line about his baby girl being the love of his life was adorable.  Plus, NPH crying over a baby just made my heart melt.

2.  Robin’s Storyline was Realistic

Sadly, in the real world, our friends come and go.  The people who were our besties five years ago usually are either distant or non-existent in our present lives.  I liked that one character broke off from the group to pursue a career because that’s how life goes.

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE FINALE?