Wednesday, April 9, 2014

H is for How I Met Your Mother

So on March 31st, the series finale of How I Met Your Mother aired.  And it was one of those bittersweet moments.  It was sweet in the fact that they were ending it the way they wanted to and not because they were cancelled by the network.  It was bitter in the fact that you don't want one of your favorite shows to end--but it is.

It has been a very controversial ending, and I immediately thought of the fact that I didn't have an "H" when I saw it....so my opinion needed to go up on this blog.  So here comes the next catch-up! WARNING! If for some reason you haven't seen it/don't want spoilers I will understand if you stop reading now.

Should it have ended with the mom dying?
Eh, not my favorite.  It makes sense as to why she kind of seems like a distant memory the whole series. However, I did really like the mom and it was just too bad.

Should Ted have ended up with Robin?
I have been saying this for most of the series.  I was crushed when they ended the pilot with....your Aunt Robin.  I was really upset when they couldn't figure out how to make it work when they actually did have a real relationship.  And honestly the kids are right...he does seem to spend a lot of time talking about her in the stories.  And it does explain why they stay friends for so long.

HOWEVER--here is what I didn't like about the series finale:

  • I had really gotten use to the Barney and Robin.  I liked them as a couple. They tried, and failed--they could have just left it there.  But then they persevered in the relationship--which makes us commit! They seemed to work and fit.  It was nice to see Barney be more normal and Robin to be happy with someone.  I HATED how they got divorced like 5 min. after the wedding.  I mean really...we spent this entire season going through three days of them getting married at a snail's pace and then it is just gone in a second!
  • Again....we spend the whole season in three days--and then a whole hour in like 20 years; some balance would have been nice
  • The HORRIBLE editing job....which sounding like after reading a Josh Radnor interview...they actually filmed together...so then why did we have to have it like that?!
Things I Have Learned Since Watching
  • The creators did keep writing the whole series...it wasn't like they left and came back to do the last few episodes. They didn't write each one the whole time anyway--but they were involved the whole time
  • CBS has commissioned How I Met Your Dad---I don't know how I feel about this.  If it like this article implies, the same idea just from mom's perspective--we know she dies at the end so what's the point. 
  • They had an alternate ending---and will put it on the DVD....might actually have to get that (I wasn't thinking this before because they are on Netflix)
  • I read one article which told everyone who was mad to go back and watch the pilot...it will make more sense.  I have now--and yes it actually does.  I am now going to watch the whole series and see if it feels better at the end. We shall see.

1 comment:

Anna K. Stewart said...

How I Met Your Mother. I admit I watched the last couple of seasons mostly out of obligation or determination or whatnot. I'd watched it so long...wanted to finally find out who the mom was! And there were episodes I liked in the last couple seasons...but it really fell off on quality/amusement for me in the last couple of years. That said...

The Ted/Robin ending had a circular quality to it...and as a wannabe writer, I like that. It did feel somewhat reasonable given the history.

BUT...I had bought into the Barney/Robin relationship hook, line and sinker. I LIKED that Barney, the womanizer, became the devoted husband. I HATED that they threw all the work they did making his and Robin's relationship believable out the window.

The Year-long wedding. I actually had not thought about it in terms of the short duration of the marriage...and it doubly sucks for that reason. I simply disliked dwelling, for an ENTIRE SEASON, on this handful of days. I was tired of it fairly early on.

How I Met Your Mother...a one-time favorite show turned Eh at the end.

Sigh.

Won't be rushing to watch any sort of spin-off.