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The How I Met Your Mother ending became one of television's most controversial finales in 2014. Viewers and fans were divided, critics were unhinged, and netizens exploded with different reactions.
Disclaimer - This article has spoilers for How I Met Your Mother
After nine seasons, viewers finally met Tracy McConnell as the mother, only to have her quickly taken away. This finale sparked an immediate debate that continued years later as it failed to stick to the conclusion drawn in the beginning and changed the narrative.
How I Met Your Mother first aired in 2005 with an unconventional premise. In the story, Ted Mosby, from the future, narrates to his teenage kids how he met their mother. This unique framing narrative made the show stand out from other sitcoms.
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Still, fans fell in love with the show's characters. Even Ted's romantic journey sat very well with viewers, and his bond with friends Marshall, Lily, Barney, and Robin became the heart of the narrative.
The show balanced comedy with occasional emotional depth, making it relatable to viewers. It introduced unique storytelling techniques like flashforwards, flashbacks, and an unreliable narration, which became its signature.
The series's popularity and high ratings compelled CBS to renew it multiple times, and some viewers started discovering the sitcom long after it premiered. By the time Tracy appeared in season eight, expectations were sky-high.
Actress Cristin Milioti impressed the fans immediately. She seemed perfect for Ted's character and made a place in the hearts of the fans as they celebrated finally meeting the 'mother'.
However, the final season took a different turn. It focused entirely on Barney and Robin's wedding weekend, which lasted three days and was spread over 24 episodes.
Tracy was introduced to the group through flashforwards and flashbacks, during which fans witnessed how she met each of Ted's friends before finally crossing paths with Ted.
The fans thought it was a perfect ending to the series. But the unexpected plot twist in the end changed the narrative by the creators and created a huge controversy among the fans and critics.
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The How I Met Your Mother Ending controversy explained
What caused the betrayal?
The How I Met Your Mother ending delivered an unexpected plot twist. The narrative revealed that Tracy had been dead for six years when Ted began telling his story, perplexing viewers and fans.
Moreover, the most shocking aspect was Ted's return to Robin, regardless of the previously developed differences, which shows why they would not work together for years. The reunion after building hope for Tracy made the fans feel betrayed.
Additionally, the world-building of Barney and Robin's wedding weekend in the finale season extended into many episodes. Still, the actual day of the wedding was over within minutes, leaving the audience feeling the story was rushed and not satisfactory.
According to the old viewers, even the character development was not well served. After showing progress, Barney returned to his womanizing ways, Robin left her career after being shown career-oriented, and Ted's journey to move on from Robin was undone as projected initially.
The title created specific hopes and expectations among viewers and suggested the story was about finding Tracy. Instead, it revealed itself as a twisting way to get permission from his children to date Robin.
Apart from shifting from the intended storyline, the ending of How I Met Your Mother suffered due to its fast pacing.
Seventeen years of events were compressed into two episodes, and Tracy's illness and death did not get enough screen time for fans to register and feel her impact on the series.
After spending nine years on Ted's journey, the fans felt it had not paid off well. The mother in the title, for whom they wanted to meet, only to realize that Ted's true endgame was Robin. After setting a specific premise and demonstrating the incompatibility between Ted and Robin for various reasons.
For example, her inclination not to have children regardless of Ted's desperate desire for a family, she prioritised her career while he prioritised her, which was completely contrasted in the How I Met Your Mother ending.
Fans and critics felt that the ending of their relationship lacked depth and came up with their theories of How I Met Your Mother ending should be portrayed.
The story behind the creative decision on How I Met Your Mother ending
The creators, Craig Thomas and Carter Bays, decided on the How I Met Your Mother ending from the beginning. They filmed the children's reactions in the second season to keep the story going, but this plot device restricted them to a specific conclusion.
As the storyline progressed, characters evolved unexpectedly, and fans' responses shaped different perceptions of how it needed to lead to the How I Met Your Mother ending.
The chemistry of Barney and Robin even shocked the writers, but these developments could not change the predetermined How I Met Your Mother ending.
Several other problems, like stretching the wedding weekend and production budget constraints, added more hurdles to a potentially classic How I Met Your Mother ending.
An alternate How I Met Your Mother ending was released on DVD, which removed the version of Ted's reunion with Robin and Tracy's death and included Ted meeting Tracy at a train station. The fans were divided again, but some preferred the later alternate ending.
How I Met Your Mother ending turned a cautionary tale for the storytellers
The How I Met Your Mother ending controversy is a cautionary tale for storytellers and teaches a valuable lesson about long-form storytelling. First of all, flexibility matters a lot in storytelling.
Adhering to rigid climax or major plot points early on can backfire when characters evolve organically and fans build perception and interpretation.
Fans and viewers understand deep connections and the character's arc over multiple seasons. They notice even the slightest inconsistencies in motivation and behavior and start expecting satisfying conclusions about the established arcs.
Additionally, emotional sequences and moments require appropriate pacing, which was lacking in the depiction of Tracy's death during How I Met Your Mother ending. Major life events should carry a proper balance; instead of rushing through significant developments, they slow down their impact.
Character consistency matters more than drastic, unexpected changes, which was not the case in How I Met Your Mother's ending. Robin repeatedly showed how much she valued her career over her relationships.
Moreover, she was adamant about not having kids, but she and Ted were suddenly seen overcoming their fundamental differences. The How I Met Your Mother ending ended up becoming a case study in television storytelling.
This was a major lesson for the television industry regarding storytelling from the How I Met Your Mother ending. Having said that, regardless of several controversies, the series became a favourite for its iconic dialogue and chemistry between all the characters.
Extension of HIMYM universe
Additionally, the franchise continues to grow with How I Met Your Dad around 2014, and How I Met Your Father (HIMYF) with Hilary Duff was launched in 2022 on Hulu. All the spinoffs existed in the same universe but had different characters.
HIMYF learned from the How I Met Your Mother ending and maintains the same storyline while establishing its identity.
The spinoff has received mixed reviews in the beginning, but the critics understood the struggle it went through to capture the magic of the original version and change the perception from How I Met Your Mother ending.
The creators have no plan to revive the original series as they feel Ted Mosby's story appears complete. The How I Met Your Mother ending remains an intriguing case study on how finales should be on television.
It shows the struggles of concluding a fan favourite series, how early creative decisions can have lasting influence, and, most importantly, how deeply audiences connect with the stories they follow.
For viewers curious about where to watch series, How I Met Your Mother is available on Hulu in the United States, and regional availability depends on streaming platforms.
Years later, the debate over How I Met Your Mother ending continues on the internet among fans. Was the How I Met Your Mother ending a bold artistic decision or a betrayal of its fans' hopes and trust?
The answer likely depends on what the viewers believed its true motive was, either to find the one or a journey reflecting on character growth and reconciliation of what seems impossible.
