The dissection of the How I Met Your Mother finale will never end due to the twist ending it brought. Unlike similar shows like Friends, whose ending remains largely lauded, this series took the biggest risk, which didn’t pay off by much.
However, there were some positive sides to this episode that can still be discussed despite the finale not aging very well. The vast majority of fans remain staunch over the ending being more bad than good, and this also needs to be considered. For this reason, here are five things that the fanbase like about the finale episode of How I Met Your Mother and five they hate.
Loved: The Soundtrack
The show, in itself, is known for having a splendid soundtrack with songs fit for every occasion. The finale, in particular, stepped this up as every moment had the appropriate track accompanying it. It was especially noticeable in the bigger moments.
From Barney becoming emotional upon meeting his daughter to Ted meeting the Mother, the songs were right on point. The change in perception of a scene is striking if they’re watched without the soundtrack, so there’s no doubt the songs were instrumental in dictating the moment.
Hated: No Future Barney
To this day, fans have no clue whatever became of Barney. Within the timeline, Barney last appeared during the prank he played on Marshall in 2021, making it almost a decade’s worth of gap to the finale’s events.
Those hoping to see where Barney ended up remain disappointed, with the finale not sparing any moment to this character. Even his final onscreen role was immaterial since he was shown in Ted’s wedding, only for the time skip to jump in and kill Tracy off.
Loved: The High Infinity
There are only a few friendships as entertaining in sitcoms as Ted and Barney’s, and the finale gave fans one last bro-mantic moment between the two. This happened to be their last big high-five, which was dubbed as the “High Infinity.”
Here, the two raced over to the other after the wedding to make for an Earth-shattering slap of the hands. It turned out to be the last “fun” moment from the episode, and fans appreciate it more for that reason.
Hated: Robin’s Estrangement With Her Friends
After spending about a decade with this group and growing as a person because of them, Robin was suddenly sent packing away for years in the finale. As told by Ted, she was estranged to them to the point where they marveled at how she’d changed in appearance when they saw her.
This went against all the established parts of her character during the previous seasons where Robin had made clear she viewed her friends as priorities in her life. It was also a bummer how she left the pregnant Lily sobbing when she asked her to come back to them, causing her missing out on all of the gang’s big moments later on.
Loved: Barney’s Speech To His Daughter
Barney becoming a father really came out of nowhere since the guy never had any interest in children and wasn’t the fatherly type either. However, these thoughts do go out of the mind when witnessing his emotional meeting with his baby.
At that moment, it’s hard not to understand the love he has for his newborn child, which almost makes up for all of the character development the finale had thrown away for him. Barney’s speech, in particular, was truly heartwarming and happens to be one fo the saving graces for the episode.
Hated: Barney And Robin’s Divorce
It’s still mind-boggling as to why the entire ninth season was set during Barney and Robin’s wedding if it didn’t have any relevance in the finale. More so than that, the episode also did away with all the seasons’ worth of romance the two had.
Another character development overlooked was Robin giving love a chance over her career, only for her to happily divorce Barney in favor of her job. Barney, too, had let go of his debauchery for Robin, and it still doesn’t make sense how neither of the two put up even a bit of a fight for their marriage.
Loved: Future Ted’s Monologue
Sure, the finale began to truly go downhill when the ending montage began, but Ted’s words were pretty fitting to his story. Here, he recalled the many times he’d gotten his heart broken and how it had been worth it since it led to him meeting Tracy, the Mother.
The clips accompanying this monologue are also liked by fans, as the pictures represent the happier times Ted had during his married life. The transition from the Bob Saget voice to Josh Radnor was smooth as well, with Future Ted’s first and last on-screen appearance done right.
Hated: The Mother’s Death
Of course, most will agree that this remains the most heartbreaking moment on the show, as The Mother was killed off just when viewers were convinced the happy ending had arrived. Considering it was literal seconds onscreen before her death that she’d been seen getting married, it’s understandable why her death is so hated.
There’s also the fact that the finale chose to several years where she and Ted had some time of wedded bliss, her illness, and the years following her death. Fans weren’t given any moment to grieve, which undermined the impact of her passing.
Loved: Ted And The Mother’s Meeting
Bolstered by the soundtrack that plays during this scene, the moment every fan had been waiting for since the beginning of the show finally arrived. Fortunately, this meeting was done justice, with Ted and The Mother, revealed to be named Tracy, having an instant connection.
It helped that the events that led to them meeting were recapped, and that everyone’s favorite yellow umbrella did the honors. Had the show ended right when the two had met, then the finale would have had less, if any, shortcomings and any shortcomings to occur may have been forgiven.
Hated: Ted And Robin Ending Up Together
Most fans agree that they wouldn’t have even minded The Mother’s death had this not followed up right next. After years of waiting for the titular character, the finale twisted things up to Ted and Robin once again becoming an item.
The sudden shift in tone from heartbreaking after Tracy’s death to a weirdly joyous at Ted and Robin’s final reunion is one that remains difficult to process for fans. While some of the fans did like Ted and Robin getting back together, it was the circumstances that made it so lame. Fans being forced to believe that Ted would use his wife’s death to justify chasing after “Aunt” Robin is what makes this such a disappointing finale.
