The divisiveness of How I Met Your Mother’s series finale was inevitable from early on. In 2014, the nine-season run of How I Met Your Mother concluded, much to the disappointment of most viewers. HIMYM‘s ending was criticized for undoing the main characters’ arcs by minimizing the eagerly-awaited first meeting of hopeless romantic Ted Mosby and the Mother, Tracy McConell, and instead reuniting him with on-off love interest Robin Scherbatsky. This decision came after HIMYM spent its entire final season preparing for Robin and Barney Stinson’s wedding, and ultimately resulted in a mixed reception for the two-part final HIMYM episode.
While the controversial How I Met Your Mother ending was perhaps a disservice to Ted’s emotional journey, it was also a reaffirmation that the show was truly about him and Robin all along. In fact, while Tracy was shown grieving the death of Max, she mentioned “I believe that each of us only gets one, and I got mine already.” If these words of wisdom were to be heeded, every HIMYM character was with the one they were supposed to be with by the end: Marshall and Lily, Barney and his daughter, Tracy and Max, and Ted and Robin. However, because HIMYM left virtually no time to process Tracy’s death and Ted and Robin’s reunion, the finale stirred controversy.
How I Met Your Mother’s Concept Created Its Biggest Ending Problem
How I Met Your Mother gained popularity due to its unique storytelling concept that framed 2030 Ted Mosby telling Penny and Luke as his audience tales of love, life, and friendship in New York City. This very concept proved to be the instigator of the biggest problem for HIMYM, since Ted’s kids had to film their finale reactions as early as season 2. Consequently, the show’s ending had already been predetermined, and its key elements were set in stone very early on. This decision then left HIMYM creators Craig Thomas and Carter Bays little room to explore other emerging plot opportunities.
Ultimately, HIMYM failed to adapt to how its characters evolved and how its audience responded to storylines. This was the opposite of most sitcoms, which use reviews and reactions to guide future storylines. Sadly, even before Tracy was introduced in the series, her fate as the Mother in HIMYM was already sealed, with no regard for how the character would be received by the audience. Since she was integrated well into the final season, many were beginning to root for Tracy and Ted to finally end up together. Regardless, HIMYM had to stick to its plan and its filmed finale scenes, which meant viewers would, unsurprisingly, be left shocked and betrayed.
Why How I Met Your Mother Couldn’t Avoid Filming Its Ending In S2
How I Met Your Mother could not avoid filming its ending scenes early, since the Mosby kids’ actors were starting to grow up and age out of their roles. The alternative would be having the characters be older by the end of the show. That would make zero sense, however, since it would imply that Ted had been telling them the story over many years.
Even if HIMYM decided to show 2030 Ted telling the story over a longer period of time in order to justify his aged-up children, it would have then required Ted himself to be played by an older actor. Losing Josh Radnor then drains the emotion from those final scenes. It was a no-win scenario, forcing How I Met Your Mother to be faithful to its finale plan, no matter how much controversy it caused.
Does The HIMYM Alternate Ending Fix Anything?
As the How I Met Your Mother ending disappointed fans so much, it is not surprising that an alternate ending was released in the hopes of winning back some of the love that was lost. The alternate ending of How I Met Your Mother didn’t change everything, with the divorce of Robin and Barney remaining canon – and being one aspect that fans will likely still be angry about. However, the significant change is that Tracy lives and is still with Ted in the end, ignoring the final plotline about Ted and Robin being soulmates who eventually ended up together.
While it helps to make Ted more likable in the end, the real character who benefits from the alternate ending is Robin. Having her end up with Ted was only achieved by taking so much away from her character. Her marriage to Barney seemed to be abandoned solely to free her up for when Ted was ready and she abandoned her career dreams to stay in New York. While her marriage still ends in the alternate ending, it feels less pointless and is made easier to take as she embraces her career path. In fact, while the alternate ending might not be wholly memorable, it gives the How I Met Your Mother characters all happy endings which is what fans wanted in the end.
