First, let me start this post with stating that I have every intent of spoiling the finale to the TV show How I Met Your Mother. So if you're one of those people who are watching it on Netflix and are waiting until the 9th season gets added, then do yourself a favor and bookmark this post (cause it's gonna be legen-wait for it-dary!) (Or maybe not.)
Second, despite my renewed love for Batman from reading the Hush series (thanks to Joe for letting me borrow it along with the recommendations from my bishop and his first counselor) as well as having started playing Batman: Arkham Asylum finally, I will be going with this recently ended TV show.
Now...here's a picture to take up more space just in case you're reading this and need to stop because I may ruin the story for you...
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Okay, let's get to it. I know where I stand on the finale. And I know why I stand there. And like the show, I may confuse you until I state where I am. Let me start by saying I hated the first half of the finale. Holy crap! They broke up Ted and Robin? Meanest thing ever! And then for Robin to basically dump Lily's friendship in the trash because of Ted's "happily ever after"? Grr....
And then you hit the second half of the finale. Oh, so who was shocked that the mother was dead? *does
not raise hand* If you were watching the show, it was pretty obvious. Especially in the episode "Vesuvius" when Ted and Tracy were at dinner in 2020. At the end of Ted's story, he refers to Robin's mother showing up to the wedding and how everybody was surprised. Tracy, in her very wise way, says, "What mother would miss her own daughter's wedding?" It doesn't take a genius to know why Ted starts crying. Even Tracy gets teary-eyed. Hello! Tracy's dying at this point! (Although not for four years, which makes me assume that she's dying of cancer.)
Okay, so we knew (by about the 5th season) that this story was not about Ted finding the mother. It's about Ted being okay with things not ending up the way he expected...only they do.
And here's why I feel like the ending was true to the story and I actually really like the way the show ends.
The show is about Robin. Yeah, I'm stealing this from a
tv.com blog post. They make the point that the show is about Robin and how negative of a thing that is. Here's my simple question: DID YOU WATCH THE FREAKIN' SHOW, DUDE? Because the whole show was about Ted and Robin no matter what you say.
Let's look at some of the things throughout the 9 seasons of the show:
Season 1: Ted pines for Robin. Pretty simple. Barney, Lily, and Marshall do what they can to help Ted move on because it doesn't seem like Robin and Ted are going to work. And Ted does end up with Victoria (who is my all-time favorite despite what others may say). I also still wish Ted ended up with Victoria. But she'll come into play later.
Season 2: Ted and Robin date. Oh, what a nice season that is for the Ted/Robin fans. But in the end, Robin has too many things she wants to do with her life before settling down. (We'll come back to this.)
Season 3: Ah, the Have You Met Ted game has returned. And then we meet Stella. Oh Stella...she was my 2nd favorite. Partially because Sarah Chalke as Elliot on Scrubs was awesome. But I digress. Stella is that girl that you don't think you have a shot with, but you try anyway. And Ted did. And he did win. But let's look at the other important piece to this story: Barney sleeps with Robin. And how did Ted react? Oh, like a jealous ex-boyfriend despite dating someone else. Hmm....
Season 4: Ted and Stella are engaged. Yay! They're gonna get married. Yay! They invite their exes...Ya...wait what? And there were two options here: disinvite each other's ex. Or disinvite their own ex. The latter option led to Ted being left at the alter. And look at who that ex was....Robin. By the end of the season, you see Ted deciding he needs to move on with his life.
Season 5: Barney and Robin attempt to date for the first part of this season. They end up with one of the worst relationships either has been in. And because Ted cares about them both (they are his friends) he and Marshall enlist Lily's help to break them up. Oh thank goodness. Of course, Robin ends up dating Don for a bit. Ted and Barney both want Robin back. Hey look, they
both want Robin. (Anyone else fighting replacing Ted with Ross, Barney with Joey, and Robin with Rachel and season 5 with season 8/9?)
Season 6: Other than some of the most emotional episodes (Count Down) as well Ted's awkward relationship with Emma Swan...no wait...Zoey...(meh, same actress), this season is about Ted having moved on from Robin. There's very little in their relationship (that I recall). The season where the writers (and series) make you forget about Ted and Robin. Did they do this intentionally? Meh, who cares. But Ted is just trying to live his life. Also, what's so awesome about a season with Katy Perry (other than playing the personality so many of her haters expect to see.)
Season 7: So, the previous season ends with Barney and Nora. You are to assume that Barney is marrying Nora in the future. And you get Robin dating Kevin, her therapist. But more than anything, you get the most important moment in the past few years: Ted still loves Robin. What? He's still in love with her? Yep. He really is. But he needs to find a way to move on. Oh and look who's back....Victoria!!!!! Yeah, you get to see the end of the season moment when Barney's bride (who you're assuming is Quinn) wants to see Ted, only to find out it's Robin!
Season 8: Yes, if I were Ted, I'd marry Victoria and ditch Robin. That's what Victoria wants. But Victoria has a strong point: Ted is not over her. Robin was the reason Ted broke up with Victoria before. She's the reason Victoria breaks up with Ted. :( But really, you have Ted thinking he's over Robin...until you get to the locket. This locket is actually so important, it's not even funny. But despite it, Ted convinces Robin to marry Barney still.
Oh but wait....Ted, in the very beginning, states he is a believer of signs and omens. And Robin, is not. Let me tell you this, when a couple stays together long enough, they will start to adapt some of the things that they see makes the other person as quirky. Robin looks at the lost locket as a sign. And what does Ted do? He does the one thing any man in love would do: give her what she wants.
Season 9: The theme of the locket is there. It's in the opening episode of the season. It's in the ending episode. It's been buried in an illegal spot and shocking that no cops did anything about all the digging they were doing. Sorry, I digress. The 9th season is about this locket. It almost causes Barney and Ted to split as friends. It's an argument between Lily and Ted. Season 9, though, is about Ted moving on completely from Robin. He does not to be suffering any longer. By the end of the season, he is over her.
Ted is absolutely and completely over Robin. So when he meets Tracy, there is room for him to love her. And not like he loved Victoria or Stella or Zoey. No, he really is in love with Tracy. And he has completely moved on from Robin.
Which is why he is telling this story to his kids in 2030. Yeah, he did move on from Robin. But as a dad, it makes perfect sense for Ted to try to talk Robin up (for a REALLY long time) and explain how he really did love these kids' mother. But there's nothing wrong with Ted not wanting to be alone, as it has been six years.
And yeah, I also predicted Ted stealing the blue french horn for Robin again. It was actually something cheesy I would've written, to be honest. That's why I knew, when he was buzzing for her, that he had the horn in his hand.
My mom was diagnosed with cancer in 1995. My dad stood by her through this illness. All the way until she passed in 2002. Yeah, my dad will always love my mom. But her loss made him miserable. In 2010, my dad got remarried. Finding his new wife a few years ago, my dad is a lot happier than he has been in a long time. There's nothing wrong with him not wanting to be alone in this world any more.
As Mormons, we believe that marriage can be eternal. And I know my parents' marriage is. But there is nothing wrong with having a companion to be with for the rest of our days. Sometimes, that person is someone we have not met yet and sometimes, it's someone from our past.
Okay, that's my ten cents on this.
Alien abductions are involuntary, but probings are scheduled.
5. Jess & Cece, New Girl
1. Dorothy & Blanche & Rose & Sophia, Golden Girls
