HIMYM (spoilers as the episode just ended)

[mbcdefg]

Mar 17, 2014 11:35:39 GMT -5 venice2007 said:

Mar 4, 2014 12:48:56 GMT -5 mbcdefg said:

It's not a tape - he's telling this to his kids in person. They've interacted with him in a few early-series episodes, and the only reason they're not still doing it now is because all the scenes with the kids were shot in 2006-2007 (because the kids would've aged too much by the end of the series, and he's supposed to be telling them this story in a one-day sitting).

If it's Ted that's sick, I'm going with memory loss.

I think the writers might be trying to convey to us that this is real life, and in real life people get sick. I get it, but I'm aware of that every day. MH and I have both lost a parent to cancer, and we're fully aware that the same could happen to us someday. Or one of us could get hit by a bus or something. I don't need to be reminded of that worry when I turn on a sitcom for a few chuckles before bed. I get that they want to be realistic/creative/artistic/whatever, but I think they're really going to piss off their audience if they end it on a sad note.

And maybe the they just don't care about pissing people off, because it's the end, and this is their opportunity to go out how they want rather than appease the audience. Although you can argue that they won't do that because they'll want their loyal fans to stick around for their upcoming "How I Met Your Dad" series (which I don't plan to watch, even if the HIMYM finale is the best finale in history).

Is he telling them the story in one day? I've seen the kids on different clothes. The rerun today the daughter has a skirt on. The smoking episode.

I don't know if it's ever been specifically stated that the story is taking place in one sitting with the kids ... but I think (although I can't find a source) their explanation behind the different clothes was that they shot the Season 1 Kid scenes in season 1, then shot the Season 2 and Beyond kid scenes in season 2, and they just forgot that they put them in different clothes.

So any time you see a scene with the kids listening to the story, it was shot in 2005-2006, because if they'd kept going then the kids would've aged too much to make it believable that 2030 Ted could be telling them this story in one sitting, or within a few days. (I read somewhere that the boy in particular hit a growth spurt and they had to quickly film what they needed before he got too old.) That's why they don't react to the things he's telling them, whereas in Seasons 1-2 they had specific reactions. And they filmed a scene for the finale episode at that same time as well, so those two kids have secretly known the ending for years.

They shot a pretty funny video for 2013 Comic Con where the kids are older and react angrily to being kept on the couch listening to this story for eight years: www.youtube.com/watch?v=u02vOZoI4Pw&list=HL1393619321

[thebulldog]

this confirms what PP said
www.cbsnews.com/news/final-how-i-met-your-mother-scene-filmed-8-years-ago/

[noodleoo]

Mar 17, 2014 12:23:31 GMT -5 thebulldog said:

this confirms what PP said
www.cbsnews.com/news/final-how-i-met-your-mother-scene-filmed-8-years-ago/

Wow, I didn't know that! I have a hard time believing they had a plan that long ago considering how much this season has sucked.  And I wonder when they decided to shift the focus of the series to Barney and Robin instead of Ted (that doesn't seem like it was originally planned either).  I think they are full of crap. I highly doubt the ending will be satisfying enough to make up for how bad it has gotten. 

And i I have to say, I think their contingency plan with Victoria being the mother would have been WAY better! 

[mbcdefg]

Mar 21, 2014 9:22:10 GMT -5 noodleoo said:

Mar 17, 2014 12:23:31 GMT -5 thebulldog said:

this confirms what PP said
www.cbsnews.com/news/final-how-i-met-your-mother-scene-filmed-8-years-ago/

Wow, I didn't know that! I have a hard time believing they had a plan that long ago considering how much this season has sucked.  And I wonder when they decided to shift the focus of the series to Barney and Robin instead of Ted (that doesn't seem like it was originally planned either).  I think they are full of crap. I highly doubt the ending will be satisfying enough to make up for how bad it has gotten. 

And i I have to say, I think their contingency plan with Victoria being the mother would have been WAY better! 

They've never revealed exactly what their "final plan" is (the one that they've had in place since the series began), but from what I've read it suggests that it's going to be the last 2-5 minutes of the finale.

They never considered getting Robin and Barney together until the third or fourth season. And didn't think about them getting married until later than that. So the "final plan" doesn't involve them as a couple.

I agree that the Victoria plan would've been a lot better. I really loved Victoria and I'm so disappointed that they brought her back a couple seasons ago (when she ran out on her wedding with Claus and hooked up with Ted). That really destroyed a wonderful character. I almost threw the remote through my TV in the season 7 finale when Ted and Victoria literally drove off into the sunset together. PUKE.

I think that the finale is going to be very similar to the way we saw him and Victoria get together in the first season, since we know that they included Victoria as a way to tie up the series if they didn't get renewed for a second season. He meets both Victoria and The Mother because they're vendors at a friend's wedding ... and since Robin helped Ted originally get together with Victoria, I think she's going to do the same to get him together with The Mother. In other words, they used their ideal ending in the original Victoria story (because they didn't want it to go to waste in case they weren't picked up for another season), and they're going to tweak it a bit to re-use it for the actual series finale.

[nonsenseabound]

I hated him with Victoria. I thought she was a painful.

[perkyderky]

No discussion about last night's episode? There were a few times we laughed out loud, a few MAJOR cringe-worthy moments. I both teared up and almost threw something at the TV. Talk about a roller coaster!

[mbcdefg]

Mar 25, 2014 12:00:44 GMT -5 perkyderky said:

No discussion about last night's episode? There were a few times we laughed out loud, a few MAJOR cringe-worthy moments. I both teared up and almost threw something at the TV. Talk about a roller coaster!

I wasn't a fan. The entire episode just felt like it was thrown together at the last minute to quickly wrap up a few storylines (Ted and Robin, the locket, the ring bear, the slap bet).

I liked Marshall and Lily's re-do on the vows. The bagel and cream cheese thing was funny.

Ted finally rejecting Robin was a long time coming, but it was really rushed. The entire series has been banking on that moment, and that's the way they handled it? Ugh.

And, yes, I definitely had a "throw something through the TV" moment when he stepped out of the bridal suite and pulled out that stupid, stupid locket. I was SO disappointed that it wasn't Barney who'd somehow found it for her. The "I vow to always be honest" thing was a nice makeup, but by that point I was just too bored and tired to care.

I honestly don't have much hope for a great finale. At this point I'll just be glad if The Mother is alive by the end ... which IMO has been their intention all along. Get us all worked up about her possibly being dead, then reveal in the finale that she's alive and that way everyone will love the finale because it's a happy ending. Not necessarily because it's any good.

[elletr13]

This was one of the better episodes of this season, but I agree it was rushed. It should/could have been an hour.

[Dumbledork]

I made fun of it before, but I really do think the Mother will die, Robin and Barney will divorce and Ted and Robin will get together. I don't know why the show/story would start with how he met Robin if it didn't somehow end with her. This is how I met your mother, andplusalso, your stepmother.

[perkyderky]

Mar 25, 2014 13:06:29 GMT -5 mbcdefg said:

Mar 25, 2014 12:00:44 GMT -5 perkyderky said:

No discussion about last night's episode? There were a few times we laughed out loud, a few MAJOR cringe-worthy moments. I both teared up and almost threw something at the TV. Talk about a roller coaster!

I wasn't a fan. The entire episode just felt like it was thrown together at the last minute to quickly wrap up a few storylines (Ted and Robin, the locket, the ring bear, the slap bet).

I liked Marshall and Lily's re-do on the vows. The bagel and cream cheese thing was funny.

Ted finally rejecting Robin was a long time coming, but it was really rushed. The entire series has been banking on that moment, and that's the way they handled it? Ugh.

And, yes, I definitely had a "throw something through the TV" moment when he stepped out of the bridal suite and pulled out that stupid, stupid locket. I was SO disappointed that it wasn't Barney who'd somehow found it for her. The "I vow to always be honest" thing was a nice makeup, but by that point I was just too bored and tired to care.

I honestly don't have much hope for a great finale. At this point I'll just be glad if The Mother is alive by the end ... which IMO has been their intention all along. Get us all worked up about her possibly being dead, then reveal in the finale that she's alive and that way everyone will love the finale because it's a happy ending. Not necessarily because it's any good.

Seriously.  That was one of the moments I was all WTF was that?  They gave us some real crap this season and the BIGGEST thing that has happened to the series comes and goes in the blink of an eye?  Jerk wads.

I was somewhat relieved to finally "get to the freaking wedding" already.  And honestly, I liked the way the final slap was issued but didn't like the follow up--it was way too obvious.  the Lily/Marshal story line was finally a good one--and yes, I agree the bagel and cream cheese got both DH and I laughing.  

The locket.  OH THE LOCKET.  With all the scheming Barney does, he couldn't have a "lake guy" that fishes things out of the lakes of Central Park?  Surely, he's been on dates gone wrong that he might need a lake guy to do some cleaning.  That was really such a pseudo-romantic moment of the show--clearly I wasn't the only one that felt nothing towards Robin at that moment either.  My reaction wasn't short of me yelling "SERIOUSLY?  THEY ARE GOING THERE WITH THIS...AGAIN?  AT THIS POINT?  WTF?!?!?!"  my cats got a tad scared that their mama was so enraged. 

I was hoping that somehow the creators would come up with a satisfying end that wouldn't completely wreak of saccrine and Disney magic.  Creative end a la Newhart?  Wishing for it.  After last night, though, I'm not holding out much hope either.

ETA:  I totally didn't recognize the instrumental version of "Sandcastles in the Sand" as Robin walked down the aisle.  DH had to point it out to me.  i think that's the only good thing involving Robin in the entire episode.

[chitownbelle]

Is the finale going to be an hour of show? I heard from a to expect half of it to be interviewing the cast and crew, showing flashbacks, etc. Just can't imagine wrapping all of this crap up in one 30min episode.

[btay]

Mar 25, 2014 14:26:19 GMT -5 Dumbledork said:

I made fun of it before, but I really do think the Mother will die, Robin and Barney will divorce and Ted and Robin will get together. I don't know why the show/story would start with how he met Robin if it didn't somehow end with her. This is how I met your mother, andplusalso, your stepmother.

 They had to start with how he met Robin because if he hadn't met Robin, the wedding never would have happened, thus he never would have met the mother.  That's what I'm clinging to at least

[Dumbledork]

Mar 27, 2014 15:13:15 GMT -5 btay said:

Mar 25, 2014 14:26:19 GMT -5 Dumbledork said:

I made fun of it before, but I really do think the Mother will die, Robin and Barney will divorce and Ted and Robin will get together. I don't know why the show/story would start with how he met Robin if it didn't somehow end with her. This is how I met your mother, andplusalso, your stepmother.

 They had to start with how he met Robin because if he hadn't met Robin, the wedding never would have happened, thus he never would have met the mother.  That's what I'm clinging to at least

You could argue that it should have started in their college years then, when Lilly and Marshall first fell in love. If not for her, Robin could have left their group after she and Ted broke up instead of continuing to be part of the group through Lilly.

Or started when he met Barney.

[mbcdefg]

Mar 27, 2014 15:33:52 GMT -5 Dumbledork said:

Mar 27, 2014 15:13:15 GMT -5 btay said:

 They had to start with how he met Robin because if he hadn't met Robin, the wedding never would have happened, thus he never would have met the mother.  That's what I'm clinging to at least

You could argue that it should have started in their college years then, when Lilly and Marshall first fell in love. If not for her, Robin could have left their group after she and Ted broke up instead of continuing to be part of the group through Lilly.

Or started when he met Barney.

I think that Robin is going to introduce him to The Mother, and that's why his story begins and ends with Robin.

[Dumbledork]

Mar 3, 2014 22:24:03 GMT -5 Dumbledork said:

How pissed would ya'll be if he was telling this story to tell his kids about how, even though he loved their momma, Aunt Robin's been there since the beginning and he's always had a thing for her. Now that he's a widow and she's divorced, well, it was just meant to be. Hey kids, meet your new momma!


Mar 25, 2014 15:26:19 GMT -4 pumpkin701 said:
I made fun of it before, but I really do think the Mother will die, Robin and Barney will divorce and Ted and Robin will get together. I don't know why the show/story would start with how he met Robin if it didn't somehow end with her. This is how I met your mother, andplusalso, your stepmother.

Party Dance!!!

I love when I call things correctly.


Moving on… Dumb. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb. WTF.

[mbcdefg]

Mar 3, 2014 20:27:55 GMT -5 thebulldog said:

so this totally plays into the theory that the mother is dead and he is telling the kids the story to remember her. 

Or he's telling them the story so that he can quickly gloss over their mother and get to the part about how he wants to pork their aunt. Again.

LAAAAAAMMMMEEEE

[SallySparrow]

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

So disappointed.

[sookie]

I loved the scene with Barney and his daughter. Other than that it was a waste. They could've ended at the umbrella scene.

[TEM325]

I don't like that he ended up with Robin........argh!

[roseflower]

I admit I didn't like the person they chose for the mother...but WHYYYYYYY would they do this? Like...this whole show revolved around the yellow freaking umbrella and THIS is how it ends?!?

[elletr13]

I actually loved Ted & The mother together. They could have ended it with something like his friends helping him through her sickness.

Ted & Robin together is bullshit.

[TEM325]

Mar 31, 2014 22:09:42 GMT -5 elletr13 said:

I actually loved Ted & The mother together. They could have ended it with something like his friends helping him through her sickness.

Ted & Robin together is bullshit.

Yes, and the fact that there were so many stories regarding Robin and Barney's wedding and they milked the wedding for soooo long and then they got divorced after only a few years. It seemed to simple to just break up Robin and Barney. As someone who had a short marriage, I can honestly say it is not part of the conversation years after the fact. If Robin and Ted had been married almost 17 years ago for a short time, I doubt Ted would be bringing it up over and over....

The thing I really liked though was how Barney did meet the love of his life.

I also expected more from the hair & makeup department, the best effort to age them was a little bit of grey hair on Ted? 

[mbcdefg]

Apr 1, 2014 6:54:41 GMT -5 TEM325 said:

Mar 31, 2014 22:09:42 GMT -5 elletr13 said:

I actually loved Ted & The mother together. They could have ended it with something like his friends helping him through her sickness.

Ted & Robin together is bullshit.

Yes, and the fact that there were so many stories regarding Robin and Barney's wedding and they milked the wedding for soooo long and then they got divorced after only a few years. It seemed to simple to just break up Robin and Barney. As someone who had a short marriage, I can honestly say it is not part of the conversation years after the fact. If Robin and Ted had been married almost 17 years ago for a short time, I doubt Ted would be bringing it up over and over....

The thing I really liked though was how Barney did meet the love of his life.

I also expected more from the hair & makeup department, the best effort to age them was a little bit of grey hair on Ted? 

Well, with the way they've dressed the women on this show in the past few years, I'm guessing that they stopped giving a shit quite a long time ago.

[mbcdefg]

Cue the backpedaling from the creators:

tvline.com/2014/04/04/how-i-met-your-mother-alternate-ending-series-finale-dvd/

Complete series DVD will include an alternate ending.

LOL