HIMYM Finale

[mbcdefg]

Apr 1, 2014 7:51:21 GMT -5 @mrswindycity said:

Random but I could have sworn in the clip from 2015 where they are watching Star Wars and Ted is holding Penny, he had a ring on.

Yup.

But, hey, you can just go ahead and ignore that. I guess.

[rbp]

Apr 1, 2014 7:58:06 GMT -5 mbcdefg said:

Apr 1, 2014 7:51:21 GMT -5 @mrswindycity said:

Random but I could have sworn in the clip from 2015 where they are watching Star Wars and Ted is holding Penny, he had a ring on.

Yup.

But, hey, you can just go ahead and ignore that. I guess.

Oops.  :-#

v, did you notice the J. Crew owl shirt Lily was wearing at MacLaren's?

[Deleted]

I didn't care for the finale. I hated that we've spent a whole year on Robin and Barney's wedding, only for them to divorce in a matter of minutes.

The mother's death didn't surprise me, because of the previous theories, but I think I would have preferred to have had it end with the love story between Ted and the Mother. I don't like that he's back with Robin.

[my4girls]

Apr 1, 2014 7:39:45 GMT -5 v said:

Apr 1, 2014 7:28:01 GMT -5 teatimefor2 said:

I liked the fact that they waited a total of seven years to get married. Marriage isn't the end, it's the beginning and life is really what the story is about, not just a wedding. I thought that was a nice twist.

I totally agree with that in principle, but... haaaaave you met Ted?  Makes no sense in context.  He would have been at the altar the day after meeting her.

I liked that they waited too. I thought of it more as Ted KNEW she was it so he didn't have to rush to the alter with her, like he would have wanted to do before. Like he was so content and happy with her it didn't matter

[Deleted]

I thought it a charming. But, I'm also glad I didn't waste much time watching the last season--I only saw the pointless Kung fu piece of crap.

[gibbinator]

The waiting to get married was the one thing I didn't mind. She accidentally got pregnant, things got in the way, priorities changed to not spending all the money on a wedding, and it took them awhile to figure out they could just have a quick ceremony rather than an elaborate castle.
ETA: and in true Mosby form it appears they were at least engaged quite early on.

[mbcdefg]

Apr 1, 2014 8:16:35 GMT -5 my4girls said:

Apr 1, 2014 7:39:45 GMT -5 v said:

I totally agree with that in principle, but... haaaaave you met Ted?  Makes no sense in context.  He would have been at the altar the day after meeting her.

I liked that they waited too. I thought of it more as Ted KNEW she was it so he didn't have to rush to the alter with her, like he would have wanted to do before. Like he was so content and happy with her it didn't matter

See, I think this would've been better conveyed if they'd had Ted abandon his plans for the fancy French chateau wedding and immediately marry her in the courthouse, or MacLaren's, or Marshall and Lily's apartment. I was expecting them to have him realize that he didn't need a big wedding, not that he didn't need a marriage at all.

I just don't think they wrote Ted as the kind of guy who'd propose to the love of his life, then immediately forget about their marriage plans because they got pregnant before the wedding. It's bizarre that the Ted character, as they wrote him, would go five years before marrying her. Seeing as how he spent nine fricking years of his life whining that he just wanted to get married.

[Deleted]

Apr 1, 2014 8:33:30 GMT -5 gibbinator said:

The waiting to get married was the one thing I didn't mind. She accidentally got pregnant, things got in the way, priorities changed to not spending all the money on a wedding, and it took them awhile to figure out they could just have a quick ceremony rather than an elaborate castle.

I agree with this - I thought it was fitting to Ted's evolving character. He was growing up and realizing what was important. 

Overall I liked this finale. I laughed more than I had all season, put together. The part with Barney and his new baby? Omg, tears. 

The only thing ... I wasn't sure about the Robin thing at the end. It surprised me, which was good. I wanted more Mother, more about her being the love of his life after everything. I feel like the other episodes this season, with their flash forwards, had more of those moments, but this one was more about the gang and the Robin/Barney thing. So I guess I would have liked it more had they focused on Ted's love for the mom, even in that final conversation w/ the kids .... IDK. Clearly I'm overthinking it. 

Agreed with whomever upthread said that the Lily stuff was lame. They should have gone more into her path through the years, her accomplishments, rather than just her breeding prowess. 

[Deleted]

Apr 1, 2014 8:35:59 GMT -5 mbcdefg said:

Apr 1, 2014 8:16:35 GMT -5 my4girls said:

I liked that they waited too. I thought of it more as Ted KNEW she was it so he didn't have to rush to the alter with her, like he would have wanted to do before. Like he was so content and happy with her it didn't matter

See, I think this would've been better conveyed if they'd had Ted abandon his plans for the fancy French chateau wedding and immediately marry her in the courthouse, or MacLaren's, or Marshall and Lily's apartment. I was expecting them to have him realize that he didn't need a big wedding, not that he didn't need a marriage at all.

I just don't think they wrote Ted as the kind of guy who'd propose to the love of his life, then immediately forget about their marriage plans because they got pregnant before the wedding. It's bizarre that the Ted character, as they wrote him, would go five years before marrying her. Seeing as how he spent nine fricking years of his life whining that he just wanted to get married.

Five years and two illegitimate children.  No way would our Teddy Westside do that.

[shortstax]

I kind of wonder if the DVD sets will have "alternative" endings. Based on the ring pic above (and I'm sure they filmed a bunch with the kids---so no one would know which one would be used.)

[badtzmaru22]

Apr 1, 2014 6:46:03 GMT -5 v said:

Mar 31, 2014 21:30:00 GMT -5 mbcdefg said:

They only had the kids plus a handful of people on set when they filmed it (I think it was the director, cameraman, and the two creators). And they had to sign ridiculous secrecy agreements that they wouldn't tell.

I wouldn't be surprised if they also filmed a bunch of alternate scenes so they wouldn't know which one was the real one.

I kind of thought they might have done that... But this is the one they went with? Lol.

[LoveTrains]

Apr 1, 2014 4:51:18 GMT -5 gibbinator said:

Mar 31, 2014 23:14:34 GMT -5 crashgizmo said:

Not to mention we spent a whole season on a wedding that is over in the first 5 mins of the show :-\

This is what I am really irritated about. We just spent an ENTIRE season on one stupid wedding weekend. And that marriage only lasts three years and is over in five minutes?! Fuck that. 

[mbcdefg]

Apr 1, 2014 8:51:36 GMT -5 shortstax said:

I kind of wonder if the DVD sets will have "alternative" endings. Based on the ring pic above (and I'm sure they filmed a bunch with the kids---so no one would know which one would be used.)

I heard that they filmed a few different scenes with the two kids on the couch, to give themselves some different end-game options. Not sure why they didn't actually GO with any of those, but oh well.

The creators did a Reddit AMA and said at one point that a few errors will be fixed in syndication and on DVDs. One example was in the "How Your Mother Met Me" episode a few weeks ago, where they showed the St. Patrick's Day party and the date on the screen said "April" for some reason. So maybe they'll edit out Ted's ring in any pre-2020 scenes.

Oh, and they also showed Ted wearing a wedding ring in the "Lobster Crawl" episode (right-hand photo), where Lily and Marshall were babysitting his infant daughter, so that would be either 2015 or 2016. But, again, just ignore that.

[xokell2]

Mar 31, 2014 23:22:19 GMT -5 mfluder said:

Apparently sitting with the minority - I liked it (not just a not hate it). Maybe it helps I started on Netflix so it hasn't been years for me?

I am not thrilled about the mother dying, but I was glad they didn't focus on it too much, if that make sense? And he was always in love with robin - but they both got to have the type of full lives they wanted (career and settle down) until they were in the same place.

And as much as I really wanted Barney and Robin to make it, I get why they didn't. And Barney wanted to have a kid, and now he gets that (and maybe a nanny ).

Plus the whole years to marry the mother made sense - he always had this over idea thing and life got in the way. But he still got what he wanted.

Not saying I don't get people's frustrations, but I still like
It.

I'm on this side. I actually liked the ending. The Barney with his baby scene made me tear up.

[nonsenseabound]

I liked everything but the last 10 minutes. I thought the Barney and baby scene was appropriate. Who the heck has sex that much and doesn't knock someone up? It was bound to happen.

[Deleted]

Apr 1, 2014 9:01:25 GMT -5 xokell2 said:

Mar 31, 2014 23:22:19 GMT -5 mfluder said:

I'm on this side. I actually liked the ending. The Barney with his baby scene made me tear up.

I was so distracted by the thought that the baby's mother was seemingly not in the room (or was not interacting with anyone?).  A glimpse of her in the corner wouldn't have killed the scene (which I thought was kind of contrived anyway).

Also, I thought it was odd that they didn't explain how the baby was being raised.  So Barney was constantly exhausted... was he dating the mother?  Otherwise living with her?  Sharing custody (can you do that with a newborn)?  It was really odd how they slapped that one together.

[mbcdefg]

I didn't like the idea of Barney having a baby, because it suggested that a baby would immediately and forever "fix" him. Like people who are in a dead-end relationship and think that getting pregnant will fix their partner. It's a dangerous road to go down. 

He didn't care enough about the baby momma to bother telling the gang her actual name (or to actually learn her name himself), and 30 seconds before meeting the baby he was passing out cigars when he thought that the baby might not be his. And then a nurse hands him the baby and he's suddenly in hysterical tears? Please.

And they've "fixed" him so many times on the show that I just didn't buy it this time. They spent all of season 9 and most of season 8 showing us that loving Robin had fixed him, and then all of a sudden he divorces Robin (over a lack of WiFi, apparently???) and he's back to his old tricks.

I don't like how they just figured, "Eh, let's have him knock somebody up" and that would magically make him a better person. Plus I don't like how they wound up giving EVERY character a kid ... Barney has never really wanted his own kids, and Robin made it a point to say that she didn't want them (and the ending strongly suggested that she winds up as a step-mother to Ted's kids). I was really looking forward to seeing a child-free by choice couple on a TV show, who travels the world and has cool adventures and is happy with their life. Or two messed-up people who try to make a marriage work, then divorce and stay friendly-ish, and enjoy their singlehood without kids. Instead they just paired off everyone they could and gave them all kids. UGH.

[havarti]

For a minute I thought it would turn out that Ted was telling the story because he and the mother weren't married yet and ::SURPRISE KIDS:: we're getting married today!!! But, no.

I got the biggest laugh out of the movies advertised during the show -- Extant. Transcendence. Sex Tape. "One of these kids is doing his own thing!"

Now I have my Mondays back.

[mbcdefg]

[shortstax]

Apr 1, 2014 9:34:37 GMT -5 havarti said:

For a minute I thought it would turn out that Ted was telling the story because he and the mother weren't married yet and ::SURPRISE KIDS:: we're getting married today!!! 

Well damn, that would have been adorable!

[hamster]

Apr 1, 2014 9:34:37 GMT -5 havarti said:

For a minute I thought it would turn out that Ted was telling the story because he and the mother weren't married yet and ::SURPRISE KIDS:: we're getting married today!!! But, no.

I thought that too! That would have been a great ending. But God forbid we get that.

[Deleted]

Apr 1, 2014 9:41:32 GMT -5 hamster said:

Apr 1, 2014 9:34:37 GMT -5 havarti said:

For a minute I thought it would turn out that Ted was telling the story because he and the mother weren't married yet and ::SURPRISE KIDS:: we're getting married today!!! But, no.

I thought that too! That would have been a great ending. But God forbid we get that.

I had a similar but not quite the same thought. When we learned that they weren't married yet, I thought the previous episode of her crying about Ted's statement, "what kind of mother would miss her daughter's wedding?" would turn out to be that the Mother's mother was dead by the time she & Ted were going to get married. So she was crying about HER mother, not about her daughter. 

[mbcdefg]

Apr 1, 2014 9:41:50 GMT -5 @mrswindycity said:

Apr 1, 2014 9:35:49 GMT -5 mbcdefg said:

lol this is awesome

That's from the HIMYM Reddit page. I went there last night immediately after the finale and people were going absolutely apeshit.

[scribellesam]

I'm pretty disappointed but after the last several years of the show being terrible I'm not sure why I'm surprised that they messed it up so badly.

[shortstax]

Do you think show creators do this because people will talk about a bad ending more (and for longer) than a non-memorable happy ending? Is it all about "buzz" nowadays?

[mbcdefg]

Apr 1, 2014 10:48:47 GMT -5 shortstax said:

Do you think show creators do this because people will talk about a bad ending more (and for longer) than a non-memorable happy ending? Is it all about "buzz" nowadays?

I think they just stubbornly wanted to hang onto the ending they'd had in mind since the show began, even though stretching it for nine seasons (and making that damn Barney/Robin wedding take up ALL of season 9) made that idea pretty much pointless.

They got greedy and took the money for season 9, but they were too stubborn to go the logistical route with it ... have the stupid Barney/Robin wedding as the season 8 finale, have Ted meet The Mother/Tracy at the end of season 8, and let them date throughout season 9 and get married in the series finale in 2014. That would've been the logistical way to handle it. Especially since in season 8 they established that Barney and Robin would be married in May 2014, and Ted would be married and have a child by 2015. They painted themselves into a corner because they insisted on a specific end time, which they later changed because they were offered more money.

Instead they didn't want to give up their pretentious little dream of a Robin/Ted endgame - an endgame that makes absolutely no sense, when we've had it beaten over our heads for nine years that Robin and Ted just do not work as a couple; and an endgame that wasn't nearly as clever and wise as they probably think it was - and they came up with some convoluted plan of a season-long weekend where we wasted time on an endless road trip, an all-rhyming episode, and a racist kung fu-themed story about slapping a friend in the face. All to get us to the final 60 minutes where Ted finally meets this girl, knocks her up twice and drags his heels on marrying her, and within the same breath we learn that she died and now he's going back after Robin again because that's who he wanted the entire time.

So the story made no sense, we wasted an incredible amount of time on utter nonsense, and we're supposed to flat-out ignore at least two blatant instances of 2015 Ted with a wedding ring ... all because the creators didn't want to budge on their "grand vision." A vision which was stupid and insulting in the first place.

[roseflower]

I do think there fans of Ted and Robin would have flipped had he not ended up with her.
They could have ended with him with Robin had they done the season different.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using proboards

[hellonurse]

Apr 1, 2014 9:35:49 GMT -5 mbcdefg said:

[rbp]

Apr 1, 2014 9:06:35 GMT -5 v said:

Apr 1, 2014 9:01:25 GMT -5 xokell2 said:

I'm on this side. I actually liked the ending. The Barney with his baby scene made me tear up.

I was so distracted by the thought that the baby's mother was seemingly not in the room (or was not interacting with anyone?).  A glimpse of her in the corner wouldn't have killed the scene (which I thought was kind of contrived anyway).

Also, I thought it was odd that they didn't explain how the baby was being raised.  So Barney was constantly exhausted... was he dating the mother?  Otherwise living with her?  Sharing custody (can you do that with a newborn)?  It was really odd how they slapped that one together.

I was really confused about that. Hours after the episode aired, I was randomly ranting to H about "why did the baby live with Barney??"

[teatimefor2]

Apr 1, 2014 4:59:33 GMT -5 gibbinator said:

And what about Lilly? There's absolutely no life update about her except she's a baby factory.

I'm actually okay with this. Not every women has high career aspirations. I actually think it was nice that they focused on Marshall and Lily's family as opposed to their careers. It made sense to mention Marshall's. And Lily was never really career- driven, IMO. She seems to jump around a little.