How I Met Your Mother - Season 9

opr

It had some good moments but overall felt rushed which is unforgivable considering the amount of filler rubbish we've been subjected to over the last few seasons. The last scene was such a kick in the teeth and completely betrayed the fans while making no sense. In fairness the show has been rubbish for quite some time so the ending was mainly in keeping with what had gone on over the last few years. Shame to see the life get sucked out of what was originally a really great show in the early seasons.

Good piece on most of the things that were wrong with it - http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/series-finale-review-how-i-met-your-mother-last-forever-how-they-conned-us-all

The DVD is apparently going to have a couple of extra scenes which will clear up a long running mystery so the pineapple mystery might yet be solved.

Opr

phasers

phasers wrote: »

I've got a gif guy :cool:

hoodwinked

i just don't know,

i guess i felt they dragged out this season

(Barney and Robin's wedding to point out that her and Ted were done for good, and i put up with the dragged out season as i thought they were making a point and putting the whole on and off again relationship to bed (the locket episode).)

honestly the season would have been better with out so much of it, that nursery rhyme episode, marshell's whole useless journey...etc

an ending i would have like would have been Ted and the mother living happy ever after,

robin was the one who died and her death made Barney revert to the way he was before he met her resulting in the baby storyline, (as that was the best part of this imo (even if we are wondering how he got custody, who is the mother (spin off series perhaps?) and where she is?))

with Robin's death they made sure the kids heard all ted's storys about "aunt Robin"...etc in memory of her life


and with Marshell and lily a quick 60 second scene at whole family at Marvins graduation with Lily shouting at his siblings by name to give him a hug possibly the 3rd child being a girl called Robin. and info there about Marshall being a judge..etc


at least it would have answered questions

RobbingBandit

Why didn't they kill her off after three years when Barney and Robin split, this again is like the Sopranos for me in that so many things are left unanswered, I hope Barney is the dad in How I Met Your Dad would give some closure.

certifiedcrepe

So, everyone... Are you Team Yellow Umbrella or Team Blue French Horn?

youngblood

As someone who dipped in and out over the years, I felt it probably was the most logical conclusion to the series, granted the series suffered hugely from renewal fatigue ( it should have been cancelled 3 seasons ago with the same ending) and I feel the major backlash comes from those who persevered with the show (the fans) or those who had to watch it to its conclusion, who feel cheated with the obvious ending.

Of course there were loopholes. they crammed so much muck into the filler seasons that they could never tie up all loose endings.

I think people thought HIMYM was something better than it was, and the show really wasn't.

Its over now and a rewatch of the finale in a few years might be more palatable.

On the brightside, the network seemed to have a replacement all lined in the guise of Friends with better lives (looked awful!)

Killer_banana

certifiedcrepe wrote: »

So, everyone... Are you Team Yellow Umbrella or Team Blue French Horn?

Yellow umbrella and always have been.

Dman001

To echo some previous posts, to think they had filler episodes during this season and then squeeze all that material into two 20-minute episodes is frustrating - it could have easily been a season long. I actually thought that was one of the funnier episodes of the Season, mainly due to Barney being single again. The season could have ended on a real high if they pulled those episodes over a season.

Apart from that, I don't know how to feel. The poor Mother took a backseat and it turned into The Story of Ted and Robin in the end, something that was building quite obviously in the last few seasons yet something we didn't want to accept seeing as how we have seen time and time again how Ted and Robin just didn't work.

The scenes with the Mother were all brilliant throughout the two episodes, but it they were tarnished by the anticipation of Ted ending up with Robin in the end - it was so obvious it was going to happen the second Barney mentioned everything was "great".

It's quite frustrating looking back at it all. As the kids said in the final scenes, the whole point Ted told the story was to get "permission" from the kids to date Robin. It throws out the whole destiny angle out of the window, and I really dunno how that sits with me.

On the flip side, of was quite a refreshing to see a series end on a note that wasn't a "Happy Ending" per se. The Mother died, Barney and Robin split, Barney accidentally gets someone pregnant, etc. It wasn't all wrapped up in a nice neat bow like other series tend to do - life is never that neat after all, and the series has (relatively) tried to stay close to the lifestyle of a group of twentysomethings.

Overall, I still don't know how to feel about it all. I lost major interest in the show two or three seasons back, but in it's prime it was a fantastic sitcom.

stevenmu

JP Liz V1

I like Robin and Ted so good ending

shineon23

I think I'm off the fence now, didn't like the ending but finale overall was good.

Journey > Destiantion :P

Surely they would have shot many scenes with the kids at the start of the series 8/9 years ago that were never used?
I know this is speculation but has it not been said that there were unseen scenes of the kids?? (I'm not sure about this)

On this basis to cover any stories getting out/leaked they would likely have had an alternative to that last bit about 'Go ask Robin out!'

So I don't really buy that they ONLY had this ending mapped out from the start, and they could have easily left Ted with The Mother by leaving that one scene out, or shot a different one for another ending.

I suppose credit is due to the writers, as I'm annoyed that Ted ends up with someone there for the whole 9 seasons opposed to someone I hoped he'd end up with, but only had a bit part role over one year.

Killer_banana

shineon23 wrote: »

I think I'm off the fence now, didn't like the ending but finale overall was good.

Journey > Destiantion :P

Surely they would have shot many scenes with the kids at the start of the series 8/9 years ago that were never used?
I know this is speculation but has it not been said that there were unseen scenes of the kids?? (I'm not sure about this)

On this basis to cover any stories getting out/leaked they would likely have had an alternative to that last bit about 'Go ask Robin out!'

So I don't really buy that they ONLY had this ending mapped out from the start, and they could have easily left Ted with The Mother by leaving that one scene out, or shot a different one for another ending.

I suppose credit is due to the writers, as I'm annoyed that Ted ends up with someone there for the whole 9 seasons opposed to someone I hoped he'd end up with, but only had a bit part role over one year.

They shot the scene at the end of season two. Based on a review I read they only decided to end this way after the

fan reaction to Robin and Ted and the actor's chemistry together. When they started the series the never intended to use the kids much and even considered only using them in the first episode. Basically they decided to make the mother die because fans loved Robin and Ted so much but they never anticipated how many peopl would prefer Robin and Barney and grow tired of Ted and Robin. That said they had every opportunity to change their minds again and decided to stick with it instead.

phasers

Apparently when Josh Radnor read the final script he said "We're actually still doing this?" so it seems that he thought it was stupid too.

Or at least that's what I'm telling myself.

Zwillinge

Just finished watching - I'm a jumble of

For me; they could have ended it happily at the photo of the gang - to go along with the opening credits and they all happy in the paths they walked down. Or with the station/umbrella scene.

They could have given us a bit more mother time - still think her episode was one of the best of the last few years.

I got a lump in my throat when Barney held his daughter for the first time, though I am curious like everyone, what his future led onto - not the spin off??

Nice to know Ted raised some kids who didn't question him over some of his choices or his change of voice!

Found the last 5 minutes cringey to watch and had that >_< moment!

At least its over now!

We're all free :D

Edit: Btw; Friends with Better Lives looks just terrible, even if JVDB is in it!

ixoy

ixoy wrote: »

. My feeling is the kids are watching him on a recording which is why they are on the couch and looking bored without asking him questions (or telling him to hurry up). That will be satisfying closure for a show that I wish to see put out of its misery for the last three years.

maybe it's an interactive simulation of Ted. Still dead but he can answer basic questions as he's a rudimentary AI.

My ending was better.

RobbingBandit

RobbingBandit wrote: »

Why didn't they kill her off after three years when Barney and Robin split, this again is like the Sopranos for me in that so many things are left unanswered, I hope Barney is the dad in How I Met Your Dad would give some closure.

The Sopranos ending was great and the perfect note to end it on. Tony's life wasn't one that was ever going to be wrapped up with a nice bow on top. it's chaotic, uncertain and each moment could be that final one. It's the reason that the ending works so well, there is little closure in real life and so why should Tony have any.

Dman001

One of the initial things that pissed me off about the episode was when Ted decided not to move to Chicago. The writers built it up over the season, and got the violins out in many occasions at an attempt to tug our heart strings at the fact that he was leaving. Two minutes into the final episode, he decides he isn't moving. The first of several things throughout the two episodes that gave the impression it was written independently from the whole season and in disregard to the events and character development over the last 2-3 seasons.

While the end may have been planned since day 1, it certainly showed in it's output as overall it felt forced and sloppy.

FlyingIrishMan

Dman001 wrote: »

One of the initial things that pissed me off about the episode was when Ted decided not to move to Chicago. The writers built it up over the season, and got the violins out in many occasions at an attempt to tug our heart strings at the fact that he was leaving. Two minutes into the final episode, he decides he isn't moving. The first of several things throughout the two episodes that gave the impression it was written independently from the whole season and in disregard to the events and character development over the last 2-3 seasons.

While the end may have been planned since day 1, it certainly showed in it's output as overall it felt forced and sloppy.

I don't think there was a problem there, Ted didn't meet the mother, and once he did he instantly decided to stay. If anything the rapid change in his decision should show how much of an impact meeting the mother had on him.

Killer_banana

Dman001 wrote: »

One of the initial things that pissed me off about the episode was when Ted decided not to move to Chicago. The writers built it up over the season, and got the violins out in many occasions at an attempt to tug our heart strings at the fact that he was leaving. Two minutes into the final episode, he decides he isn't moving. The first of several things throughout the two episodes that gave the impression it was written independently from the whole season and in disregard to the events and character development over the last 2-3 seasons.

While the end may have been planned since day 1, it certainly showed in it's output as overall it felt forced and sloppy.

We knew thought that the kids were in the house he bought and renovated though so we knew he didn't sell it after all and therefore didn't move. There was never any actual threat of him moving to Chicago so it was a pointless storyling form the get go even without all the heart strings tugging.

ixoy

Bit of a dick move on Ted's part to leave during his best friend's wedding. Way to mess up their wedding night Ted and make it all about you.

Crann na Beatha

This post has been deleted.

S.M.B.

Agree with Alan Sepinwall. The ending wasn't necessarily a terrible choice. It was just a poor choice in relation to the last 4/5 seasons and especially the final 1. And in terms of standalone episodes it was as funny as anything they've done in some time.

An interesting case study on how not to execute (no pun intended) a long running tv show and the dangers of getting unplanned additional seasons.

GeorgeBailey

And kids, that's how I forgot all about your mother.

Boom_Bap

Title of show: How I Met Your Mother.
Final Episode: Meeting the mother.

I don't know how else this could have played out. What other type of ending were people looking for?

It was also kinda nice that they moved into the future and gave insight into how the characters progressed year after year. Many shows end with questions about what happens in the future, so we have a bit of closure on that.

iguana

ixoy wrote: »

Bit of a dick move on Ted's part to leave during his best friend's wedding. Way to mess up their wedding night Ted and make it all about you.

Another dick move, imo, was how he treated Tracey with regards to their wedding. For years she was so eager to get married she'd have done it in a fast food restaurant but Ted was holding out to do it in a castle in France. They have to wait until he eventually decides to do it, everything on his schedule. Her eagerness to get married with a couple of days notice just goes to show how she is left hanging on, waiting for him. Women left hanging about waiting for Ted seems to have been the theme of the episode as Robin's emotional life seems to have gone on hold between her divorce from Barney and Ted showing up with the blue French horn.

ixoy

It's also going to be hard to even try and sell How I Met Your Father now. People will watch this knowing she's going to die a few years after meeting Ted whose life story to their future kids was about how awesome Robin is.

Adamantium

iguana wrote: »

The ending was a pity. I thought the introduction of Miloti had breathed new life into the show and she made the ridiculous stunt of setting the entire last series over the course of one weekend bearable.

Then for a finale we get a quick montage of scenes of their life together, 30 seconds of her being sick and back to Ted and Robin. Maybe if the last 4 seasons hadn't built toward Robin and Barney's wedding, if they had instead married a couple of seasons ago. If we saw their marriage live and die over time while also seeing more of Ted and Tracey in the last few seasons instead of being repeatedly shown how Ted and Robin weren't together. Her death and Ted's gradual recovery and involvement with Robin could have been a moving ending to the show.

But as it was, it felt pointless.

I haven't watched the show beyond season 6 in 2010 (I think)?, so I hopped into this thread and spoiled myself purpously ( I don't mind this was a 4 season show MAX)

Your idea of

showing the marraige

would have been heartbreaking and would have kindered that sense of bittersweetness that for me was one of the strongest early aspects of the show. It would have also changed the dynamic from a Friends esque show to something more worthwhile.

I'll always remember Marshall sitting on the steps in the pissing,lashing rain looking at the ring, with the most glum look on his face, looking at the ring as one of the high points of the show.

For me the characters stopped being real after season 3 or so. Yet by season 6 I knew I couldn't subject myself to it anymore.

I know a lot of people who are of the same opinion.

Average-Ro

ixoy wrote: »

It's also going to be hard to even try and sell How I Met Your Father now. People will watch this knowing she's going to die a few years after meeting Ted whose life story to their future kids was about how awesome Robin is.

How I met your Father isn't about Tracey though. It's a brand new set of characters that it'll be following.

godtabh

I enjoyed it

Sinister Kid

Although I enjoyed it I think they dragged the last season out too much. It would have been better if they had taken the concept of the final episode and applied it to the season. Showing all the major events but using a full episode instead to 5min clips... Barneys perfect month would have been a crackin episode!