After nine seasons and 208 episodes, Ted Mosby finally finished telling his children how he met their mother. How I Met Your Mother, a critically acclaimed CBS sitcom, began its run in 2005, winning nine Emmy Awards out of 28 total nominations before the show’s close in 2014. Based on creators Carter Bays’ and Craig Thomas’ experiences in New York City, How I Met Your Mother details the lives of a close-knit group of thirty-somethings, centering around Ted Mosby, unlucky but not unhopeful in love. How I Met Your Mother, often shortened to HIMYM, garnered a cult following throughout its nine year run, enjoying between 8.21 to 9.67 million viewers.
Burdened by high expectations, HIMYM’s finale faced the challenge of tying up ends while incorporating fan-favorite, long-running jokes. Josh Radnor, Ted Mosby himself, defends the final episode, reasoning that HIMYM was “leading you where you thought you didn’t want to go, but realized at the end that that was where you belonged.” However, many of the show’s followers complained that the final episode tried to do too much, erasing seasons of history in 42 minutes. Devon Burger, HIMYM aficionado, opines that the “twist” at the end wasn’t very exciting, since rumors of the exact ending have been circulating for a really long time.” Additionally, she notes that “it seems ridiculous that for nine seasons we were set up to believe one thing, and it didn’t happen.”
Despite the controversy surrounding its conclusion, HIMYM will be remembered as a success, known for its unique delivery and relatable characters. Libby Johnson, MHS junior and HIMYM fan waiting to watch the finale, comments that she “wants the two kids to be in it, even though they’re always shown in one shot,” echoing the common hope that Ted finally gets the wife and kids he’s been searching for. Even the show’s surprise ending, whisking The Mother from the altar to the hospital bed, doesn’t completely derail Ted’s chance of happiness, instead concluding one chapter of his life in order to begin the next. After nine years, Ted and his long-suffering kids deserve that much.