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| Destiny | Credit: CBS |
WARNING: Spoilers Ahead!
November 2008
My friend finally convinced me to watch ‘How I Met Your Mother.’ It took me a long while to consider watching HIMYM because the title was not enticing. I was already watching TV shows with better titles like Lost, Heroes, Grey’s Anatomy, Scrubs, Prison Break, Gossip Girl and House so it was difficult to consider watching a new one. But since my friend had a good track record in suggesting TV shows, I gave her my flash drive so she could copy over Seasons 1 and 2 on it.
It took me some time to watch it, but I eventually gave it a try one night. The pilot episode featured the story about a romantic guy named Ted Mosby who suddenly got pressured to find girl of his dreams (a.k.a. “The One”) because his bestfriend Marshall just got engaged. The pilot episode was refreshingly funny because the jokes were natural and witty. I could totally relate to their humor because their target market would be my generation. I also found Ted’s dating moves funny because it felt like the do’s and don’ts of dating (or Dating 101). It was just ironic that I laughed at it hard then because I had a girlfriend. But years after that (when I became single again) when I tried to date other women, I found myself falling into the same Ted Mosby bloopers.
The pilot episode was such a blast because it was entertaining and romantic at the same time. The protagonist (Ted) amidst his lovelife bloopers, knows how to be romantic by pulling off grand gestures that would made you root for him to win the heart of his crush, Robin Scherbatsky. I found myself craving for the next episodes. However, I had to leave for Costa Rica days after that. The next time I got to watch it was during the flight.
The flight going to Costa Rica was a brutal 27-hour travel. I had to rely on my ex-GF’s iPod Touch to watch the HIMYM episodes. It made the long travel very memorable because I found myself laughing hysterically 145 times. I bet you know how embarrassing it is to see someone laughing by himself, but HIMYM Season 1 was just so hilarious that I could not contain myself. I found myself moving from one episode to another and to the next and so on. I binge-watched HIMYM to the point that I had to control myself from watching the last two episodes because I was supposed to save it for the rest of my business trip (which lasted three weeks).
Yes, I watched 73% of Season 1 on a plane. That was how awesome ‘How I Met Your Mother’ used to be.
Weeks later, I ended up raving about it to my friends. I convinced them to watch. It became sort of a detriment to me though because I had to watch every HIMYM as soon as possible for the next six years to avoid spoilers.
Little did I know that it was the last year that ‘How I Met Your Mother’ would be producing an excellent season (Season 4).
March 2014
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| Man, I am going to miss these Manhattan shots. Oh wait, we still have 'Suits' | Credit: CBS |
Several of my friends have noted that the show has overstayed its welcome. I agree that it has been limping to the finish line lately, but it has become a habit for me to watch this TV show. The only network TV series I was able to follow when I lived in the United States in 2012 was ‘How I Met Your Mother.’ It has been the only constant series that I got to discuss with my officemates during lunch time because some popular shows like American Idol and Grey’s Anatomy have become stale while Lost already ended some years ago. OK, fine. Breaking Bad counts but it also ended last year.
A year ago (or was it two years ago? I think I read this before Barney proposed to Robin), I was reading the HIMYM forums in IMDB and saw one good theory on how the show would unfold. It stated that the Mother will die and Ted will end up with Robin eventually. I actually subscribed to this idea and I have been telling this to my friends. Most disagreed because it would feel wrong that Ted would end up with the ex-wife of his friend. I know it was all sorts of wrong, but I would expound on that one later.
Last Monday (Tuesday Manila time), the season finale aired. I avoided Twitter and Facebook because I knew I could not watch it that day/night. When I eventually watched it, I saw the events unfold just as how I called it (OK, fine… how the IMDB poster called it). The theory I approved of was unfolding slowly throughout the episode. It was not the best ending, but I ended up being satisfied by the time the credits rolled.
Why? Here’s why:
Analysis
Love it or hate it, the ‘How I Met Your Mother’ ending made a lot of sense. The writers were already deadset on the ending that the Mother would die and Ted would end up with Robin since Season 2 and I have no qualms on that. The writers may not have written the best transition to its projected ending but I also could not envision a better way to end it knowing that the show has already stretched out for almost a decade. Thus, I am not complaining.
However, several netizens complained that it was the worst TV series ending ever. With social media nowadays, things like this get blown out of proportion. I know a lot of fans were pissed because they waited several years for this only to be disappointed of the outcome. News flash: There is a low probability that your pleasant ending would happen. Thus, don’t expect it. HIMYM, despite being a funny, feel-good show, is not known for happy endings. Several armchair experts have complained on how poorly the writers had it and they even showed alternate endings. I admit that there have been some bad storytelling that occurred but still, some of the results made sense. Let’s break it down one by one.
I admit that ‘How I Met Your Mother’ has frustrated me with bad writing and sloppy jokes in the past few years, but I am defending this show I stuck with. Aside from being fair, I still love this TV show.
Complaint # 1: So much for having ‘How I Met Your Mother’ as the title. Why was there little exposure for the Mother (Tracy McConnell)?
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| The pivotal Halloween scene | Credit: CBS |
Judging Ted’s character, we should know by now that he would have narrated his experience about the Mother (Tracy) even before the time he sat with his kids to narrate this long story in 2030. The Mother has been dead for six years then so Ted must have narrated his experience with her even before that. People always recount memories of their dead loved ones during death anniversaries so it was unnecessary to expound on something the kids must have known.
Hence, there was limited exposure for Tracy in the TV show.
That and it’s about Ted and Robin all the freaking time.
Complaint # 2: Why give substantial exposure in the final season for Tracy if the writers would just end up killing her eventually? Gah! We have such insensitive writers who want to put us in this miserable state!
Answer: I read this complaint on Alan Sepinwall’s writeup. As much as I have agreed with Sepinwall on a lot of his TV series blogs, I would have to disagree on him here.
We need to have substantial exposure of the Mother because of course, Ted wants to deliver the message that it was still a magical journey that he had with Tracy. You have to establish that to your kids before you convince them that you are considering their aunt to be your next wife. The TV show tells us that after all these years, Ted might really be Robin’s soulmate because of their journey, but we cannot discount the fact that Ted still loves Tracy deeply (and it could even be much more than what he had with Robin). He continues to say that to his kids and he means it. Only thing is, she is already dead. So what do you do? You try the next person you also loved deeply.
Ted would be such an insensitive jerk if he never tried to establish how he loved Tracy when narrating his story with Robin. Hence, there was ample exposure for Tracy.
As for killing her in the story, HIMYM has never been about perfect happy endings. There was a Grantland article on this stating that HIMYM has always been about the characters failing in achieving their life goals and being happy with how they settled with their current situation. We have watched Ted get left at the altar, Marshall not get his dreams of being a successful environmental lawyer, and Lily settling into a preschool teaching job than being an artist. I think the sad fate Tracy had is just the right realistic take for the whole show.
Complaint # 3: Why spend the whole freaking final season on the Barney-Robin wedding if they would just have the two divorce in the end?
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| Barney finding his girl | Credit: CBS |
As for the divorce, I am not actually a fan of the Barney-Robin pairing so it was plausible to me. Yes, Barney and Robin had character progression through the years, but these did not show that they would have a successful long-term relationship. All it did was convinced us that they could be romantically transcendent together. Barney may have stopped his playboy ways when he was Robin’s husband but he still lacked one important trait even up to the wedding day: he found it hard to compromise. I agree that it is really hard to compromise in the scenario where they always had to travel for Robin’s job, but that is where Marshall and Lily’s marriage showed that they had a stronger foundation on compromise.
What about Robin compromising for Barney’s sake? I think it was a combination of: 1) she couldn’t compromise and 2) she feels she made a mistake and should have chosen Ted. Other than which, it was a bit baffling to see her putting her career over love (we do have to note that Barney exposed the corruption in his job to the cops so it’s not as if he has the upperhand on whose career should be followed anyway).
Complaint # 4: Why still have Ted and Robin end up with each other? There were several times lately that they have been unbearable.
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| Robin's smile = Priceless. HIMYM got symbolic here too with the open window. This show has been successful in referencing past episodes in blatant or subtle ways | Credit: CBS |
Answer: #TeamWhyNotUs
There have been several moments that the show suggested that Team Ted-Robin would not work out. I have lost count of how many times Ted has let go or moved on from Robin. We just had the biggest “letting go” moment two months ago when Ted specifically told Robin that he is letting her go. Robin also wrote off Ted in various ways through the years. She rejected Ted numerous times and she has pretty much debunked the idea of having a relationship with Theodore Evelyn Mosby. Wait, did I just mention one statement in three different ways? Well, that was how Robin’s rejection felt all the time. Over and over again.
There were so many reasons to say that it was all done and having the two of them together was a horrible idea. In fact, Robin told Ted it was a bad idea as early as Season 1.
But amidst all of these, we witnessed acts of hope, grand gestures, sweetness, understanding, perseverance, emotional endurance, coexistence and space, hope, genuine moments of sacrifice and hope. Deep inside we all knew that even if Ted kept distance from Robin (or what we call ‘just being friends with’), he still had a thing for her. Dude flew miles and jump off a bridge just to get Robin’s locket. Ted was there to make Robin happy even if she never said anything to him how sad she was in one Christmas episode. Ted stole the blue French horn for Robin and even had a string quartet of guys with blue instruments serenade her. Ted pretty much did everything he could just to make Robin happy even if it had to entail him getting the short end of the stick. Ted loved her so much that he had to let her go so she could be happy with Barney. Ted gave Barney the locket so that he would emerge as the romantic. It is because Ted wanted Robin to get her ‘happily ever after’ moment. As the lady in the Season 1 finale told Robin, “Nobody does that.” Crazy indeed, but it was charming. And as Ted said it, love does not make sense. You can’t logic your way into or out of it. Love is totally nonsensical, but we have to keep doing it or else we’re lost and love is dead and humanity should just pack it in. Because love is the best thing that we do.
The failures matched by effort and hope totally made it one of the best ‘Why Not Us’ love story angles in recent TV history.
One comment as to why Ted-Robin won’t work is that, Robin just falls for someone she does not have – someone who was not attainable. That is actually a good observation. She fell for Barney when he was making the move on Patrice. Barney had to reject Robin several times in Season 4 for her to ‘want Barney.’ And maybe, that is why she fell for Ted again (after seeing him being happy with Tracy). However, a decade of regretting why she did not choose him seems to be a very long time. It just seemed right that Robin had the realization of her life that Ted is her soulmate.
Character development was one of the criticisms lately because Barney still ended up being a playboy after his marriage with Robin. But I think they nailed this one quite well with Robin. It made total sense that she did not end up with Ted early on. They had different personalities. Ted wants to settle down and have kids. Robin does not want babies or kids. She wants to travel the world and have a successful career.
As the series went on, Ted matured and learned how to temper his expectations. He had several love failures that by the time he met Tracy, he was fully ready and he knew that he won’t take her for granted every single bit. As for Robin, she developed into someone who valued relationships. She had her share of heart breaks and it made her stronger. And just like Ted, Robin made one huge relationship mistake before she found her soulmate – she married Barney Stinson. What ensued made her realize how Ted was her soulmate. Unfortunately, he was already taken and has kids. It was all right though. That was the path she had to take. After all, she did not want babies and children. Instead, she spent the next decade living with the realization that Ted was the right guy for her.
By the time Ted has moved on from Tracy’s death, Ted’s children have grown up. It was just the right time for him and Robin to end up together. Funny how things turn out in life. That is what the show has been telling us. Even in Barney’s storyline. He matured through the years and maybe his marriage with Robin showed that his personal progress was a failure, but maybe it was the necessary failure he had to experience for him to be more equipped by the time he sees the girl of his dreams – his baby daughter.
The reason why I loved watching HIMYM despite its lackluster performance through the years was its realism. The show delivers the message of hope to us amidst the characters constant bouts with failure. Because some day, these bunch of losers could use this hope to eventually propel them to find their necessary victory in life.
“It was at times a long and difficult road. But I am glad it was long and difficult because if I haven’t gone through hell to get there, a lesson might not have been as clear. You see, kids. Right from the moment I met your mom, I knew I have to love this woman as much as I can, for as long as I can and I cannot stop loving her not even for a second. I carried that lesson with me through every stupid fight we ever had. Every 5 AM Christmas morning. Every sleepy Sunday afternoon. Every speed bump. Every pain or jealousy or boredom or uncertainty that came
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