My thoughts on the HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER finale

SPOILER ALERT to international readers since it hasn't aired worldwide yet. 

Actually, I want to hear YOUR thoughts on the HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER finale. Based on the title of the post that seems like a cheat. But for me, so did the finale.

Here’s why I ask: I was a fan of the show, although much more so in the early years. To me it was funnier in those early seasons although throughout the run I always appreciated how series creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas took great pains to tell stories in creative non-conventional ways. As a sitcom, HIMYM was clearly a cut above.

But over the last few years I would just check in from time to time, the way you peek in on your kids at night just to see that they’re alright.

I liked everybody on the show, except Cobie Smulders. Her I loved… and hated. She’s one of the most drop-dead beautiful girls I’ve ever seen. I could not take my eyes off of her when she was on the screen. But she wasn’t funny. Not for a second. And that drove me nuts. Especially in the company of a cast that was very funny. So I’d lust and cringe and over time that got exhausting.

People talk about the great chemistry she had with Josh Radnor. Maybe. I don’t know. I just kept hearing good jokes crunched, one after the other.

From what I’ve read, Bays & Thomas had the ending planned all along, which may or may not be such a good thing. On the one hand, it’s great to have the structure in place. But on the other, a long-running TV series will take on a life of its own and you have to follow wherever it takes you. And that can sometimes be counter to what you’ve planned and already established.

So going into the finale, here’s what I knew. First, series finales are HARD. Harder when you have an eight or nine year build-up.  Expectations are unreasonably high.  (Ask the fine folks from LOST.) It was established early on that Robin (Cobie) was not the mother. I had met the mother and liked her. And I had heard rumors that the mother was going to be killed.

From the minute the show started (reminding us of Robin’s introduction) I guessed what was going to happen. Then throughout the show, every scene pointed to it. So when it finally did happen I didn’t really know how to react. But then again, I’m a casual fan, not an avid follower of the show.

Actually, I sort of accurately predicted the ending back in December of 2011.

So I say in all sincerity, I’m way more curious as to what YOU thought than what I thought. Did it work for you? Did it live up to expectations? Were you disappointed? Was it worth all the build-up? Am I the only one who doesn’t find Cobie funny? Did you feel satisfied or cheated?

Overall, I thought it was a well-crafted show. There were a couple of great scenes. Barney seeing his daughter for the first time was a killer and a great payoff. The meet-cute between Ted and Tracy was romcom gold. Beyond that, you tell me.

And one final thing I’ll add: Whether you liked it or not, the fact that you have strong opinions and people are talking about it today makes HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER a huge television success. All involved should be proud. Thanks for a terrific series.