Ok I definitely felt the show wane in the seventh season (the suburbs stuff, ick), but I did like the Ted and Robin scenes in the back half

Season 8 is back in form so far, though Jason Segel being freakishly skinny and old looking is weirding me out. And this was before supposedly hit the gym like crazy to be in Sex Tape?

So watching the Robin/Barney proposal is interesting when knowing they're not meant to be. The fake relationship with Patrice claiming he was looking past looks to seek trust and nurturing is what he should've been looking for. Instead he taps into his lieing/manipulation side more than he has ever before to get Robin to marry him, the opposite of the 'changed man' he should be trying to be. Ted, Nora, Patrice (or someone like her) can give Robin/Barney the trust they need to compliment them, but with each other it's doomed because they have the same emotional inabilities

I can already tell where this is headed. And it will be classic #Shack.

Thank you! Finally someone who sees reason. Though I guess knowing the ending helps with that.

I'm a fan of season 9's bottle-ness so far. Marshall and Daphne are only bad part.

Barney's dolphin challenge and Robin's phone call to her after killed me

Daphne was the worst.

I finished it, I definitely liked the finale's decisions much more this time. The best decision probably would've been to end the wedding 3-4 episodes before the finale and then spend more time on eg Robin/Barney break-up, moving out of the apartment, etc. Also would've shown a few more scenes of Robin moving back and helping post mother-death Ted out. But in general I liked how Ted-The Mother and Ted-Robin's storylines went. The mother was in the last season enough for me, probably because I binged it, it made the wait for more of her electric seasons easier

They made it pretty clear that Robin/Barney were never going to work before the last episode IMO, too many warning signs before the wedding and Ted/Robin was still pushed heavily. I don't mind them breaking up Robin/Barney at all in the last episode, just could've executed it a little better. As for the mother dieing I like the idea that Ted was always telling the kids this story to get their permission to date Robin (even if he pretended it was the kids idea) which explains the length of it

My favorite seasons are the first 4, 6 and 9 but they were all at least good. The only time the show started to lose it to me is when Lily and Marshall were living in the suburbs with Mickey, but they got out of that relatively quickly

There's been sitcoms that were funnier but I think HIMYM has the best storyline-work of them all. The show has more complex characters emotionally than sitcoms we're used to (ie Friends) and also has a nuanced perspective on the world/fate giving and taking

While I was fine with the ending of the show, the alternate ending is pretty much the perfect ending.

what's the alternate ending? Is it online?

It's posted in my post right above.

10000000000x better than what we got.

The video was taken down. Can't find it anywhere. Can you just tell me the jist of it.

Basically the series ends with them meeting at the train station. no Ted/Robin shit.

I also think somehow Barney adn Robin get back together.

Dude, YouTube is not hard to use. Just look for it.

Ted/Robin made the whole series. I'm glad they stuck to the plan rather than edit it to avoid a potential divisiveness.

Watched the final few episodes again. Still fucking hate the final Robin parts. Devalues the entire series.

I only just watched the endings again. The alternate one surely seems to be better. The Robin stuff seems just so unnecessary. I loved the show overall though.

The finale is so poorly written. The only thing that actually works is the stuff with the mother. And Barney, the most grown character over the show is reduced back to a caricature. Hanngan crying in every scene is just weird too.

I hate the final episode of this show so much. It seriously makes me never want to rewatch it.

I've said it a million times but the entire show was about Ted and Robin getting together. I don't know what you were watching. And all 9 seasons replay very well, though the first 3 and 9 are the best.

Show was never the same after season 6. Got way too dramatic, relied on too many recall jokes, and the entire 9th season is just a mess.

I understand Ted could never get past Robin. But the way the characters moved on. The finale especially never earned any of it. It was completely force fed. That ending could have worked if the show was cancelled after 2 seasons. That ending completely sabotaged the last three seasons from any meaningful impact.

I'm thinking of other things to discredit the show, but I just had too good of a time with it. It wasn't great TV, but it was just so fun and watchable.

But the actual finale takes place atleast 12-15 years after Ted meets the mother. I like how it didn't have a happily ever after ending, but rather people finding happiness even after everything goes wrong.

However I do understand how people might feel it trivialized certain elements in the final few seasons. And Robin not being able to have kids was used just to throw people off the scent. Lazy writing. They probably planned that ending as a resolution to the Ted/Stella storyline. But then the show kept getting more popular and they had to make more story lol.

"I've always loved Robin, but because she couldn't have kids I screwed your mother and didn't really love her, just to have kids. So I'm glad she's finally dead so I can date Robin again."