Jump to content
DVDVR Message Board

How I Met Your Mother Season 9


RandomAct

Recommended Posts

As I was writing my last response - I realized something and it goes with Matt's point

 

It is one thing that Ted told the story basically to highlight Robin instead of the Mother but if you look at it....

 

People in the story more important to Ted than the Mother

Robin

Barney

Lilly

Marshall

Victoria

Stella

 

And I am sure there are a few more I totally could put on there that I am blanking on

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not to argue Rippa, but you missed the point.  The rest of the people aren't more important.  He made an entire speech that Tracy was the most important person to him in the end, the reason she's highlighted the least is to tell the kids about the ringer life put him through (and finally finding his perfect fit and her dying of unnamed disease is a fucking ringer), and some of those people put him through it (Victoria, Stella, Robin) or were his way through (Barney, Marshall, Lilly).  Its the "Kids, I've been through hell, can I do this?", or more accurately, "Kids, here's what I went through, but I think Robin and I finally sync up where we're at in our lives, do I deserve the shot to be happy?"  Its validation that some people do when dealing with losing their spouse.

 

Seriously, what the hell aren't people getting?  Or am I getting this because I relate (losing a parent, having a parent ready to move on after losing a spouse).

 

Shit, even Barney's stuff was understandable (losing his shit after divorcing Robin, not being able to settle down, having a kid being the thing that finally jolts him into growing up.) because I've seen people do it.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We're in really tricky territory here, because some of this is the character of Ted Mosby (or Barney) and some of it is the necessities of the nature of the show. 

 

I really and truly lost my ability to suspend my disbelief when it came to Barney in this episode. I was watching writers write a TV show and an actor playing a character and both of them were trying to get out of a creative knot they put themselves in. Period. I had less of that problem with Ted.  It's hard to hold against him the fact he didn't talk that much about someone who wasn't really introduced until season 9 of a 9 season show. You can hold that against the writers. You can hold that against the nature of the show. Ted as a character? That's tricky.

 

It's why I don't take much of what Barney did in the finale as a testament to him as a character. I just choose not to. I can't reconcile it with his character development. It's easier to reconcile Ted being Ted with him not mentioning the mother more. How old were the kids when she died? Also, how much does he talk about the mother that we don't see? 

 

Two things about Ted that WERE established: 1.) He talks a lot. We know this. 2.) He had told the mother EVERY SINGLE STORY HE HAD within just a matter of years. We only saw a hint of that. Very likely Marshall knew every story Ted had within a year or two of college before they started to make more. 

 

I think it's safe to say that he does talk about "my life with your mother before you remember her" with the kids, and we just don't see it so much? 

 

But I've written way too many words about that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not to argue Rippa, but you missed the point.  The rest of the people aren't more important.  He made an entire speech that Tracy was the most important person to him in the end, the reason she's highlighted the least is to tell the kids about the ringer life put him through (and finally finding his perfect fit and her dying of unnamed disease is a fucking ringer), and some of those people put him through it (Victoria, Stella, Robin) or were his way through (Barney, Marshall, Lilly).  Its the "Kids, I've been through hell, can I do this?"

 

Seriously, what the hell aren't people getting?

 

Because the part about the mother and them being together was compressed. The rest of the story wasn't. The viewers sat through years to get to this point and they feel cheated for various reasons. That's understandable. And it's because of bad storytelling. They compressed the part that people were waiting for and decompressed something (Barney and Robin's wedding) that was undone almost immediately after it happened. And not in a haha, Ted, why are you still here way. Why should we believe that Ted loved the mother so much when we barely got enough time to see them together (and then the parts that people did see, some people loved and then felt even more cheated by what happened).

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Not to argue Rippa, but you missed the point.  The rest of the people aren't more important.  He made an entire speech that Tracy was the most important person to him in the end, the reason she's highlighted the least is to tell the kids about the ringer life put him through (and finally finding his perfect fit and her dying of unnamed disease is a fucking ringer), and some of those people put him through it (Victoria, Stella, Robin) or were his way through (Barney, Marshall, Lilly).  Its the "Kids, I've been through hell, can I do this?"

 

Seriously, what the hell aren't people getting?

 

Because the part about the mother and them being together was compressed. The rest of the story wasn't. The viewers sat through years to get to this point and they feel cheated for various reasons. That's understandable. And it's because of bad storytelling. They compressed the part that people were waiting for and decompressed something (Barney and Robin's wedding) that was undone almost immediately after it happened. And not in a haha, Ted, why are you still here way. Why should we believe that Ted loved the mother so much when we barely got enough time to see them (and then the parts that people did see, some people loved and then felt even more cheated about).

 

That's the fault of the storytelling, which I agree with that the last episode should've been expanded across more and the wedding shit compressed into fewer, but yeah, they did what they did.  But the talking point that Tracy *wasn't* as important to Ted as other characters is wrong.  He explicitly said otherwise, several times this season and the last.

 

There's also the fact that meeting her wasn't the point to the story.  There's also the possibility that talking about the mother is fucking painful to Ted, and he glossed over it because she wasn't the focus, it was the "am I ready to move on."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That goes back to the last season being horribly done.  The wedding should have been the season premiere, and that least episode should have been the rest of the season.  Now that you mention it, I really do think most of the problems come from how abrupt it all was.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

Not to argue Rippa, but you missed the point.  The rest of the people aren't more important.  He made an entire speech that Tracy was the most important person to him in the end, the reason she's highlighted the least is to tell the kids about the ringer life put him through (and finally finding his perfect fit and her dying of unnamed disease is a fucking ringer), and some of those people put him through it (Victoria, Stella, Robin) or were his way through (Barney, Marshall, Lilly).  Its the "Kids, I've been through hell, can I do this?"

 

Seriously, what the hell aren't people getting?

 

Because the part about the mother and them being together was compressed. The rest of the story wasn't. The viewers sat through years to get to this point and they feel cheated for various reasons. That's understandable. And it's because of bad storytelling. They compressed the part that people were waiting for and decompressed something (Barney and Robin's wedding) that was undone almost immediately after it happened. And not in a haha, Ted, why are you still here way. Why should we believe that Ted loved the mother so much when we barely got enough time to see them (and then the parts that people did see, some people loved and then felt even more cheated about).

 

That's the fault of the storytelling, which I agree with that the last episode should've been expanded across more and the wedding shit compressed into fewer, but yeah, they did what they did.  But the talking point that Tracy *wasn't* as important to Ted as other characters is wrong.  He explicitly said otherwise, several times this season and the last.

 

There's also the fact that meeting her wasn't the point to the story.  There's also the possibility that talking about the mother is fucking painful to Ted, and he glossed over it because she wasn't the focus, it was the "am I ready to move on."

 

That's the point.

 

They spent ALL season focusing on the wedding, Ted letting go of Robin, The Mother, et cetera.

 

None of it really mattered in the end. You could argue The Mother did, but the way they went from Tracy to Robin kind of negates that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Once again, I actually have no problem with Ted ending up with Robin. It's very much in character for both of them and follows both Ted's character development and Robin's lack of development. It didn't feel like Ted let Robin go so much as he accepted that he would move on, despite his feelings. And he did. Those feelings didn't go anywhere though. He just found peace with them and with the situation at large. That's what allowed him to find love elsewhere.

 

To me the big issues are structural, in the actual execution, and most especially The Trouble With Barney. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My big thing is this:

 

If you like the finale, that's fine. Clearly I disagree, but I'm not going to shit on you for liking on it.

 

But please realize that people aren't hating the finale because "they didn't get what they want." It's belittling very valid arguments about very blatant bait and switching and bad development.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There wasn't a bait and switch though.  They telegraphed Tracy dying last season (or even two seasons ago, I don't remember for sure when the "90 More Days" speech was, but that's when I picked up on it.)  The Robin thing was more going for a happy (if not bittersweet) ending instead of a leaving on a downer, which just ending it at the train platform after the death confirmation would've actually been.

 

Bad development I'll give, although I think the characters, mainly Ted, Robin, and Barney because its who people are complaining about, didn't have as bad development as people are making it out.  Its that its more realistic and not standard storytelling development is what I think people are upset about.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think a lot of us are hit by this on multiple sides, though, and that's like everything. We all come back to the center here at DVDVR after dealing with crazy CM Punk fans or who knows what, and then we have to remember that what we're talking about it somewhat different than what we're hearing everywhere else. It's part of why this place is so great. 

 

I know the main media blitz has always been WHO IS THE MOTHER!!! so we're seeing some backlash in the cnn or variety articles or what have you. 

 

I might be leaning in heavily on the Barney thing since that's what most people on my FB are annoyed about, but I can reconcile the Ted stuff far more easily, so it hits harder for me too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's the thing about people talking on FB and Twitter, especially Twitter. In 140 characters, sure, it's going to seem like "GRRR, THIS IS ISN'T WHAT I WANTED."

 

I think there are just as many people who are happy about the finale because they wanted Ted and Robin as there are people unhappy because they DIDN'T want Ted and Robin. Neither are the majority of complaints or praises though.

 

And you're not getting what's bait and switch. It's not Tracy dying. They telegraphed that with the 45 Days speech. The bait and switch was that the show is HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER not HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER AND THEN ENDED UP WITH ROBIN. That's an extremely dumbed down version of what's going on, but it's also insanely true. There's more bait and switch too like the wedding and the moments with The Mother in the finale that were few and far between.

 

But it's classic bait and switch which I think you have to agree with even if you liked the finale.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

How the Last 40 Episodes (half of which not being that good anyway) Didn't Matter

 

I will say this. They had a plan. I wish they executed it better, but you can't say they didn't have a plan. You watch the last minute of that show and you go "Oh, that's what they were doing."

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The more I think about it, the ultimate conclusion of the series makes sense. But emotionally, I still feel ripped off .. as has been said before, they made both the Wedding and The Mother seem to be important to the story, and in the end they were just an afterthought to be discarded.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've read a lot of reviews and a bunch of them make reference of how CBS demanded another season, which I had heard last season too.

 

I think if the show had ended last season with this finale, it would have been a lot better. Being realistic, I still would have had some gripes here and there as would others, but not nearly as many complaints as after this past season.

 

They really should have called an audible after this past season. Tracy was the best thing the show had done in years and really brought the show back from the depths Zoey put it in so why end it with her as an afterthought to Robin? I don't care if she dies - that was heartbreaking, but made sense. Her being an afterthought to Robin? No way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Count me in the group that doesn't necessarily have a problem with who ended up with who in the end, but with the execution of it.  It seems utterly feasible that in the natural course of things, the kids could be OK with Ted eventually moving on, 6 years later, and finding love and happiness to someone they were all very close to and loved.  But the execution made it seem so cold, whether it was or not.   For one, they shot the kids' reaction 9 years ago.............yet often throughout the series run they showed the kids annoyed or rolling their eyes over their dad's stories.  Are these kids supposed to be so smarmy and self centered that hearing dad's stories as he talks about meeting their beloved and dead mother annoys them so much?  And again, I'm not necessarily saying that is how the characters are supposed to be taken, but knowing ahead of time that the mother is dead yet shooting scenes of the kids and their eye rolling seems odd.  And how quickly did they dismiss any talk of their mom?  "Yeah yeah dad, I get that you loved mom and she died and it hurt, but let's talk about how you love Aunt Robin!"

 

And on the other hand, it DOES make Ted seem a little insensitive to speak so much on the other women he was head over heels in love with during these stories.  I mean, do I understand that my parents were human and had human emotions long before I was around?  Sure.  But my dad died 3 years ago......would I want to hear my mom tell stories about how if someone else had been available, she probably wouldn't have ended up with my dad?  No. I would be OK hearing about her ups and downs, but don't make my dad sound like an afterthought or runner up choice. And I'm an adult rather than a teenager, who might be even more uncomfortable with it. 

 

And Barney.  I really never bought he and Robin together forever anyway, especially after the break up and getting back together which is why the entire season revolving around the wedding felt fake.  Then the life-changing event of him having a child was broken down into 1) Barney knocks up a random one night stand. 2) He basically wants to blow it off. 3) Once he sees and holds his daughter, it changes his life. 4) The baby is mentioned as an afterthought later played for laughs when he is tired, and no mention is ever made of who the mother is as a person or how the two of them being strangers but having a kid together ends up completely drama/hassle free.

 

The mother.  In a short time, they made her such a lovable, sweet, thoughtful, charming, lovely person.  And and insane combo of hot and cute and pretty.  So a character that in most cases would feel rushed and one dimensional ended up being likable and worthwhile.  And what do they do with her?  Rush through "they fall for each other, have a wonderful relationship with two kids, she gets sick, she drops dead, and now we're moving on" in a matter of minutes. 

 

And for all the buildup of Lily and Marshall over the years, the finale has absolutely NO ONE talking about them.  Everyone is talking about the fates of Robin, Tracey, Ted, and Barney, but Lily and Marshall are almost an afterthought. 

 

The shame of it all is this: All of these situations are perfectly normal and human and exist in a non perfect world. 

 

--A marriage that everyone gets excited about that fizzles after a few years and ends in divorce.

--A person meeting a wonderful partner and soul mate, and in the midst of their happiness, one of them gets sick and ends up dying.  A harsh and realistic situation.

--Two kids who loved their late mom but after so many years are able to accept that their dad has a lot of life left and even though no one can replace their mom, they want to see their dad happy and encourage him to move on, especially with someone they already know and feel close to.

--A person's life being utterly changed by the unconditional love that can only be felt by a parent for a child.

--A group of tight friends who get taken in different directions in life.  It happens to all of us, and while it can suck, it's also usually not anyone's fault in particular.

--A couple who had ups and downs over careers and goals finally settling into the life that works for them, having three kids, and having a good life.

--Individuals who are basically good people but manage to make selfish decisions and mistakes while trying to find their way in life, and not realizing at the time that they were doing so. Or realizing it but being in denial about it.  Hell, that's me.  That's 99% of people.

 

All of those situations are reasonable and I have no problem with where everyone ended up.  But the execution made most of it seem either unrealistic, callous, abrupt, or any combination of the above.

 

Again, I have no problem with the end results.  Getting there was the issue.  Did I hate the finale?  Not at all.  But cramming an entire season of story into one hour felt really clunky and didn't give the characters the send off they deserved.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh, and something I would like to see, from someone in the world who has the time and patience, is a listing of all the little clues leading up the this that the mother was dead. 

 

I mean, I'm sure I'd catch things now if I go back and watch, but I'm hoping at some point someone manages to do this. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The only two that I can think of off the top of my head is the "45 more days" speech last season, and this season when Ted was telling Tracy some of the wedding story, Ted gets upset at the notion of a Mother not being at her daughter's wedding and Tracy tells him its alright.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The only two that I can think of off the top of my head is the "45 more days" speech last season, and this season when Ted was telling Tracy some of the wedding story, Ted gets upset at the notion of a Mother not being at her daughter's wedding and Tracy tells him its alright.

 

I very much remember the sadness over a mother not being at their daughter's wedding, but can someone refresh me on the "45 more days" speech?  For some reason I'm totally drawing a blank on it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...