On our special emergency coverage, Rob Cesternino and Rich Tackenberg review the finale of How I Met Your Mother and take your questions. It had been widely speculated about that the show was going to kill off the Mother (Cristin Milioti) but the creators of HIMYM, Carter Bays and Craig Thomas decided to go through with it and have Ted run back in to the arms of Robin.
Rich Tackenberg was actually pretty positive about the idea to kill of the mother, who we learned was named Tracy. Rich felt like after 9 years he had been beaten in to submission by the show and already expected the worst. Seriously, Rich felt like the story actually made more sense to be told from the perspective of Ted trying to win his kids approval to chase Robin. Rich didn’t think it made sense for all of the non-Tracy information to be in the story if that was not Ted’s intention.
Rob strongly disagreed with the decision to kill off the mother. Rob felt like the story of Ted meeting the mother was absolutely perfect and was really moved by the scene in which Ted meets Tracy for the first time. Rob really loved the performance by Cristin Milioti and really wanted this long journey to meeting her pay off for Ted. Rob thought the way things worked out made it seem as though Ted was relieved when she died so that we could pursue Robin. Looking back to the “How I Met Your Dad” episode, Rob wonders if we were being set up for this when Tracy (who also lost the love of her live) asked her deceased love interest if he could forgive her so she could pursue someone else.
Rob cites the article by Alan Sepinwall (@Sepinwall) which focuses on the decision by Bays and Thomas to have Robin be revealed as the Aunt of the children in the first episode. Since the scene with the kids was shot years ago, Bays and Thomas stuck with their original ending after years and years of storylines made that ending seem like less of a fit. Bays and Thomas stayed the course and gave us the decision to kill off Tracy, though she had become incredibly popular with the fans of the show.
Rob and Rich also really enjoyed the storyline about Barney having a baby and the effect that had on Barney as a person. However, Rob and Rich felt like the way in which the show never revealed who the mother of Barney’s child was left much to be desired.
Rob and Rich answer a number of questions from the audience touching on many different aspects of the finale including:
- Did Marshall and Lilly get lost in the How I Met Your Mother finale?
- Is it sexist that Robin pursuing her career goals is painted as her being a bitch to the audience?
- Wasn’t the whole point of the show to show how Robin and all the other women weren’t right for Ted Mosby?
- Was this finale better than the finales of LOST, The Sopranos or Dexter?
- Did Robin become more unlikable as the series went on?
- Will Josh Radnor have a career after How I met Your Mother?
Let us know your thoughts about the HIMYM finale in the comments section below.
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