10 Most Controversial Series Finales In TV History
9. How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother, or, to give it its full title, How I Met Your Mother But Then She Died So I Married Aunt Robin Which Is Why She’s Been The Focus Of The Story For Nine Seasons.
Realistically, with the throwback sort of sitcom HIMYM was, Ted getting with Robin was the natural conclusion; just like Ross and Rachel in Friends. However, HIMYM was restricted from the start by its title and concept.
That was the fatal flaw with HIMYM’s finale. It needed to commit to its gimmick, but Ted & Robin seemed destined for each other.
Fans were pretty much in two camps on this one: they liked it as an episode or hated it as a finale. Most fans are in agreement that on its own it’s pretty funny, but that the ending, which undid Robin & Barney’s marriage, subverted the key theme of Ted getting over Robin, and almost instantly killed off the mother they’d spent nine seasons building up to, didn't work.
Fan forums and message boards were lit up after the finale, with arguments ensuing even as everyone agreed. The question was did it matter that the conclusion wasn’t satisfying as long as it was funny?