10 Shocking TV Finales That Changed Everything
1. How I Met Your Mother
Some finales, however, provoke no debate upon release, instead landing with the universally reviled impact of a fart in a packed elevator. The long-awaited conclusion of How I Met Your Mother was one such case of televisual flatulence, breaking the hearts of a large legion of fans who had invested years patiently awaiting an answer to the eponymous promise.
It was an answer they received by the beginning of the series final season, with the introduction of Cristin Milioti as the titular mother. A likeable and effervescent presence, Milioti soon won over fans and gelled well with the long-established ensemble cast.
So, despite a misjudged Rashomon-referencing gimmick which saw the last season take place over two days from numerous perspectives, the creators were on track for a satisfying finale, right?
Sure—if they hadn’t almost immediately killed off Milioti in order to leave Josh Radnor’s character Ted free to date his on-again, off-again love interest Robin. That’s right—after years spent leaving her identity open to speculation AND the arrival of a funny, loveable actor to fulfil the role, the creators dropped the mother in an instant to facilitate a twist they had made obvious years earlier. You really couldn’t write it.