Ted was very happy with Tracy. Happier than he had ever been, finally having what he had always dreamed for in a family. And for eleven years, Ted and Tracy lived out their lives together until, sadly, in 2024, Tracy dies. Why couldn't the show have left it at that? Well, firstly, that would mean no closure for Robin. But they could have given her Don back, or just told the story of how she grew old, lonely but successful. Secondly, that would be too fairytale for How I Met Your Mother which, as was pointed out earlier, has always given relationships more realism than some other shows. Except, growing old with the person you love is a reality, and it's certainly one Ted deserved. And he did get it. It wasn't with Tracy, but, as the kids point out, by 2030 Ted has been in love with Robin for twenty-five years. Not to say that he still wanted Robin while he was with Tracy, but given that Tracy had passed away six years earlier by the time Ted told his kids the story, he did need to move on. And, although an invention of the show's creators way back in 2005, Tracy's illness in the show was nobody's fault. It just happened. So we do finally get to see Ted happy, presumably for the rest of his life. And the kids are happy with it too. We see the blue french horn again, and Robin has dogs again, and the show comes full-circle. Before meeting Tracy, the main thing keeping Ted and Robin apart was his desire for children and her initial lack of want for, and then lack of ability to have, said children. But through Tracy, Ted got the family he always wanted. And in Robin, he got the girl. The final episode delivered on its promise, to explain how Ted met The Mother, but it also went further to show the after-years, something fans of shows such as Friends have hoped for many times in the decade since it ended (who knows? Maybe Chandler and Monica get divorced!). How I Met Your Mother's finale delivered in every way it could to give a conclusive end to its nine year run, even if a lot of the fans feel short-changed by Ted's ultimate destiny to be with Robin. But, again, it almost had to happen that way. Of course, if you really don't like the ending, then at least you can rest easy knowing that Tracy won't pass away until 2024 so, somewhere out there, for the next ten years, Ted and Tracy will be having a wonderful life together. What were your thoughts on the finale? Let us know in the comments.
I'm a British filmmaker (or, at least, trying to be) and about to graduate with a Film Studies degree. Most of the time I should spend working is actually on Netflix so I obviously have loads of life experience to share with you lovely people.
