Last night, CBS aired the much-anticipated How I Met Your Mother series finale.
You'd think that after watching for nine seasons we'd be sad that it was over. But afterwards it wasn't the realization that one of our favorite comedies had come to a close that depressed us. It was how it ended. Mostly, it left many loyal fans asking one question:
Why?
After spending this entire season celebrating Barney and Robin's wedding, it was crushing to watch their marriage crumble not 10 minutes later.
Viewers had already watched them break up once before. Why put us through it again? One moment we're seeing Barney dance with his new bride, looking as happy as he'd ever been... three years later, but only mere moments on screen, call it quits.
Why spend so much time making us care about this couple only to ruin them? It was completely disheartening.
On the upside, we loved that Barney eventually found the love of his life in his baby daughter. Watching how that little girl changed Barney was one of the highlights of the finale. We just wish the mother could have been someone he cared about instead of the faceless #31.
Moreover, after nine seasons of having Ted search for the love of his life, we only got a few short scenes before they killed here off. Why?!?
We understand that things happen in life, but this is a comedy about the trials of finding true love. We took this journey with Ted and the scene of the two of them meeting on that rainy train platform under the yellow umbrella was beautiful. In the end, we couldn't help but feel cheated that we - and Ted - didn't get more time.
1. Cuddle Time
Finally, Ted has found the woman he's searched for all his life. It's cuddle time.
2. Sitting Alone
Why is Barney sitting alone with a drink and a cigar? We expect lots of surprises from the series finale of How I Met Your Mother.
3. Last Call for Barney
We can't believe that this may be the last time we hang out at the bar with Barney Stinson.
4. The Story of The Mother
It took nine seasons for Ted to tell the story of How I Met Your Mother. Watch the series finale on Monday, March 31st.
5. Years Later
It looks like Robin and Ted meet up years later. We wonder what this is all about.
6. Celebrate!
Is this Robin and Barney's idea of a honeymoon celebrations? We'll find out in "Last Forever Parts One and Two"
7. Even Barney
Even Barney looks as though he might cry as the gang says goodbye in "Last Forever Parts One and Two"
8. Special Friends
Saying goodbye to special friends won't be easy. Watch the How I Met Your Mother series finale Monday, March 31st on CBS.
9. One Seriously Scary High Five
Ted and Barney share one seriously scary high five before it's all over on How I Met Your Mother.
10. One Last Salute
Robin and Ted do their thing one last time. Is Ted really headed off to Chicago?
11. One Last Group Hug
Could this be the last group hug. We're already in tears. "Last Forever Part One and Two" is the series finale of How I Met Your Mother"
12. Ted with Tracy
Ted reads to Tracy in this scene from the How I Met Your Mother finale. She would not survive.
13. Ted on the Finale
This callback to the How I Met Your Mother pilot was not how fans were hoping the finale would end.
When Ted finally finishes his story about their mother, his kids tell him to go for it with Aunt Robin. What?!? Yes, for the kids it's been six years since their mom died. It makes sense. But for the audience, it's been 30 seconds. After hearing this story for so long, that ending was as dismaying as it was jarring.
From what we hear, the creators of the show had this ending planned all along and Ted an Robin getting back together may have worked in season three or four.
But by How I Met Your Mother season 9, they'd long convinced us that this pairing wouldn't work. So as Ted stood outside Robin's window with the same French horn so many years later, we were left asking, why?
Your turn, TV Fanatics. What did you think of the How I Met Your Mother series finale?