How I Met Your Mother

[Jamie]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

Spoiler!

I thought the mother's character was handled pretty smartly in the last season. Only thing that seemed to work. And now it makes sense why we only saw her in doses. The episode "How your mother met me" turns out to be maybe the best episode of the entire series. The Max storyline pretty much gave full license for Ted to move on after the mother passed.

Spoiler!

I agree, the mother stuff was easily the best part of this season. The problem is, for this ending to work, the audience needs to be more invested in Ted and Robin than they are the mother. You need to leave the audience feeling happy that Ted and Robin finally got togther, not feeling like they got the rug pulled out from under them because this character they really liked is dead.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Jamie

Spoiler!

I agree, the mother stuff was easily the best part of this season. The problem is, for this ending to work, the audience needs to be more invested in Ted and Robin than they are the mother. You need to leave the audience feeling happy that Ted and Robin finally got togther, not feeling like they got the rug pulled out from under them because this character they really liked is dead.

Spoiler!

I think one missed opportunity is that they didn't show anything between the mother's death and the story. So there's no transition from Ted meeting the mother and all the things happening in their lives and him wanting to date her and his kids calling him out on it.

The scene with him in the hospital was devastating emotionally... made me cry when it happened and probably will make me tear up for a long time every time I picture it, because I think that's what any husband who adores his wife and had to fight to find her fears more than anything...

But I think it would have been nice to show some scenes after that which showed Robin "being there" for Ted. Would have set up the Ted and Robin reunion a little better.

SCENE: Ted is at the hospital with Tracy, who is extremely sick. It's after visiting hours, but Tracy is not asleep. Ted is reading or messing on his phone and sees something funny. He starts to laugh and tell Tracy. She flatlines. The next thing we see is Ted, shocked, distraught and disheveled, walking like a zombie into the waiting room. Robin has come to visit, having just got off the newscast. She sees Ted. He bursts into tears. Robin is there to console him.

SCENE: Late night. Ted is struggling with being a single father. He tries to call Marshall, who doesn't pick up because he's asleep. He tries to call Barney, who's out doing something Barney-esque. Finally, he calls Robin, who leaves the news desk/leaves a live shot to take it. They talk. Ted expresses self-doubt and that he doesn't know how he can do this alone. Robin tells him he can do it because he's a great father. And because they will all be there for him.

SCENE: The Gang is all together at a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. The kids are running around. Ellie Stinson is seen in the background making a slap bet with Marvin Ericsson. Good times abound. Robin and Lilly do something with the kids that is motherly.

SCENE: Cut to old Ted talking to his kids (like in the episode). Old Ted tells them that's the story of how he met their mother. And that he misses her every day, and will miss her every day of the rest of his life. But he wants to talk to them about something... queue Aunt Robin stuff (One of the kids: Dad, just ask her to marry you already. We love her. You love her. She loves you. It's been six years. Mom would want you to be happy. Ted: Marry? I just wanted to make sure you were OK with me asking her out. Other kid: Don't you think you guys are a little past all that? Ted: Yeah, we are. You're right. (Gets crazy look in his eye)

Return to final scene of Robin returning home, Ted being outside her window with the blue french horn.

Just my two cents.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Spoiler!

I think one missed opportunity is that they didn't show anything between the mother's death and the story. So there's no transition from Ted meeting the mother and all the things happening in their lives and him wanting to date her and his kids calling him out on it.

The scene with him in the hospital was devastating emotionally... made me cry when it happened and probably will make me tear up for a long time every time I picture it, because I think that's what any husband who adores his wife and had to fight to find her fears more than anything...

But I think it would have been nice to show some scenes after that which showed Robin "being there" for Ted. Would have set up the Ted and Robin reunion a little better.

SCENE: Ted is at the hospital with Tracy, who is extremely sick. It's after visiting hours, but Tracy is not asleep. Ted is reading or messing on his phone and sees something funny. He starts to laugh and tell Tracy. She flatlines. The next thing we see is Ted, shocked, distraught and disheveled, walking like a zombie into the waiting room. Robin has come to visit, having just got off the newscast. She sees Ted. He bursts into tears. Robin is there to console him.

SCENE: Late night. Ted is struggling with being a single father. He tries to call Marshall, who doesn't pick up because he's asleep. He tries to call Barney, who's out doing something Barney-esque. Finally, he calls Robin, who leaves the news desk/leaves a live shot to take it. They talk. Ted expresses self-doubt and that he doesn't know how he can do this alone. Robin tells him he can do it because he's a great father. And because they will all be there for him.

SCENE: The Gang is all together at a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. The kids are running around. Ellie Stinson is seen in the background making a slap bet with Marvin Ericsson. Good times abound. Robin and Lilly do something with the kids that is motherly.

SCENE: Cut to old Ted talking to his kids (like in the episode). Old Ted tells them that's the story of how he met their mother. And that he misses her every day, and will miss her every day of the rest of his life. But he wants to talk to them about something... queue Aunt Robin stuff (One of the kids: Dad, just ask her to marry you already. We love her. You love her. She loves you. It's been six years. Mom would want you to be happy. Ted: Marry? I just wanted to make sure you were OK with me asking her out. Other kid: Don't you think you guys are a little past all that? Ted: Yeah, we are. You're right. (Gets crazy look in his eye)

Return to final scene of Robin returning home, Ted being outside her window with the blue french horn.

Just my two cents.

Spoiler!

Yeah, I've heard this is a pretty common complaint. I just disagree. I thought the way they met was perfect, and that doesn't get set up without the mother dying. And I don't think that setup is nearly as good if they dwell on Ted grieving. It's interesting that people are more upset about Ted ending up with Robin than they are the mother dying. The mother dying was almost treated joyously. In fact, Ted grieving almost makes the relationship with Robin seem really inappropriate. I think it was good that they showed Ted get closure and distance before he moved onto Robin. Like the Mom several episodes ago, he was getting permission to "move on."

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

Spoiler!

Yeah, I've heard this is a pretty common complaint. I just disagree. I thought the way they met was perfect, and that doesn't get set up without the mother dying. And I don't think that setup is nearly as good if they dwell on Ted grieving. It's interesting that people are more upset about Ted ending up with Robin than they are the mother dying. The mother dying was almost treated joyously. In fact, Ted grieving almost makes the relationship with Robin seem really inappropriate. I think it was good that they showed Ted get closure and distance before he moved onto Robin. Like the Mom several episodes ago, he was getting permission to "move on."

Not so much a complaint as a thought that would have satisfied a few more people.

Spoiler!

They couldn't end it on the note of the mother dying. And there was a lot of foreshadowing regarding Ted and Robin.

My thought in showing Robin be there for Ted is that most of the episode shows Robin becoming more cold and distant. Just like we had to see Ted come full circle and be "worthy" of Tracy, we needed to see Robin develop the emotional capabilities to be worthy of Ted.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Not so much a complaint as a thought that would have satisfied a few more people.

Spoiler!

They couldn't end it on the note of the mother dying. And there was a lot of foreshadowing regarding Ted and Robin.

My thought in showing Robin be there for Ted is that most of the episode shows Robin becoming more cold and distant. Just like we had to see Ted come full circle and be "worthy" of Tracy, we needed to see Robin develop the emotional capabilities to be worthy of Ted.

Interesting point. Robin's character probably could have been better developed throughout the episode. That's one thing that bothers me about rushing an episode.