1. Barney and Robin get divorced… Pretty early on in the episode, Barney and Robin announce their divorce. After that, the gang pretty much falls apart, mostly because Robin is always MIA. It’s understandable that she doesn’t want to hang out with her ex–husband and two couples. However, this just leads to the most classic divorce/friends growing apart story ever. I’m so disappointed that the creators of HIMYM would let these friendships dwindle out. I know they’re still there for each other for the “big moments,” but, last time I checked, real friends are there for the little moments, too. Friends you always “haven’t seen in forever” don’t get to lovingly be called Aunt and Uncle by your kids, and if this show isn’t about friendship, I don’t know what is.
2. Ellie comes into the world… Barney is still on the prowl with The Playbook II, but after achieving “the perfect month” (31 girls in 31 days), he gets a girl pregnant. The girl (who is only referred to as Number 31) gives birth to a daughter named Ellie. Barney is not one to fall in love at first sight, as he states earlier in the episode, but he sweetly falls head over heels for his little girl. A later scene shows his paternal maturity as he lectures two young girls at MacLaren’s to go home instead of hitting on them and, it turns out, we see some change in him despite the awkward regression he had earlier in this same episode. Do these writers get how maturity works?
3. She’s been gone six years now… So, yes, The Mother is dead. I guess at this point, we knew it was coming, but it didn’t make it any less sad. It did, however, make the kids’ reactions and Ted’s storytelling tone totally not match the emotional significance her death had on the actual audience. Clearly, the decision to kill her off semi–tragically was made pretty late in the game. It’s also somewhat strange that the kids never heard this story before their mother’s death or in the six years since she died. I guess when you film the final scene of a series at the same time that you’re filming the pilot, it can be difficult to anticipate the emotional impact your television series will have. Still, telling us the mother’s name to only kill her off minutes later? Too. Much.
4. The return of The Blue French Horn… Apparently, Ted’s clever kids figure out that the reason he’s actually telling this long–winded story is to show that he is totally into Robin. I hate to be overdramatic, but this decision actually made me queasy. Seriously, you’re telling a story to your kids about their dead mother as a way to explain your interest in another woman? Is it just me, or is that gross? The writers never got over their initial plan to have Ted and Robin end up together, but they did a pretty good job convincing the viewers that they are not at all right for each other. The Mother (I refuse to call her Tracy) was actually perfect for him. And Robin? Well, Robin never was. That’s what the whole first four seasons of this show were about.
5. Nothing lasts forever… “Last Forever” was a stupid title for an episode in which nothing ended up lasting. I knew that it would be hard to watch this episode, but I ended up even more embarrassingly emotional than I had expected. This episode didn’t feel satisfying to me. It wasn’t bittersweet; it was literally just bitter. But I don’t want to hate on the creators and writers too much. They have given us viewers many years of great television and characters whose legacies will long outlive this mediocre farewell. For that, our gratitude will last a long time—if not forever.
Want more? Look at our dispatch of the series finale or our list of the top five best running jokes in HIMYM!
And check out some of our other HIMYM Season 9 Recaps!
"The End of the Aisle" Aired on 03.24.2014
“Gary Blauman” Aired on 03.17.2014
“Vesuvius” Aired on 03.03.2014
“Rally” Aired on 02.24.2014
“Sunrise” Aired on 02.03.2014
“How Your Mother Met Me” Aired on 01.27.2014
“Unpause” Aired on 01.20.2014
