🧠 Food for Thought - Catharsis: The Real Reason How I Met Your Mother's Ending Failed?

HIMYM ran for nine legendary seasons

Over a decade since its finale aired, How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM) continues to stand the test of time as one of the best sitcoms ever made. However, it's in that same breath that many claim it also gave us one of the most controversial endings to a TV show. Spoiler alert!

The general feeling (Ted and Robin salute: "General Feeling!") tends to be that the show, over its nine-year stint, built towards an ending that never was. With the overall feeling of dissatisfaction and a bitter taste left in the audience's proverbial mouths, the first word that jumps to mind is catharsis. As glaringly obvious and simplistic as it may sound, is it the real reason HIMYM's ending failed?

"General Feeling!" | Robin and Ted loved a good mock salute

Some would argue, though, that the ending didn't fail and, in fact, stayed true to some of the show's underlying themes and real life itself. So, we must first ask ourselves...

Did HIMYM's Ending Fail?

While I'm aware such a subject matter tends to be subjective, there are established facts out there that can help us come to a somewhat logical conclusion.

Nielsen ratings indicate that the series finale was the most watched episode (13.13 million viewers). Yet, as per wikipedia, this mammoth audience was left mostly dissatisfied as the show's conclusion "received a largely negative reaction from critics and fans" alike, and "in the years succeeding its airing, it continued to be singled out as one of the worst television series finales".

Indeed, it ranked as the worst of "the worst TV series finales of all time" by USA Today. This is further reinforced by the fact that an alternate ending to the show was released following the turmoil.

So, did the ending flop? All things considered, I'd vehemently agree. And, again, that one word springs to mind: catharsis.

What is Catharsis?

According to StudioBinder, catharsis is the release and relief of strong or repressed emotions. The term derives from the Greek word katharsis meaning “purification” or “cleansing”. It is the literal purging of pent-up emotions.

Catharsis in Filmmaking.

Ever heard of setup and payoff? Sounds a simple and basic enough concept, but a crucial one to achieve catharsis in film and related works of art:

Setup - The vast majority of the narrative. Builds the audience's emotions that are eventually released at the end.

Payoff - An effective payoff must build on the setup, giving the story a sense of closure.

HIMYM and Catharsis: Hit or Miss?

HIMYM's Setup.

Ted and Robin.

Ted is smitten by Robin from the get-go. They date, but it doesn't work out. Over time, this dynamic turns toxic with Robin constantly rejecting Ted and even ultimately moving on with his Casanova of a best friend, Barney. We root for Ted to outgrow Robin and learn to let go, and in spite of the contrary, we hold out hope because he's yet to actually meet the mother of his children.

Barney and Robin.

These two get together under controversial circumstances, which, I must admit, meant I was never really a fan of the pairing. Nonetheless, there were plenty other fans who got aboard this ship and that's credit to how their relationship evolved from casual acquaintances, to actual friends, to something much deeper. By the time they get hitched, it just makes sense.

Ted and "The Mother".

Now, this! This gets the setup of all setups. It's the backbone, engine and premise of the entire show and if in doubt, refer to the show's title. Ted sure does go through it, heartbreak after heartbreak, dating the wrong girl, after the wrong girl, after the wrong girl, and even getting abandoned at the altar (Remember Stella?). All of this, in search of his true love. The hopeless romantic. Classic Schmosby!

HIMYM's Payoff.

Ted and Robin.

As evidenced by the earlier setup, the show gives us all the reasons why Ted and Robin just don't work. Yet, it turns out the whole point of Ted narrating the story of "How I Met Your Mother" to his kids is to get their blessing to reignite the same old dance and chase with Robin. This severely hurts any prospects of growth in the characters' arcs, especially Ted's. Catharsis?

Barney and Robin.

Even I who wasn't a fan of this romance was like, "What?! Did we really go through an entire season centred around these two's nuptial escapades just to have them divorce what seemed to us audiences as moments later?" Catharsis?

Ted and "The Mother".

I say "The Mother" because had the show been axed in its first season, the plan was for Victoria to assume the role. An ending I would've more than gladly embraced over what we actually got. Victoria as "The Mother" worked! So much so, they brought her back in the penultimate season just to vilify her in anticipation of Tracy's arrival.

Victoria as "The Mother" worked!

In the gang's final booth scene at MacLaren's, Lily makes a toast to "Ted Evelyn Mosby" and remarks, "It was a long, difficult road. Thank God we finally got here." 'Here' being Ted finally finding the love of his life, "The Mother", Tracy. Moments later, Tracy is killed off to send Ted running back to Robin, indicating zero growth for the show's protagonist. Catharsis?

Ted Mosby and Tracy McConnell "TM" were the ultimate endgame though

The "Justification".

A reason often thrown around to try and justify the show's ending is the "oh, it reflects real life" argument. But here's the thing, a plethora of moviegoers watch films for the escapism effect. If your wish is to stay grounded, you can simply catch a biopic. A work of art can still address real world themes whilst striking the right balance with fantastical elements. And to claim because they'd already shot the kids' reactions early on, the showrunners had no choice but to go with that ending is simply, in my opinion, a logical fallacy propagating the false dilemma narrative because, again, alternate ending.

The Nutshell.

So, in a nutshell, as evidenced by the audience's reaction, the show failed to deliver on the promises it set up, denying us much-needed catharsis. HIMYM thrived on its topsy-turvy structure over the course of its run, keeping us on our toes with twists and turns galore. However, in the end, what the audience truly craved was the ultimate legendary payoff, not one more plot twist.

HIMYM and Catharsis: Huge Miss!

Thanks for coming to my "TED Talk".