‘How I Met Your Mother’ series finale: Recounting the show’s ten best moments
Tonight, it all comes to an end on “How I Met Your Mother.” It’s been a heck of a journey, hasn’t it? We watched Ted Mosby Grow up, and go from being a guy whose whimsy was not attached to reality to a guy legitimately ready for a relationship and the next phase of his life.
Now, we’re ready to reflect on some of the greatest moments of the show’s entire history. If you look below, you can see what are (at least in our opinion) the ten moments that either made us laugh, cry, or simply celebrate. That’s what makes this show special: It’s a sitcom that makes you care. Few other programs even try to do everything that it does.
10. Ted steals the blue French horn – This moment at the end of season 1 set up Ted and Robin as a couple, which drove ahead almost everything else in the entire series. Without this moment, who knows if she would have been in a position to marry Barney?
9. The Mother’s past revealed – “How Your Mother Met Me” is one of the show’s best episodes ever. Finding out that The Mother had a great love in the past who died was truly heartbreaking, but it does help to answer the question as to why someone so kind is available in the first place.
8. Robin learns she can’t have children – A devastating moment made even more devastating by the way that it was presented, with her “narrating” a story to her children who did not exist. This was an obstacle, but she was completely reassured by Barney that it didn’t matter.
7. Robin and Barney’s wedding – Even though we just saw this play out, it was everything we were hoping for and then some. Sure, we can ignore “The Rehearsal Dinner” and some of the other weaker episodes that happened along the way, but we got what really matters correct.
6. Ted’s first date with Stella – This entire scene of the “date” (which took place over a few minutes) was one of the most romantic things ever. It also had to be one of the hardest things that the show ever had to shoot.
5. It’s Robin Sparkles, y’all! – There are so many great recurring gags, from the Slap Bet to playbook to what Barney actually does for a living. But Robin’s Canadian pop star alter ego takes the cake time and time again. They are so fun, and such a contrast to the Robin in the present.
4. Ted being left at the altar – Another super-sad moment, but one that set up Ted being able to meet The Mother in the future. Next to Victoria and Robin, Stella was probably next on the list of Ted’s great loves before The Mother, and the time and effort put into this relationship made the end of it more heartbreaking.
3. Marshall’s father dies – Probably the only moment so far that was worthy of completely bawling your eyes out over. We still are disappointed that Jason Segel didn’t earn an Emmy nomination for the way he conveyed “I’m not ready for this” as Lily told him the bad news right when he thought he was about to get good news.
2. Barney’s proposal to Robin – In some ways, the proposal was an elaborate con and a lie to get Robin in a position where she’d say yes. But, this is Barney. If you love Neil Patrick Harris’ character, then you take the good and the bad. This entire scheme was so crazy and in the end romantic that it was so much fun to watch unfold.
1. Cristin Milioti revealed as the Mother – Somehow, we were completely caught off guard when Milioti was revealed at the end of season 8, mostly because we never thought that the show would actually give us an entire season of getting to know The Mother before having her and Ted meet. This is the moment we have went back and watched on YouTube, more than any other, and while it may not make you laugh, it warms your heart in the way that only this show can.
If you want to share your favorite moments from “How I Met Your Mother’s” history, be sure to do so below. You can also check out the rest of our coverage over at the link here (including our review of the finale when it airs), or sign up to get even more updates courtesy of our CarterMatt Newsletter.
Photo: CBS