How I Met Your Mother
Once again, we have another show that hinged on one big question and totally failed to deliver a satisfying answer. In How I Met Your Mother‘s case, though, the big reveal of the final episode was so integral to the plot that it retroactively ruined the whole series.
After nine seasons of HIMYM, fans had moved on from the show’s original pairing of Ted and Robin and were pleased with the revelation of the long-awaited Mother. Unfortunately, the ending tore up this good will by carelessly killing the character off soon after we got to know her. The true end of the show then saw Ted run off to be with Robin again, despite most fans wanting her to stick with Barney. Not to mention that the pair were just wrong for each other.
Apparently, this had been the plan all along. While you have to admire the showrunners’ foresight, then, they should have realized that they needed to be open to altering this ending as the series and its characters developed over time. It’s a shame it had to end this way, as nowadays, people don’t tend to talk about how great HIMYM was but rather, its awful finale.