Monsters of Television

“Psyche.”

Back in 2005, the same year that How I Met Your Mother began, I had another blog, this one devoted to popular culture in general. That blog never took off very much (lack of dedication from all those involved), and it faded away. I did, however, write about HIMYM. I called it “high-concept (for a sitcom), funny, and surprisingly sweet” but concluded the bit with this thought: “It’s that sense of pre-destination that ruins the show. It can’t run but for two or three seasons at the very most.”

What the hell happened? Where did it all go wrong? How does a show that I came to love, one that reach delirious heights of romance and humor, with sophistication and wit, end its sixth season with, well, whatever the hell this is?

Some part of me is willing to give the show the benefit of the doubt. The Arcadian, to pile on to the metaphor the show seems eager to put onto it, represents the show itself now: old, creaky, reveling in its former glory but never able to move on. And with its destruction, am I to assume that the writers want to destroy this season (and maybe some of last season as well?), and try and start over fresh next year?

Maybe, but I don’t think I’ll be there.

I mean, the episode itself plays a little bit like the first episode of the show. Ted decides he missed out on an opportunity, and runs to fix it, bringing a gift. It even does a mother tease with the blonde in the restaurant. And while the show does indicate that Ted is prone to the backslide (and we all are), it’s not interesting without variations. What does Ted learn from this? What has Ted learn from any of this? It appears nothing. And it appears that Robin, struck with a pang of jealousy, has learned nothing from being with Barney last year.

I didn’t laugh once, and given the the fact that it was a finale and that everything had been so lackluster up until this point, a little bit of me honestly thought that the woman who mistakenly receives the flower was the mother. Stupid, I know, and I was really crestfallen when it wasn’t (even though it makes no sense for it to be that woman).

But I think I’m done, guys. I don’t think I can be put through this again. This finale was horrible. I mean, what was this? Food poisoning humor (only to be pregnancy)? Really? That’s our season ending note here? Ted regressing back to hook up with Zoey? Wasting Chi McBride in a guest spot role? That it was Barney getting married, before Ted? I can’t do this again. I’m done. And knowing that there’s two more seasons (at least) of this, no. I’m out.

Perhaps, some day, on syndication, I’ll run across episodes from seasons seven and eight. And I’ll be charmed by them, and I’ll start watching it every night because it suddenly feels right. And then I’ll remember why I left in the first place, and the show will kick me in the gut again, erasing all those memories.

Sound familiar?

Addendum (5/17): I realize now that my post is fairly light on criticism of the episode, and something more of a bitter and angry break-up (which is how I felt (and still feel)). I’m not going to re-write this, or provide more context on the episode as a whole since, well, my problems with the show this season have been well-documented in previous posts. But Myles over at Cultural Learnings has a very fine explanation, from a more distanced point of view, as to why the episode flopped.