And also the theme song of life? I just accidentally typed “lice” instead of life, which I guess is another word in which “You can’t make everyone happy” also describes. But I digress…
Series finales are hard, ya’ll. Even Friends‘ series finale left me wanting more. Back in 2004, I was convinced that a new opener (i.e. a fountain shoot theme song), Joey moving in with Chandler and Mon, and Ross/Rachel/Emma taking over ‘the apartment’ would have been more fitting that the weird, yet piercingly sad shot of the abandoned keys and an empty set that we were left with. Also in a most disappointing manner, The O.C.‘s series finale left us with a dead Marissa Cooper in the arms of her beloved soul mate Ryan Atwood. There have been reports that some delusional Seth/Summer shippers have created an entire fourth season that ends with a high school graduation and Ryan being destined to some other, awful, obsessive-compulsive less-pretty Californian named Taylor, but that’s obviously nothing but fan-fiction in it’s most serious degree.
In hindsight it seems that the finales that gave us less, have left us happier — or maybe just have given us what we never knew we wanted. The Freaks and Geeks‘ series ending left a few strings untied, with our protagonist Lindsay Weir rather aimlessly wandering onto a Grateful Dead tour bus, away from the constraints of her perfect family. Breaking Bad‘s final delivery of perfection also left our imperfect wildly hated principal character (Walter White) concluding that his true love, all this time, was the power, the glory, and when it boiled down to it, the meth. And two decades prior, a sitcom that couldn’t be more its opposite, paralleled that exact ending. The Cheers‘ series finale left Sam Malone alone, with nothing but his feelings — not for one of his main girls, Diane or Rebecca — but for his one true love, the bar.
In last night’s particular [HIMYM] scenario, I guess I’m siding with Vanity Fair? I am one, according to the internet trolls, amongst a small handful of people who were 100% into the How I Met Your Mother series finale. *SPOILER ALERT* It tied up all the loose ends. It made Ted and The Mother’s (calling her Tracy feels slimy to me – can’t get on board with it yet – I feel like it’s too new) genuine adoration/love for each other feel real and relatable. The Mother gets sick — that’s life. Robin and Barney divorce — that’s life (and also hella predictable). Some couples have maniacal fights, but stick together and are in it for the long haul — that’s life too. The question I have to ask to all the haters: do you guys know what being in relationships is like? Being human? Growing and changing and a lot of times repeating the same cycle of decisions? Because honestly, kids, that IS life. That’s what we do. I thought everything ended tightly and as right as it could be for the characters. It’s a sitcom, what more do you want? It was a happy ending for all, which while nice for a sitcom series finale, doesn’t always maintain in actual life, BUT it was also realistic and within the normal reality of the characters we’ve all grown to know and love. Ted DID let Robin go and do his thing with our girl Trace (nope, still can’t). It was cute and nice and then she died (again, sometimes that’s life), so he tracks down his old fling almost decade-long sweetheart. It doesn’t imply a happy ending for the two of them nor does it discount the very real and wonderful relationship he shared with The Mother. It’s just a cyclical decision in the course of his life. Classic Schmosby. I can’t defend it any longer, because it was an impeccably well-written, and not to mention well-acted and well-executed by all parties involved (IMO). It seemed very real to me. Not perfect, but real, which while that pissed off many others, I found perfectly endearing and completely relatable. I’m sure Bays and Thomas are regular leisure readers of my sad, poorly edited blog, so I must give out personal mad props to you and your writing staff, for what me and at least three others out there think, was a job well done. Thanks for nine seasons of awesome television. P.S. When is it too early to start rewatching from season one?
Uptown Moxie 