HIMYM ending contradicts character growth

“We got divorced,” said lead “How I Met Your Mother” character Robin Scherbatsky. With those three words, my world came crashing down.

Although I only started watching the show this past summer, I still don’t believe that nine seasons of binge watching and 12 years of dodging spoilers from friends should be awarded with a heartbreak.

The whole point of character Barney Stinson’s story arc is that he would transform from a man who feared love and hoped to always be single to a loyal husband. His divorce from Robin completely destroys the two-season build-up to their marriage, not to mention that they get divorced a mere two episodes after they get married.

This scene left fans such as myself disappointed with the writers. It contradicted all the changes the characters had gone through in past seasons.

As for the end of the show’s main protagonist, Ted, don’t even get me started.

To be fair, the reveal of the mother wasn’t that bad. Still, the mother’s quick and unexplained death and Ted Mosby’s return to Robin are where the tears started rolling.

It’s already bad enough that Ted breaks the beloved “Bro Code” from the show by dating someone that a friend has already been with (in this case, married), but he also returns to Robin as if he never got over her from the first episode, making it seem as if he never truly loved his wife. Making it worse,  the person he ends up marrying only joined the show in the final season. The writers didn’t have time to  flesh out her backstory and character.

If it were up to me, there would be a much different ending. Instead of getting divorced, Barney and Robin would remain married. Furthermore,  instead of having his child with a random lady at the end of his “perfect month,” Barney would have a child with his wife Robin instead. This would end both of their character arcs nicely, showing that Barney has changed from a selfish individual to a man who loves and cares for his wife and kid, and that Robin has finally overcome her hatred for children.

Additionally, Tracy, Ted’s wife, would still be alive, with their relationship better than ever. To prove that Ted has finally overcome his feelings for Robin, and that he officially accepts the marriage between her and his friend Barney, I would end the show with a scene of Ted holding the blue French horn in front of his own apartment, calling for his wife to come out.

Unfortunately, this ending did not happen.  

Although I loved the vast majority of the show, and even though the writers released an alternate ending due to all the fan disappointment, I still can’t help but feel more betrayed than when Stella left Ted at the altar.