By WILLIAM NEAL
Scene Writer
"Kids, I just remembered some more hilarious and outrageous hijinks with Aunt Lilly/Robin and Uncle Marshall/Barney! Guess you'll have to wait another year to hear about how I met your mom."
Ted Mosby, you're awful at telling stories. Don't get me wrong, your memory is impeccable, but this is getting ridiculous. If someone asked me where I went to eat lunch today, I wouldn't tell him/her about the last 29 restaurants I ate at before answering the question. Kids, really, just walk away from your father and ask mom how it happened if you're curious.
Many of you who keep up with the beloved sitcom, "How I Met Your Mother," are probably aware that the series got picked up for another season several weeks ago. If you fans are keeping track, that's nine seasons of "HIMYM." Sure it's a great show, but I'm basing that judgment off of the series as a whole and not its most recent seasons. The actors are just as loveable as they've always been, but the quality of the stories has plummeted recently.
With the exception of the midseason finale, the biggest success this season came last week with the return of Robin's Canadian super-star alter ego, Robin Sparkles. It worked because they appealed to long-time viewers by bringing back a recurring plot from seasons past. For me, that says a lot about the current state of the show.
Sure, we all love the occasional moments of nostalgia for our favorite long running TV series, but when your fresh storylines are consistently weak, maybe it's time to call it quits. That's what many fans, including myself, were saying back in the fall before season 9 was even announced.
To be fair, "The Office" announced their final season during a time when many considered the show unwatchable. Thankfully, "The Office" has proven this year that it still has momentum and solid stories to tell, and hopefully "HIMYM" will do the same in its final season.
But the difference between these series is that "HIMYM" draws in its fans in a similar fashion to "Lost" that's almost manipulative. Most "Lost" fans weren't going to stop watching until the big questions were answered about the island (many things are still not clear), and the same goes for long-time "HIMYM" viewers who just want to learn the answer to the question that the very title triggers.
I believe this is a sign that the series is now setting itself up to reveal the mother at the end of this season and spend next year telling the story of the couple's relationship. But when I bring this up, I usually hear, "No way, the show's called 'How I Met Your Mother,' not 'How I Married Your Mother!" By that logic, "New Girl" should have ended after the first season since Zooey Deschanel is now beyond acquainted with her roommates.
The "HIMYM" staff would be killing this show if they waited until the end of the series to reveal the mystery woman. It would mean more bogus storylines for the gang and pointless relationships for Ted that would just act as filler material until the finale.
I can't get angry with anyone for agreeing to one more season, but I just hope they handle the storyline appropriately. We fans have all been patient and it's about time we learned who she is. I love this show and just ask for a final season fans can look forward to. If Ted Mosby waits any longer, I want to see him transform into Bob Saget.
Contact William Neal at
wneal@nd.edu
