Warning: This article contains spoilers
On Monday night, “How I Met Your Mother” fans finally got the answer to the series’ central question — but not everyone considered it a happy ending.
After nine seasons, Ted (Josh Radnor) met the Mother (Cristin Milioti) — whose name, we find out, is Tracy — on a train platform after Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) and Robin’s (Cobie Smulders) wedding.
But though they go on to get married, turns out that’s not the end of the story that Ted has been telling their kids in the year 2030.
In a (somewhat foreshadowed) twist, Tracy died six years ago, and his kids figure out the real reason he’s been telling this story for nine seasons — he’s still in love with Robin (who’s now divorced).
Ted goes after her (with his kids’ blessing) and the final scene shows him standing outside Robin’s window, just as he did in the pilot.
The twist ending was polarizing, to say the least, with many longtime fans feeling jilted by both the Mother dying and Ted and Robin ending up together after all.
“#HIMYMFinale or how they killed Ted’s perfect woman and divorced the perfect couple for a soppy ending that made fans feel screwed over,” tweeted Alex H.
“Can we all agree the #HIMYMFinale was an April Fool’s joke and have a do-over? Yes, I’m still mad about it,” wrote Brittany Schock.
“I was very disappointed with this episode,” wrote user crambam on nypost.com. “They spent 9 years showing how Ted and Robyn don’t work, and showing us the journey Ted took so that when he met the girl that was right for him, he would be the man he needed to be to have a great life with her. So they kill her?”
On the show’s Facebook page, Sanin Huskic wrote, “This show should be called ‘how I settled for your mother until Robin had time for me.’ Seriously, worst ending of a tv show ever.”
“IF I ever watch the finale again, I’ll stop it when Ted tells the kids, ‘That’s how I met your mother.’ That one line, after the fantastic scene at the train station, is the perfect ending. Not the last 5 minutes,” said Daryl Ewry on Facebook.
But not everyone hated the finale, with some outright loving it and others realizing it was the right ending, even if it wasn’t what fans wanted.
“The best sitcom finale since Cheers!!!! I dont know why people hate the ending . . . I praise it!” wrote Jayyene Timblique on the show’s Facebook page.
“I felt the #HIMYMFinale was a very honest real life portrayal of how life changes as we grow older. Thank You #HIMYM & I will miss you!” tweeted Jamie Cox.
Even a former guest star offered his reaction, with actor Kal Penn (who played Robin’s one-time boyfriend) posting his approval on Twitter.
“There’s not a dry eye on my couch. And I’m the only one on my couch. That was beautiful. #HIMYMFinale”
“How I Met Your Mother” co-creator Craig Thomas also took to Twitter Tuesday morning to weigh in on the finale backlash, thanking fans for their passion (whether positive or negative) and defending the dramatic twist.
“Thank you all. I mean it: Every possible reaction to the last 44 minutes . . . thank you all . . . #HIMYM”
“We wrote a comedy with dramatic elements till the very end. Thanks for taking that ride with us. #HIMYM”
“We did a finale about life’s twists and turns and that is not always what happens . . . but THANKS!”