{{good article}} {{other uses}} {{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2014}} {{Infobox television episode | series = How I Met Your Mother | image = Last Forever (How I Met Your Mother).jpg | image_size = 250 | image_alt = Ted and the Mother under a yellow umbrella in the rain. | caption = Ted finally meets the Mother | season = 9 | episode = 23 and 24 | guests = *Jim Nantz as himself *Judith Drake as Bernice *Lyndsy Fonseca as Penny (credited as Daughter) *David Henrie as Luke (credited as Son) | director = Pamela Fryman | writer = *Carter Bays *Craig Thomas | airdate = {{Start date|2014|3|31}} | production = | prev = The End of the Aisle | episode_list = List of How I Met Your Mother episodes | season_article = How I Met Your Mother season 9 }} "'''Last Forever'''" is the two-part series finale of the American sitcom television series ''How I Met Your Mother''. The 23rd and 24th episodes of the ninth season, and the 207th and 208th overall, they were written by series creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas and directed by Pamela Fryman. The episodes originally aired in the United States on CBS on March 31, 2014, and were watched by 13.13 million viewers in the United States.
"Last Forever" received a negative response from television critics and fans of the show alike, primarily in regard to the final twist ending, the relationship between Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) and Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders), and the fate of the series's titular mother. Many viewers expressed considerable disdain for the disregard for character development and said the episode rendered the entire ninth season pointless. Due to the backlash, an alternate ending was included in the ninth season's home media release.
==Plot== ===Part 1=== In May 2013, at Barney and Robin's wedding reception, Ted discusses his move to Chicago with Marshall and Lily. Barney recognizes the bass player as the woman who advised him to pursue Robin and tries to convince Ted to introduce himself, but Ted declines. After saying goodbye, he heads to Farhampton train station. There, an elderly lady spots the Mother nearby, but Ted decides not to approach her since he is moving in less than a day. The next night, Ted surprises Marshall and Lily at MacLaren's, revealing he met the bass player from the wedding and they hit it off.
In 2015, Ted, now engaged, discusses wedding plans with Robin and Barney at MacLaren's. Robin is busier than ever traveling due to her career, causing tension in her marriage with Barney. The Mother arrives, revealing they need to postpone the wedding because she is pregnant.
By May 2016, Ted and the Mother host a get-together where Barney and Robin announce their divorce. The mood lifts when Marshall and Lily reveal they are expecting their third child. They all vow to stay friends.
In October 2016, Marshall and Lily throw a Halloween party on the rooftop of the apartment before moving out. Robin, feeling outgrown and conflicted about her unresolved feelings for Ted, decides to leave, which upsets Lily.
===Part 2=== In 2018, Barney heads to MacLaren's. Meanwhile, Marshall and Lily, now parents, plan an early night. Marshall announces he is replacing a retiring judge, sparking a celebration. Lily scolds Barney for reverting to his old womanizing self, but Barney insists that his failed marriage with Robin has made him realize he will never find the love of his life. Lily relents, letting Barney enjoy his night.
In 2019, Barney learns that one of his one-night stands is now pregnant with his child. Despite his misgivings, Barney immediately loves his newborn daughter, Ellie, and commits himself to fatherhood.
In 2020, Ted re-proposes to the Mother, setting their wedding for the next Thursday. At MacLaren's, Marshall announces he is running for New York Supreme Court. Robin shows up, having reconsidered after the Mother's encouragement. Lily toasts to Ted and the Mother's future.
In 2013, Ted gathers the courage to introduce himself to the bass player under her yellow umbrella. She reveals her name is Tracy McConnell and remembers him from his first day as a professor. Ted recognizes her umbrella as the one he left at Cindy's. They realize how often they have narrowly missed each other as the train arrives.
In 2030, Luke and Penny, Ted's children, realize his story is more about his feelings for Aunt Robin than meeting their mother, who has died. They give their blessing for him to pursue Robin. Ted visits her with the blue French horn from their first date, and they share a meaningful smile.
====DVD alternative ending==== At Ted's and the Mother's wedding, Barney and Robin nod to each other and smile as Future Ted's narration implies they later get back together. He then adds that he believes he is lucky to wake up next to the Mother every morning, and cannot help but be amazed at how "easy" it all really was, recalling his former relationships and expressing incredulity at how allowing Barney and Robin to fall in love led him to leave their wedding early and run into the Mother. After Ted meeting the Mother is shown, Future Ted narrates "See? Easy. And that, kids, is how I met your mother."
==Production==
=== Writing === Before writing the episode, Carter Bays and Craig Thomas decided to watch the series finales of other sitcoms for inspiration. They said that they crafted the last ten minutes of the series right from the start. In February 2014, Bays tweeted that he found a rough draft of the series finale that he first wrote in 2006.<ref>{{cite news |last=Harnick |first=Chris |date=February 7, 2014 |title="First Look" at How I Met Your Mother Series Finale: Carter Bays Has Been Writing It Since 2006! |url=http://www.eonline.com/news/508436/first-look-at-how-i-met-your-mother-series-finale-carter-bays-has-been-writing-it-since-2006 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813143035/http://www.eonline.com/news/508436/first-look-at-how-i-met-your-mother-series-finale-carter-bays-has-been-writing-it-since-2006 |archive-date=August 13, 2017 |access-date=August 13, 2017 |work=E! Online}}</ref> In an interview with CNN, Thomas revealed that there was worry among the cast that the series was doomed to fail. He added that he felt that they had written a successful ending for the series<sup>.</sup><ref>{{cite web |first=Henry|last= Hanks |date=April 1, 2014 |title='How I Met Your Mother' ends a legendary run |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/31/showbiz/tv/himym-finale/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813144001/http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/31/showbiz/tv/himym-finale/ |archive-date=August 13, 2017 |access-date=August 13, 2017 |agency=CNN}}</ref>
Before the airing of the series finale, debates raged among fans concerning the fate of Ted and the Mother, fueled by scenes from various episodes through the ninth season which seemed to foreshadow a tragic ending.<ref>{{cite news |last=Eby |first=Margaret |date=March 4, 2014 |title='How I Met Your Mother' hints at tragic series finale |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/met-mother-hints-tragic-ending-main-character-article-1.1710635 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813103546/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/met-mother-hints-tragic-ending-main-character-article-1.1710635 |archive-date=August 13, 2017 |access-date=August 13, 2017 |work=The New York Daily News}}</ref> Additionally the season 7 episode "Tailgate" featured a headstone reading "Mother", ''Screen Rant'''s Kara Hedash attributed this to being for The Mother.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hedash |first=Kara |date=2019-10-30 |title=All The Clues To The Mother's Death In How I Met Your Mother |url=https://screenrant.com/himym-ending-twist-mother-death-clues-tracy/ |access-date=2025-01-13 |website=Screen Rant |language=en}}</ref>
=== Filming === [[File:Pam Fryman black and white.jpg|thumb|upright=1|alt=Refer to caption|Pamela Fryman directed the episode.]] According to tweets from Alyson Hannigan, approximately 18 minutes of the original episode had to be cut to fit the broadcast time. One cut sequence features Marshall paying Lily regarding a bet on whether Ted and Robin end up together, first referenced in the episode "No Pressure" (2012).<ref>{{cite web |last=Hannigan |first=Alyson |author-link=Alyson Hannigan |date=March 31, 2014 |title=""@TMillz55: @alydenisof @HIMYM_CBS I do believe lily owes Marshall money though! @jasonsegel" YES & that scene was CUT!!! :(((." |url=https://twitter.com/alydenisof/status/450848994348896256 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305023825/https://twitter.com/alydenisof/status/450848994348896256 |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |access-date=December 26, 2015 |via=Twitter}}</ref> Other cut scenes feature Robin, wearing her Robin Sparkles jeans jacket over her wedding dress, singing "Let's Go to the Mall" (2007) with the Mother's band at the wedding reception,<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Erin|last= Strecker |date=April 3, 2014 |title='How I Met Your Mother' finale cut a Robin Sparkles performance |url=http://popwatch.ew.com/2014/04/03/how-i-met-your-mother-finale-robin-sparkles/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141112175805/http://popwatch.ew.com/2014/04/03/how-i-met-your-mother-finale-robin-sparkles/ |archive-date=November 12, 2014 |access-date=August 13, 2017 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly}}</ref> as well as a montage showing Tracy's funeral.<ref>{{cite web |first=Matt|last= Webb Mitovich |date=April 26, 2014 |title='How I Met Your Mother Star: "Heart-Wrenching" Funeral, Cut from Finale, May Have Softened Blow |url=http://tvline.com/2014/04/26/how-i-met-your-mother-series-finale-funeral-tracy/#!8/himym-series-finale-13/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813105112/http://tvline.com/2014/04/26/how-i-met-your-mother-series-finale-funeral-tracy/#!8/himym-series-finale-13/ |archive-date=August 13, 2017 |access-date=August 13, 2017 |website=TVLine}}</ref>
The scene involving Ted's future children (Lyndsy Fonseca and David Henrie) was secretly shot in 2006 during the production of the second season.<ref>{{cite news |date=July 19, 2008 |title=Barney writes a book, Barney + Robin, Ted + Stella and other 'How I Met Your Mother' news |url=http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2008/07/barney-writes-a.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723002345/http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2008/07/barney-writes-a.html |archive-date=July 23, 2008 |access-date=August 13, 2017 |publisher=Chicago Tribune |quote=He did reveal that more than two years ago ... With only the two kids who play Ted's future children ... they shot a scene that directly relates to the identity of the mother. That scene will be included in the show's series finale"}}</ref> This was primarily done so the teenage characters would not age, since Fonseca and Henrie were adults by the time the final episode aired.<ref>{{cite web |title='How I Met Your Mother's' Craig Thomas on Ted & Barney's Breakup, Eriksen Babies and The Future of Robarn |url=http://blog.zap2it.com/korbitv/2008/05/how-i-met-your-mothers-craig-thomas-on-ted-barneys-breakup-eriksen-babies-and-the-future-of-robarn.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100515042234/http://blog.zap2it.com/korbitv/2008/05/how-i-met-your-mothers-craig-thomas-on-ted-barneys-breakup-eriksen-babies-and-the-future-of-robarn.html |archive-date=May 15, 2010 |access-date=April 10, 2010 |publisher=Zap2it |df=mdy-all}}</ref> The scene was filmed on a set closed to everyone except Bays, Thomas, executive producer/director Pamela Fryman, a camera operator, and Fonseca and Henrie, who signed non-disclosure agreements. Fonseca stated that she had forgotten the details of the scene in the years since its filming, while Henrie said, "I do remember. I ''think'' I remember. We'll see."<ref>{{cite web |first=Vlada |last=Gelman |date=September 29, 2013 |title=Farewell, How I Met Your Mother: Ted's 'Daughter' and 'Son' Spill 7 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets |url=http://tvline.com/2013/09/29/how-i-met-your-mother-lyndsy-fonseca-david-henrie-series-finale/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131001044912/http://tvline.com/2013/09/29/how-i-met-your-mother-lyndsy-fonseca-david-henrie-series-finale/ |archive-date=October 1, 2013 |access-date=August 13, 2017 |publisher=TV Line}}</ref><ref>[http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/73351/climatic-end-to-himym-shot-eight-years-ago?ref=search "Climatic End To 'HIMYM' Shot Eight Years Ago,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202183808/http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/73351/climatic-end-to-himym-shot-eight-years-ago?ref=search|date=February 2, 2014}} from AP/TVNewsCheck, January 16, 2014.</ref> Josh Radnor was also told some parts of the finale from the start,<ref>{{cite web |first=Michael|last= O'Connell |date=March 24, 2014 |title='How I Met Your Mother': Josh Radnor Has Always Known (Part of) How It All Ends |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/how-i-met-your-mother-series-finale-josh-radnor-690762 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813112238/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/how-i-met-your-mother-series-finale-josh-radnor-690762 |archive-date=August 13, 2017 |access-date=August 13, 2017 |work=The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref> but neither he nor the rest of the cast were informed how the series would end.<ref>{{cite news |first=Rachel|last= Maresca |date=March 24, 2014 |title='How I Met Your Mother' stars were left guessing about the sitcom's finale |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/met-mother-stars-left-guessing-finale-article-1.1731509 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813104336/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/met-mother-stars-left-guessing-finale-article-1.1731509 |archive-date=August 13, 2017 |access-date=August 13, 2017 |work=The New York Daily News}}</ref>
An alternative cut of the ending appeared on the season nine DVD and the box set. It did not contain any new footage but is edited in a way that changes the fates of Tracy, Robin and Barney. The voiceover is performed by Saget, rather than Radnor, and is completely different.<ref name=":0">{{Cite magazine |last=Kreps |first=Daniel |date=September 6, 2014 |title=Watch the Happier 'How I Met Your Mother' Alternate Ending |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/tv/news/alternate-how-i-met-your-mother-ending-leaks-20140906 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180128021259/https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/news/alternate-how-i-met-your-mother-ending-leaks-20140906 |archive-date=January 28, 2018 |access-date=May 21, 2019 |magazine=Rolling Stone}}</ref>
=== Casting === "Last Forever" stars Josh Radnor, Cobie Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris, Jason Segel, Alyson Hannigan, and Cristin Milioti, as Ted Mosby, Robin Scherbatsky, Barney Stinson, Marshall Eriksen, Lily Aldrin, and The Mother.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sepinwell |first=Alan |author-link=Alan Sepinwall |date=2014-03-31 |title=Series finale review: 'How I Met Your Mother' – 'Last Forever' |url=https://uproxx.com/sepinwall/series-finale-review-how-i-met-your-mother-last-forever-how-they-conned-us-all/ |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=UPROXX |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gans |first=Andrew |date=March 31, 2014 |title=One-Hour Series Finale of "How I Met Your Mother," Starring Neil Patrick Harris, Airs March 31 |url=https://playbill.com/article/one-hour-series-finale-of-how-i-met-your-mother-starring-neil-patrick-harris-airs-march-31-com-216532 |access-date=July 22, 2024 |website=Playbill}}</ref>
Radnor, not Bob Saget, plays future Ted when he appears on camera. During a Reddit Ask Me Anything whether he should have played the role, Saget said that Radnor doing so "felt appropriate to me. It's not ''The Matrix'' where Ted CGI's into a narrator of his voice that was done as a sweet way to tell his story from almost his conscience from the future of his own life".<ref name="sagetama">{{cite web |last=Saget |first=Bob |author-link=Bob Saget |date=April 4, 2014 |title=I'm Bob Saget...comedian, actor and author of the new book DIRTY DADDY....ask me anything! |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/227c04/im_bob_sagetcomedian_actor_and_author_of_the_new/cgk1zxu?context=3 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301004833/https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/227c04/im_bob_sagetcomedian_actor_and_author_of_the_new/cgk1zxu/?context=3 |archive-date=March 1, 2017 |access-date=August 13, 2017 |website=Reddit}}</ref>
=== Music === Everything but the Girl's acoustic cover of the Tom Waits song "Downtown Train" was used in the scene where Ted and The Mother meet at the Farhampton train station. Music supervisor Andy Gowan says that Carter Bays "basically put it in the script, and wrote that script with that song in mind"; Gowan described the song as "heartbreakingly beautiful" and captured both the "sweet and romantic" and the "somber, dark part" of the scene.<ref name=hollywood/>
"Heaven" by The Walkmen features in the final scene of "Last Forever". Gowan said that "it seemed like it was written for our show". Gowan had suggested the song before, especially for use in the season 8 premiere, and said that when he pitched it for use in the season 9 finale, "[the song] was just the one that resonated with all of us the most".<ref name="hollywood">{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/video-how-i-met-your-mother-finale-music-692622|title='How I Met Your Mother' Series Finale: The Story Behind the Music (Video)|first=Ashley|last= Lee|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=April 1, 2014|access-date=August 13, 2017|archive-date=August 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813112142/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/video-how-i-met-your-mother-finale-music-692622|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Reception== === Ratings === Both parts of "Last Forever" aired back-to-back on CBS on March 31, 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Starner |first=Nina |date=2024-03-30 |title='How I Met Your Mother': 10 Years Later, Does the Series Finale Still Not Work? |url=https://www.indiewire.com/features/commentary/how-i-met-your-mother-10-years-anniversary-does-series-finale-work-1234968937/ |access-date=2024-07-20 |website=IndieWire |language=en-US}}</ref> The episodes were watched by 13.13 million viewers in the United States in its original American broadcast and received a 5.4 rating/16% share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49.<ref name="Bibel">{{cite web |last=Bibel |first=Sara |date=April 1, 2014 |title=Monday Final TV Ratings: 'How I Met Your Mother' & 'Dancing With The Stars' Adjusted Up; 'Friends With Better Lives' Adjusted Down |url=https://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/04/01/monday-final-tv-ratings-how-i-met-your-mother-friends-with-better-lives-adjusted-down/249839/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140404082038/https://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/04/01/monday-final-tv-ratings-how-i-met-your-mother-friends-with-better-lives-adjusted-down/249839/ |archive-date=April 4, 2014 |access-date=April 1, 2014 |work=TV by the Numbers |df=mdy-all}}</ref> This marked a significant increase, of over four million viewers, in the ratings from the previous episode, "The End of the Aisle".<ref>{{cite web |last=Kondolojy |first=Amanda |date=March 25, 2014 |title=Monday Final TV Ratings: 'The Voice', 'How I Met Your Mother', 'Castle', & 'Dancing With the Stars' Adjusted Up; 'The Blacklist' & 'Intelligence' Adjusted Down |url=https://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/03/25/monday-final-tv-ratings-the-voice-how-i-met-your-mother-castle-the-blacklist-intelligence-adjusted-down/247722/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140326000616/https://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/03/25/monday-final-tv-ratings-the-voice-how-i-met-your-mother-castle-the-blacklist-intelligence-adjusted-down/247722/ |archive-date=March 26, 2014 |access-date=March 25, 2014 |work=TV by the Numbers |df=mdy-all}}</ref> It also ranks as the most-watched episode of the season, as well as the most-watched episode for the series, beating the season 1 episode "The Pineapple Incident", which was watched by 12.27 million viewers and received a 4.4 rating among adults ages 18–49.<ref name="pineapple">{{cite web |title=November 28–December 4, 2005 weekly program rankings |url=http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=120605_03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150311233430/http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=120605_03 |archive-date=March 11, 2015 |access-date=December 19, 2010 |publisher=ABC Television Group}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Adalian |first=Josef |date=2014-04-01 |title=Ratings: How I Met Your Mother Exits With Its Biggest Audience Ever |url=https://www.vulture.com/2014/04/ratings-how-i-met-your-mother-exits-with-best-numbers-ever.html |access-date=2024-07-18 |website=Vulture |language=en}}</ref> The episode also ranked first in its timeslot and second of the night as a whole.<ref name="Bibel" /><ref name=":1"/>
=== Critical response === [[File:Cristin Milioti July 13, 2014 (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright=1|alt=Refer to caption|Cristin Milioti at NBCUniversal's 2014 Summer TCA Tour]] "Last Forever" received an overwhelmingly negative response from critics and fans of the show alike.<ref name="rottentomatoes1">{{cite web |date=April 2, 2014 |title=HIMYM Tomatometer Watch: Series Finale Currently Rotten - Majority of critics disappointed by 'Last Forever' |url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tv_editorial/news/1930029/himym_tomatometer_watch_series_finale_currently_rotten/?hub=15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140404003126/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tv_editorial/news/1930029/himym_tomatometer_watch_series_finale_currently_rotten/?hub=15 |archive-date=April 4, 2014 |access-date=April 3, 2014 |work=Rotten Tomatoes |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Many viewers expressed considerable dissatisfaction regarding the resolution of Ted's story, his relationship to Robin, and the fate of the titular mother.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sargeant |first=Rebecca |date=2024-04-03 |title=4 Harsh Realities Of How I Met Your Mother's Finale 10 Years After It Aired |url=https://screenrant.com/how-i-met-your-mother-ending-harsh-realities-revisited/ |access-date=2024-07-21 |website=Screen Rant |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |first=James |last= Poniewozik |date=March 31, 2014 |title=How I Met Your Mother Watch: Mate and Switch |url=https://time.com/44702/how-i-met-your-mother-finale-review/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170712063901/http://time.com/44702/how-i-met-your-mother-finale-review/ |archive-date=July 12, 2017 |access-date=August 13, 2017 |magazine=Time Magazine}}</ref> Additionally, the season-long buildup for Barney and Robin's wedding and their divorce 10 minutes into the next episode was criticized.<ref>{{cite web |date=April 1, 2014 |title=How I Met Your Mother: the latest show to fail in the search for a perfect ending |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2014/apr/01/how-i-met-your-mother-fail-perfect-ending |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181022064905/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2014/apr/01/how-i-met-your-mother-fail-perfect-ending |archive-date=October 22, 2018 |access-date=August 13, 2017 |work=Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Poniewozik |first=James |date=2014-04-01 |title=The How I Met Your Mother finale turned the show's nine-year story arc into an elaborate con job. |url=https://time.com/44702/how-i-met-your-mother-finale-review/ |access-date=2024-07-21 |magazine=TIME |language=en}}</ref> Fans took to social media, such as Tumblr and Twitter, to express their disappointment. Some fans joked that the episode was an early April Fools' joke, because it aired on March 31.<ref name="Insider">{{cite web |last=Akuna |first=Kirsten |date=March 31, 2014 |title=Fans Are Not Happy With The 'How I Met Your Mother' Series Finale |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/how-i-met-your-mother-series-finale-reactions-2014-3 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813142453/http://www.businessinsider.com/how-i-met-your-mother-series-finale-reactions-2014-3 |archive-date=August 13, 2017 |access-date=August 13, 2017 |publisher=Business Insider}}</ref>
Many critics noted how the finale disregarded the character development of Ted, Barney and Robin.<ref name=":2">{{cite web |last=St. James |first=Emily |author-link=Emily St. James |date=April 1, 2014 |title=Does How I Met Your Mother's finale ruin it for all time? |url=https://www.avclub.com/does-how-i-met-your-mother-s-finale-ruin-it-for-all-tim-1798180006 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813104444/http://www.avclub.com/review/does-how-i-met-your-mothers-finale-ruin-it-all-tim-202906 |archive-date=August 13, 2017 |access-date=August 13, 2017 |website=The A.V. Club}}</ref><ref name="TV Guide" /><ref name="HitFix">{{cite web |last=Sepinwall |first=Alan |author-link=Alan Sepinwall |date=March 31, 2014 |title=Series finale review: 'How I Met Your Mother' - 'Last Forever': How they conned us all |url=http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/series-finale-review-how-i-met-your-mother-last-forever-how-they-conned-us-all#SS7TYg7ipgfvKEMG.99 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161111052727/http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/series-finale-review-how-i-met-your-mother-last-forever-how-they-conned-us-all#SS7TYg7ipgfvKEMG.99 |archive-date=November 11, 2016 |access-date=August 13, 2017 |website=HitFix}}</ref> ''The A.V. Club''{{'s}} Emily St. James felt that the episode, and the series as a whole, was poorly planned out and that it wasted the audience's time by investing them in Tracy.<ref name=":2" /> Alan Sepinwall of ''HitFix'' cited how the entire ninth season revolved around Barney and Robin's wedding and the chemistry between Harris and Smulders as a reason for the poor reception for the character's split. Sepinwall noted how pre-filming the ending limited the creative options for the series.<ref name="HitFix" /> Donna Bowman of ''The A.V. Club'' labeled Barney's character regression among the worst parts of the episode. She graded the episode a B+, calling the finale "a strange ride, marvelous in some ways, confounding in others. Endings are difficult, and I don't think any objective assessment would say they nailed this one."<ref name=":3">{{cite web |last=Bowman |first=Donna |date=March 31, 2014 |title=Last Forever |url=https://www.avclub.com/how-i-met-your-mother-last-forever-1798180010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813104931/http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/how-i-met-your-mother-last-forever-202887 |archive-date=August 13, 2017 |access-date=August 13, 2017 |website=The A.V. Club}}</ref>
Joyce Eng of ''TV Guide'' said that she'd have preferred Ted not to have ended up with Robin but believed that Carter Bays and Craig Thomas to be "romantics" with a desire to bring the plot back full-circle and reunite the Mother with Max, "her first true love". Though the Mother served as a "cheap plot device" to a degree, Eng said that "Ted's time with her also taught him nothing lasts forever, nothing's perfect. And he needs to move on with his life, but that doesn't make his relationship with The Mother any less important. I don't think the Ted of 2005 would've done the same."<ref name="TV Guide">{{cite web|url=http://www.tvguide.com/news/how-i-met-your-mother-himym-series-finale-recap-1079905/|title=How I Met Your Mother: Was It a Legendary Finale?|first=Joyce|last=Eng|work=TV Guide|date=March 31, 2014|access-date=August 13, 2017|archive-date=August 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813111913/http://www.tvguide.com/news/how-i-met-your-mother-himym-series-finale-recap-1079905/|url-status=live}}</ref>
Saim Cheeda from ''Screen Rant'' was critical of the nature of Mother's death. Cheeda felt that using the Mother's death as a framing device was one of the worst elements of the episode, stating that it was likely one of the main reasons why the finale was so poorly executed.<ref>{{cite web |last=Cheeda |first=Saim |date=May 28, 2020 |title=How I Met Your Mother: 5 Things Fans Hated About The Final Episode (& 5 They Loved) |url=https://screenrant.com/how-i-met-your-mother-finale-episode-things-fans-hated-loved-himym/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200616080740/https://screenrant.com/how-i-met-your-mother-finale-episode-things-fans-hated-loved-himym/ |archive-date=June 16, 2020 |access-date=May 28, 2020 |website=Screen Rant}}</ref> ''The A.V. Club''<nowiki/>'s St. James felt that handling of the death was more disappointing when compared with the unseen character Max's death in "How Your Mother Met Me" from earlier in season 9.<ref name=":3" />
=== Legacy === As of June 2025, "Last Forever: Part Two" is the worst rated episode of the show on IMDb.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Starner |first=Nina |date=2025-01-13 |title=The Worst Episode Of How I Met Your Mother, According To IMDb |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/1754076/how-i-met-your-mother-worst-episode-imdb/ |access-date=2025-08-10 |website=/Film |language=en-US}}</ref> Some fans of the show called on CBS to commission the creators of the show via a Change.org petition to rewrite and reshoot the finale. {{As of|2014|4|2|df=US}}, the petition had received more than 5,000 signatures.<ref>{{cite web |first=Tierney|last= McAfee |date=April 2, 2014 |title='How I Met Your Mother' Ending Petition — Fans Want To Officially Change Finale |url=http://hollywoodlife.com/2014/04/02/how-i-met-your-mother-ending-petition-change-himym-finale/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805010457/http://hollywoodlife.com/2014/04/02/how-i-met-your-mother-ending-petition-change-himym-finale/ |archive-date=August 5, 2017 |access-date=August 13, 2017 |publisher=Hollywood Life}}</ref> On April 5, 2014, Carter Bays announced on Twitter that an alternative ending, from the same filmed material, would be included on the season 9 DVD.<ref>{{cite web |title=Carter Bays on Twitter: "Update for those who've been asking: Alt #himym ending will be on s9 DVD and also in the series box set." |url=https://twitter.com/CarterBays/status/452299544995184640 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160208163155/https://twitter.com/CarterBays/status/452299544995184640 |archive-date=February 8, 2016 |access-date=December 26, 2015 |publisher=Twitter}}</ref>
In the years succeeding its airing, it continued to be singled out as one of television's worst series finales.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last1=Murray |first1=Noel |last2=Grierson |first2=Tim |last3=Fear |first3=David |last4=Collins |first4=Sean |date=May 12, 2015 |title=End Game: TV's Best and Worst Series Finales |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-lists/end-game-tvs-best-and-worst-series-finales-170942/worst-how-i-met-your-mother-171680/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180731123259/https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-lists/end-game-tvs-best-and-worst-series-finales-170942/worst-how-i-met-your-mother-171680/ |archive-date=July 31, 2018 |access-date=July 31, 2018 |magazine=Rolling Stone}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|first=Tyler|last=McCarthy|url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/10-of-the-best-and-worst-tv-series-finales-through-the-years/|title=10 of the best and worst TV series finales through the years|website=Fox News|date=March 20, 2018|access-date=July 31, 2018|archive-date=July 31, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180731093655/http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2018/04/03/10-best-and-worst-tv-series-finales-through-years.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The episodes topped ''USA Today''{{'}}s 2018 list of "Worst Series Finales of All Time".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2018/05/31/series-finales-10-best-and-five-worst-all-time-americans-breaking-bad-mash-lost-himym-newhart-cheers/636504002/|title=The 10 best (and five worst) TV series finales of all time|first=Kelly|last= Lawler|work=USA Today|access-date=30 July 2018|date=31 May 2018|archive-date=June 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190618044133/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2018/05/31/series-finales-10-best-and-five-worst-all-time-americans-breaking-bad-mash-lost-himym-newhart-cheers/636504002/|url-status=live}}</ref> Writing for ''Business Insider'', Carrie Wittmer placed the episodes 10th on her 2018 list of the worst series finales. Wittmer felt it was worse than the ''Gossip Girl'' (2007–2012) finale "New York, I Love You XOXO" (2012) and the ''Roseanne'' (1988–1997) finale "Into That Good Night" (1997), but better than the ''Dexter'' (2006–2013) finale "Remember the Monsters?" (2013). She added that not only was the conclusion predictable, but it harmed the rewatchability of the series as a whole.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wittmer |first=Carrie |date=June 12, 2018 |title=The 12 worst TV series finales of all time, from 'Seinfeld' to 'Girls' |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/12-worst-series-finales-of-all-time-seinfeld-girls-dexter-2018-6#how-i-met-your-mother-season-9-episodes-23-24-last-forever-3 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180731093506/https://www.businessinsider.com/12-worst-series-finales-of-all-time-seinfeld-girls-dexter-2018-6#how-i-met-your-mother-season-9-episodes-23-24-last-forever-3 |archive-date=July 31, 2018 |access-date=July 31, 2018 |website=Business Insider}}</ref>
The cast had varying opinions of the finale, with Radnor and Hannigan criticizing it and Harris and Smulders praising it.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Boyle |first=Michael |date=2022-04-15 |title=How I Met Your Mother Ending Explained: We May Have Been Too Harsh |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/833484/how-i-met-your-mother-ending-explained-we-may-have-been-too-harsh/ |access-date=2024-08-18 |website=/Film |language=en-US}}</ref> Segel has stated that he has not viewed it.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hegarty |first=Tasha |date=28 October 2017 |title=Jason Segel still hasn't seen the HIMYM series finale |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a841723/jason-segel-still-has-not-seen-how-i-met-your-mother-series-finale/ |access-date=2025-08-10 |website=Digital Spy |language=en-GB}}</ref> In a 2014 interview with David Letterman, Harris spoke about the ending:<blockquote>Some people just hated it, and I think that that's a compliment to the show in a weird way because it means that they have grown up with these characters and feel like they wanted it to go a certain way, though I think it's great. But our show really did cross the line between funny funny and really serious, and that was kind of the balance that this show had. And as the show grew up, and as we grew up in the show, it ended in a more adult way and I think it was a nice, reflective, kind of sad, but happy ending to a long, long story.<ref>{{cite web |date=April 25, 2014 |title=Neil Patrick Harris on the HIMYM Finale Controversy |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkoADTgtx0M |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141106064348/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkoADTgtx0M |archive-date=November 6, 2014 |access-date=August 13, 2017 |publisher=Late Show with David Letterman |via=YouTube}}</ref></blockquote>
==References== {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
==External links== * {{IMDb episode|3415302|Last Forever: Part One}} * {{IMDb episode|3415304|Last Forever: Part Two}}
{{How I Met Your Mother episodes|9}}
Category:2010s American television series finales Category:2014 American television episodes Category:How I Met Your Mother season 9 episodes