Dominic Piacentini
A&E Editor
In 2005, a new pilot entered the foray of sitcoms and dramas with an original and interesting premise. “How I Met Your Mother” tells the story, not surprisingly, of how Ted Mosby met and fell in love with the woman he would later marry and have two children with. Naturally the ambiguous mother would not be met until the end of the series. But eight seasons have now passed, and Ted is no closer to meeting his wife.
Fans of both the show and math have realized that, after Season Eight, one more season is literally the most they could stretch out the story of Ted’s courtship. Voiced by Bob Saget, future Ted’s nostalgic monologues take place in 2030, and after nine seasons the characters will be set in the year 2014. That allows Ted sixteen years to meet his wife, marry her, and raise two high-school-aged teens. Needless to say, Ted will be moving fast.
The first episode began by introducing Robin Scherbatsky as Ted’s date and eventual girlfriend. Viewers were left surprised at the end of the episode by learning that Robin was definitely not going to be Ted’s wife. The writers and directors of the show have done an incredible job creating passion and tension in a relationship whose ending was known from day one — helped by the incredible on-screen chemistry between Ted and Robin’s actors, Josh Radnor and Cobie Smulders. Instead, Robin fell in love with the outlandish Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris). The core cast also includes college sweethearts Marshall Eriksen (Jason Segel) and Lily Aldrin (Alyson Hannigan).
The show takes off with five flawed 20-year-olds living in New York City. Robin cannot commit to relationships, Barney is a serial playboy disguising any genuine feelings with ploys to get girls into bed, Lily does not know what she is looking for in the world, Marshall struggles to follow his dream to be an environmental lawyer and Ted seriously doubts that his wish to find and marry the perfect woman will ever happen. After eight seasons, I would say his doubt is certainly justified.
Over the seasons we see Robin, Barney, Lily and Marshall overcome their obstacles and develop into more stable adults. In other words, their storylines have plateaued. The only real drama left in the comedy is its titular theme. Over eight seasons, Ted routinely messes up his relationships or gets his heart broken. These break-ups allowed Ted to become just the type of guy who would fall for another girl often held in less esteem by the audience. Each girlfriend seemed to get worse and worse, as did Ted’s neuroses. The most recent episode, “The Time Travelers,” was comprised solely of an imaginary conversation Ted had with future versions of himself alone at a bar.
So what has happened to the show’s promising beginnings? Simply put, there have been too many seasons. In the pilot, viewers were promised something, and eight seasons later we have made no further ground — except for the fact that Ted’s friends have seemingly progressed to their happy endings.
Just as the story arcs have gone stale, so has the humor. “How I Met Your Mother” focuses its humor into recurring tropes (i.e. “Major Problem,” Barney’s play book, and eating sandwiches). It was this style of comedy that made the earlier filler episodes worthwhile and engaging, but after nine years, the same reiterated jokes just aren’t as funny anymore.
Jason Segel, along with many fans, wanted to end “How I Met Your Mother” this year with Season Eight. The directors had two plans that would stem from the mid-season finale. One would bind together the few remaining strings and conclude the series with Season Eight. The other would draw out Ted’s antics for another year and a half. Next year “How I Met Your Mother,” will enter the ninth and, hopefully, final season, and viewers will finally meet Ted’s wife. The question is: by then, will anybody really care?