It's no secret that the ending of How I Met Your Mother is divisive, going down in history alongside endings like The Sopranos or Lost in terms of how controversial it was in the eyes of fans of the show. Some fans believe it wasted years upon years of storytelling and foreshadowing for a possibly flawed relationship, and others find it sobering and true to the series.
Nonetheless, even with the show's unpopular ending, the final season still retains elements that have been there ever since the first season of How I Met Your Mother, and that fans believe is essential to making the show what it is.
9 The Show's Outlandish Nature
Some sitcoms attempt to be grounded in reality, contrasting the humor of their protagonists with an understandable, relatable mundanity. How I Met Your Mother is not one of these things, with the characters getting into absurd situations, in an absurd world, while acting absurdly.
This is an element that is retained throughout the show, all the way through the ninth season. Barney trapping his parents in a lift and reaching a level of drunkenness that forces him to tell the truth fit right in with the show's tone, and show that it isn't pulling its punches in its final season.
8 The Use Of Unconventional Storytelling Techniques
Part of what sets How I Met Your Mother apart from other sitcoms, from as early in its run as Season 1, is how much it leans into its nature as a story being told by one of the characters. The show has never been afraid of making use of unusual storytelling techniques that lean into this.
Continuing through Season 9, the story delights fans by continuing to be told with flashbacks, flashforwards, Ted's narration contradicting his and others' dialogue, unreliable narration, parts of stories being forgotten, stories within stories, and more.
7 A Strong Cast Of Supporting Characters
Unlike many other sitcoms, How I Met Your Mother keeps a large and well-developed cast of supporting characters ready to use to aid plotlines, and many of these have become fan-favorites over the years. From the very first, taxi driver Ranjit, to Marshall's attractive lawyer friend and rival Brad, to Robin's work colleague Patrice.
These characters are often every bit as strange as the main characters, reinforcing that the world the show is set in is different from ours, in intensity if nothing else. As a result, fans were happy when these characters continued to reappear all the way through to the show's end, with many attending the wedding.
6 Blending Humor & Emotion
In the vein of Friends before it, How I Met Your Mother is not afraid of throwing emotional punches with its storylines, especially towards the conclusion of a season. Events like Barney meeting his father, Ted and Barney's 'break-up,' or Marshall's father's death are treated with gravitas, but not without forgetting that the show is a sitcom, and therefore funny.
The show never drops this, with the blend of tragedy and comedy reappearing throughout the show. A petty argument between Robin and Barney's mother over eggs turns into Loretta unintentionally throwing Robin's infertility in her face, James' brash behavior is revealed to be because of his divorce, and more.
5 Consistent Running Jokes
Fans have estimated that there are over two hundred running jokes through How I Met Your Mother's runtime, some of which are just for the audience, and some of which are the characters themselves actually maintaining realistic running jokes within their group.
These are some of the most consistent pieces of humor in the show, with nearly every episode being guaranteed to have at least some. Even in the last season, some are maintained; others, such as Barney's job, are given closure; and there are even new ones produced, such as Lily's helpful bartender, Linus.
4 Meaningful Aesops, When Appropriate
Sitcoms rarely delight fans by being preachy. While they can carry messages in them, many viewers find that a sitcom going out of its way to present an Aesop takes them out of the show, and detracts from the comedy. Nonetheless, How I Met Your Mother does, from time to time, spell out a message, usually in Ted's narration.
This is somewhat justified in that Ted is telling the story to his young adult children, and often ends episodes reflecting on incidents. As a result, episodes of the show contain messages like not rushing into things, especially late at night; that a person isn't nearly as cool when drunk as they think they are; and that you have to think about who might be being hurt by your actions. These run throughout the show, in every season.
3 Lily & Marshall's Healthy Relationship
The 'beta couple' in a show typically refers to the steady, less dramatic couple in how that is used to contrast the more tumultuous relationship of the main character and their love interest. Lily and Marshall serve as this for How I Met Your Mother, without ever becoming boring or unpleasant to watch.
Their relationship is one of the first elements of the show viewers are introduced to, and while they have numerous storylines exploring issues in their relationship—and even a temporary break-up—ultimately their storylines are about them coming together as a couple to overcome issues. This continues through to the finale where, despite their struggles, they remain together and happy, and eventually help each other's dreams come true. Keeping this relationship at the forefront satisfies many fans, especially when the other relationships turn bleak.
2 A Consistent Focus On Friendship
Despite the show's name emphasizing romance, and the plethora of romantic storylines throughout, How I Met Your Mother has always had a strong emphasis on the importance of friendship. Throughout, there are storylines that focus on maintaining friendships, the impacts romantic relationships can have on friendships, and ones where friends are equated in importance to romantic partners.
This persists throughout the show, even in the romantically inclined nature of a season dedicated to a wedding. One of the most significant conflicts in Season 9 is with Ted and Barney's friendship, as they attempt to navigate Barney getting married, Ted's feelings for Robin, and Ted preparing to leave New York.
1 The Theme Of Growing Up
How I Met Your Mother didn't break new ground by being the story of a group of twentysomethings navigating the struggles of growing older, but fans nonetheless enjoyed the recurring theme of the characters having to mature and deal with the consequences of growing older, especially when spelled out in episodes like "The Murtaugh List."
This theme remained consistent, with a major part of Barney's arc in the finale being him finally maturing as he becomes a father. While the finale is controversial, many fans appreciated seeing Barney finally leave behind his playboy lifestyle.