Saying Goodbye To How I Met Your Mother

This Monday, the 23rd of September will mark a sad day for me and other fans of How I Met Your Mother. It's the final season premiere that the show will enjoy after 8 great seasons. I can't say that I'm as dedicated to the show as those who have actually been following the show since it's debut in 2004. I only began watching the show this past year and finished the eighth season this past May. That being said, I still love the show dearly and I will miss it when it reaches the end of this season.

The modern sitcom arrived in the form of Seinfeld, a show that was literally about nothing. It was just the rather monotonous adventures of a group of friends in New York City. Before Seinfeld, sitcoms were usually about families that would try to appeal to a certain demographic while preaching family values relevant to said demographic. Following Seinfeld came shows like Friends and How I Met Your Mother. However, I really don't like to compare How I Met Your Mother to any of it's contemporaries because it's a show all it's own. In Ted Mosby, Robin Sherbatsky, Marshall Eriksen, Lily Aldrin, and Barney Stinson we had five characters that we could relate to. These are five characters that everyone seems to have in their life. We all know a Ted Mosby, that hopeless romantic who seems to just have the worst luck when it comes to dating. We all know a Lily Aldrin, the mother figure who you can always talk to when you have a problem. We all know a Barney Stinson, that guy who can cheer you up no matter how down you because he's that awesome. We all know a Marshall Eriksen, that guy in your life who has a fantastic moral compass. We all know a Robin, that girl who will always be your bro. How I Met Your Mother always seems to have the viewer in mind, always hitting you in spots emotionally because you've been in those situations with the characters. It's rare in a show with a laugh track that you can get characters that feel real and that you can actually grow a personal attachment to. These are characters who encounter the trials and tribulations that anyone goes through. Part of How I Met Your Mother's appeal is to make the mundane problems that all of us face in our lives compelling watching material. Everyone can pick one episode of How I Met Your Mother and say that they have been through that same situation before.

One of the great criticisms of How I Met Your Mother is how long the show has run. At times, the show seemed to forget it's original premise of being a story about how Ted went on to meet his future wife. In the more recent seasons, Ted's adventure was passed over in order for the four other main characters to develop and face their own challenges. Barney began to mature, Robin began to change her outlook on life, Marshall and Lily struggled with the challenges of married life and parenthood. Meanwhile, Ted's goals took a backseat. It felt as if the show had begun to neglect it's original premise. This causes many people who don't follow the show avidly to say things like "jeez how long does it take to tell the story of how you met your wife?" However, this show has always been more about the journey than it has been about the destination. The show isn't titled "How I Met Your Mother, Had Kids, and Spent the Rest of my life with her." No this show is about the journey that everyone faces when they're looking for the love of their life. Love stinks, love can hurt, you're going to date many people and get your heart broken several times before finally finding that person that you truly love. Some people have it easy, like Marshall and Lily, but they're often the exception to the norm. Ted's story is one that everyone has experience a bit of at some point.

So as How I Met Your Mother begins it's final season on Monday, I will watch it with a bittersweet taste in my mouth. I'm going to miss this show, it's characters, it's antics, and it's lessons. I personnally believe that the show is the best sitcom of it's generation and actually deserves a mention when discussing the best shows of the past ten years. In an age where sitcoms have been declining as most comedies now are single camera shows without laugh tracks (The Office, 30 Rock, Modern Family) How I Met Your Mother still manages to be relevant and fresh while enjoying the kind of longevity that shows kill for nowadays. I will enjoy this final season, but I will also a little sad when it finally comes to an end. Nevertheless, How I Met Your Mother will continue to occupy a special place in my heart.