The blue French horn or the yellow umbrella?

Should the writers have picked Robin or the Mother for Ted?

I agree with the unsilent minority (majority?) of fans who thinks Ted should have ended up with Tracey, full stop. Although, divorced from context, the series finale is a damn fine episode of television and one of the best "wrap up" finales in TV history. It's just the "It was REALLY all about Robin!" thing that kills it for me.

Maybe that was the idea originally. And if the show was, say, 5 seasons (I believe that's what the producers originally wanted to do) it would've worked. But not after 9 years and all of the character's progress and development (especially Barney's and Ted's, which is just thrown out the window Robin opens to see Ted holding up that damn French horn!)

The biggest thing for me is that Robin spends WAY more time during the series interested in/attracted to/jealous over Barney than Ted. Ted almost seemed like the 3rd wheel there. Robin barely seemed into Ted, and she was constantly rejecting him and telling him she didn't love him "in that way."

Written differently? Sure, the "twist" that it was "always about Robin" could have worked, but not how they did it.

So what's the solution? I know they wanted to save the first meeting with the Mother until the very end, but maybe if they had moved it up and made her a real part of the show? Because I absolutely loved Tracey's character and the actress who played her, so more of her couldn't have hurt.

Ultimately the show was, creatively, a victim of its own killer success. Frankly they should've taken a page from Vince Gilligan's playbook with Breaking Bad and said, "When the story's over, it's over." I imagine AMC probably offered that guy 10 million for another season of Heisenberg, but he knew what was best for the story. The HIMYM producers should've stuck to the original plan. Honestly, they could've excised AT LEAST an entire season right there in the middle with Sarah Chalke's Stella and the engagement and break-up, etc. They could've cut a lot of fat with Nora, too, since they sort of repeat the same "Barney's in a serious, committed relationship now" story with both Quinn and Robin. Marshall's dad dying was pivotal to his character so that stays.

I dunno. Thoughts? How could the writers have stuck the landing? And would the show losing a few seasons improve the quality? I know it seems crazy to wish for LESS of something you really like but oftentimes, less is more.