5 Things We Loved About the HIMYM Finale — and 5 Things We Didn't

Marshall and Lily are not the focus of the finale, but we do get a peek into their very happy future. Lily is expecting a third baby, and Marshall is a judge, and he even gets a call for the Supreme Court. I love that HIMYM's cutest married couple stays together and continues to grow. Their bond has been a huge anchor for the show, and now there are three little Eriksons!

For the past few seasons, we've been fed the romance between Barney and Robin — the entire past season has been dedicated to their wedding! — and instead of following through with a relationship we've invested so much emotion into, the characters get divorced after three years. It's necessary to the plot the writers are going for, but it's such a bummer.

After Barney divorces Robin, he goes right back to his old womanizing ways. It sucks to see all the progress Barney has made becoming a more mature adult over the years get erased so quickly. He makes a new playbook and gets back in the pickup line business. It's just not as funny as it used to be.

Following a misstep during Barney's mission to bed 31 women in 31 days (the "perfect month"), Barney finds out Number 31 is pregnant. Though he doesn't want to meet the little girl at first, he instantly falls in love when he sees her face. He calls her the love of his life and promises her everything he has (the thing he had just told Lily he'd never say to a girl), and we all melted.

Wait, so Barney has a baby with "Number 31," and we don't even get to meet her? The mother of his child? No. Do not accept.

Barney gets to sow his wild oats, Ted gets married, and Robin . . . is miserable. Sure, she has her booming career, but she's so sad for 15 years until, well . . . we'll get to that in a minute. The point is: I don't like this part of the story.

After seeing nine seasons of Ted and one season of Tracy in separate circles, it is supremely satisfying to see them have their first conversation, under the protective shield of the infamous yellow umbrella, no less.

I was sad to see the theories were correct: Tracy gets sick and dies after spending years by Ted's side and giving him two children. It feels a little cheap to have her die after all this build-up, and, yes, I did cry.

My sadness over the mother's death was eclipsed by my happiness when Ted, with the blessing of his teenage kids, finally asks Robin out by appearing outside her window with the blue french horn. Sigh. We knew they were meant to be.