What got fans most frustrated, however, was the final season. Season nine almost entirely focused on Barney and Robin’s wedding weekend, making it slow and repetitive. The mother appeared very late and had incredibly limited screen time. And to make matters worse, Ted’s character development was entirely undone by one move: making him go back to Robin after she gets divorced and the mother dies years later. 

Viewers were left thinking, “All of this mystery and delayed reveal for Ted to go back to Robin—seriously?” We could have appreciated the show if it ended in four seasons, with more screen time for the mother.