Speaking with TVLine at Friday night’s Taste for a Cure event in Los Angeles, HIMYM vet Alyson Hannigan said that the finale that aired last month was some 18 minute shorters than the script they worked off of at a “perfect” table read. “But [the full script] was also much more heart-wrenching,” she shared, “which maybe people wouldn’t have liked.”
Among the deleted scenes was what Hannigan described as a “one-second” montage of title character Tracy’s funeral. Instead, viewers only learned from Narrator Ted that the kids’ mother had become ill, then passed away — some time before he decided to rekindle things with their “Aunt” Robin.
“Honestly, if you saw [that] cut, it would be even more heart-wrenching than what the finale was,” Hannigan noted. “They were like, ‘No. It’s just too gut-wrenching.’ And I was like, ‘That’s what I want. I want my heart ripped out and slammed on the floor and, like, stomped on!’”
Hannigan also believes that missing moment “would have been better for the audience, so that then they can process, ‘Oh, [Ted] mourned. He got closure’ — and then they’d be happy that [he and Robin] got together. Rather than be like, ‘Oh, wait. She died? What? They’re together, huh?’ And credits. That’s what I think was too fast.”
Among the deleted scenes was what Hannigan described as a “one-second” montage of title character Tracy’s funeral. Instead, viewers only learned from Narrator Ted that the kids’ mother had become ill, then passed away — some time before he decided to rekindle things with their “Aunt” Robin.
“Honestly, if you saw [that] cut, it would be even more heart-wrenching than what the finale was,” Hannigan noted. “They were like, ‘No. It’s just too gut-wrenching.’ And I was like, ‘That’s what I want. I want my heart ripped out and slammed on the floor and, like, stomped on!’”
Hannigan also believes that missing moment “would have been better for the audience, so that then they can process, ‘Oh, [Ted] mourned. He got closure’ — and then they’d be happy that [he and Robin] got together. Rather than be like, ‘Oh, wait. She died? What? They’re together, huh?’ And credits. That’s what I think was too fast.”
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Would have been very very slightly better.
ReplyDeleteIt would not have made me accepting Robin/Ted. That's a ship that shouldnt have sailed.
ReplyDeleteBut it would have at least put more closure on the Tracy/Ted story than the off screen death they tried.
Instead of me giving it a 1/10, maybe I would have given it a 3/10.
Maaaybe it would have been a little better, but it still would have been pretty putrid in my opinion. Ugh
ReplyDeleteIt may have helped some fans transition better. Also I think they could have used a commercial break after Ted revealed she got sick (I don't think there was one but I always remove commercials so I'm not sure). Let some of the viewers breathe before moving on so quickly.
ReplyDeleteNot sure either was needed though as it was never really about the mother.
Frankly a number of fans were just not going to be happy with any finale that fit what the series was doing from Episode 1. They wanted Barney and Robin together forever and Ted and Tracy together forever and it just was not about that.
I am so curious to see the alternate ending since I wonder if it will even satisfy the fans who have the most complaints! XD
I find it all so sad though...
As the older Ted narrated in Episode 5x19, "You can't just make up a new ending because you didn't like the original!"
Kinda the point of the entire series! XD
For the ending that they had, the final season had the wrong structure. The last hour long episode *should* have been the season.
ReplyDeleteSpending an entire season on a wedding that ends in ten minutes... off screen... that's just a bad writing decision right there.
And, if they had extended those last two episodes to the entire season instead of wasting time on an ultimately pointless wedding, they could have had a few episodes to show Ted *deal* with the illness and the tragically untimely death of his wife...
It seems like the entire 9th season was a miniature version of the series come to think of it. The entire season focused on a wedding that was pointless, and the entire series focuses on *the mother* who, in the end, was *not* the one Ted ended up with. :D :D
I suspected they cut a scene like this. I got the fact that he mourned for 6 years, but even for me the transition was a little jarring. An emotional funeral scene would have aided that transition for a lot of people. But then again the people that are just 100% against Ted/Robin...well, there would be no appeasing them regardless. Haters gonna hate.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I sincerely hope they include every scene they cut from the finale. I feel like the exact scenes they cut (the Ted/Robin scene, the funeral scene, etc), while not crucial to the storyline, would've really accented the ending well.
"You can't just make up a new ending because you didn't like the original!"
ReplyDeleteAnd now we hear they are going to put another version of the ending in the DVD or something. :D
Exactly! XD
ReplyDeleteSometimes I think I have gotten over the ending and forgotten about it. Then I see random references to it and I'm like nope not over it ending still sucked and ruined the story.
ReplyDelete