Home > How I Met Your Mother > Season 9 « TV Series Page How I Met Your Mother: Season 9 (2013 - 2014) SEASON: Season 9 Season 1 Season 2 Season 3 Season 4 Season 5 Season 6 Season 7 Season 8 Season 9 Want to see Episode List Season 9 How I Met Your Mother Critics Consensus How I Met Your Mother ends not with a bang, not with a whimper, but with an uneven final season that captures the show's best and worst tendencies. 75% TOMATOMETER Critic Ratings: 20 72% Audience Score User Ratings: 1047 NEW More Info × Close Want to see Super Reviewer Submit Super Reviewer Edit Review Episodes 1 The Locket Air date: Sep 23, 2013 In the first episode of the ninth and final series, the gang all travel to Long Island for Robin and Barney's wedding, but the happy couple make a startling discovery about their families en route. On his way back from Minnesota, Marshall is horrified to see that his mother has posted a picture online giving away the fact that he has accepted his dream job without consulting Lily first. Lily has an important encounter on the train, and realises that Ted hasn't dealt with his feelings for Robin. More 2 Last Time in New York Air date: Sep 30, 2013 Brand new series: Marshall struggles to find a way to get back to New York in time for the wedding and is forced to take to the road in a gas-guzzling car. When James reveals that he has cheated on his husband Tom and is getting a divorce, Robin worries about how Barney will react to the news. Ted frets about being the only single man at the wedding and staying alone at a romantic hotel. More 3 Last Time in New York (Episode 3) Air date: Sep 30, 2013 Brand new series: Lily catches a glimpse of the list of things Ted wants to do in New York before he moves to Chicago and frets that she is the only person who knows about his plans. Robin and Barney realise they have very little time together before their elderly relatives arrive for the wedding. When Lily discovers that Ted and Marshall accidentally destroyed her best dress, she gets her own back. More 4 The Broken Code Air date: Oct 7, 2013 Brand new series: During a poker game night, Barney works through his anger at Ted after finding out that Ted still has feelings for Robin. Although he still hasn't made it back to the gang, Marshall helps to settle their dispute by taking on the role of judge via Skype. Lily realises she is Robin's only girlfriend, and that while she is in Rome for a year Robin could be lonely, so she tries to find her a new female pal. More 5 The Poker Game Air date: Oct 14, 2013 During a pre-wedding game of poker, Robin wins James's ring but refuses to give it back, angering Barney's mother Loretta (guest star Frances Conroy). Barney hates having to choose sides between his fiancée and his family, but Lily coaches him on how to handle the emotional minefield. Ted and Marshall get into a dispute about wedding gifts and thank-you notes that may or may not have been sent in the past. More 6 Knight Vision Air date: Oct 21, 2013 Ted finds himself with three prospects to be his date for the wedding weekend, but chooses poorly about which one to spend time with. Feeling judged on their messy past by the stern minister who is going to marry them, Barney and Robin steal Marshall and Lily's sweet story about how they first met. During their long journey, Marshall finds out more about his driving companion, Daphne. More 7 No Questions Asked Air date: Oct 28, 2013 Brand new series: Daphne sends a text message to Lily, revealing the truth about Marshall becoming a judge. Marshall begs Ted to sneak into Lily's room while she's asleep and delete the text, invoking the gang's 'no questions asked' rule so that he won't know why. But when Barney and Robin try to help Ted, they realise that they keep acting on their own initiative without consulting each other. More 8 The Lighthouse Air date: Nov 4, 2013 Brand new series: When Robin and Loretta's conflict escalates, Barney is caught in the middle. Marshall and Daphne deal with a stowaway on their road trip, and Ted and Cassie try to enjoy a trip to a lighthouse. More 9 Platonish Air date: Nov 11, 2013 Brand new series: Robin is upset to discover that her mother can't come to the wedding. In flashback, the gang recall the evening six months earlier when Barney accepted a series of romantic challenges from Lily and Robin, and ponder the nature of the ever-changing love triangle between Ted, Robin and Barney. Bryan Cranston guest stars. More 10 Mom and Dad Air date: Nov 18, 2013 Robin is concerned about what's on Barney's mind after his father arrives at the hotel, while Ted is up in arms when one of his wedding chores doesn't go as planned and he believes he was sabotaged. More Show More Episodes How I Met Your Mother: Season 9 Photos View All Photos (19) Tv Season Info The popular sitcom's ninth and final series transpires almost entirely during the wedding weekend of Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) and Robin (Cobie Smulders). The series moves to Long Island as the happy couple and married friends Marshall (Jason Segel) and Lily (Allyson Hannigan) and the ever-unlucky at love Ted (Josh Radnor) prep for the big event. The two-day gathering is rife with plenty of familial shenanigans and escapades as the soon-to-be-marrieds deal with problems that include Robin's disagreement with Barney's mother and brother, and Robin and Barney's holy row with the minister who is to officiate the ceremony. On the day of the nuptials, she and the gang contend with a massively hungover groom-to-be and try to concoct one of his---wait for it---legendary Stinson Hangover Fixer Elixirs. The highlight of the series is the addition of the young woman (Cristin Milioti, who was introduced in the Series 8 finale) who would become Ted's bride and the mother of his son and daughter. In the series finale, Ted tells his children the conclusion to the tale of how he and their mother finally became a couple, and the episode also offers details of what the future held for Barney, Robin, Marshall and Lily. Genre: Comedy Network: CBS Premiere Date: Sep 23, 2013 Cast Josh Radnor as Ted Jason Segel as Marshall Alyson Hannigan as Lily Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Cobie Smulders as Robin Cristin Milioti as The Mother Bob Saget Wayne Brady as James Robert Belushi as Linus Sherri Shepherd as Daphne Marshall Manesh as Ranjit Roger Bart as Curtis Lyndsy Fonseca as Daughter David Henrie as Son Frances Conroy as Loretta Lou Cutell as Uncle Mort Anna Camp as Cassie Joe Nieves as Carl Marjorie Lovett as Aunt Muriel William Zabka as Himself Andrew Rannells as Darren Tim Gunn as Himself Judith Drake as Bernice Ben Vereen as Sam Gibbs Suzie Plakson as Judy Joie Magidow as Elderly Relative Chris Elliott as Mickey Rachel Bilson as Cindy Saudia Rashed as Nurse Jonathan Craig Williams as Cop Cristine Rose as Virginia Jason Boggs as Packers Fan Courtney Hope Turner as Girl Spencer Ralston as Marvin Chris Kattan as Ned Moseby Bryan Cranston as Hammond Druthers Sarah Chalke as Stella Sherry Stringfield as Daphne John Lithgow as Jerry Lin-Manuel Miranda as Gus Brooke Lynn Howard as Sexy Girl No. 1 Ramon Hilario as Crusty Old Guy Cynthia Murell as Gorgeous Woman Justene Alpert as Sexy Girl No. 2 Napoleon Ryan as Claude Alexandria Skaltsounis as Erin David Mattey as Animal Trainer Ahna O'Reilly as Kelly Taran Killam as Gary Blauman Emily C. Chang as Steph Michael Edwin as Eddie James Van Der Beek as Simon Ashley Williams as Victoria Cate Scott Campbell as Lisa Ray Wise as Robin Sr. Jon Heder as Narshall Emily Y. Chang as Steph Patrick Kang as 22-Year-Old Guy Kerrigan Milker as Girl Edward Herrmann as Rev. Lowell Emily Chang as Steph Di Koob as Lauren Kenzo Lee as Young Man Abby Elliott as Jeanette Mariangela Pagan as Mother Lucy Hale as Katie David Grammer as Old Sailor Guy Christine Donlon as Toby India de Beaufort as Sophia Stephen Grove Malloy as Budi Harry Groener as Clint Stephanie Lynn as Meredith Mark Derwin as Greg Michael Rider as Knight Templar Sharline Liu as Photographer Angela Sprinkle as Madeleine Meagan Tandy Ellen D. Williams as Patrice Matt Boren as Stuart Bill Fagerbakke as Marvin Sr. Barbara Nathanson as Grandma Melissa Tang as Amanda Virginia Williams as Claudia Sarah Karges as Elaine Joe O'Connor as Cassie's Dad Nick Kocher as Kyle Katie Silverman as Little Girl Brian McElhaney as Justin Jeff Grace (II) as Delivery Guy Dexter Cross as Little Boy Sheldon Coolman as Shop Owner Joshua Hoover as Wesley Adam Paul as Mitch Rob Gleeson as Waiter Kevin Fabian as Maitre d' Louis Ferrigno Jr. as Louis Katie Norman as Tribe Leader Matt Walsh as Capt. Deardruff Rudy Villagrana as Gate Agent Skyler Vallo as Grace Kyla-Drew Simmons as Shondra Alex Scott as Young Woman Benjamin Byron Davis as Burly Guy Alex Staggs as Operator Wayne Temple as Security Guard Tre Moye as Bellhop Bruno Amato as Cop Michael James Bell as Flight Attendant Alexandra Siegel as Shelly Elizabeth Pan as Spa Attendant Amaris Davidson as Julie Sawyer Adiram as Young Ted Show More Cast News & Interviews for How I Met Your Mother: Season 9 Now Streaming: The Walking Dead, The Double, and More Fincher Looks to the "Zodiac" View All How I Met Your Mother: Season 9 News Episodes 1 The Locket Air date: Sep 23, 2013 In the first episode of the ninth and final series, the gang all travel to Long Island for Robin and Barney's wedding, but the happy couple make a startling discovery about their families en route. On his way back from Minnesota, Marshall is horrified to see that his mother has posted a picture online giving away the fact that he has accepted his dream job without consulting Lily first. Lily has an important encounter on the train, and realises that Ted hasn't dealt with his feelings for Robin. More 2 Last Time in New York Air date: Sep 30, 2013 Brand new series: Marshall struggles to find a way to get back to New York in time for the wedding and is forced to take to the road in a gas-guzzling car. When James reveals that he has cheated on his husband Tom and is getting a divorce, Robin worries about how Barney will react to the news. Ted frets about being the only single man at the wedding and staying alone at a romantic hotel. More 3 Last Time in New York (Episode 3) Air date: Sep 30, 2013 Brand new series: Lily catches a glimpse of the list of things Ted wants to do in New York before he moves to Chicago and frets that she is the only person who knows about his plans. Robin and Barney realise they have very little time together before their elderly relatives arrive for the wedding. When Lily discovers that Ted and Marshall accidentally destroyed her best dress, she gets her own back. More 4 The Broken Code Air date: Oct 7, 2013 Brand new series: During a poker game night, Barney works through his anger at Ted after finding out that Ted still has feelings for Robin. Although he still hasn't made it back to the gang, Marshall helps to settle their dispute by taking on the role of judge via Skype. Lily realises she is Robin's only girlfriend, and that while she is in Rome for a year Robin could be lonely, so she tries to find her a new female pal. More 5 The Poker Game Air date: Oct 14, 2013 During a pre-wedding game of poker, Robin wins James's ring but refuses to give it back, angering Barney's mother Loretta (guest star Frances Conroy). Barney hates having to choose sides between his fiancée and his family, but Lily coaches him on how to handle the emotional minefield. Ted and Marshall get into a dispute about wedding gifts and thank-you notes that may or may not have been sent in the past. More 6 Knight Vision Air date: Oct 21, 2013 Ted finds himself with three prospects to be his date for the wedding weekend, but chooses poorly about which one to spend time with. Feeling judged on their messy past by the stern minister who is going to marry them, Barney and Robin steal Marshall and Lily's sweet story about how they first met. During their long journey, Marshall finds out more about his driving companion, Daphne. More 7 No Questions Asked Air date: Oct 28, 2013 Brand new series: Daphne sends a text message to Lily, revealing the truth about Marshall becoming a judge. Marshall begs Ted to sneak into Lily's room while she's asleep and delete the text, invoking the gang's 'no questions asked' rule so that he won't know why. But when Barney and Robin try to help Ted, they realise that they keep acting on their own initiative without consulting each other. More 8 The Lighthouse Air date: Nov 4, 2013 Brand new series: When Robin and Loretta's conflict escalates, Barney is caught in the middle. Marshall and Daphne deal with a stowaway on their road trip, and Ted and Cassie try to enjoy a trip to a lighthouse. More 9 Platonish Air date: Nov 11, 2013 Brand new series: Robin is upset to discover that her mother can't come to the wedding. In flashback, the gang recall the evening six months earlier when Barney accepted a series of romantic challenges from Lily and Robin, and ponder the nature of the ever-changing love triangle between Ted, Robin and Barney. Bryan Cranston guest stars. More 10 Mom and Dad Air date: Nov 18, 2013 Robin is concerned about what's on Barney's mind after his father arrives at the hotel, while Ted is up in arms when one of his wedding chores doesn't go as planned and he believes he was sabotaged. More Show More Episodes Critic Reviews for How I Met Your Mother Season 9 All Critics (20) | Top Critics (7) | Fresh (15) | Rotten (5) For some, [the] surprise was a disappointment. But disappointment is expecting that a life has only one love story, that happily ever after only happens once, that surprises, good and bad, happen along the way. Mar 27, 2018 | Full Review… Liz Shannon Miller indieWire Top Critic "Last Forever" brought up the idea of true love versus soul mates, and a bit about fate, but if I wanted to watch a series about how your soulmate might not be the love of your life, I'd have watched Dawson's Creek, a series which did it much better. Mar 27, 2018 | Full Review… Kaitlin Thomas TV.com Lest you think How I Met Your Mother was going to skip over the good parts of Ted and The Mother's relationship, Monday night's episode delivered another milestone in their romance. Mar 27, 2018 | Full Review… Vlada Gelman TV Line Fortunately for HIMYM, the time-turning precedent for the season only strengthens such a radical episode's premise. Mar 27, 2018 | Full Review… Kevin Fitzpatrick ScreenCrush 'Last Forever' was actually a really great finale episode overall. Mar 27, 2018 | Full Review… Tom Eames Digital Spy This finale seems to completely sour the show's legacy - something that is not more important than ever. Mar 27, 2018 | Full Review… Brian Moylan Guardian Top Critic All told, the finale, like the series itself, was fine, if not, alas, legendary. But hey, unlike some of the shows that have come and gone while Ted searched for his dream girl, it certainly beat a slap to the face. Mar 27, 2018 | Full Review… Brian Lowry Variety Top Critic This isn't a perfect ending... But a straightforward, fairytale ending for Ted and Tracy wouldn't have served viewers, and it would have been beyond boring. Mar 27, 2018 | Rating: B+ | Full Review… Katie Atkinson Entertainment Weekly Top Critic I wish I was as thrilled by the ending as the beginning, but I'm grateful that so many episodes stand up to multiple, multiple viewings. Mar 27, 2018 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review… Phoebe Reilly New York Magazine/Vulture Top Critic The result of [the writers'] plan was among the more maddening things I've seen in the finale of a show I at one point loved. Mar 27, 2018 | Full Review… Alan Sepinwall Uproxx View All Critic Reviews (20) Audience Reviews for How I Met Your Mother: Season 9 Aug 29, 2019 Worth every second completely, it feels like being part of the group Pedro V Aug 27, 2019 Carter Bays/Craig Thomas: 'I bet you can't ruin 9 seasons of television in 40 minutes' Barney: 'Challenge accepted!' Danny S Jul 04, 2019 Unfortunately, How I Met Your Mother's ending was its downfall. How I Met Your Mother was a sitcom that brings you places, and it keeps things fresh. Even when Ted's going through the same motions with Robin or with another girl, not only does it continue to be entertaining; it keeps you invested. How I Met Your Mother benefits from a kind of story technique that no other TV or film I can think of uses in the same way: it's all a flashback. Occasionally we see a flash-forward in a sense, but from the first moment until the end we're watching Ted tell his kids a story. This can be used for comedy (Robin's old man boyfriend from Season 3 Episode 9, or Ted's girlfriend "Blah Blah" from Season 3 Episode 5), but more importantly it can be used to drive the plot. From the title alone, we're given the ending before the show has even started. We know Ted is going to find the mother of his kids; his "one true love"; his destiny, as he sees it himself. This gives the audience a unique relationship with the characters they're watching. It's dramatic irony at its finest. No matter the person Ted is dating, we know it's not who he's going to end up with. No matter what ups or downs the show presents in Ted's life, we know how it's going to end. In season 9, Ted announces he's moving away from New York to Chicago. Despite this, we're frequently watching as he gets closer to meeting his future wife. Despite the conflict we see from Ted's supposed departure, we know it just won't happen. Throughout the show, all nine seasons, How I Met Your Mother accounts for this. Tension is built with the other characters - we know where Ted will end up, however the future of Marshall, Barney, Lily and Robin are all undecided. This is another unique take on a common technique such as dramatic irony, as we're only knowledgeable on Ted's future. The problem is, in the space of the final two episodes, How I Met Your Mother throws everything out of the window. Ultimately, the ending could be called a lot of things. Realistic. Maybe even heartwarming in a strange roundabout way. However, the way I see it, the ending ruins the rest of the show. They took nine seasons to get to where they wanted to bring us to - however, there were some core themes and emotions that drove the show. An important theme was love and its meaning. Throughout the whole show, we see that, while Ted is certainly infatuated with her, Robin is just not the girl for him. It never works out for them and you begin to think, towards the end, Ted realizes that Robin isn't "the one". Hell, he admits it. Multiple times. He doesn't run away with her from her wedding. He doesn't pull some crazy stunt. Marshall pays Lily for their bet, signaling that it's finally set in stone that they're not going to get together. And yet, at the end of the entire show, we find out that this story is being told after Ted's wife is dead. The woman the show has been leading us towards this whole time - the love of his life, the mother of his kids, the woman he wished to grow old with. It's terribly unfortunate, it's bleak and it's downright tragic, until the final shot we're left with is Ted pursuing Robin yet again. It's framed to be cyclical - the final shot directly mirrors the shot from the first couple episodes where Ted waits outside of Robin's apartment in the rain. However, this "finale" ruins the entire idea the show was built upon. One of the fundamentals from the get-go you understand from watching "How I Met Your Mother" is that Robin is not the girl Ted will end up with. She's just not. She's "Aunt Robin". So to show Ted pursuing her yet again, after everything that has happened, not just throughout the seasons but his life with his wife and his kids, it's like painting a beautiful painting only to suddenly decide to cover it in white paint. All of that work, all of that build up, all of the established work is just thrown out of the window and you're brought back to the drawing board. I have to say that I would've been happier had I not seen the final two episodes of the show. An entire season is spent within Robin and Barney's wedding, and despite the ups and the downs, seeing them commit to each other was beautiful. Robin, who was poised to never get married and Barney, whose main distinguishing feature was that he was a single man who hits on women, finally committing to each other shows that people grow up, people change. There were many heartfelt speeches about love (mostly from Ted) and they all made you really believe in these characters and their love. Then, in the space of two episodes, Barney and Robin get divorced, Robin ostracizes herself from the gang and misses important events, Barney has sex with 31 women in 31 days and Ted's wife dies and he goes back to pursue Robin again, a woman with whom it is drilled into our heads that they are not meant to be together, they aren't meant to end up with each other. The only happy ending comes from Marshall and Lily, as Marshall becomes a supreme court justice and they're expecting their third kid. I get it that the show is meant to be cyclical - it starts the same way it ends for the characters. However, this makes the entire journey totally devoid of meaning. It's a lot of things, you could even call it realistic. Maybe it's wrong to expect a perfect happy ending from a simple love story. However, in my opinion, the emotional investment I felt in the characters was lost when they were given this inability to change. The hope you're made to feel for their futures is lost when you're given the harsh reality that Barney will always be single and Ted will always chase after a girl he is not meant to be with. What would I rate How I Met Your Mother? From Season 1 Episode 1 to Season 9 Episode 22 - 4.5 stars out of 5. No sitcom is without its flaws, whether from the genre itself or its own personal flaws. However, How I Met Your Mother delivers romantic, heartfelt moments and hilarious moments together to deliver a journey for the characters. By Season 9 Episode 22, you really feel as though the characters have grown. They've found their happy ending - and you're happy for them. The journey is long, however How I Met Your Mother does not fail to entertain. Even though it takes a while to meet her, the journey leading up to meeting her gives that final meeting importance and it carries more weight than many sitcoms can ever give to any important moment. For the entire show - 3 stars out of 5. All of that said, the final two episodes ruin almost all of the above. The show isn't entirely destroyed, of course, and I would still recommend watching it - it brought me a lot of entertainment. However, I cannot wholeheartedly recommend it the way I wish I could because the ending takes away a big part of what made the journey wonderful. Levi L Jun 19, 2019 Liked it. Still would be better if he didn't go to Robin that last time. Tahmid B Jun 18, 2019 we spent an entire season on a divorce. i not only think this season was bad, but also disrespectful to fans who wasted years watching and falling in love with the show for it to be ruin but its final scene. dee n Oct 30, 2018 I prepared myself for the worse. But turns out that I don't hate the ending. I kinda like it. Cried for a few days though. Apparently, my favorite comedy is actually a tragedy. I knew she was too good to be true. Annie W Oct 21, 2018 That finale broke fan's heart. The people behind making that finale happen cannot be normal... Sep 11, 2018 Great show, to bad its over. Nic M Jun 27, 2018 i love all the jokes and plots in each epsodeo Apr 22, 2018 ITS hard to see a great show ending with a weak season. at least the finale was didnt disappoint rodrigo b See all Audience reviews News & Features 150 Erotic Movies Ranked worst to best! 2019's Most Anticipated 63 movies coming up this year 200 Essential Movies Chosen by RT staff! 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