The right ending for a series?

By RYAN HENSELER

Everyone has their favorite TV shows. Everyone knows those shows that draws you in and makes you genuinely care about the characters. Shows that you mindlessly binge watch on Netflix and end up knocking out multiple seasons in a weekend.

“Breaking Bad,” “The WireandGame of Thrones” are dramas that keep you on the edge of your seat. “Scrubs,” “The Office,” and a few other comedies achieve an interesting and great balance of laughs and genuine emotions.

One conundrum that all writers and creators must face at some point is the question of how to end a beloved show. Some opt to go with the classic happy ending. Some look to add a twist and shock viewers. Some, like “Breaking Bad,” end the series sadly, but remain true to the main character of the show.

This problem is thrown into the national spotlight and debated every time a long-running series reaches its conclusion. The most recent example came with the ending of CBS comedy “How I Met Your Mother” last week.

If you haven’t seen the ending and want to, you may want to stop reading now.

The creators of the show, Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, opted to try for the twist ending, and opinions are highly mixed on whether or not they succeeded. The creators opted to kill off the titular mother. The main character, Ted, was telling the story to his children six years after her death as a veiled way of asking their permission to ask out their “Aunt Robin,” one of the shows main characters and Ted’s off and on girlfriend during the show’s run.

The show has come under heavy fire from both viewers and critics for the finale. Those that disliked the ending have complained about the mother’s death itself and were also extremely disappointed to see Ted revert to a woman he supposedly “got over” many times and who also happens to be his best friend’s ex-wife.

The creators have said that this was the plan for the finale since the beginning and a final scene with the kids was shot during Season 2, before the actors outgrew their roles. However, many have said that the direction of the show has changed since then and the writers failed to account for it in the finale.

Essentially, this question proves that it’s impossible to please everyone, even those people who have remained loyal to a show for a long time.