Two years after its season finale, HIMYM fans are still debating on the answer to the million dollar question: should Ted have ended up with Robin or with Tracy?
Face it. How I Met Your Mother was a huge part of our lives (geez, the show ran for almost nine years), and from it we’ve learned important life lessons such as:
a) You can’t force destiny;
b) Nothing good ever happens after 2AM; and
c) Whatever you do in this life, it’s not legendary unless your friends are there to see it.
But. Still.
Let’s talk about the finale, shall we? Because COME ON. No matter how much I *love* the show with a burning passion, whenever I remember that last scene with Ted holding on to the blue french horn, I can’t help but raise both of my fists (and eyebrows) out of frustration, and scream: WHAT WAS UP WITH THAT??
But in the spirit of opening our minds and welcoming new ideas, I decided to create a poll on Facebook on whether or not my friends were on Team Blue French Horn or on Team Yellow Umbrella, and you know what? Their answers were actually really beautiful.
It just goes to show that, at the end of the day, all people are different, and love can be defined in a million different ways.
Here are some of my favorite answers:
TEAM BLUE FRENCH HORN: “When Ted first laid eyes on Robin, he knew right away— it’s love.”
“Blue french horn, for sure! When Ted first laid eyes on Robin, he knew right away— it’s love. You cannot recreate that moment.”—Mark Samson
TEAM YELLOW UMBRELLA: “The yellow umbrella is simple, and provides comfort and security. It’s something everyone needs!”
“Yellow umbrella for me! The twists and turns and complication of the french horn go well as a backdrop for a TV show, but not for real life. The hopeless romanticism of Ted and Robins’ dynamic in most cases doesn’t provide a base for a healthy, stable relationship. The yellow umbrella is simple, and provides comfort and security. It’s something everyone needs!”—Grant Gomez
TEAM BLUE FRENCH HORN: “The show wouldn’t have made sense if Ted simply ended up with Tracy!”
“Most of Ted’s relationships didn’t work out because they weren’t Robin. the show wouldn’t have made sense if Ted simply ended up with Tracy!”—Abby Gotico
TEAM YELLOW UMBRELLA: “Yellow Umbrella was everything beautiful about the show.”
“Really? Am I gonna start with this? Yellow Umbrella. Yellow Umbrella was his soulmate. Everything led him to her and I hate the ending so fucking much coz he gave this whole stupid speech about letting go in that episode where Blue French Horn is digging up the place for lost jewelry and then he goes and runs back into her stupid arms anyway. Yes, it makes perfect sense coz everything goes full circle but it’s fucking annoying because Yellow Umbrella was EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL ABOUT THAT SHOW AND SHE DIDN’T EVEN GET A LOT OF SCREEN TIME. FUCK BLUE FRENCH HORN. FUCK IT IN THE ASS.”—Anj Rodriguez
TEAM BLUE FRENCH HORN: “This is what makes a relationship last and what real love is about.”
“Team blue french horn. They have gone through so many challenges and were able to survive it, albeit a little worn out but still valuing each other. The respect, love, and care were there. They knew each other’s flaws and still accepted the other. This is what makes a relationship last and what real love is about.”—Kathy Kenny Ngo
TEAM YELLOW UMBRELLA: “In those moments when he recalled how he felt lost about love in front of his children, he would always redeem the role of their mother who filled the gap in his heart. It was always the girl with the yellow umbrella.”
“Yellow Umbrella. The title and the story all lead back to her. Most viewers can attest the anticipating feeling of finding out who the mystery mother is and this momentum was built throughout the duration of the series. We’ve seen Ted’s journey on his search for love. We’ve seen his disappointments on those failed relationships yet we’ve also seen his hopeful spirit at the end of his narratives. In those moments when he recalled how he felt lost about love in front of his children, he would always redeem the role of their mother who filled the gap in his heart. It was always the girl with the yellow umbrella. It felt as if they just forced the ending for Ted to end up with Robin to secure satisfying ratings from the fans through the years. He was already in that chapter of his life wherein he finally closed his door on Robin in order to make way for a new beginning with the girl he’s been waiting for a his life; yet the show chose to go back instead of moving forward.” —Vida Vasquez
TEAM BLUE FRENCH HORN: “Because if you’re really into someone, you’re willing to do even the dumbest ways to prove it to them.”—Adrianne Thetrisse Ty
TEAM YELLOW UMBRELLA: “Robin is selfish.”
“Yellow umbrella. Robin is selfish and only chooses Ted when it is convenient. She doesn’t really love him.”— EE Pagdangan
TEAM BLUE FRENCH HORN: “Ted and Robin were both best friends and lovers.”
“#TeamBlueFrenchHorn from the very beginning. Kasi ibang klase yung bond nila Ted at Robin, they were both best friends and lovers. And I don’t believe in a near perfect relationship like Tracy and Ted’s, from the penny collection and renaissance collection… I think it’s fantasy, and we’re just making a fool of ourselves. They were almost perfect, and there’s no such thing as that. I believe that you won’t meet the perfect one, not unless you make him/her perfect for you. I think a relationship that’s too familiar will be just boring and monotonous.
Robin did love Ted, and vice versa. Pero may guilt-feeling nga lang lagi si Robin ’cause she can’t give what Ted wants, kids and marriage (because she can’t have kids and doesn’t wanna marry ’til her career’s settled). Even nung wedding niya with Barney, she wanted to run away with Ted because just like what her mother said before the wedding, she needs someone who always comes through for her. Unlike Barney, who’s selfish and self-centered most of the time (remember, “Nah, it’s stupid.” when Robin needed someone to help her find the locket. Barney decided to play lasertag first). Ted knew Robin by heart, and they were each other’s sensible and go-to person. They’re different but they complement each other. I measure love by the amount of sacrifices one can brave through for the other person because life is nowhere near just perfect, but a perfect mess.—Kate Reyes
TEAM YELLOW UMBRELLA: “Robin wasn’t his destiny, Tracy was.”
“Yellow umbrella!! They had the perfect love story, the thing all hopeless romantics wish for and would kill to have. They were perfect for each other. The definition of soulmates. HUHU THEY WERE PERFECT. AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, in the end, Tracy fulfilled everything that Ted ever wanted, and had it not been for her, I don’t think he’d have ever gone back to Robin because she still wouldn’t be the person he needed/wanted, or the person to fulfill what he was looking for. Imo, Ted needed to meet his soulmate, and to get that perfect love story for him to ever finally end up happy with Robin. Robin wasn’t his destiny, Tracy was. Hahahahahahahahahhahahah don’t ask about F.R.I.E.N.D.S. next.” —Nadia Rodriguez
TEAM BLUE FRENCH HORN: “It felt like the whole TV show was asking his kids if it was okay to date their Aunt Robin.”
“Blue french horn! Robin was the girl he was really supposed to end up with because he always kept coming back to her! The mother gave him the things he wanted-a kids, family, the white picket fence ideal, but Robin was the girl he never forgot and it wasnt pretty but it was real. Plus it felt like the whole tv show was asking his kids if it was okay to date their aunt robin? Just a thought, because they obviously already knew their mom was dead and maybe he wanted to give a background on robin and his whole messy story because the story was never really about the mother.” —Kali Huff
TEAM YELLOW UMBRELLA: “Love should be easy, not complicated.”
“Ted deserves someone who loves him the way he loves her, someone who can make him believe that there is real love after all he’s been through. Love should be easy, not complicated. Right place, right time always. Plus Barney and Robin should be together.”—Ziara Carmelli Galang Tan
TEAM BLUE FRENCH HORN: “If you are destined for each other, you will be together in the end no matter what.”
My take on this is that if you are destined for each other, you will be together in the end no matter what. It kinda gives you a false hope in life because things like that only happens in the movies. But hey, series like HIMYM was made for entertainment purposes in the first place, right? I was happy with the ending because it made a reference to the very first episode of the series and it was just magical. —Laire Lagas
TEAM YELLOW UMBRELLA: “Gusto ko yung kwentong after all the heartaches you go through, someone will come along and make sense out of everything.”—Jennica Gonzales
TEAM BLUE FRENCH HORN: “Despite all the rejections and problems they faced, the person destined to be with you will always come in due time.”
“I’m still team Blue French horn because despite all the rejections and problems they faced, the person destined to be with you will always come in due time. It’s sad that yellow umbrella had little screen time but I guess that’s how life goes. Heartbreaks takes a big chapter in your life. Char hahaha.”—Alvin Nelson Cheng
TEAM YELLOW UMBRELLA: “Love doesn’t have to be as fickle and fragile and complicated as what he had with blue french horn.”
“Yellow umbrella. Love doesn’t have to be as fickle and fragile and complicated as what he had with blue french horn. Everything was so right with yellow umbrella. A whole lotta destiny and universe crap wasted on that one.”—Nadinne Capistrano
How did this post make you feel? Are you on Team Yellow Umbrella or on
Team Blue French Horn? Share your thoughts with us! 🙂
