Meta: Rambly storytelling promises and things
There's been much talk in certain HIMYM fan forums about aspects of storytelling and promises mde to viewers/readers. The original "twist" of Ted seeing a girl across a crowded room and dciding she's the girl he's going to marry - but she isn't- got un-twisted by the "twist" at the end of the AU fanfic, where Ted is implied to finally get Robin a couple of decades after he first sets eyes on her. It becomes exactly what it promised not to be in the end, adn that makes me angry, as a viewer, as a romance fan, and as a writer.
If however, we look at it as Ted pointing out his "future bride" across a crowded room to his best friend, Barney, and in the end, Robin does end up happily married, but to Barney, not Ted, now there's a twist. All of the chasing and scheming and longing, and the real reason a romance would never work between Robin and Ted was because Robin was never meant for Ted in the first place. Robin never wanted Ted. Robin was meant for Barney. She wanted Barney.
Ted understanding that, and his supporting Barney and Robin's love, their eventual marriage, led him directly to his own true love, Tracy. Meeting Tracy was easy and effortless and like stepping into the life that had been waiting for Ted all along. He didn't have to make it rain for Tracy, as it was already raining when he met her.
The lesson Ted learns is that he doesn't ave to beat his head against a brick wall to win the love of his life. Love can't be forced. When it's there, when it's right, it happens. It happened wen Lily knocked on the door to a strange dorm room Marshall answered. It happened when Barney and Robin weren't even looking for love, because they were too busy running away from rejection and pain. it happened when Ted let go of an impossible fantasy - Robin did not, and could not ever be what Ted wanted, because what Ted wanted, who he wanted, was Tracy.
That's the lesson I'd want Ted to impart to his kids, as they're coming to an age where they will be interested in exploring romance. Real, true, lasting love can't be rushed. It can't be demanded or manipulated. When it's right, when they are ready, it wil be there, and they don't have to worry about losing it, because real love will last through whatever life brings.
This is where, if it were my story, Tracy would come into the room, chiding Ted for taking so long and ask him if he's told the kids yet.
Luke and Penny would assure Tracy that Ted told them everything.
Tracy would look surprised: that's their reaction? They're not even a little excited about such big news? Not disgusted at their parents? Not embarrassed?
What big news? Why would they be disgusted or embarrassed?
Ted takes Tracy's hand and tells her he was getting to that.
There's more?
Tracy rolls her eyes at Ted and confesses they are having another baby. The later in life pregnancy wasn't planned, but they're happy about it, and that this new baby is going to grow up in an extended family full of love.
A family, Ted puts in, that started when Uncle Barney met Aunt Robin, or actually, it was before that, when Aunt Lily met Uncle Marshall. No, if they're going to the very beginning, tat would be when Ted met Uncle Marshall.
Tracy stops him here. At this rate, the new baby will be born by before Ted decides when the family started, and then he'll have to start all over for him or her. Breakfast is ready. Tracy made pancakes, and those pancakes are going to sign selections from Rent.
"Seasons of Love" plays softly in the background as the Mosbys head off for breakfast, t he focus now on the upcoming addition to the family. It's implied that Marshall, Lily, Barney, Robin and assorted cousins, both two and four legged, will be arriving later in the day.
Everybody else got their happy endings. Barney and Robin stayed married, and ellie was their miracle baby, wanted and welcome, even though Barney and Robin were fine with and having a great time as a childfree couple. Ellie becomes a very well-travelled little girl, having set foot on four continents before her tenth birthday. Marshall and Lily combined work and family life. Marshall gets to do a lot of good for a lot of people as a judge, and Lily works from home as an artist, her family and her creativity surrounding her every day. The group would meet regularly, adults, kids, dogs, and they all live happily ever after, weathering the ups and downs of life. The final shot would be of Ted, Tracy, Marshall, Lily, Barney and Robin on that front porch, looking out at their kids and possibly grandkids, playing in the summer dusk. They all made it. They're all happy, and they all agree that the best years are yet to come. Roll credits.
That, for me, would have been a fulfillment of the promises we were made in the early days of HIMYM. Not only the romances, but the friendships and the individual character arcs. My favorite piece of writing advice of all time comes from a college English professor: a story is the journey of a main character going from wanting something to either getting it or accepting that they will never get it. When either of those things happen, the story is over. If that character is going to have a different story, then they have to want something else.
Given Ted as our protagonist, we know he wants to meet the love of his life. Standard sticom setup would have that be the first girl he notices in the pilot. We were promised that wasn't the case, and yes, Robin was not the mother, but Penny, Ted's own daughter, lampshaded the problem. Tracy, the putative heroine, was barely in the story, which was all about Ted wanting Robin. Sure enough, Ted somehow finds that blue French horn, and Robin is somehow in her old apartment again (why on earth would she want to live there again?) and golly gee, it's like the last quarter century never happened. Only it did. Ted's search for love ended when he met Tracy, the mother from the series title. If that wasn't the point, if that wasn't the case, then the series has the wrong title and we were promised the wrong thing.
If however, we look at it as Ted pointing out his "future bride" across a crowded room to his best friend, Barney, and in the end, Robin does end up happily married, but to Barney, not Ted, now there's a twist. All of the chasing and scheming and longing, and the real reason a romance would never work between Robin and Ted was because Robin was never meant for Ted in the first place. Robin never wanted Ted. Robin was meant for Barney. She wanted Barney.
Ted understanding that, and his supporting Barney and Robin's love, their eventual marriage, led him directly to his own true love, Tracy. Meeting Tracy was easy and effortless and like stepping into the life that had been waiting for Ted all along. He didn't have to make it rain for Tracy, as it was already raining when he met her.
The lesson Ted learns is that he doesn't ave to beat his head against a brick wall to win the love of his life. Love can't be forced. When it's there, when it's right, it happens. It happened wen Lily knocked on the door to a strange dorm room Marshall answered. It happened when Barney and Robin weren't even looking for love, because they were too busy running away from rejection and pain. it happened when Ted let go of an impossible fantasy - Robin did not, and could not ever be what Ted wanted, because what Ted wanted, who he wanted, was Tracy.
That's the lesson I'd want Ted to impart to his kids, as they're coming to an age where they will be interested in exploring romance. Real, true, lasting love can't be rushed. It can't be demanded or manipulated. When it's right, when they are ready, it wil be there, and they don't have to worry about losing it, because real love will last through whatever life brings.
This is where, if it were my story, Tracy would come into the room, chiding Ted for taking so long and ask him if he's told the kids yet.
Luke and Penny would assure Tracy that Ted told them everything.
Tracy would look surprised: that's their reaction? They're not even a little excited about such big news? Not disgusted at their parents? Not embarrassed?
What big news? Why would they be disgusted or embarrassed?
Ted takes Tracy's hand and tells her he was getting to that.
There's more?
Tracy rolls her eyes at Ted and confesses they are having another baby. The later in life pregnancy wasn't planned, but they're happy about it, and that this new baby is going to grow up in an extended family full of love.
A family, Ted puts in, that started when Uncle Barney met Aunt Robin, or actually, it was before that, when Aunt Lily met Uncle Marshall. No, if they're going to the very beginning, tat would be when Ted met Uncle Marshall.
Tracy stops him here. At this rate, the new baby will be born by before Ted decides when the family started, and then he'll have to start all over for him or her. Breakfast is ready. Tracy made pancakes, and those pancakes are going to sign selections from Rent.
"Seasons of Love" plays softly in the background as the Mosbys head off for breakfast, t he focus now on the upcoming addition to the family. It's implied that Marshall, Lily, Barney, Robin and assorted cousins, both two and four legged, will be arriving later in the day.
Everybody else got their happy endings. Barney and Robin stayed married, and ellie was their miracle baby, wanted and welcome, even though Barney and Robin were fine with and having a great time as a childfree couple. Ellie becomes a very well-travelled little girl, having set foot on four continents before her tenth birthday. Marshall and Lily combined work and family life. Marshall gets to do a lot of good for a lot of people as a judge, and Lily works from home as an artist, her family and her creativity surrounding her every day. The group would meet regularly, adults, kids, dogs, and they all live happily ever after, weathering the ups and downs of life. The final shot would be of Ted, Tracy, Marshall, Lily, Barney and Robin on that front porch, looking out at their kids and possibly grandkids, playing in the summer dusk. They all made it. They're all happy, and they all agree that the best years are yet to come. Roll credits.
That, for me, would have been a fulfillment of the promises we were made in the early days of HIMYM. Not only the romances, but the friendships and the individual character arcs. My favorite piece of writing advice of all time comes from a college English professor: a story is the journey of a main character going from wanting something to either getting it or accepting that they will never get it. When either of those things happen, the story is over. If that character is going to have a different story, then they have to want something else.
Given Ted as our protagonist, we know he wants to meet the love of his life. Standard sticom setup would have that be the first girl he notices in the pilot. We were promised that wasn't the case, and yes, Robin was not the mother, but Penny, Ted's own daughter, lampshaded the problem. Tracy, the putative heroine, was barely in the story, which was all about Ted wanting Robin. Sure enough, Ted somehow finds that blue French horn, and Robin is somehow in her old apartment again (why on earth would she want to live there again?) and golly gee, it's like the last quarter century never happened. Only it did. Ted's search for love ended when he met Tracy, the mother from the series title. If that wasn't the point, if that wasn't the case, then the series has the wrong title and we were promised the wrong thing.