Few long-running sitcoms left as big a cultural footprint as How I Met Your Mother, but for every high, the series had a low - and fans near-universally agree on what the lowest of these quality dips was. While HIMYM earned a loyal fanbase over its nine-season run, it also became infamous for how it ended, and one episode in particular drew more ire than any other. The lowest-rated How I Met Your Mother episode on IMDb isn't some filler from a forgettable season or a weird tonal misfire. It's the grand finale, the episode meant to wrap up nearly a decade of emotional investment, twist-filled storytelling, and romantic build-up.

That How I Met Your Mother promised answers, closure, and catharsis. Instead, it sparked frustration, disappointment, and, for some, outright betrayal. There were bold creative swings, shocking character choices, and a conclusion that seemingly undid years of development. As the dust settled, “Last Forever: Part Two” went down as one of the most polarizing finales in TV history. The reasons why How I Met Your Mother’s lowest-rated episode hit such a nerve, and why its reputation hasn’t improved with time, are as fascinating as they are infuriating - even though a decade has ed since.

How I Met Your Mother's Series Finale Is The Show's Lowest-Rated Episode

The Finale Left Fans Stunned, But Not In The Way The Show Intended

According to How I Met Your Mother episode - a title it’s clung to since the moment it aired. With a score that plummeted below the rest of the series, this installment marked an emotional and narrative nosedive that disappointed much of the fanbase. The finale wasn’t just another chapter, it was supposed to be the payoff to nearly 200 episodes of intricate storytelling. Instead, it left viewers with more questions than answers, and more anger than closure.

For a show that prided itself on emotional beats and carefully layered storytelling, it was a jarring and unsatisfying conclusion.

“Last Forever: Part Two” attempts to tie up multiple character arcs with a time-hopping structure that fast-forwards through years of story in mere minutes. After finally meeting the titular Mother, Tracy (Cristin Milioti), viewers learn she dies from an unspecified illness. Ted (Josh Radnor) then finishes his long-winded story not to explain how he met her, but to ask his kids for permission to pursue Robin (Cobie Smulders), his long-time ex. Meanwhile, Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) and Robin divorce, Marshall (Jason Segel) and Lily (Alyson Hannigan) fade into the background, and major events are glossed over in a montage-heavy rush to the ending.

For a show that prided itself on emotional beats and carefully layered storytelling, it was a jarring and unsatisfying conclusion. The lowest-rated How I Met Your Mother episode earned that title not because it was boring, but because it undermined the very heart of the series.

Why How I Met Your Mother's Final Episode Was So Hated By Fans

The Finale Reversed Years Of Character Growth And Emotional Investment

The backlash to “Last Forever: Part Two” wasn’t just loud, it was deeply personal for many fans. For nine seasons, How I Met Your Mother built a complex, character-driven narrative full of callbacks, red herrings, and long-term payoffs. Viewers watched Ted grow from a hopeless romantic into a more grounded man, Robin evolve into an independent force, and Barney go from a womanizer to someone genuinely in love. The final episode of HIMYM didn’t just challenge those arcs - it effectively dismantled them.

One of the biggest grievances was the reveal that Tracy, the Mother fans had waited nearly a decade to meet, was essentially a narrative footnote. After only a handful of appearances, she was killed offscreen in a flash-forward, reduced to a stepping stone for Ted’s relationship with Robin. It left fans asking: what was the point of all those blue French horns, yellow umbrellas, and slow-burn developments? The promise of How I Met Your Mother was that Ted’s story was ultimately about Tracy. The finale made it feel like it was still just about Robin.

Fans didn’t hate the finale because it was sad, they hated it because it felt unearned.

Barney’s character arc was another sticking point. After an entire season focused on his wedding to Robin, the two divorce almost instantly in the finale. Then Barney regresses to his old ways until a brief moment of redemption through fatherhood. Fans were furious that one of the show’s most complex characters was tossed back into his early-season persona, only to be half-heartedly redeemed in the final minutes.

The pacing of the How I Met Your Mother finale didn’t help either. Years of in-universe events are crammed into a rapid-fire montage, giving major life events like deaths, births, divorces, and career changes mere seconds of screen time. The emotional resonance is sacrificed for efficiency, making it hard to connect with the story.

Ultimately, the lowest-rated How I Met Your Mother episode felt like it was trying to service a twist ending the writers had planned since season 2, rather than honoring the story that had actually unfolded. Fans didn’t hate the finale because it was sad, they hated it because it felt unearned.

What How I Met Your Mother's Finale Needed To End The Show On A High Note

A Few Key Changes Could Have Turned The Finale Into A Fan-Favorite

For all its missteps, “Last Forever: Part Two” had potential. The emotional moments could have landed with impact if they had been given the time and care to breathe. To avoid becoming the lowest-rated How I Met Your Mother episode, the finale needed to embrace what made the show great: smart emotional storytelling, not shock value.

The bones of a great ending were there, but by prioritizing a surprise over sincerity, the show stumbled at the finish line.

First and foremost, giving Tracy more time and depth would’ve gone a long way. Cristin Milioti brought warmth and charm to the role, and fans immediately connected with her. Rather than killing her off in a quick flashback, a better ending would have centered her relationship with Ted, showing how she truly became the love of his life, not just the setup for another twist.

Barney and Robin’s rushed divorce also could have been handled with more weight. If their marriage was always meant to fail, fans needed to see why. Instead of using a quick breakup to revert both characters, the show could’ve explored how they evolved - together or apart - in a more meaningful way. Even if the writers wanted Ted to end up with Robin, building toward that throughout How I Met Your Mother season 9, rather than revealing it as a last-minute twist, would have made the payoff feel earned. The bones of a great ending were there, but by prioritizing a surprise over sincerity, the show stumbled at the finish line.

Has The How I Met Your Mother Finale Aged Well After Over A Decade?

Even After 10 Years, The Finale Remains One Of TV's Most Divisive Endings

More than a decade later, “Last Forever: Part Two” still holds the title of lowest-rated How I Met Your Mother episode, and that’s telling. While some finales find redemption with time, HIMYM’s conclusion remains a sore spot for many. The conversation surrounding it hasn’t softened; if anything, it’s become a case study in how not to end a beloved series.

In hindsight, some fans have come to appreciate the ambition of the How I Met Your Mother finale. It tried to be bittersweet and realistic, showing that life doesn’t always go the way we plan. However, for most viewers, the execution still feels clumsy. Emotional moments are undercut by rushed pacing, and the characters they loved seem like strangers by the end.

The ending has also become a point of comparison for other finales - from Game of Thrones to Dexter - as part of a growing trend of long-running shows stumbling at the finish line. Despite all the goodwill built over the years, How I Met Your Mother couldn’t quite stick the landing. “Last Forever: Part Two” didn’t just fumble the final twist; it broke trust with its audience. More than ten years later, that disappointment still lingers, keeping the finale firmly planted at the bottom of the show's rankings.