I’m even more excited for the finale after reading that interview and another with Craig Thomas! I have not been this enamored with a tv show since I discovered Freaks and Geeks.

I wish I could give both Bays and Thomas a huge hug!

Bays mentions in this interview with the Chicago Tribune, that they had alternate plans for what would be the remainder of episodes for the season (warning, there are spoilers near the bottom of the article. I stopped reading where it says “exit here” lol!):

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2008/05/should-sarah-ch.html

So there was a strike. I don’t think much would have changed if there hadn’t been a strike, except for the fact that the writers would have had a few extra episodes to write.

Yes they would have had some extra time to take us from the first episode of the season, to the last, but how do we know they wouldn’t have delivered the exact same episodes as we got? We don’t.

I respect everyone’s point of view here and their personal feeling’s about the show. I am not unhappy with where the show has gone – yet.

Now if the last episode of the season were to be a real stinker, I might be disappointed.

…..maybe The Goat’s the mother!

I’ll admit some of my annoyance with the yellow umbrella was that I fell for it and assumed we’d see the mother in season 3 (don’t ask why, I’m pathetic). Perhaps it’s a reactionary thing. There was no reason to actually think this was the season.

I concede the ‘mother’ issue, and I’ll also say one of my favourite jokes was when they were ‘smoking the sandwich’ in the future where they went back to the class reunion, and Ted goes “Where’s my wife?” (have no idea why, but it cracked me up).

I also agree on secondary characters. I love the Canada, Minnesota, Lily baby shower things that shows what made the characters what they are.

My point on the season was there were some good episodes that stood on their own. I agree Slapsgiving was one, and I’d add Spoiler Alert, The Chain of Screaming, No Tomorrow, and the The Platinum Rule (could’ve missed one or two others). As episodes, I thought they were quite good. Very funny. But I didn’t think the plot movement was significant in any of them.

Argh! Wait, I forgot, Slapsgiving was where Robin and Ted come to terms of being friends. I stand corrected. The season’s plot in my mind ended there.

Back to my point, as I said earlier, something more should come next season. I mean, Ted’s relationship with Stella has gotten some steam, but they haven’t explored it yet enough. Robin and Barney have reverted to the sidekicks (apart from banging one another, which hasn’t gotten a proper plot yet). Marshall and Lily are a sweet couple, and I love that, but the only plot they’ve had was an apartment.

Not one character has something that’s driving the season forward. Last season, we had two parallel plots defining the show, the Ted/Robin relationship and then eventual break-up, and the Marshall/Lily make-up and marriage.

Tbh, I can’t think of something new with these characters alone. And I”m worried. I mean, Barney’s Barney and is the classic character that isn’t going to change. Marshall and Lily will be together forever. Robin seems destined to have flings and then travel.

Ted’s the only character left I can see a development in. I wonder what the show will come to next season. The writers have done an amazing work, especially on the first two seasons, and as such I’ll trust that they have some things up their sleeve.

One slight caveat to your argument: No Tomorrow was (mostly) written before the strike. It was originally going to be a New Years episode. That might explain its quality.