When the Cheshire emerges...

*This is about the finale. If you're like me and have been delayed in watching it, don't read this.*

Before I left on my overseas trip I had been frantically trying to watch the second half of the final season of How I Met Your Mother. I was keeping up with the States, then fell a bit behind.

I left, and was then reminded multiple times while away, that I had failed to get the final double episode under my belt. It killed me. And others too, who so badly wanted to discuss the ending...

I made it one of my weekend's priorities to finish this chapter of modern television. I've been back more than a week and am yet to turn on my actual TV, but got on the web for this. And WOW. I know I'm behind everyone else here, but I need to have my two cents because this is one of my favourite shows and I'm upset it's over.

Not one to really pick out the way something is heading, I didn't see this coming at all. I hadn't read rumours about the Mother - Tracy - dying, and I've been watching the last few seasons sporadically thanks to my persistence in dealing with the airing on Australian free-to-air television (that won't be happening again...).

What got me the most stumped from this is just how quickly the news of Barney and Robin's divorce was announced, and then not really discussed. And you didn't even have the time to digest it before 50 other things were flung at you to deal with. Like fans were quick to point out, it stumps you because you'd just watched a whole season revolving around their wedding day. For nothing.

One of the simpler memes to arise from the finale.

Reactions as collected by the Sydney Morning Herald give a pretty good picture of what viewers thought. Other blogs also described disappointment and sadness at the ending. I'm still not really sure how I feel about it. But I'll be honest and say that there were good parts to it. Namely Barney's reaction to meeting his daughter, which was probably a little cheesy in reference to previous use of his words but also quite touching.


Having slept on it, I've realised just how much the show grew up. Yes, that final episode was rushed, but there was a life past nights at MacLaren's Pub for all of them. It was a little difficult to watch. When so much revolves around something, like season nine with the wedding, and then its whole ideal is shattered, it's a metaphor for the way some things really go in life. In a way shit got real more than ever before.

I can't say I'm totally happy with the ending, but I see its merit. It was good television for the fact most didn't see the twists coming - something becoming harder and harder to achieve these days. And that's what satisfies its creators at least. It should satisfy us, but I'm calling it to say this will divide people for a really long time.

Now that I'm happy to talk about it, I want to see what people think about this with it not being so fresh. Please comment and let me know what you thought!

As the Big Brother winner for 2012 was announced last night, I apparently upset a fair amount of people on Central Standard Time by briefly sharing my happiness on Facebook. Unbeknownst to me - as Dubbo, like Adelaide, regularly gets the show on a half-hour delay - we actually got the result live, whereas they unfortunately did not.

As far as I'm aware it's my first boo-boo since being on NSW time, resulting from my incorrect logic. I've made my apology, but this episode (no pun intended) brings a timely reminder that there's one simple rule to follow: if you don't want to know, don't log on.

Living in a non-live time zone's hard in the days of mass social media. It's not like I haven't done it, and like most I've had my monumental stuff ups.

A particularly big one was finding out the Eurovision winner in 2009 (I think, or 2008) the hard way just before going to my friend's to watch the delayed final. Now, for those outside Europe, avoiding the result every year is REALLY HARD. A total media blackout for an entire day is usually required, but it can be done. Disappointingly in 2009, I found out not through the TV or radio reports, or even Facebook (because it most certainly would've been discussed there), but Google. Google is not even safe.

But ultimately, it was my fault for turning the computer on.

***

I wrote at the beginning of the season about my thoughts of the return of the series as well as the housemates in contention for the crown. I hadn't warmed to anyone then, and while I really liked the group as a whole entity I don't think I ever did cement a favourite in my mind. But the season was fantastic for a number of reasons, namely a rollercoaster of emotional drama, inventive tasks, and a back-to-basics approach.

In the end, I'm impressed that Benjamin won. Why? Well yes, he was a bit of a bully and a lot of people hated that. But he didn't try and hide his dislike of people all that much, and the girls weren't exactly perfect. Layla dumped George to go with Sam (debate for or against that all you like), while Estelle ended up kissing three of the guys: Bradley (to help him out yes, but still, there was an almost romance there), Ryan and finally Michael. So you could judge and point fingers at all of them about something really.

Benjamin had different sides to him that made for very good television. And that's what it comes down to really. He was excellent at dishing out constructive advice, good at taking on challenges in a number of questionable outfits and OK, a bit of a gossip. Does it matter that he's gay? Yes, on the point that in a country not officially accepting of gay marriage we were acceptant of his personality and preferences.

The Big Brother finale was very well programmed; impressive from Nine. I look forward to watching again in 2013 - oh hang on, no, I plan to try and be ON THERE... The show was fun, and not without a huge surprise from the winner to his partner. For me it was a huge deal - it was a marked statement not seen before on Australian television before; a defiant stance that marriage is not a dirty word.

At least I left that for everyone to discover themselves.