Like any TV show, Every season of How I Met Your Mother follows Ted Mosby's (Josh Radnor) day-to-day life, specifically his never-ending search for his future wife, which is the show's main focus until they eventually meet in the final installment.

The How I Met Your Mother's cast of series-long regulars takes center stage throughout the show, Tracy is the true main character, and the show's very best and very worst episodes are all about her.

How I Met Your Mother's Best And Worst Episodes Are Both About The Mother

It Always Comes Back To Tracy

At this time, both the worst and best episodes of How I Met Your Mother are from season 9. The worst is the second half of How I Met Your Mother's controversial ending, "Last Forever: Part Two," whereas the very best is "How Your Mother Met Me," which depicts Tracy's backstory and the events that lead to her meeting Ted at Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) and Robin's (Cobie Smulders) wedding. "How Your Mother Met Me" is a stellar, bittersweet episode that gives Tracy more depth as a character.

"Last Forever: Part Two," however, sadly rips all of her potential away. While it's great to learn about her and Ted's happy years, it's heartbreaking to see Tracy be heartlessly killed off. Every episode of How I Met Your Mother is somewhat related to Tracy, but it's interesting that the show's highest peak and the lowest valley have her at the forefront of both stories.

How I Met Your Mother's Highest-Rated Episode Shows How Much The Show Nailed The Mother

After Years Of Anticipation, Cristin Milioti's Portrayal Ends Up Being Spot-On

"How Your Mother Met Me" is also a massively important episode of How I Met Your Mother. For the majority of the show, Tracy is a faceless figure whose only real purpose is to give birth to Ted's kids Penny and Luke (Lyndsy Marie Fonseca and David Henrie), and to be his wife. While audiences learn a few details about Tracy throughout the show, which helps build a picture of who she exactly is, it's not the same as witnessing it play out as a main plot. Moreover, "How Your Mother Met Me" depicts Tracy's character beautifully.

Despite the episode's title, "How Your Mother Met Me" is really about how Tracy crosses paths with everyone else in the gang except Ted, but this results in the pair eventually properly meeting. It demonstrates how Tracy is the woman Ted has been waiting years for through her interactions with Barney, Robin, Lily (Alyson Hannigan), and Marshall (Jason Segel). Not only is Tracy the perfect person for Ted, but she immediately proves how well she'll fit in with his friends and be a brilliant addition to their chosen little family.

However, audiences are also glad to learn more about Tracy as an individual. They finally see the quirky parts of her that Ted so lovingly talks about, for example, as well as the early days of her relationship with her roommate Cindy (Rachel Bilson). It's also very sad to know how much heartbreak Tracy faces before meeting Ted, specifically losing Max and realizing that her later relationship with Louis (Lou Ferrigno Jr.) needs to end.

How I Met Your Mother's Finale Would Never Escape The Controversy Of Killing The Mother

No Amount Of Great Episodes Can Justify Killing Off Tracy

However, no matter how amazing "How Your Mother Met Me" is, it doesn't make up for the show shockingly revealing Tracy died several years before Ted told the story at the very last moment. How I Met Your Mother is one of the best sitcoms of all time, but it'll never escape the backlash of killing off its arguably most important character, especially considering the context of the show's basic overarching story.

"How Your Mother Met Me" is only a mere eight episodes before "Last Forever: Part Two," so there isn't a lot of time for viewers to spend with Tracy. However, despite this, they quickly fall in love with the enigmatic Mother because they finally know who she is outside of her connection to Ted. It has been over a decade since How I Met Your Mother's finale, but this decision is still one of the most shocking in sitcom history. It's a shame How I Met Your Mother wrapped up with such a controversial action, but it has kept the show relevant and heavily discussed for years now.