You’ll assume the CBS sitcom “How I Met Your Mom” (as created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays) would finish with the present’s lovelorn protagonist Ted Mosby (performed on-screen by Josh Radnor and voiced in his previous age by the late Bob Saget) assembly the eponymous mom, and that may be that. Sadly, that’s not what occurred. After 9 seasons and the identical variety of years, “How I Met Your Mom” got here to a detailed in March of 2014, and to say it fell fully flat on its face in its conclusion is a large understatement — as a result of despite the fact that Ted did meet mentioned mom, performed winningly by Cristin Milioti, the precise ending of the present went in a wildly totally different path.
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Here is the gist. All through “How I Met Your Mom,” Ted hangs out along with his greatest associates — Marshall Eriksen (Jason Segel), Lily Aldrin (Alyson Hannigan), Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris), and Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders) — whereas he searches New York for the love of his life, rising an increasing number of determined as he retains assembly more and more cartoonish ladies. (Abby Elliott, who’s nice on “The Bear,” seems in “How I Met Your Mom” as a personality named Jeanette, who principally serves to bolster each destructive stereotype about “clingy” ladies that is ever existed, and it’s infuriating.) All through his search, Ted returns to Robin, whom he dates through the present’s second season, a handful of occasions, however the two finally conclude that they are higher off as associates and are not suitable romantically. Then, within the final moments of the collection finale, there is a twist! It is revealed that Ted’s spouse and the mom of his youngsters, Tracy, has died (she’s final seen in a hospital mattress in full make-up throughout a scene that is a part of a silent montage, after which she passes away off display), which implies Ted can go after Robin once more, as inspired by his children.
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I know I’m not alone once I say that I hate this finale and excited about it nonetheless fills me with irrational rage. Fortunately, should you’re in that very same camp, there is an alternate ending for “How I Met Your Mom,” by which Ted simply … meets “the mom.”
The alternate ending of How I Met Your Mom is definitely true to the present’s title
Earlier than I get into the weeds relating to the alternate ending of “How I Met Your Mom,” one factor must be made clear: Your complete ninth season of the present takes place throughout one weekend as Barney and Robin get married, which is a frankly unbearable construction that makes the season drag interminably. (Additionally, relating to the Ted and Robin of all of it, Barney and Robin get divorced nearly instantly within the “How I Met Your Mom” collection finale, “Final Without end,” making the whole previous season pointless. Cool!) When the ninth season acquired a DVD launch, followers acquired what they have been possible hoping for: a unique conclusion.
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On this alternate ending, Ted leaves Robin and Barney’s reception early to catch a practice again to New York, as, by this level of the story, he plans to go away the Huge Apple for an architect job in Chicago. (Why? As a result of Robin, the lady Ted just lately determined is his soulmate for the millionth time, is marrying his greatest buddy Barney, and he is unhappy about it as a result of Ted is a egocentric jerk.) Whereas he is ready within the rain for a practice from the fictional beachside city of Farhampton, he sees a lady (Tracy, clearly) with a yellow umbrella … and acknowledges her because the bass participant from the marriage. They argue over possession of the yellow umbrella — we see within the standout season 9 episode “How Your Mom Met Me” that the umbrella handed between Tracy and Ted all through their years in New York — and be taught one another’s names. (We see this scene within the precise finale, however it’s adopted by all of the stuff that sucks and ruins the whole lot.)
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In voiceover, Ted additionally reveals that he is “fortunate” to get up subsequent to Tracy each morning and even signifies that Barney and Robin’s marriage could have been mended (with a line about how issues get put again collectively even after they’re damaged). It’s, actually, good. It even ends with Ted saying, “and that, children, is how I met your mom.” It is the title of the present! Sadly, although … that is not the ending we acquired.
Why does not the true ending of How I Met Your Mom work?
Look, I get that not all people goes to aspect with me on this; a few of my colleagues right here at /Movie even assume we could have been too harsh on the finale of “How I Met Your Mom” when it initially aired. I am sorry, however I should respectfully disagree for one very particular motive: Robin Scherbatsky is means too good for Ted Mosby.
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Josh Radnor is genuinely terrific as Ted Mosby all through “How I Met Your Mom,” however it’s not the actor’s fault that the character is a pedantic jamoke who solely desires what he cannot have, is consistently terrorizing ladies in his quest for “the one,” is unbelievably self-centered, and thinks that he can flip a “no” right into a “sure” in any romantic state of affairs. (I do not assume that, in 2025, I want to stipulate why that final thing is so, so unhealthy.) Ted can also be an unrepentant nerd who makes a meal out of the title “Renaissance Faire” and feels the necessity to continually appropriate his associates in the event that they do one thing innocuous like say “Kleenex” as a substitute of “tissue” … and even when he is proper about this stuff, he is extremely annoying about it.
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Robin, then again, is a fiercely unbiased lady who moved from Canada to New York by herself to carve out a profession in broadcast journalism, a feat she absolutely achieves by the tip of “Final Without end.” Ted, then again, merely desires a spouse who will bear his youngsters and be keen to assist him in all of his adventures, not a profession lady who flies everywhere in the world for her job. To see Ted present up at Robin’s window with the ridiculous blue French horn he stole for her within the present’s first season is simply … insulting to each the present’s characters and its viewers. And despite the fact that Carter Bays and Craig Thomas have famously mentioned they filmed Ted’s children “reacting” to the Robin reveal years beforehand and finally elected to go along with the conclusion they deliberate lengthy earlier than the collection ended, it is deeply unsatisfying and, actually, simply unhealthy.
As a result of Ted and Robin solely get again collectively years after they each obtain their respective desires of getting youngsters and changing into an internationally recognized information anchor, this could possibly be twisted right into a “completely satisfied” ending in that these two discovered one another after initially selecting wildly divergent life trajectories. But it surely’s probably not “completely satisfied.” Robin, who guidelines, is caught with Ted, who sucks. Not less than the alternate ending exists to remind everybody of what ought to have occurred.
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“How I Met Your Mom” is streaming on Hulu now.
