One of the biggest challenges of series is to maintain the tension of the story over a large number of episodes and seasons, while always delivering surprises and not disappointing fans’ expectations. This challenge, which is sometimes almost impossible to overcome, culminates in a series finale, in which we as viewers project all our wishes and hopes and give the makers of the series virtually no chance to do anything right. While some series end against the odds with a finale that is largely accepted or even celebrated by fans, other series are plagued by the curse of a final episode that fans are eager to forget.
In addition to successful series such as ‘Lost’ or ‘Game of Thrones’, ‘How I Met Your Mother’ is also one of the representatives of the latter category. The series finale of the cult sitcom left quite a few fans disappointed in 2014 – especially since the series took us nine seasons to a claimed goal that was overturned in just a few minutes.
Warning, spoilers for the “How I Met Your Mother” finale follow: The final ninth season of the sitcom heads towards the wedding of Robin (Cobie Smulders) and Barney (Neil Patrick Harris), while after the big party Ted (Josh Radnor) finally meets his dream woman and the future mother of his children Tracy (Cristin Milioti ) hits – a moment that fans have been waiting for almost ten years and that the series promised us in more than 200 episodes.
From that moment on, however, everything moves incredibly quickly The magical meeting between the two is quickly followed by marriage, children, illness and death – and at the end of the two-part series finale, Ted suddenly finds himself without his Tracy again. We also learn that the marriage between Barney and Robin did not last because the womanizer played by Neil Patrick Harris could not leave his old vices behind him.
This also buried a storyline that had been building up all last season, making many moments and episodes almost obsolete. Instead, Ted realizes he never got over Robin and ends up stealing the blue horn for her again, like he did when they first met years ago. Ultimately, it is implied that Ted and Robin will get back together as a couple rather than as friends.
The finale that fans have been longing for is real
Most fans instead wanted the series to end with a happy ending for Ted and Tracy. since the entire series actually revolves around how Ted met the mother of his children: Tracy. Meanwhile, many were also hoping for a happy ending for Barney and Robin and some character development, especially on the side of the pickup man, who eventually learned to take responsibility.
What many people don’t know, however, is that this dream finale exists – and has since 2014. Series creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas created an alternate ending for the cult sitcom, which they released exclusively on DVD for the ninth season of “How I Met Your Mother.”
This second finale is a slightly different version of the last episode, with both Ted and Tracy not separated by death and Barney and Robin staying together. Instead, the series ends with a voiceover from Ted outlining his best moments with Tracy – including their meeting on the platform under the yellow umbrella, which has been teased time and time again throughout the seasons.
If you want to watch the alternate ending for yourself, you have a chance to do so on the ninth season DVD and the complete “How I Met Your Mother” box set – or check it out on YouTube. ..