Apart from the dead mother thing that’s exactly what the show is.
Obviously that’s not how it will end, but it is the most awesome possible ending. After he tells the story of meeting their mother, he goes to the open coffin, kisses the girl’s dead cheek, and openly weeps.
Then, cut to black.
And then, triumphant music, red curtains come up, and the whole cast comes out and takes a bow, like the end of each SNL.
And that’s how it should end.
Yes it would be the most awesome ending, particularly since the show seems to have just been plodding along of late. It would at least be interesting if they began to subtly seed that idea during the last season then end with the shocker.
I’ll concede I doubt that will actually happen and it’s probably just that scene came out either poorly written or delivered overly mournfully rather than wistfully.
While that might be the most interesting way to end it, from an aesthetic standpoint you honestly couldn’t possibly do worse. That ending would be completely against the themes and tone of the show up to that point. It would be like having The Grapes Of Wrath end with a musical number at a swimming pool.
Yeah, they’d go mawkish, and it would suck. But I’d love to see them play with it, and end on a shot of the body of the kids’ never-actually-seen Mother impaled on a yellow umbrella.
The show is already mawkish, isn’t it? Like the end of the future Ted episode.
While the creators lied about the season 8 finale being Barney and Robin’s wedding, we finally met the mother! My biggest disappointment is that there are so many loose ends that won’t get resolved until the fall.
Wait, who the heck was the mother? Have we seen her before?
Edit: Okay, apparently not. She’s played by Cristin Miloti, a mostly Broadway-experienced actress.
Glad they finally showed the mom and didn’t pull another fast one! Curious to see how next season will pan out… I’m assuming the show will end with Ted’s marriage?
I’m also surprised how quickly TV characters manage pack up a whole apartment and basically move out without any of their friends noticing anything all within a few days.
There are some nasty rumors going around that Season 9 is going to solely be the weekend of the wedding, which would make sense with them showing the “X hours until wedding” text in this season’s finale. If that’s the case I can’t imagine we’ll get to see much interaction between Ted and the mother, which I was really looking forward to. In my mind a perfect season 9 would have an hour long premiere that covers the wedding, ends with the two of them meeting at the train station, and continues on showing how the two of them date and connect, ending with Ted’s wedding.
Framing device->Flashbacks, like the show has always used.
Seeing her finally after all these years was strangely emotional for me, considering nothing really happens.
So last night’s episode was pretty amazing, no?
Honestly, if they’d ended the whole series with the shot of Josh Radnor and Cristin Milioti sitting outside after she finishes singing, that would’ve worked.
I was great, so much better than the rest of this season.
Anybody still watching this? A happy ending doesn’t look so likely anymore. Not sure I want to see the ending now. :/
Absolutely still watching it…and yeah, it looks like they’re going there.
I eagerly await the ending to see how they tie it all up, especially after this week’s episode.
I’m just not sure how they’re going to tie this up with the downer they seem to be foreshadowing. I mean…that’s going to toss a pall onto the show that’s going to really hurt it in syndication. Through all of Ted’s collapsing relationships and failed courtship of Robin and Stella and the bakery girl and the Captain’s ex, there was always this optimistic thread–the sadness of those failures leavened by thinking “But in the end, he’s going to live happily ever after.”
What if he doesn’t? Seeing this poor shlub left at the altar, or turning loose bakery girl, or calling it quits with the Captain’s ex…and especially deciding to let go of Robin for his best friend…that’s just all going to feel really, really sad watching reruns of the show if it does indeed end in death.
My first thought too, it’s really going to kill reruns and DVD sales.
I guess they wont portray it as a downer though, the theme will no doubt be “its the journey not the destination” or something.
I really, really want the last scene to be
Ted, big smile: “And that, kids, is How I Met Your Mother!”
(pause)
(Subtly off-key music begins. Something is wrong.)
“She loved stories. She wanted me to tell you everything, and I hope that I honored that wish. I wish you kids had more time with her. She was so special.”
(Pan right, to a man in a stark black suit.)
Man: “Mr. Moesby, your friends and family are ready to pay their respects.”
(Ted stands, slowly walks past a line of people in formal wear, panning right, right, until he stands by a coffin with tears in his eyes.)
Ted shakes everybody’s hand as they walk by. First in line is old bald Barney accompanied by an 18 year old asian stripper with purple hair.
Fade to White.
fin.