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How I Met Your Mother: The Final Season

This final season has really turned the show into my new personal Lost. I find myself spending far too much time researching it online and thinking about it. I both hate and love the show for that. But if Lost taught me anything: it's that I don't know shit about predicting endings to shows.
 
My assumption was that in 2024 Ted's mother died and that's what they were avoiding talking about.

I really, really hope it doesn't turn out Mother is dying of cancer or something, and it turns out the series framing device was Ted telling the kids how he met their dead mother. It just wouldn't fit the tone of the scenes and the bored insolent expression of the kids.
 
I hope the Mother's not dead either. That's one of the fan theories I really despise. I suppose in some way it could make for good tv, but you're right. The kids tone in that first season (when they were still able to film them, lol) was definitely not that of hearing a story about their deceased Mother.
 
I hope the Mother's not dead either. That's one of the fan theories I really despise. I suppose in some way it could make for good tv, but you're right. The kids tone in that first season (when they were still able to film them, lol) was definitely not that of hearing a story about their deceased Mother.

Yeah, I'm hoping this was the writers playing with that theory and giving us a red herring otherwise I thought it was telegraphed too much what with making it to an old married couple, knowing each other's stories etc.
 
Ugh, was just thinking it was Ted's mom that had died before HIS wedding. Would make things even tougher if the Mother was dying and knew she wasn't going to make it to the wedding of one of their kids. Her being worried about him living in the past, sudden and strong crying reaction when the 'what kind of mother doesn't make it to their kid's wedding' comment, jeez.

Of course, timeline there seems funny, unless that scene isn't part of the narrative Ted is telling the kids, but is just a glimpse past that point. Kids wouldn't really be old enough for a wedding, although possible I guess, and Ted and Mother look a little older than the date in the main story would suggest. Maybe we're just seeing further into the future, past the kids on the couch?

Either way, not liking the vibe this show is heading towards...
 
Oh god, I just had a terrible thought.

Ted having dinner with Mother was from Sixth Sense.

He was only imagining Mother being there. She's already dead.

That better not be true!
 
heh, that would suck. Would have to rewatch, but thought the waiter was interacting with both of them, no?
 
I'm leaning toward the Mother dying of some disease. I'd have to rewatch the scene, but I'm pretty sure the dialogue was "What kind of mother doesn't make it to her own daughter's wedding?" The gender specific nature of the comment makes me think it's about the Mother rather than Ted's mother. They know that she won't be there when their daughter gets married. I really hope I'm wrong, though. Yes, I know it's just a TV show, but after all of this, it just doesn't seem remotely right to leave Ted alone and heart-broken again.
 
I agree that if we have to interpret the scene one way vs the other, the scene read to me as if Ted was broken up because The Mother (Cristin Milioti) was dying or that they knew she was going to die a lot sooner than they'd expected, and that this is why they were back at Farhampton (where Roger Bart recognizes them, referring to them both as "The Mosbys,") to get as much time together as possible.

It's interesting that there was no narration from Bob Saget Ted at all in this episode, so we can't really explain away with the whole "Ted's an unreliable narrator" excuse. In fact, now that I think about it, has Bob Saget narrated any of the flash forwards where we see Ted and The Mother as a couple? If not, it would seem to imply that what we're seeing is in fact the "raw, unedited" truth of the scenes not affected by Ted's narrating (i.e. events as they actually have happened.)

Even when the show did the whole "How Your Mother Met Me" episode, it wasn't The Mother narrating (the way Robin narrated in "Symphony of Illumination") but it was Ted. This, plus Ted's wish that he'd met the mother 45 days earlier than he did when he went to see Summer a few years ago seems to lend credence to the idea that Bob Saget Ted is telling his kids the story of how he met their mother because their mother has died/been dead for a while in the year 2030.

Dramatically, it would make perfect sense. A character like Ted, who spends 9 years searching for his true love, finds her, has his time with her, and then loses her tragically, would of course revel in being able to tell the tale to his kids. The Mother's line ("I don't want you to be the guy who lives in his stories. Life only moves forward.") would seem to support this, and we've seen from the brief snippets we've been given of their life together that she "gets" Ted more than any other woman he's been with.

Random other theory: (And, I think someone may have mentioned it already in this thread) - Is it possible Future Ted is telling his kids the story in 2030 via DVD? Is it possible he knew he was dying, and because he loved his wife and family, and his penchant for storytelling, he recorded as much of the story as he could before he finally died, (in 2024) and then, six years later, it's the Mother who plays the DVD for her kids so that they can understand how much Ted loved them all? It would certainly give added meaning to The Mother's aforementioned lines about living in his stories - perhaps that's even the catalyst for him to sit down and record the DVD? We've never actually seen Old Ted (as voiced by Bob Saget)

Total, random sidebar:
--Can't wait to see Robin's mom in action.
--Props to the writers for bringing back "Swarley." :lol:
--"Sue Tup." Brilliant!
 
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Or it could be "The Mother"'s mom died before their wedding (Ted & "The Mother"). Or refused to come to the wedding.
 
The other thing to consider - the show totally prepped Ted to go full Bob Saget, at least in terms of appearance. The hair, the sweater... as someone on one of the review blogs said, "I can totally see Danny Tanner there!" :lol:
 
Or it could be "The Mother"'s mom died before their wedding (Ted & "The Mother"). Or refused to come to the wedding.

I dunno, but the way Ted broke down and cried immediately, and the Mother quickly changed the topic kinda implied it was more personal to Ted than her. Either his mother died, or the Mother was going to die before the kid's wedding. Or Ted, i suppose, but not quite as clean to the lines.

Not to say continuity is perfect or anything, but haven't there been a couple of episodes with flashes of OLD Ted, Marshall, Lily, etc? Can't remember the episode, but there were together on a porch for at least one bit I recall. Thought they all appear older than Ted does in the most recent viewings with the Mother. Of course she didn't appear, as it was before this season. If you assume that's not being written over, more credence towards Ted being ok, and the Mother dying...
 
Not to say continuity is perfect or anything, but haven't there been a couple of episodes with flashes of OLD Ted, Marshall, Lily, etc? Can't remember the episode, but there were together on a porch for at least one bit I recall. Thought they all appear older than Ted does in the most recent viewings with the Mother. Of course she didn't appear, as it was before this season.

Someone looked it up earlier and confirmed that the scene you're thinking of takes place in 2020 (four years before this flash-forward takes place.) Ted, Marshall, and Lily are "eating a sandwich" at their college reunion in "How I Met Everyone Else," (episode 305) and Ted belts out "Where's my wife?"

Here's a screencap from the HIMYM wiki:

http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130630000624/himym/images/0/02/Sandwiches_2020.png

Wikipedia also has a summary of the future scenes, set in 2020:

At their college reunion in 2020, Ted is approached by a woman who tells him that she was the one he made out with at the Freshman party proving Marshall was correct (revealing that Ted and Lily met when Marshall introduced them the day after the party as Lily recalled). Later Ted, Marshall and Lily all sit down for a "sandwich" that Marshall confiscated and get high when Ted suddenly realizes he can't find his wife.

EDIT: Here are two better screencaps, from Netflix:

ScreenShot2014-03-04at114220AM_zpscf2608e6.png


ScreenShot2014-03-04at114342AM_zps8cef950c.png
 
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Maybe if the Mother is dead, he's telling the kids these stories right before he's remarrying his "best friend" Barney's widow, Robin :)
 
Someone looked it up earlier and confirmed that the scene you're thinking of takes place in 2020 (four years before this flash-forward takes place.) Ted, Marshall, and Lily are "eating a sandwich" at their college reunion in "How I Met Everyone Else," (episode 305) and Ted belts out "Where's my wife?"

Wasn't the scene I was thinking of. Like I said, they were outside sitting on a porch in the scene I'm thinking of, and thought they were older than that...

Different scene from that episode, maybe? haven't rewatched a lot of old ones outside occasional repeats on tv when I'm channel surfing.
 
That's "The Front Porch" - Episode 417.

That was all theoretical on Lily's part. She was explaining to Ted and the group her "Front Porch Test," her way of sizing up each of Ted's various girlfriends to see how well they'd fit in with the group, and pointing out how bad a match Laura Prepon's character was for Ted, and later how mismatched Ted and Robin were.

You're right that they're all old (retirement age) in the flash forwards, but I don't think we saw any actual flash forwards to the front porch.

Here are a few screencaps, again from Netflix:

ScreenShot2014-03-04at125001PM_zps6e0a1364.png


ScreenShot2014-03-04at125518PM_zpsd352d9a1.png


Again, here's a breakdown from Wikipedia of that episode:

Robin asks her friends if they would watch her talk show, which airs at 4:00 a.m., and the group reluctantly agrees to stay up and watch. When Ted turns up, he informs them that Karen (Laura Prepon) has broken up with him, after finding Robin's earring in Ted's bed. However, as everyone prepares to watch Robin's show, Ted discovers the matching earring of Robin's on Marshall's dresser and mutes the television to confront Marshall, believing him to have sabotaged his relationship with Karen.

As extreme events occur on Robin's show (she starts crying while showing a picture of the gang, she saves the host of the cooking segment when he catches fire, she resuscitates the weatherman after he's had a heart attack and finally she delivers a baby live on camera), still muted, Lily confesses that she has been breaking Ted up with girls who she didn't see passing the "Front Porch Test" — an indication of how they would all live together once they were old. A scene is shown of Marshall, Lily and Ted in the far future playing bridge (though clearly, none of them know how to play).

Robin returns from the show to learn the truth behind her break-up with Ted, which Lily insists she did not want to happen. Ted heads into the bar the next day to find Karen waiting, having had the situation explained to her by Lily. Karen hands Ted a letter from Lily, which contains an apology, and lets Ted know that Lily has prepared a fine dinner in Ted's apartment for him and Karen. Ted breaks up with Karen anyway after she says Ted cannot ever see Lily again and he imagines what the future would be like without her and Marshall. Returning to the apartment, Ted asks Robin to be his "plus one" and they enjoy the meal Lily prepared. They wonder whether or not they would still be together if not for Lily's intervention. Ted then makes a mock proposal to Robin, asking her to be his "backup wife". She accepts.

Meanwhile, Marshall wears a nightshirt to the pyjama party to watch Robin's show, while Barney wears a silk suit. Barney insists his clothing choice is superior, citing the possibility of attractive women coming to his home at night and seeing how good he looks, but then admits how unlikely that is and uncomfortable the "suitjamas" are. Marshall convinces Barney to try a nightshirt instead. Barney and Marshall delight in their nightshirts, having a dream about flying together in them. Barney starts wearing nightshirts to sleep. A week later, an attractive woman shows up at his apartment at night — but, upon seeing his nightshirt, she decides to leave, much to Barney's chagrin.

Having re-watched those scenes just now to make the screencaps, it's obvious in the episode itself that these are hypothetical flash-forwards from Lily and Ted's perspectives.
 
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