I'm going to be an emotional wreck during the last episode.
How I Met Your Mother: The Final Season
- Thread starter ryan123450
- Start date
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 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.
On a lighter note, they couldn't have possibly done a better job casting Robin's mother.
Fucking brilliant.
Fucking brilliant.
Tracy is playing it English?
Which makes Robin only half Canadian.
Which makes Robin only half Canadian.
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...
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...
But what if she's dying of cancer and she's out cooking meth to provide a legacy for Ted and the kids?
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.
doubleohfive
Fleet Admiral
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."
--"Sue Tup." Brilliant!
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."
--"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.
doubleohfive
Fleet Admiral
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!"
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...
doubleohfive
Fleet Admiral
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:
EDIT: Here are two better screencaps, from Netflix:
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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 
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.
doubleohfive
Fleet Admiral
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:
Again, here's a breakdown from Wikipedia of that episode:
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.
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:
Again, here's a breakdown from Wikipedia of that episode:
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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