How I Met Your Mother was a beautiful sitcom with great romance and some iconic friendships and yet one with a highly dissatisfying ending. It starred Josh Radnor, Neil Pattrick Harris, Cobie Smulders, Alyson Hannigan, and Jason Segel in lead roles. The show ran for 9 years and engaged audiences with its beloved characters that they had grown to love and an engaging plot that they wanted to see the end of. Everyone eagerly awaited the moment when the show’s title would finally be realized.
However, after 9 years of intricately building Ted Mosby’s (portrayed by Radnor) romantic saga as he recounted to his children the tale of how he met their mother, the show creators took a questionable turn and delivered an ending that left most fans disappointed. Some even argue it was more controversial than the finale of Game of Thrones. However, the creators had finalized two ending cuts for the final episode — and released that slightly satisfying ending as part of the DVD release.
How to Watch How I Met Your Mother’s Alternate Ending?
The easiest and most enjoyable way to view this fan-favored ending is through the How I Met Your Mother: The Whole Story DVD/Blu-Ray box set, where it’s included as a special feature. Additionally, the alternate cut has made its way to YouTube and you can watch it there. Also, if you haven’t yet watched the original ending, we’d advise that you skip it altogether. The alternate ending offers a slightly different narrative that’s not as satisfying as viewers wanted it to be but it still gives a better closure. We’re about to dig right into it in the next header so if you haven’t watched it yet, consider this a spoiler alert.
What Happens in How I Met Your Mother’s Alternate Ending?
In the alternate ending, things take a much simpler and happier turn. The whole gang is back at their favorite spot, MacLaren’s pub, just enjoying each other’s company. There’s a positive air around Barney and Robin, suggesting they’re still married and happy. The story’s spotlight is on Ted and his deep love for Tracy. Marshall takes a moment to look around the familiar surroundings of the pub then gestures to the newcomers in the booth behind them, hinting at the countless memories his group has shared in that very spot. Turning back to his friends, they all raise their glass for a toast to Ted’s emotional endurance over all these years.
The screen then takes us directly to that beautiful scene at the train station, set against a backdrop of gentle rain, when Tracy and Ted first met. They both share their iconic, extremely heartfelt encounter. The show then ends with Ted (voiced by Bob Saget), telling his children “And that children, is how I met your mother.”
Why Was There a Need for an Alternate Ending for HIMYM?
HIMYM concluded its nine-year run with a curious ending. After investing so much time in Ted Mosby’s romantic journey, the original conclusion seemed to betray the story’s core essence, leaving fans with more questions than answers. The backlash was significant, with numerous fans voicing their disappointment online and in discussions. Recognizing and already anticipating this dissatisfaction, the show’s creators had already shot an alternate ending to address these concerns. This different conclusion aimed to offer a simpler, more direct resolution that stayed truer to the show’s heart and resonated with the fans’ expectations. It was a nod to the dedicated viewership, giving them an option that might better align with their hopes for the characters they’d grown to love.
What Would Have Been the Perfect Ending for How I Met Your Mother?
While the show’s creators released this alternate ending in a well-intentioned attempt, it’s just not enough. The real ending is so heartbreaking and dark that the mind doesn’t want to accept it. The alternate ending, while serving a favored outcome, just feels incomplete. This has led many fans over the years to come up with different ending scenarios. However, one that has particularly clicked with the majority goes something like this:
Once Ted has finished narrating the story of How I Met Your Mother to his children, Tracy shows up in the room and goes, “Your dad is again telling you the story of how we met, isn’t he?” Followed by Tracy, getting everyone up for dinner. Fast-forward to a scene a few years later: Ted, Tracy, their kids, Lily, Marshall, and their children, along with Robin and Barney, all gather on Ted’s porch for a BBQ, just as he had always imagined. While this wasn’t the ending fans received, with 9 years having passed since the show concluded, fans can now more easily imagine this perfect ending.