There’s An Official Alternate Ending To How I Met Your Mother

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Published

April 16, 2014

Some of you really liked it. A lot of you were very adamant in your hatred of it. Whatever the case, it’s safe to say that the final 5 minutes of the last ever episode of How I Met Your Mother were fairly divisive. So much so that the Internet took it upon itself to produce fan-made recuts of the ending that “fixed” whatever it was that they saw as a problem. But now it seems that, even despite theoretically setting the show’s conclusion in stone way back at the end of season 2, the show’s creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas were torn between two different ways of wrapping the show up, right up to the point of finalising the edit of the series finale. And now, the pair have revealed, that they’re going to share the other option with everyone a lot sooner than you may think.

The production may have wrapped for good, but that’s not stopping anyone from squeezing a few bucks here and there from fans. And thus they’re now preparing a comprehensive, complete DVD release containing all nine seasons of the hit sitcom, packaged in a set that resembles Barney’s legendary Playbook. Among the probably myriad of extra features, Bays and Thomas let slip on Twitter that an alternate ending will be included in the set.

To #HIMYM fans who loved the finale: Thank you so much, it means a lot! (Wait for it…)

— Craig Thomas (@HimymCraig) April 4, 2014

To #HIMYM fans who didn’t love the finale: We respect you and for every controversial finale, there is always a Plan B.

— Craig Thomas (@HimymCraig) April 4, 2014

So anyway, here’s a bit of news: 16 days ago today we were in the HIMYM edit room, trying to decide between two very different endings.

— Carter Bays (@CarterBays) April 4, 2014

We only shot one script, but through edit room magic we had two possible outcomes for the series.

— Carter Bays (@CarterBays) April 4, 2014

We chose the ending we chose and we stand by it. But we loved the other version too.

— Carter Bays (@CarterBays) April 4, 2014

We love all #HIMYM fans and respect all opinions…so we want to share that Plan B with you on the Series Box set. pic.twitter.com/NEQVoWIKOh

— Craig Thomas (@HimymCraig) April 4, 2014

We stand by what aired and we are proud of it. But you guys came on such a long journey with us — we want to give you BOTH! #HIMYM

— Craig Thomas (@HimymCraig) April 4, 2014

It should be noted at this point that it’s not an entirely different ending. They only shot the conclusion of the episode one way. However thanks to the magic of the editing room, two different ways of wrapping the show up were created. The one that made it to air, of course, (SPOILER ALERT) depicted Ted meeting Tracy, the mother, and showed their relationship flashing forward to the point where, ultimately, Tracy passes away. Then Ted wraps his story up to his kids, who convince him that he’s still in love with Robin, and insist that he go and ask her out one more time.

So maybe this alternate ending is somewhat more satisfactory to those wanting a storybook ending for Ted Mosby. Maybe it’s less heartbreaking and lets Tracy live. Maybe that’s the ending that, with the benefit of hindsight, Bays and Thomas think Ted deserves.

Or maybe rocks fall and everyone dies.

Photo: Robyn Beck via Getty Images.