How I Met Your Mother fans expressed their hatred for the ending so much that the show released an alternate version … what did they change?
The beloved sitcom How i met your mother received a lot of unpopular criticism after the finale aired seven years ago. Ted finding the love of his life, Robin and Barney’s dream couple getting married, and the reveal of the mother who met all expectations, fans had everything they wanted from the sitcom to the end.
The disappointing ending spurred demand for an alternate ending, and the creators released one that fans enthusiastically received. Here are five things that changed and five things that stayed the same in the alternate ending of the show.
10 Changed: Tracy doesn’t die
One of the heartbreaking moments for viewers of the show was the death of the mother, Tracy. Although the show’s creators gave a hint about Tracy’s illness in an earlier episode while she and Ted were having dinner, fans were upset by her quick demise in the final episode. The alternate ending doesn’t acknowledge anything about his illness and ends it with Ted saying, “This is how I met your mother.” This points to the conclusion that Tracy is still alive and happily married to Ted.
9 Stayed the same: Lily and Marshall’s story
Lily and Marshall are without a doubt one of the best couples in modern sitcoms. One of the reasons the ending worked well with fans was that it didn’t try to make amends for Marshall-Lily’s love story. Despite having a brief breakup in season two, Marshmallow and Lilypad continued to entertain fans with their sweet relationship. In both the real and alternate ending, Lily and Marshall grow old along with their children.
8 Changed: Ted and Robin don’t end up together
The climactic scene at the end shows Ted standing outside Robin’s window with the blue French horn, the symbol of their romantic relationship. In the alternate ending, Robin is not mentioned after Ted’s marriage.
Also, since Ted and Tracy remain happy together, there is no scope for Ted to break up with Robin as well. Thus, Ted and Robin’s relationship remains nothing more than friends since the closure they reached at their wedding to Barney.
7 Stayed the same: Barney’s Love of Life
Fans firmly believed that Robin was the perfect match for Barney. However, they divorce, and only in the final episode of the show does he find the true ‘love of his life’, his daughter Ellie. It was very heartwarming for fans to see Barney seeing his daughter for the first time and telling her that she owns everything he has and what he is. The alternate ending does not alter Barney’s story and left it as it is featured on the actual show.
6 Changed: kids don’t make an appearance
The entire plot of the show is based on Ted narrating the story to his children about how he met their mother. In the actual ending, there is an argument between Ted and the children where they question Ted’s intent behind the storytelling and advise him to go after Robin. However, the children do not appear in the alternate ending, as it ends immediately after Ted completes his story.
5 Stayed the same: the characters parted ways
It is revealed in the penultimate episode of the show that “the five of us together at Maclaren’s, being young and stupid” is no longer one of the wonderful things that will happen.
The show had a very realistic ending, where each of the characters follows their own path. Marshall and Lily lead a serene life away from the bustle of the city, Barney starts a new life with his daughter, Ted and Robin continue to live in New York. Viewers see the circle of friends and the way it changes over time, which has also stayed the same in the alternate ending.
4 Changed: Marshall loses Lily-Marshall bet
Marshall and Lily have a legendary bet on the Robin-Ted relationship. Marshall always vouches for Ted and Robin to get together, while Lily gambled on Ted marrying someone else. In the actual ending, victory goes to Marshall after Ted asked Robin out in the show’s final clip. However, Ted remains alongside Tracy in the alternate ending, implying that Lily won the bet.
3 Stayed the same: Robin and Barney’s divorce
It was a huge blow to fans when Robin and Barney got divorced on the show’s penultimate episode. One thing that stayed the same in the real and alternate ending is this decision made by the two characters.
They realized that neither of them was happy with the marriage and they divorced. Although this affected their friendship, they were both able to pursue whatever they wanted after the divorce.
two Changed: Robin continued his world tour
Viewers are quite familiar with Robin’s goal of becoming a famous reporter and traveling the world. Although she did this successfully, her friends are disappointed that she is not available for the great things that happen in their lives. Fans see Robin returning to New York in the royal ending where he stays in his old apartment. In the alternate ending, Robin does not return to New York and fans assume that she is still traveling the world as a reporter.
1 Stayed the same: having the first conversation with Tracy in Farhampton
The show revolves around the circumstances that led Ted to meet Tracy, the mother of his children. Although they had almost crossed paths in different places throughout the show, they had their first conversation at Farhampton station when Ted bumped into her and started a conversation. This is a common sequence in both the real ending and the alternate ending. While the alternate ending culminates in this conversation at the station, this takes place before Ted’s discussion with his children in the actual ending.
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