Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

How I Met Your Mother ending was teased in very first season

The clues were there all along

Jacob Stolworthy
Tuesday 19 September 2023 16:26 BST
Comments
How I Met Your Mother Season Finale

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

The ending of How I Met Your Mother was hinted at with a huge clue in the very first season of the hit US sitcom.

It’s been 18 years exactly since the sitcom began (on 19 September 2005). It followed Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) who, in the year 2030, recounts to his son and daughter the events that led him to meet their mother.

It’s revealed before the end of the show that the mother of Ted’s children is a character named Tracy McConnell (Cristin Milioti), who it is explained died in 2024.

The big twist comes with the reveal that Ted ends up with his friend and former love, Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders) – a conclusion that ScreenRant highlights was teased in the sitcom’s debut season.

In the pilot episode, Ted is shown telling Robin he loves her on their first date. She breaks things off, but then the two have an on-off relationship throughout the show.

Fans were resigned to the fact the pair would remain friends, despite it being quite clear they were destined to end up together.

It was only through Tracy’s death that Ted and Robin rekindled their relationship, this time seemingly for good.

A book featured in the first season’s penultimate episode, “Milk”, mirrored events of the show.

The episode sees Ted being told by a dating service that they’d found his perfect match – a woman who plays bass guitar whose favourite novel is Gabriel García Márquez’s 1985 novel Love in the Time of Cholera.

He eventually turns the date down because he’s pining for Robin.

Ted (Josh Radnor) and Tracy (Cristin Milioti) in the finale of 'How I Met Your Mother'
Ted (Josh Radnor) and Tracy (Cristin Milioti) in the finale of 'How I Met Your Mother' (CBS)

The plot of that book teased exactly how things would end for these characters. Love in the Time of Cholera follows young couple Florentino and Fermina who break up when Fermina falls for another man. They marry and remain happy right up until his tragic death.

Decades later, Fermina is reunited with Florentino and rekindle their romance – much like Ted and Robin do at the end of How I Met Your Mother.

The clues were there the whole time.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in