Did Last Night's Episode Confirm Our Favorite 'How I Met Your Mother' Finale Theory?

Unless it turns out Ted is a mad man who talks to imaginary children and mows lawns in Louisiana cemeteries, last night’s How I Met Your Mother all but confirmed our favorite finale theory: that the Mother is dead by the time Bob Saget’s voice takes over for Josh Radnor. We first mentioned it back in October, but it wasn’t until “Vesuvius” that Mom Truthers had some hard evidence to support their claim.

Here’s what happened: Ted is telling the Mother in 2024 about the time Robin’s mom showed up to her and Barney’s wedding. He says, “And that’s the story, right down to the surprise ending.” The Mother laughs this off, commenting, “Is it really such a surprise? I mean, come on, of course she showed up. What mother is going to miss her daughter’s wedding?” At this point, Ted begins to tear up, until the Mother comforts him, “Come on.” Then Bob Dylan’s “If You See Her, Say Hello” begins playing, and doesn’t fade out until the line, “She might think that I’ve forgotten her, don’t tell her it isn’t so.”

And so the theories began flying:

OK, so we all obviously just saw that scene and are now pretty sure that the Mother is in fact dead/dying, and that is the reason that Ted is telling this story to his kids. BUT – I think the last vestige of hope for this series’ end is that the mother has been diagnosed with a very serious disease and MAY die, which is why Ted tells the story, but in the end she recovers. I’m holding out hope reeeeeeally hard that this is it. (Via)

Three theories:

1. Ted’s mom died before he got married.

2. The Mother is dead/a ghost or is dying

3. Tedd has Alzheimers, which is why he tells all these stories.

[Someone responded, “Can’t be number one. Future Ted says the kids know that ‘marrying your Grandpa Clint was the best decision [Ted’s mom] ever made,’ so both Virginia and Clint had to be present in the kids’ lives, thus she couldn’t be dead before Ted’s wedding.” (Via)

It could be a cancer-remission-cancer returns scenario. Or just a cancer-remission. In 2024 they are told she has cancer, and is given slim odds of survival. They get sad and go on a trip as a get-away before she starts treatment (as she’ll be too sick once treatment begins). Ted gets sad at the “what mother would miss her own daughter’s wedding” line thinking about the potential loss of his wife and her missing little Penny’s (and Luke’s) future wedding(s). She gets treatment, goes into remission. Miracle.

Now, we can either have the story continue with her being fine, and there’s another reason Ted’s telling the story. Or, the cancer comes back in 2030, this time it’s too late to treat. Then again, the story is not really about the mother at all, so I just can’t see her dying as a reason for telling the story. You would think if the mother were dying she would want to tell her story to the kids.

Ted is the one who is dying.

About that:

I think tonight’s episode might be hinting at the shoe being on the other foot.

She keeps telling Ted to stop living in the past, for him to stop reliving all of the good parts of HIS life, that he needs to look forward, not backwards… The entire show is about Ted looking back on his life, looking at all the good and the bad parts. Was he right to do this? Was he a good person when…?

That’s not normal for someone who think’s they’re going to lose their soul mate, that’s what someone does when they think they don’t have a future.

I think this actually hint’s that Ted’s the one that might be ill…

The mother says “No mother would miss their daughters wedding”, she says it without thinking which isn’t something you would do if you were the one on a timer, but what if Ted is the one that’s ill, and he’s upset about the same being said about a Dad (him)? She wouldn’t have clicked until he got upset about it.

She then immediately goes back to letting him live in the past, letting him recall all the happy times HE’S had in HIS life with him and his friends. (Via)

I don’t buy the “Ted is dead” speculation, but I do think the Mother won’t be around to see Penny’s wedding. OH GOD, we’re going to learn her name on her tombstone, aren’t we? A happy ending? No can dosville, babydoll. And most tragically, we’ll never learn anything else about Dong Nose.

H/T reader “swarmt”

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