How would you have ended it?

A simple happily ever after. Barney and Robin stay married, everyone stays alive, everyone achieves their career goals, etc. Then maybe flash forward to like 2050 or 2060 and they're all 6 retired hanging out on a front porch (maybe playing Bridge). Give it a voice over from Ted that ties everything together and roll credits. Maybe have an old man Ted asking his grandkids if he ever told them how he met their Grandmother as it fades to black with the joke being he's going to tell them the same long convoluted story.

It would have been boring and cliche (maybe) but I think it would have left a better taste in people's mouth and would have left the show open for spin-offs and reunions.

I think the fundamental problem is that the mother is a McGuffin. The story isn't really about her. The clues that are dropped in the course of the story don't amount to anything. For the writers she's just a plot device. But the viewers obviously didn't feel that way.

There were several indications that the story was going to end the way it did: the way the mother was rarely mentioned, the role of Robin as Ted's longstanding love interest, etc. The fact that Ted is telling the story alone to his kids suggests their mother was gone at that point.

However, to make people happy what the writers needed to do was make the mother the centre of the last series, and invent some hilarious plot involving the yellow umbrella, Cindy, the Economics lecture etc.

I would have robin and Barney never get divorced and the mother lives, but my version would end wirh a few minutes before thanksgiving, and a final scene with everybody at Marshall and lily'a for thanksgiving like they said was a tradition.

My thoughts:

1) Tracy dies or Ted is dying. They both work for me. Or Ted is developing alzheimers.

2) The final season is not the wedding. The only reason the divorce bothered me was that the final season was spent almost entirely on the wedding. Instead, the finally season progresses onward through the years until 2030 letting us see Tracy and Ted grow.

3) We never learn what Barney's job is. The pineapple is never mentioned again.

4) The character of Cliff is not reduced to the bad punchline he is in season 9.

5) Ted is over Robin. Robin is over Ted.

Not me, but check it out: http://www.redbubble.com/people/nesling/

For making it legendary forever, mother must die!!!

However, I would put one whole episode or even more to achieve her dead. Make people feel the lost of Ted. See he suffered. And then putting him with Robin together. Audiences could pay more sympathy then and bless for them.

Also Barney must divorce with Robin for the same reason. But! The same as above, put more time to see them suffer, and then people could be convinced they are not good for each other. Could let it go and wish them find the "right one".

Robin could go back with Ted.

Barney could go back with Nora. Seriously, I think Nora is more fitting for Barney. They broke up only because Robin's selfish. Giving him a baby daughter and turn Barney into a responsible man suddenly is kind of insulting this character.

[deleted]

Yeah I hated the finale so much. Mostly hated how they basically reduced the mother to just being a way to give Ted children because they threw in that Robin couldn't have kids. I was convinced only once in the entire series that Ted really truly loved the mother in the episode where he goes to her apartment and gives that huge speech about how he wished he met her sooner and that he wants to cherish more time with her. I felt that and I'm sure a lot of other fans/viewers did to. At that moment it was basically 100% confirmed that he's telling the kids this story after she had passed or while she's currently on her death bed. So the whole thing just felt so rushed in the finale like he's telling his kids "yeah but honestly I've just always loved your Aunt Robin" I'm sorry but if I was one of his kids I'd tell dad to "go f himself" because it comes off as a slap in the face to the mother he has claimed to love but instead he STILL never got over Robin which is crap.

For me I would have had Robin and Barney get divorced. My only change that I would of made to the Barney part of the story is that we actually get to see who he got pregnant. It should of been a call back to a previous relationship in which he had preferably Nora. Robin I would have get a huge job promotion and move out of New York or maybe stay in New York but still get this huge promotion and have her story end up that she's back together with Don and that they're now like this Regis & Kelly type duo in the mornings. Have it show them interviewing some new up and coming Canadian pop star or something as a callback joke.

Marshall and Lily live happily ever after. Meanwhile Ted finishes telling this story on the 25th anniversary of his wedding. He hugs his kids and they're crying and tell Ted "we miss mom too" type of thing. We then cut to a picture behind them which is from their wedding and we get some flashback scenes of their life together to actually get to see them together. Have a heart felt song playing as we see them together traveling through life as a couple and eventually as parents and have us see them in some of these life altering moments together. Give us more of a scene like the one where he rushed to her apartment door.

Then from there I would have it go 1 of 2 ways. One being the ending that aired and one being an alternate ending. The one I think I would choose to be the one to air would be this. At the very end to the finale would be Ted looking at a picture of him and his wife with a tear in his eye while in his study and the kids pop into the door frame knocking letting Ted know that they've got to go but that they'll have to do it again sometime. They give Ted a hug as Ted walks them to out the door only for Ted to then say "well did I ever tell you the story about-" and the show cuts out.

The other ending would be that Ted is once again alone in his study looking at a picture of him and his wife and he gets a phone call. It's from his doctor and he learns that he also is dying. He understands and he's been preparing for it for quite some time. His story to his children was not only for them to grieve their dead mother but for him to grieve his broken heart. The children leave and and Marshall, Lily, Barney, and Robin show up knowing about Ted's condition. Marshall is holding the Star Wars movies as it's time to once again watch them all. Robin then makes a joke saying "I can't wait til we get to the 35th one. Felt like it really started to get good there." Which then cuts to black.

I personally like my alternate ending better as I think it really ends the whole story a lot better which Ted basically dying from a broken heart and it really sells that he truly loved the mother and not secretly Robin this entire time. The only reason I would of aired the other is because I think this one would of been a tad bit depressing.

Before I begin, I apologise for the length of this answer, as I have thought about this a lot.

I would have have the "Ted meeting Mother" scene at the end of season 8, but then have the kids, who have meanwhile got interested in the story, demand to know more about what happened to everyone, so the story would continue for another season and show what happened in the 10 years following the story.

As the years roll by Marshall and Lily would gradually start becoming unhappy and disillusioned with the New York life, which starts when they are unable to find a suitable preschool for Marvin. The final straw is when, 3 years after the main story, Marshall is offered a judgeship position, after proving himself at the NYDC for a long time - in Minnesota... After much thinking and debating Lily comes to the realization that Marshall and his family have been right all along about kids growing up in Saint Cloud, so by around halfway into the show they decide to move there permanently, with Barney (who I will cover soon) flying them in every week to meet up with the gang. In the final they would have been shown to have 5 kids (the number comes from Lily realizing that their marraige has outstripped any of either her or Marshall's expectations, so the nimber of kids is symbolic of that - instead of a horrible compromise) and will be living happily with a Godfather-style family scene in Saint Cloud.

Marshall and Lily are joined in Saint Cloud by James, Tom and their 4 kids (with the last two finally being black also, and born by surrogacy - one from James and one from Tom), which at the beginning causes a lot of awkwardness from Marshall's conservative family, but in the end they are showed to be best of friends, and in the final episode James and Tom's family are shown together with Marshall's family.

Robin gets divorced from Barney after a few episodes of showing why they don't work together, and after that she leaves the group and her career starts really picking up. She starts travelling places and fulfilling all her dreams as the rest of the gang watch them on TV, and in one of her trips she meets a guy (like Gael) who satisfies her unfilfilled spiritual needs. In the end Robin would be shown in a similar way to when she was in Argentina, and relaxing with her new husband as the phone rings incessantly.

Ted and Tracy's dating and wedding would take 2-3 episodes and 1 year with Tracy meanwhile becoming a full-fledged member of the gang, and following that it would show how they had made a very successful, loving and productive life together, with every one of Ted and Tracy's dreams coming true. In the end it would show Tracy getting a phone call from Barney, which will lead in to Barney's ending, to be depicted below.

Ranjit would have many successful career steps, and end up owning the limo company. Him and his son, who Barney lands a job in his firm, would be an integral part of Barney's plot, and help Barney achieve his career successes.

Barney is the one with the most story. Barney and Robin divorce and break up after 2-3 episodes, and Barney undergoes a total breakdown in his "personal" life, which he gets over after an intervention in Episode 3-4 by Ted, Tracy, Marshall, Lily and Ranjit's son, who gradually becomes an important character. Following the intervention Barney immerses himself in work as the role played in the time working with Marshall, and Ranjit's son takes Marshall's place as Barney's sidekick. Together they hatch an ongoing plot to oust Barney's evil CEO, which they achieve around the same time Marshall and Lily move to Saint Cloud. As a result Barney becomes CEO, and is able to keep the gang together, minus Robin and plus Tracy and Ranjit's son. While this is going on Barney, in a quest for stability, has tracked down Nora, married her and had 2 kids with her, and is looking to finally settle down. However, in the final 2 episodes we are introduced to Tyler, a 19 year old kid who looks and acts a lot like early-HIMYM Barney, and was born to a single mom that refuses to tell him who his dad is despite many attempts/ After many enquiries he finally finds in the final episode that Barney is his real dad, setting up the final scene.

The final scene would go like this: Barney gets a call from Tyler, and Tyler tells Barney that he, Barney, is Tyler's real dad, and to meet him at MacLaren's bar. An unbelieving Barney shows up at the bar, and quickly sees the truth of Tyler's statement, which immediately ignites in him his former youthful passion, and he says "Tyler, God has sent you to me for a reason. Now I will show you how to live!". Shortly after Barney calls the gang, and they all show up in the bar. Barney introduces them to Tyler, and immediately Barney plays the "Have you met" game and introduces Tyler to Carl's 18 year old daughter, who was coincedentally there at the time and is extremely hot. At the end, with all the youthful excitement Barney says "From now on all our lives will be legen-wait for it..." and they both leave the bar, and at the exit turn around and say ...dary! before walking off into the sunset with everyone looking on, and the credits roll.