I recently did a post on how I thought MAD MEN should end. It’s kind of fun to think about how to wrap up long running series. One show has a built-in last episode. HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER. You figure that on the series finale they will finally reveal just who the mother of Ted’s kids is.
But if I know those writers, they won’t just leave it at that. They’re always great about finding one more little ingenious twist. So if they haven’t already, might I offer the following suggestion?
TED HAS FINISHED HIS STORY. (THE AUDIENCE NOW KNOWS WHO THE MOTHER REALLY IS.) THE KIDS AD LIB, “THANKS, DAD”, “COOL”, “THAT WAS A GREAT STORY BUT IT’S NOW ELEVEN HOURS PAST OUR BEDTIME”. THEY START TO HEAD UP TO THEIR ROOMS WHEN TED STOPS THEM.
TED: Kids, wait. There’s one more thing.
THEY RELUCTANTLY TURN BACK, KNOWING THAT “ONE MORE THING” COULD MEAN ANOTHER ONE HUNDRED AND SEVEN HOURS. TED TAKES A DEEP BREATH, THEN:
TED: Telling you all these stories, and reliving those all those memories – all those great nights just hanging out with my buds, all those women that Uncle Barney slept with, all those women that I slept with – Aunt Robin, y’know she’s still smoking hot – it just occurred to me that those were really the best years of my life. And I gave them up. Why? For what? Now I’m trapped in a house telling bedtime stories instead of living them. And I love your mother, but don’t you think it’s kind of weird that practically all of my stories were about other women? So, I guess what I’m saying is… I’m leaving your mother. I’m too young to just give up and settle down. Aunt Robin just got out of an abusive relationship. I’m going for it, kids!
CUT TO BLACK:
TITLE CARD: Ted will be back next season in HOW I MET YOUR STEP-MOTHER