How I Met Your Mother “Vesuvius” 

In this week’s How I Met Your Mother, Barney struggles with finding the perfect suit for his wedding while Robin remains panic free, and viewers are offered a glimpse of The Mosbys as an old married couple.

My advice for all the HIMYM fans out there is in the immortal words of Barney Stinson: “Wait for it.”

“Vesuvius” has caused a lot of people, myself included, to panic about just how the show will end. Ever since Ted’s monologue at the end of season eight’s episode “Time Travelers” there have been people who have suggested that the reason Ted sits his children down in 2030 and tells them of how he met their mother is because she has died.

Here’s the monologue that began fans’ speculation:

“Hi… I’m Ted Mosby. In exactly 45 days from now you and I are going to meet and we’re going to fall in love and we’re going to get married and we’re going to have two kids and we’re going to love them and each other so much. All that is 45 days away, but I’m here now I guess because… I want those extra 45 days with you. I want each one of them. Look and if I can’t have them I’ll take the 45 seconds before your boyfriend shows up and punches me in the face, because… I love you. I’m always going to love you, til the end of my days and beyond. You’ll see.”

Ted wanting those extra 45 days with the love of his life seems like “Classic Schmosby” due to his history of being a hopeless romantic, until he mentions how he’ll love her “til the end of my days and beyond.” The inclusion of “beyond” and how The Mother has never been shown in any flash-forwards after 2030 is the basis for “The Mother is Dead” theory.

This week’s episode only increased speculation by hinting that by 2024 that The Mother may be suffering from a terminal illness. At the end of “Vesuvius,” Future Ted recalls that Robin’s mother actually ends up surprising Robin and is able to attend the wedding. What happens next is one of the more emotional scenes of the episode.

Ted: “And that’s the story right down to the surprise ending.”

The Mother: “That’s not really such a surprise! I mean, come on… yeah, of course she showed up. What mother is gonna miss her daughter’s wedding?”

*Ted begins crying*

The Mother: “Oh hey…no… Come on.”

Ted: “It’s okay, I’m fine. I’m okay.”

This final scene seems to be leaning towards a dark foreshadowing to the show’s conclusion. I personally do not want to give “The Mother is Dead” theory any credence and hope Craig and Carter favor a happier ending for Ted and his family. Viewers have waited eight years to meet The Mother and she has wonderfully been integrated this season, it’d be horrible to have her be dead at the end of the series. The writers have said that there is a twist ending to the series’ conclusion, but at this point is pretty blatant what their intentions are. This much foreshadowing makes it too obvious, so it is possible this is just another curveball thrown in the viewers’ way.

Other Thoughts

·      The chemistry between Josh Radnor and Cristin Milioti is absolutely phenomenal. These are the longest scenes we’ve seen them together. From how Radnor gazes at Milioti to the way she kisses his hand, there is an undeniable spark between these two.

·      Have Ted and The Mother vacationed anywhere else besides the Farhampton Inn? We know that this is were they meet in 2013, went on vacation there in 2014 (“Coming Back”), where they got engaged in 2015 (“The Lighthouse”), where The Mother goes into labor with their second child, Luke, in 2017 (“Unpause”), and visit again in 2024 (“Vesuvius”).

·      I love how “The Wedding Bride/Too” is a way for the writers to spoof that show and the cast themselves. The Narshall cake scene is a reference to Jason Segel when he mentioned HIMYM in the movie “This Is The End.”

What They Said

Barney: “What, so this is gonna be, like, a thing now? Yeah, It’s gonna be a thing now, Narshall. Right? Narshall.”

Ted: “Dude, settle down, Swarley.”

Marshall: “Yeah. Yeah, Swarleze Theron, take it easy.”

Barney: “Man, this was supposed to be my special day.”

Ted: “It’s a suit that’s never been worn before, a suit you never dreamed you’d wear. All of this suit’s memories are still ahead of it. Picture it. […] She walks down the aisle, you say your vows, you go to the reception, you have your first dance, and before you know it – just like magic – you realize: it’s a perfect fit.”

Barney: “You’re right, Ted. This is the one”

Future Ted: “But?”

The Mother: “You’re the love of my life, Pooh bear. I just worry about you. I don’t want you to be the guy who lives in his stories. Life only moves forward.”

Will Ted and The Mother live happily ever after? Let me know in the comments.

How I Met Your Mother airs Mondays 8/7c on CBS.