How Ted Could Have Met the Mother

I know it's been awhile since my last entry, but I haven't really had much to write about. I haven't seen any new movies, most TV shows I watch had pretty standard episodes this week, and the debates are over. But I've got the Mad Men finale, plans to see a few new movies, and the election coming up, so things will pick up soon.

In the meantime, there's Monday night's episode of How I Met Your Mother, which almost answered the question. With Robin in Tokyo, Marshall and Lily moving to Dowisetrepla, and Ted getting married, everyone seemed on the verge of moving on. And as is always the case when a show's premise is in danger long before the endpoint, it was obvious Ted and Stella's wedding could not go on.

With all of Future Ted's warnings about bringing exes to the wedding, I guessed the problem was not Robin but Lucy's father Tony, played by Daily Show correspondent Jason Jones. Ted getting left at the altar and Barney losing Robin again made for a pretty sad ending. But as Future Ted's alternative future showed, we all knew Stella wasn't really the mother. Not only does Lucy provide a giveaway to Ted's kids listening to the story, but the kids would be blonde!

Despite the ending, there was still plenty of good laughs. Robin giving the news with a straight face while a monkey threw nuts at her was pretty hilarious. But not quite as good as Barney's mathematical calculations for how he can sleep with Robin again. I'm sure someone out there has studied that board as carefully as Lost fans study island maps.

So while it's sad for Ted to see Stella go, it'll be nice to bring the show back to normal. I've always thought the show is best in episodes like The Slap Bet and The Pineapple Incident which have absolutely nothing to do with Ted's search for his future wife. Some fans may want more advancement, but why bring about the end of such an enjoyable show?