When How I Met Your Mother bowed out of our lives this year, many were left reeling by the abrupt ending.

After nine seasons, it’s fair to say that most fans expected better.

Fans didn’t expect the mystical ‘mother’ of the series to have died from a mystery illness, only a few years into her marriage with Ted. They also didn’t expect him to drop everything and end up with ex-girlfriend Robin, after spending nine seasons convincing us he had found ‘happily ever after’ with the mother of his children.

Today, an alternative ending has leaked online. The video shows a completely different story that the show makers were considering using for the show’s finale.

And if it had been used, a lot of tears/agony/feelings of betrayal would have been saved.

It depicts a much happier ending for Ted and his wife.  Basically, they stand under their yellow umbrella and confess their love for each other in the pouring rain. After a montage of Ted’s ex girlfriends flash across the screen, viewers are left with the parting words, ‘and that kids is how I met your mother’.

No death, or returning-to-ex relationships in sight. Just the promise of a beautiful future.

The video was to be included in the Season 9 DVD package, but leaked online early. Sadly, it has since been taken down from YouTube by FOX under grounds of copyright infringement.

When the controversial finale first aired, Carter Bays defended his decision to choose the rawer ending. He tweeted:

While you wait for the video to be included in the DVD package, flick through our gallery of our favourite HIMYM moments…

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