‘How I Met Your Mother’ debate: Should season 8 be the last?

We still have a few months to go until “How I Met Your Mother” returns to CBS with new episodes, but that does not stop us from wanting to have a bit of a debate when it comes to the future of the hit series.

Let’s start off with the facts here — the timeline makes sense for Ted to meet the mother at the end of season 8, and executive producers Carter Bays and Craig Thomas have suggested that this couple be the end of the series. Plus, you also have an issue here in that the contracts for most of the cast are up at the end of this season, and you would need to go through negotiations again for another year. This is an issue that really could go either way, and with that in mind it is worth talking about.

Why season 8 should be the last

Have you ever heard of going out on a high note? This would be a perfect opportunity for the show to do so. The ratings were up for most of season 7, and the show was creatively still strong. Sometimes, it’s better to leave people wanting more (take “The X-Files” or “Sex and the City”) than to stay around for so long that people forget you are on (see “That 70’s Show” or “Scrubs”).

The benefit to ending “How I Met Your Mother” after season 8 is merely that you would be likely ending the show with Barney’s wedding, which does feel as though it is the natural conclusion to the story. With those two getting married and Ted meeting his future bride, everyone would be a step closer to their happily ever after. We don’t necessarily need to see Ted dating the future mother of his kids — just seeing her is enough.

Why season 9 is a good idea

First, we are never going to complain about a hard-working crew getting another year of work. It keeps people employed, and with the show still strong the chances are still good that the show could come up with another great 46-48 episodes before walking into the sunset.

There’s no guarantee even that we have to meet the mother at the end of this season — who says that the producers can’t delay it a year? Considering the timeline that was set up by Ted walking around with a baby in a flash-forward, though, it would mean that he would have to have the woman of his dreams pregnant pretty soon after they started dating.

Another option is of course continuing the show for a year after Barney’s wedding — and while this could be incredibly dangerous and risky, it could still be a nice way to see Ted actually be happy rather than just imagining him so after the season 8 end credits roll.

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At the moment, here’s what we do know about season 8 — Ted is with Victoria at the moment, Robin will have a new love interest, and Barney is engaged to Quinn. There are also a number of loose ends to tie up thanks to storylines over the years — so many, in fact, that producers may go for a ninth season simply to have more time to finish everything they started.

What do you think — is this stellar series worth a ninth season, or would you rather see it go out sooner and ensure it ends on a high note?

Photo: CBS