Why the Mother on 'HIMYM' Should Die

First of all, take a moment. Sit down. Take a deep breath. Everything is going to be okay. How I Met Your Mother fans were already freaked out enough a few weeks ago, when the latest HIMYM theory about the show circulating the Internet was that the Mother was dead. Then Monday night, when Ted inexplicably started sobbing when the Mother started talking about Robin's mother making it to her daughter's wedding, it seemed like that theory was confirmed.

Of course, people were quick to point out that How I Met Your Mother is a show full of plot twists, so things might not be what they seem. But what if (in yet another twist) things actually were as they seem? Here's why it might be good for the show:

Finally Confirming a Theory

HIMYM is probably one of the last shows that would do any sort of fanservice move. But fans are constantly theorizing every moment of the show (seriously, there's even a whole section of fans devoted to color theory on the show). It'd be nice to let them finally get one right. Plus, it wouldn't exactly be a fanservice — it's clear from the reaction that no one really wants the mother to die (except those crazy Ted and Robin shippers, but that wouldn't necessarily have to happen if the mother dies).

A Twist on the Twist

Sure, the show could easily surprise us with the reason that Ted is telling this story in the first place. But that's what everyone expects, so much so that it was the overwhelming reaction to Tuesday night's episode. That's the kind of storytelling that HIMYM has used in all of its seasons, so much so that it's become predictable. What would really be surprising is a deliberately done, well-developed story behind the story we've all been waiting for.

The Emotions

From the fans, it's overwhelmingly clear that even the possibility of the Mother's death stoked a huge emotional reaction. That's the kind of reaction that the show keeps alluding to in its finale, and that's the kind of huge moment it needs. Sure, having the show end not with a bang, but with a whimper would still be a fitting end. But having the show end on this deeply meaningful moment would make its finale monumental, the kind of television moment that sticks with you for weeks to come.

The Story

Tuesday night's episode may have revealed some big things to come, but it also crystallized the motive of the show. Ted is a character that lives his life through stories told — it's how he tells people about his friends, it's how he makes decisions, it's occasionally even the motive behind his actions. It makes sense that he would tell the longest story he's ever told to immortalize the true love that he'd lost.