We promised ourselves that we wouldn’t cry, but we don’t think it’s a promise we’ll be able to keep! The thing is, tonight, after 9 years on the television, the final ever episode of How I Met Your Mother will be aired. And we’re pretty terrified about how it’s all going to turn out.

how i met your mother castThe HIMYM cast were chosen perfectly

The show has become one of the best loved series of all time, with an enthusiastic fan base who we’re sure will be devastated to see it come to an end. But how has HIMYM become so successful and how does it fare up against other well-loved ensemble cast shows?

Technically, How I Met Your Mother is Ted Moseby’s narrative relating how he met the mother of his children. Told in the year 2030, each episode Ted, played by Josh Radnor, recounts a tale to his children about the events which led him to meet their mother, including past loves, coincidences and mistakes, all of which altered the course of his life. Ted’s story is cleverly knitted together, often he mentions minor details which eventually become part of huge events later in the story, usually with tag line like, ‘But more on that later, kids’.  HIMYM always gives the impression that every detail has been decided upon meticulously, no plot lines are left to chance.

It isn’t just Ted and his story that has made the series such a success. His merry band of accomplices Marshall, Lily, Robin and Barney have all achieved individual success both on the show and in their own projects. Over the series fans have watched womanizing Barney work his way through New York until finally he is tamed by straight-talking Robin, whose past as a teenybopper Canadian popstar has become a running joke. Marshall and Lily are television’s happiest couple, disregarding a minor breakup mid-way through the series, and it’s impossible not to root for Marshmallow and Lilypad, despite their sickening coupleynesss.

how i met your mother castJason Segal, Cobie Smulders and Josh Radnor pose together for a photograph

The cast gel in the way that the Friends did back in the 90s, the writers of the show have developed them so clearly and consistently that you could predict their moves as if they were your own close friends. Much in the same way as Cheers did, HIMYM has the ability to make viewers feel personally invested in the characters and their stories. The combination of a superb script and impeccable acting is what has spelled success for this long-running series.

It will be strange and sad when we finally do learn the fate of Ted and the Mother but what we do know is that the show will join Cheers and Friends as one of the most memorable ensemble cast show of all time.

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