Executive producers Craig Thomas and Carter Bays are writing season 8 of How I Met Your Mother to be the last — but that doesn’t mean they want it to be. Far from it. But as negotiations for a possible ninth season continue, Thomas tells EW they have to be ready for all scenarios.
“We’re optimistic and hopeful that we’re going to know in time so we can either launch the ending sequence of How I Met Your Mother or figure out a plan B, which we also know how to do,” Thomas says. “The truth is, I think we’d love to keep going. We think there’s a great season 9, and we’re excited and hopeful to hear how all the negotiations go.”
Regardless, there had to be big, bold moves made in the upcoming season premiere — in case this was indeed the show’s final outing. So Thomas says the season kicks off with the “hugest glimpse” of the end-game that fans have ever seen. “We go deeper into [Barney and Robin’s] wedding day than we’ve ever gone before. We’re going to show the fans a glimpse of something that we hope will blow their minds,” he says. “I hope the fans will feel they have part of the answer about how the series ends and all new questions.
One thing we do know? The series doesn’t end with Ted and Victoria riding into the sunset.As EW previously reported, Ted will second-guess his plan to ride off into the sunset with Victoria after learning she didn’t leave her former hubby-to-be a note!
Elsewhere, there are plans for an episode ripped from the gossip headlines — sorta. “There’s a very fun episode in the first couple of episode where Barney realizes he should get a prenup. I don’t know if you’ve ever read the crazy stuff online about crazy rich people or crazy celebrity prenups, but they have the most insane stuff and they basically use a lawyer to write their own insanity and biggest fears and most controlling, unflattering tendencies have been written in law, essentially,” says Thomas. “There’s a very fun story we get to tell about Barneys absolutely insane idea of what he’d want his crazy prenup to be. It’s going to be a Neil Patrick Harris tour de force. There are crazy fantasies, crazy flashforwards, and a true HIMYM, insane, hilarious episode.”
Meanwhile, EW confirms a report that Joe Manganiello is set to return to the show for an arc this season. And a rep for actor Jason Segel trumps a gossip report that claimed the star was eyeing an exit from the show at the end of this season. “Perhaps something got lost in translation, but season 9 hasn’t even been addressed yet,” a rep for the actor tells EW. Good to know.
Longtime director and producer Pamela Fryman wraps it all up best saying, “Hopefully we’ll find out sooner rather than later [about season 9]…but either way we’ll do it right.”
The Yellow Umbrella 