CBS’s How I Met Your MotherRON P. JAFFE/The Associated Press
If you were deeply displeased with the How I Met Your Mother finale last spring, prepare to hit the rewind button.
As reported by Deadline, the alleged alternate ending to the beloved CBS sitcom has been leaked online and wraps up the show on a far happier note.
To rewind briefly (and if you have yet to watch it, SPOILER ALERT AHEAD), the original conclusion saw the pivotal character of Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) settling down with Robin (Cobie Smulders) after his first wife Tracy (Cristin Milioti) – aka "The Mother" – passed away.
Many viewers, including The Globe and Mail's Amberly McAteer, were left cold by the somewhat downbeat denouement (though some did defend it).
As it happens, HIMYM creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas created a second ending, which will be included in the upcoming DVD release of the entire series.
The alternate version (which has since been removed from YouTube), is a lot more happily-ever-after, with Ted never becoming a widower, reports Rolling Stone.
A few days after the show wrapped last March 31, Bays revealed via Twitter that he was torn between the two conclusions.
His tweet: "16 days ago today we were in the HIMYM edit room, trying to decided between two very different endings. We shot only one script but through edit room magic we had two possible outcomes for the series."
Added Bays: "We chose the ending we chose and we stand by it. But we love the other version too."
How I Met Your Mother: The Whole Story will be released on DVD box set on September 23.