Following very last minute contract negotiations with Jason Segel, who the show’s future rode on, How I Met Your Mother is now on for a ninth (and likely final) season.

Deadline broke the news and reports that it came down to Segel, who was most resistant either because he was holding out for a higher paycheck or because he felt finished with the show. Considering his recent success on the big screen, perhaps it was simply a case of being ready to move on to other projects.

The reason for the drama? The cast and creators had only been signed on through eight seasons, so new negotiations were necessary to complete the storyline with one more batch of episodes. Deadline says the show was “literally dead” prior to Segel finally agreeing to a deal. The lead five stars are reportedly a tight group, and Deadline believes Segel’s decision may be a sign of “camaraderie.” Without him, it would not have continued, as How I Met Your Mother above all is an ensemble piece, and for obvious reasons we couldn’t very well have had Lily without Marshall!

Earlier this week, showrunner Carter Bays felt “very confident” of a season 9 renewal, but this evening’s report implies that things were not very sure until a last minute decision.

The news comes on the heels of the winter finale which featured a marriage proposal between Barney and Robin.

Are you glad How I Met Your Mother is on for one more season? The best news out of this is that we will, finally, get to see WHO is the mother!

Will she be revealed in the finale though, or are the writers going to postpone us meeting her until season 9? Or is this a way for the audience to actually get to see some of Ted’s relationship with her? Share your theories in the comments.