We got a glimpse of the titular and enigmatic mother from How I Met Your Mother at the end of season eight: a woman yielding a yellow umbrella. But it wasn’t until the very end of the show’s one-hour season nine premiere that we got a real look at her.

Neil Patrick HarrisNeil Patrick Harris - will his wedding get ruined?

Enter Cristin Milioti. The still nameless mother managed to cheer up a distraught Lily by offering up some ‘sumbitch’ cookies. Lily and her got on like a house on fire, and after having a big ol’ chat about Ted, it’s exciting to know that the unlucky-in-love ‘I’ in ‘How I…’ will finally be meeting his future wife.

While the show has been criticized for constantly ‘faking out’ its audience with teasers and last-minute twists, the in-jokes look to be finally lost on someone else as Milioti enters the fray. IGN were particularly kind about the premiere, giving the double episode a healthy 7.9 out of 10.

"How I Met Your Mother's final season premiere featured the return of Cristin Milioti as the Mother, who shared an amusing and insightful first encounter with Lily,” says their review. “Meanwhile, Marshall's social media problems made for some fun moments at the airport. Barney and Robin's arc wasn't quite as strong, since all of it took place in the back of Ranjit's limousine, but there were still a few noteworthy gags to be had.”

With the entire season set to be played out at Barney and Robin’s, which is an incredibly brave way to send off a show that has both delighted and frustrated audiences over the last decade.

Cristin MiliotiJosh Radnor
Cristin Milioti and Josh Radnor - of course!