10 TV Shows That Cleverly Foreshadow What Happens
3. How I Met Your Mother - Marvin Eriksen Sr.
How I Met Your Mother was particularly masterful at weaving together plot elements from across the seasons, but it had a way of avoiding foreshadowing for the simple reason that it didn't want to spoil the ending. It is titled, How I Met Your Mother after all and giving it away in the beginning wouldn't have worked.
That being said, there was some foreshadowing happening throughout the series, and while it usually centered on a joke or punchline along the way, there was one episode that carried with it the emotional equivalent of being kicked in the nuts.
In the episode, "Bad News," viewers quickly noticed that random numbers were being shown in a way they hadn't been before. For anyone paying attention, the numbers were counting down, so as long as you didn't miss any, you could count down along with the numbers to the results of Lilly and Marshall's test results to see if they could have children.
At least, that's what the show was leading the audience to believe. Unfortunately, that wasn't the game plan because, as a cab pulled up with the number one displayed as its registry number, Lilly got out and tearfully informed Marshall that his father passed away from a heart attack.