Season Nine, Episode 16: “How Your Mother Met Me”
Written by Carter Bays & Craig Thomas; Directed by Pamela Fryman
On this week’s HIMYM, we see the full story (more or less) on how The Mother arrived at the wedding. For longtime fans of the show, we also see the many times she almost crossed paths with Ted that we’ve seen in previous seasons. This is a momentous episode for the series, as well as the saddest episode (I’ve never needed so many tissues while watching a sitcom).
Quick Breakdown
It’s September 2005, and Barney is playing a little game he likes to call “Have you met Ted?” But this isn’t about how Ted met Robin that night, because on the other side of town, at another bar called MacLaren’s, The Mother is celebrating her 21st birthday. Except her celebrations are cut short when she learns that her boyfriend Max has died in an accident that night. She goes home to mourn and finds his last present for her, a ukulele.
It’s now April 2008, and The Mother is still in mourning, apparently. Her roommate and close friend forces her to go out for St. Patrick’s Day. While waiting in line for the bathroom, she sees an old friend, Mitch. He teaches underprivileged children in the Bronx, and The Mother volunteers her cello for his students. He comes home with her, and pulls The Naked Man (remember that episode?). She doesn’t fall for it, but has an existential crisis instead. Still naked, Mitch gives her a pep talk to inspire her dream of wanting to end poverty. As their heartfelt moment ends, she remembers she left her yellow umbrella at the club. But it’s closed by the time she gets there, and come next morning, Ted has already taken it.
Her dream of ending poverty, however, leads her to an econ college class in the fall of 2009. Her accidental teacher that day is Ted, who has mistaken that class for his Architecture course (remember?). She spills her life story to Cindy (Rachel Bilson!), whom she then invites to be her roommate, since her friend has just moved out. She also tells Cindy that she has had her One True Love and does not foresee herself falling for anyone else any time soon (or ever).
Cut to later, when Ted has started dating Cindy, and we see him once again in The Mother’s apartment, picking up things that are hers and expounding on how much he likes those things. That’s when he just misses seeing The Mother and leaves behind the yellow umbrella. She’s amazed that the umbrella has returned to her, but Cindy is in tears having broken up with Ted. Cindy then uses this moment to announce her love for The Mother, and she gives her a kiss. But, obviously, The Mother is not a lesbian; and Cindy moves on and finds another girl instead (Remember when we saw Cindy with Gossip Girl’s Kaylee DeFer on the subway? Yeah, that’s coming up).
The Mother, ever an over-sharer (just like Ted), tells the story of Cindy to Darren (Andrew Rannells is back!). We see how they met, when he modestly got himself invited into her band for a performance. Jump to April 2012, and he’s taken over the band, leaving poor bass-playing Mother all alone. A handsome lad named Louis comes to her aid, and they have a mild flirtation that soon builds into her first real relationship since Max. But can she fall for Louis when she is still hung up on her dead boyfriend?
When Ted runs into Cindy on the subway, he learns of The Mother’s band and hires her for the wedding. She is staying at Louis’ place, which is conveniently near the Farhampton Inn, when she learns of the Bass Player Wanted ad placed by Darren. We see in a quick montage how she chatted with Lily, picked up Marshall, and bought scotch for Ted after he got rid of Darren. When she gets back to the house that night, Louis surprises her with a marriage proposal.
Unsure of what to say, she goes outside to talk to Max, spilling her mixed feelings for Louis and her inability to let Max go. She accepts that she needs to move on, but she does not accept Louis’ proposal. She leaves his house and gets a room at the Inn (since the mother of the bride never checked in). Amidst tears, she pulls out the ukulele that Max got her and sings “La Vie en Rose” on the balcony. We get a quick montage of everyone, seeing where they are at this moment, most of them looking lost in life. Barney polishes off a bottle while Ted sits on his balcony listening to the Mother’s heartbreaking performance. He goes inside to tell Barney how incredible that rendition was, but Barney has vanished.
Rating
A+
So many answers, so many tears. This episode is so poignant and heart-wrenching that I actually bawled. Cristin Milioti does such a superb job with this episode — I want more episodes focused on her. For those who have watched this show from the beginning, we get to finally see how The Mother’s life intersected with Ted’s, and how close they came to almost meeting before the true first time. This will forever be one of the definitive episodes of the series.
Now for some random thoughts and my favorite moments of the night…
We still don’t know The Mother’s name! Will we ever?
“Girl, I will sham-rock your world.” – Barney to the Mother’s roommate
When the Mother meets Louis there are posters that read “Save the Arcadian” posted on the wall behind her — a callback to Ted’s campaign to save that building.
“Last time I was here I thought this place was called Puzzles.” – Louis to the Mother as they have a drink at MacLaren’s (the one we know and love) — a callback to an earlier episode when Ted renamed the bar when he and Barney ran it.
