Click here for a compilation of all the clues and theories about The Mother!
My blog has received quite a few visitors based on my purple wedding observations – hooray! I’ve been giving this quite a bit of thought (as it is clearly VERY IMPORTANT lol) and I have some newish conclusions. Most of them are fueled by the fact that EVERYONE IS WEARING PURPLE ALL SEASON LONG. Seriously, idk if the Gap had a sale on all things eggplant and lilac or what, but these guys are rocking more purple than Barney. Yes, THAT Barney:
1. We all know that yellow is the main color for this show – the yellow umbrella, little yellow school bus, Robin’s yellow raincoat, all of the pivotal moments that occur in yellow cabs, etc. There are two schools of thought regarding purple. One theory is that, since purple is the complementary/opposite color for yellow, it indicates a lack of romance. By this theory, anyone with yellow symbolism is a viable candidate to be someone’s happily ever after, and anyone wearing purple is disqualified.
But that doesn’t really mesh with how this season in particular has progressed, so I think I’m going with the alternate theory. This theory holds that Ted’s happily ever after color is yellow, whereas Barney’s happily ever after color is purple. This just means that purple people – like Robin with the purple giraffe – are not suited for Ted. But – since Barney is a foil character for Ted – this means that Robin and all her purple giraffe glory could be Barney’s true soul mate. Quinn is in purple because she is a contender, and everyone else is in purple because it signifies Barney’s upcoming nuptials.
UPDATE – I’ve been reading some other blogs, and they pointed out a couple additional facts. We could assume that Ted is purple, and looking for his yellow, whereas Barney is yellow, and looking for his purple. Or we could assume that both are purples, looking for their yellows. When we see both members of a couple in the same color – Robin and Kevin both wearing purple, for example, or Barney and Nora both wearing yellow, or Barney and Quinn both wearing purple – that means that they’re NOT meant to be together. Ex:
It has also been noted that Robin seems to only wear yellow when she’s involved with Barney. I’m not sure if this is accurate but I’ve documented all of the Robin in yellow episodes I’ve found so far:
Season 4, episode 24 “The Leap”, where Barney and Robin finally kiss and get together for reals.
Season 6, episode 9 “Glitter” – Barney is the one that tracked down the glorious Space Teens video starring Robin Sparkles and Jessica Glitter…
Season 7, episode 8 “The Slutty Pumpkin Returns” – this is the one where we find out that Barney is (gasp!) part Canadian…like Robin…
Season 7, episode 9 “Disaster Averted”, where Barney and Robin reminisce about what might have been had they hooked up in the (yellow) cab.
Season 7, episode 15 “The Drunk Train”. This one is a Robin with Kevin episode, which ends with them breaking up. Maybe stripes indicate ambivalence? If so that could apply to the earlier image of Robin and Ted in purple/blue stripes and plaids. I will have to investigate further…
2. Season 7 has been a symphony of purple. I’m pretty sad I already used “purple haze” in a blog post title because it should be used to describe the entire season. I browsed through HIMYM screen caps from season 7, episode 1 through season 7, episode 19 (The Broath). These are just the purple clothed scenes that caught my eye – there were plenty more! Click on the thumbnails to see the whole HIMYM gang in their purple finery:
3. The show’s writers – Craig Thomas and Carter Bays - have indicated that Barney’s wedding does not go as planned:
TVLINE | Carter [Bays, co-creator] told TV Guide Magazine that the wedding is the beginning of Ted’s love story and the end of somebody else’s. Is there anything you’d like to add to that?
All I’ll say is that when we eventually get to that future wedding day, it is definitely not what everyone would expect. It’s not a wedding day that will go completely smoothly, but it will end with Barney being married. It’s not a fake-out. It’s not going to be something where he runs away from it. Barney Stinson will get married that day, and we will show to whom and exactly how it goes down.
4. Barney was concerned that perhaps he picked the wrong “tie” (woman). Call me romantic, but I want to believe that Barney will be 100% sure when he marries Robin.
“I’m not having jitters. It just occurs to me that once I put this tie on, I can never take it off. I have to wear this tie forever, and ever. And sure this tie is skinny now, but what happens if it gets fat and starts bossing me around?! Did I make a mistake? Would I have been happier with the other tie? Ted, can I tell you a big secret? …I’m not really talking about the tie.”
5. “Seriously kids, don’t EVER invite an ex to your wedding.” Here’s the tricky part to this rule – I don’t know that fans will be satisfied by a Ted or Barney wedding without Robin in attendance. These guys are BFFs, the whole group, and it won’t be the same without her there. I’m guessing Barney will ignore this rule of Ted’s, and ultimately be grateful that he did, because it will prevent him from marrying Quinn. Also, if Barney and Robin get married, Robin is free and clear to attend Ted’s future wedding without any lingering concerns about if they are meant to be together. I certainly won’t be satisfied by a wedding with only some of the gang.
SOOO here’s how I think it will go down: Barney will propose to Quinn, and they will plan a purple-tastic wedding because that is apparently her favorite color (or at least the color that she wears all the time).
That’s why Lily is in a pink dress, and not a purple bridesmaid dress. If it were Robin’s wedding, of course Lily would be the Maid of Honor, and of course her dress would match the purple wedding colors. But her pink dress (which is available for purchase in real life and is not a bridal party gown at all) is great for a wedding guest outfit.
Barney will be nervous, but not about getting married and settling down. He’s nervous because, deep down, he knows that his heart still belongs to Robin. He will see Robin all fancied up, looking even hotter than in her sundress, and he will realize the truth.
Hopefully we will see some Ross and Rachel style wedding mishap, where Barney says Robin’s name instead of Quinn’s. Robin is startled but oh-so-happy, and she steps in to take Quinn’s place in the most legendary wedding scene ever. I see Quinn storming off, and her bridal party entourage of stripper friends will storm out behind her. Barney will pull Robin up to the altar, and Lily will jump in ASAP to stand by her side as Maid of Honor.
Oh, and of course Barney’s sister, Carly Whittaker, will be there (perhaps as part of the wedding party) and then her and Ted will fall in love at first sight!
Sidenote – how is it possible that nobody has created a gif of that scene yet?! Also, when I finish this post and all of my regular work I’m totally going to binge out on Friends reruns, it has been too long.
Okay fans – whatcha think?!
OH MAN, what if Quinn is actually Carly Whittaker, Barney’s half sister, who lied to her dad about going to college, and became a stripper instead?! She changed her name when she got to the city! probably not, but what. a. TWIST.
Ewwwwww! And also a clever plot twist I had never considered….nicely done! (It’s totally something that a relative of the Barnacle would do, too…)
No Barney’s half sister is at the wedding as a guest. She is the girl ted marries.
That’s what I think as well, along with a bajillion people online. But I think I’ve done a pretty good job of summing it all up :) thanks for commenting – I can’t wait until we see more of the wedding!!!
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Wish I knew about this color thing a week and a half ago. I just got done w/ marathon Netflix rewatching of season 1 through 6. I picked up on the yellow umbrella because it was blatant, but didn’t know about the purple.
It didn’t become really obvious to me until this season. I guess now you have a good excuse to start rewatching :)
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I don’t think Ted marries Barney’s half-sister. The first Thanksgiving episode ends with 2030 Ted faking out his kids by saying that the stripper he meets at the end is named “Tracy,” then tells his kids that is the true story of how he met their mother. (Followed, of course, by a quick, “Just kidding!”). So ever since I caught that in a re-run, I’ve been waiting patiently for Ted to meet someone named Tracy… The writers are pretty great about continuity so far, right?
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Hi!… I like your color theory… I’ve had a color theory about beige… I have noticed recently the color beige tuning up in key moments, Farhampton the mother was wearing a beige trenchcoat, a similar coat and color could be seen on the roof of the WNN building Barney was wearing a similar color coat… Or it could be the damn well same coat… When he proposed to Robin, he wore the same coat all through out season 8, he wore the same coat when he confronted Nick to talk about his feelings about Robin. Could this mean something?
Robin also wore a beige trench coat when she tried to seduce Barney at his apartment. Maybe this neutral color indicates true feelings being revealed, or important aspects coming together? Thank you for pointing this out so I can research more…
Well, the yellow / purple theory keeps delivering! In the latest episode (8.13) Ted says the colors will be cream and lilac – which are the pastel versions of yellow and purple! (and Robin’s dressing room is further evidence)
And it also explains why the groom’s men have a little lilac flower in their lapels… AND NOW it makes sense that this is the first flower Ted gives the mother when they meet (according to DVD S6 extra) – it’s the one he has at hand.
The old lady at the station wears purple too. Only upon re-watching episode 8.01 did i notice the mother wears purple ALL OVER. and of course she owns many yellow things (and a very yellow apartment, at least during 2010).
also, i wouldn’t pay too much attention to Lily’s dress being pink. i just don’t think Robin would be the kind of bride to pick out uniform bridesmaid dresses (though so far her and Barney’s wedding plans seem too traditional for such a couple, at least in my view)
I wonder how Ted cuts his hand.. you never know with these guys!
can’t wait for that background items post! thanks Corina for your insightful posts!
I love your observation that cream and lilac are pastel versions of yellow and purple! I’m working on a new post that covers all of the color theory stuff, but whew is it in-depth. Doing lots of research so I don’t miss anything important.
At one point I thought maybe purple indicated something bad, but now I’m thinking that it is just the color of Barney and Robin. Because Barney and Robin are so essential to Ted and The Mother, it makes sense that the colors would complement in that fashion.
I hope you’re right about the dress, but I was thinking that Robin and Barney might throw Patrice a bone and let her be the maid of honor? Or at least a bridesmaid? I hope so, she deserves to get something nice out of all of this.
ah, I’m dying to see Patrice in a crazy bridesmade dress :) Also, with all the tension a bride has to take on her wedding day, it would be the only day Robin could legitimately scream at everyone like she does at Patrice :P or maybe finally she’ll be openly nice to her?
I think kids is another reason why Robin and Barney are so compatible – both of them don’t seem keen on havign any. Barney’s the last person who would be bothered by her inability to have kids (i think).
Still, somehow i imagine Ted cutting his hand in something relating to Barney. Maybe it’s his absolutely final way of letting Robin go before he meets the One.
I get you on the last thing, Corina. Single person among lovey-dovey couples here too :-\
lol and people at the wedding would be like wow, bridezilla, but no – that’s just how Robin is to Patrice 24/7! I don’t think Barney will be really upset about the kids thing; he already knows she doesn’t want kids, and they went over all of that back when they thought she was pregnant. But I do think he will feel a little betrayed at being the last to know.
Ted will probably Ted up something really basic like putting on a corsage or handing over the wedding cake knife. Alternately, it may be collateral damage incurred while preventing Barney from heading out the window. I’m so curious!
Maya, you and I are both probably just too awesome for most people to handle. Someday our Ted Mosby equivalent will arrive! (but I would prefer a Marshall, all things considered)
i think you’re on to something, Corina – it’s excess-awesome that’s keeping us single :)
Clearly!!!
When Robin is dancing with her dad at the reception, Ted’s hand is fine, so whatever happens to Ted’s hand, happens after or during the reception.
Good point, I had forgotten about that part of the timing! Thanks for mentioning it.
oops, my reply was referring to your next commebt, not this one!
oh, and something else i thought of regarding the wedding -maybe Lily’s dress is pink because she’s not the maid of honor. Maybe it’s Patrice! she was instrumental to getting those crazy kids back together, and maybe on Robin’s wedding day she gets to live a dream!!
also, maybe what happened to Ted’s hand has something to do with the band? it’s far-fetched, but i’m imagining Ted would defend the honor of the bass player at some point, even without meeting her :)
otherwise, if things went so wrong, i’d expect Marshall & Lily to be waiting for the train too. why is Ted alone there?? and then the mother shows up in a taxi but no other band members or wedding guests do?
Yes, Patrice could totally be the maid of honor! Or at least a bridesmaid, she was indeed instrumental to their connection.
I’m wondering if Ted’s hand relates to him knowing that Robin can’t have kids, and Barney not discovering that until later? Just a hunch but it is a plot point that will have to be addressed at some point…
I think Ted left to go brood on his own instead of hanging with his happily coupled up friends. He would be overjoyed for all of them, yes, but (speaking as a single person among couples) it can be so, so hard sometimes. Like it is literally painful at times to be surrounded by love when you’re feeling all alone. So I think that is at least part of the reason why he is there by himself.
We know that “Love in the Time of Cholera” is Ted’s Favorite novel. In that story, a yellow flag enables abiding love to prevail. Rain also signals key events in the novel, just as it does on the show.
Somebody mentioned lilacs in the boutonnières. The white flowers in the boutonnières appear to be Calla Lilies. These flowers are also known as marsh-lilies, which is cool, for obvious reasons. But wait, it gets better! Calla lilies are the flower associated with a sixth wedding anniversary and, by my reckoning, Marshall and Lilly have been married six years at the time of the “Farhampton” wedding.
just read your comment, Mark, and – WOW!
very in-depth, cool and interesting insights!! thanks for sharing them :)
Wasn’t it though? This is why I love my blog commenters :) They give great info and are super nice to other people. What more could a girl ask for?
This information is amazing! Mark, thank you so much for sharing all of this. I did not know that about the book and the yellow flag. I did know that about the Calla lillies but I somehow never connected it to the HIMYM storyline like you did. I hope to read more comments from you in the future!
I’m re-watching a lot of episodes these past couple of weeks.. cuz, well, i can’t wait till September!
So I’m seeing so much purple and yellow.. mostly purple though. i think t goes back even to season two!
first, you should check out all the episodes that have flowers in them, especially at events like weddings. Lily and Marshall’s wedding – the flowers are purple and yellow; so is Robin & Barney’s wedding; and of course Ted’s own wedding, as seen in “Lucky Penny” if i’m not mistaken (but not in the wedding he imagines at the end of “Milk”).
So are the flowers at the Architects’ Ball – when Ted meets Victoria again in season 7 (though not at the wedding where they first met; maybe this idea hadn’t been developed back then). Victoria is a column of purple at the Architects’ Ball, BTW. I think it ties to the purple-needs-yellow theory, and “purple+purple don’t mix”
I’m sure there are even more, requiring in-depth research :)
Also, almost every shirt Kevin wears is purple! But Robin wears yellow when she has a connection to Barney, I think. or purple when Barney is the yellow (ducky tie?)
Kevin tries to paint a whole room yellow, but it just doesn’t fit :)
Reading too much into this? maybe. Gonna watch more episodes? heck yes!