Summer has ended and fall TV is finally back, which means the much-anticipated return of Ted Mosby, The Mother, and the whole HIMYM gang. I’ve already covered every teeny tiny detail we know about The Mother, so I won’t go into that here. The guys at Ted-Mosby.com have already covered allll the spoilers available for season 9, so I won’t go into that here either.
Here is what I am looking forward to/thinking is important:
Finding out The Mother’s name. (We’ve waited sooooo long to discover this!)
Does Lily think she stole her phone? (Scene with the two of them on the bus should be interesting)
Will she approach Ted first?
That last point is the one that I’m most interested in. I know we probably won’t see it until the end of the show, but I feel it’s a crucial moment for Ted. He is always pursuing women, even to the point of dating people who are totally wrong for him. He always tries just a little too hard. I get it, because I am kinda similar in the trying too hard manner.
BUT – we see him watching The Mother play bass at the reception. He does not approach her. He sees her, but does not meet her. This is important. Later, at the Farhampton train station, it’s a toss-up as to who approaches who first.
On the one hand, Ted is reading what is presumably The Mother’s favorite book (Love in the Time of Cholera), so that could inspire her to strike up a conversation. On the other hand, she is carrying the infamous yellow umbrella, which Ted will surely recognize. Ted is also sitting on the only bench, so he may approach her just to offer his seat. Either way, it’s a far cry from the days when Ted would immediately pounce on any prospect (and potentially declare his love for her).
I think Ted refraining from hitting on her is an important step in his development. It’s also an important step in how he relates to fate and the universe. Once Ted stops trying to force things, destiny (not the stripper) will bring the one right to him.
Finally, my last major curiousity…is she the Love Solutions missed date? I don’t care what anyone says, I’m hanging on to this theory til the bitter end. Something to ponder – at the end of that episode (Milk), when Ted is in the car with Robin, the song playing is “Mother of Pearl”. The lyrics say “Mother of Pearl, I wouldn’t leave you for another girl”. Now that we know for sure that Robin is not The Mother, perhaps these lyrics speak to the missed date instead. Foreshadowing, perhaps, that one day he will choose her over Robin? I’m not sure. But I am still fascinated by the scenario and I very much hope that the missed date will at least be addressed. As The Mother. I won’t give it up!