In this heartwarming 200th episode, Future Ted recounts how he and The Mother barely crossed paths in some essential moments in each other's lives.
This episode provides examples of:
- A Glass in the Hand: When Lily and The Mother were venting their problems together, Lily sees an ad that called the latter a 6. She promptly shatters the drink she was holding.
- Arc Symbol: Continuing the color motif, The Mother typically wears violet, but has yellow objects prominent in her life: her umbrella, her sofa, a lot of her paintings, her amp...
- Arc Welding: This episode ties together the past nine seasons to show how they contributed to the Mother getting to meet Ted. The same night Marshall and Lily got engaged and Ted met Robin, the Mother's first love died; Her first night out afterwards was St Patrick's Day in 2008, where she ran into Mitch, A.K.A the Naked Man, who was her teacher at orchestra camp and attempted the Naked Man on her that night, when she became the first one in three to reject it after leaving with him to retrieve a cello; Darren weaseled his way into her band by responding to her ad for a new roommate after Cindy moved out; she met Louis, her first boyfriend after Max's death following a gig and passed Ted (in the green dress) on her way out of McLarens, which Louis had last been in when Barney and Ted ran it as "Puzzles" for a night.
- Beard of Evil: Darren, the mother's only evil acquaintance, sports a goatee similar to Ted from Early 2000s.
- Brick Joke: (internal version) Ted mentioned earlier when he told the Mother the "shellfish joke", she laughed with only 20 percent pity. Here, we see she already heard Ted say it, and she was the only one in the class who laughed at it.
- The Bus Came Back: Mitch returns, and it turns out The Mother was the first 1 in 3 The Naked Man didn't work on.
- The Cast Show Off: Cristin Milioti made a very decent rendition of "La vie en Rose".
- Cerebus Retcon: In the 100th episode "Girls vs. Suits" many of the mother's quirks are played for laughs, especially things like painting pictures of robots playing sports and singing with her food while making breakfast. Both of those take on greater significance in this episode when we learn her first love Max's last present to her was a ukulele "so your breakfast doesn't need to perform a capella" and her robot painting was an activity she threw herself into to try and deal with losing him. Louis's lack of appreciation for singing English muffins was also a sign that they would not work long term.
- A slightly more subtle one came from Cindy in Girls vs. Suits. While she claimed that men were falling in love with her roommate, the truth was that she was in love with her roommate and unable to admit her feelings. All of the traits that she was complaining about were the things she was in love with.
- Character Filibuster: The Mother tends to give long winded answers to questions like "How did you get here (Econ305) (from the subway)". Also she told the entire story of why Kelly and Cindy are not living with her anymore to Darren when she was supposed to just interview him for the roommate ad. The soliloquies are used to fill in the events in her life.
- Chekhov's Gunman: Turns out Mitch (aka "The Naked Man") was The Mother's Band Camp instructor. He also provides The Mother with the advice that would lead her into enrolling to the University where Ted would end up teaching at.
- Closet Key: This episode confirms that, much to her and Cindy's shock, The Mother was this for Cindy.
- Color Motif: The episode shows the mother's fixation with the colors purple and yellow.
- Continuity Nod: Numerous elements from past seasons have appeared here and there. We get a lot of nods that are related to the One Degree of Separation between Ted and The Mother, of course, but we also get a lot that are unrelated, like the "Save the Arcadian" posters when The Mother leaves a show as we see how shitty Darren really is and her friend falling for Barney's "My Penis Grants Wishes" play.
- A Day in the Limelight: The entire episode focuses on the mother's story since the beginning of the series up until the wedding weekend.
- Dead Person Conversation: The Mother did this near the end of the episode, when she finally allows herself to move on with her life.
- Distaff Counterpart: The Mother and her friends have common points with Ted's friends.
- The Mother is this to Ted. Both are trying to move on from their past loves (Max and Robin) and have most of the same quirks. Also Ted adores her weirdest ones, which also connects with what Ted said once about not only tolerating, but liking your couple's quirks.
- Kelly is this to both Marshall and Barney. Both are The Mother's best friend (although Barney is self-proclaimed as this) who try to get Ted to enjoy life and move on from the grieving. Like Barney, Kelly has no problem with sleeping around, and ironically she once fell for one of Barney's lies ("My Penis Grants Wishes").
- Darren is, instead, an Evil Counterpart to Barney. While Barney uses elaborated lies to bed random women, Darren trolls with friendships by using his charming personality just For the Evulz. Barney only resorts to this if It's Personal.
- Cindy is also this to Lily. Close friends/roommates with The Mother/Ted who are prone to moments of envy. Both Lily and Cindy get to form a family before them. Also, they both want to sleep with their best friend.
- Louis is this to Marshall: Big Nice Guys who are there to support them. While Marshall is Ted's best friend who has been with him from the beginning, Louis met The Mother and spent two years supporting her in a relationship, despite her knowing it wasn't really love, which also can be seen as a counterpart to Robin as well.
- Downer Beginning: The episode starts with the death of the mother's first boyfriend.
- The First Cut Is the Deepest/The Lost Lenore: The episode gives emphasis on the mother's inability to move on with her life after her boyfriend's death.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: As far as the mother's perspective go. After almost a decade of grieving, she finally moves on with her life from the death of her first boyfriend and ends up at the wedding where she will finally meet the person who will love her for the rest of her life (regardless of
which ending). - Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: Cindy gets an understated example, when she goes on a rant about how guys are always falling in love with The Mother, only to start gushing over her in a way that gets the audience and Cindy herself to realize that she's actually in love with The Mother herself. She impulsively kisses The Mother, and then, shellshocked, admits, "I might have some stuff to figure out."
- Graceful Ladies Like Purple: The mother is constantly clad in violet clothes.
- Grand Romantic Gesture: Lewis surprises The Mother with a proposal at his beachouse in Farhampton . It doesn't work; The Mother realizes she's been stringing him along and dumps him.
- Hidden Depths: Mitch, the creepy loser who invented The Naked Man, is a music teacher who works with underprivileged kids.
- Hot for Student: Mitch, her former camp counselor, tries The Naked Man on The Mother; it does not work (hence 1 in 3). However, he does end up giving her some heartwarming advice (with his balls on her couch) that leads her to getting her life back on track.
- Incompatible Orientation: Cindy was in love with The Mother, who was flattered but didn't reciprocate due to being straight.
- Killed Offscreen: Max. Tracy is told via phone call.
- Love at First Note: Ted hears Tracy's rendition of "La Vie En Rose" through a wall at the end of the episode and is obviously deeply moved by it, even if he doesn't know who's singing. Future Ted then reveals that he's heard her perform this song countless times, but that first one will always be his favorite.
- Love at First Sight: When Ted walks into the Econ Class, The Mother tilts her head and is clearly intrigued by the cute idiot in the wrong room.
- The Matchmaker: The concierge who has been annoying Ted by being too aggressively sympathetic learns that The Mother just broke up with her long-term boyfriend, Lewis, so he gives a sweet smile and puts her in the room right next to Ted's.
- Ms. Fanservice: The Mother's friend Kelly always wears revealing, figure-hugging, low-cut wardrobes.
- Naked People Are Funny: Mitch returns. He tries The Naked Man on The Mother. She shuts him down, but Kelly goes for it.
- Non-Indicative Title: No, the mother does not meet Ted at this episode.
- No Name Given: Despite this being her episode, the mother's name is still not revealed. Even Mitch, who hadn't seen her in years, went out of the way to not say her name.
- Oh, Crap!: The Mother freaks out when Louis surprises her with a proposal and steps outside to beg her dead boyfriend Max for permission to move on. Ted gets one at the end of the episode when he realizes the hideously drunk Barney has disappeared.
- One Degree of Separation: We already know The Mother was roommates with a girl Ted dated once, was in the econ lecture he accidentally didn't actually give, and was in the club when Ted was a total douche on St. Patty's Day, but we also learn she was even more closely tied to his neighborhood as, for example, Mitch, inventor of The Naked Man was her camp counselor at orchestra (and physics) camp, and also works at an underfunded music school.
- Perspective Flip: The show focuses on The Mother and how she's spent a decade getting over the sudden, tragic death of her boyfriend, and ends with Ted back as the central focus.
- Pet the Dog: Curtis, after nearly 10 episodes of pitying Ted for being alone at The Wedding, gives Robin's mom's room to The Mother, hoping they would meet each other eventually.
- Romantic False Lead: We all know that by the end of the episode, Louis is gonna get dumped.
- Running Gag: A conversation with Lily involves an angry woman shattering a glass, but this time it's The Mother, angry that Darren says her replacement has to be hotter than her, and that she's "a 6 at best".
- Say My Name: Inverted with Mitch; after not seeing The Mother since band/math camp, he almost goes out of his way to not say her name after recognizing her in the bar, although she immediately says his.
- Separated by the Wall: Both Ted and the mother are unaware of the fact that their rooms are next to each other.
- Shadow Archetype: The Mother's boyfriend died the same day Ted met Robin for the first time.
- Shipper on Deck: Curtis, who knew immediately what to do once The Mother mentioned her break up, gives her the room next to Ted's.
- Tragic Keepsake: The mother's ukulele is the last present her dead boyfriend gave her. Well, he bought it for her. He died before he could give it to her.
- Two Girls to a Team: Inverted. The Mother's acquaintances only have two males, Louis and Darren.
- Ungrateful Bastard: The mother helps Darren get back on his feet. Darren responds by stealing her band and kicking her out of it.
- The Unreveal: The Reveal of the mother's name will not happen until the Grand Finale itself. Also, how exactly the mother's first boyfriend died was never stated.
- Wham Shot: Barney disappears at the night of his own wedding.
