HIMYM: The Tracy Theory

Last night's How I Met Your Mother was the 100th episode for the show, a pretty solid accomplished in this TV age. The musical number about Barney's suits was, for lack of a better term, LEGENDARY. But there was something else about the episode that I enjoyed as well.

We got as close to the mother as we have ever been - Ted dated her roommate (played by the awesome Rachel Bilson) We actually got a lot of details about the mother - music interests, etc. BUT despite referring to her multiple times, we never got her NAME. Older Ted always referred to her as "your mother" and Cindy, Bilson's character, always referred to her as "my roommate." These terms had to have been used at least 10 times.

You might say that they didn't want to give away TOO much about the mother - and so they just kept her name under wraps for now. This is entirely possible. However, I like to think of this as further evidence of "The Tracy Theory"

The Tracy Theory goes like this. In one of the earliest episodes, "Belly Full of Turkey," Ted owes Barney and goes with him to a strip club for Thanksgiving. He's talking to a stripper, who introduces herself as her stripper name, but then says her name is Tracy. Then, older Ted says that's how I met your mother. The kids are shocked. Older Ted quickly says just kidding.

Their shock produced the Tracy theory. The reasoning is that they wouldn't have been shocked if their mom was not named Tracy. For example, my mom's name is Jane. If someone told me a story about how they met, say, a fighter pilot, and her name was Sue, and then said "and that's how I met your mother" My reaction would be "...but my mom is Jane." BUT if they said they met a fighter pilot named Jane, and then said "that's how I met your mother." I would say "are you serious!?!?!??!" Thus, the Tracy Theory - the fact that the kids were shocked indicates that the mother's name is Tracy.

Some people say this was an unintended consequence - something fans came up with that the writers did not think of or anticipate at all. Personally, I think these writers are the best. A ploy like that is totally within their wheelhouse. I'm a believer. I think her name is Tracy, and they went out of their way last night to say "your mother" and "my roommate" over and over again to avoid confirming that.

Of course, the thing about last night is that as close as we got last night, I doubt we'll get that close for a while. They really don't have to revisit her again until they want to wrap the show up and finally introduce her. Well, I will continue to wait.