In season one, a cowardly Marshall revealed that he had “never been in a fight before.” In season four, that same character revealed himself to be an expert brawler based on a storied history of brutal fights with his brothers.
In season two, James’ fiancee/husband/ex-husband Tom was revealed to be a nondescript, fair-skinned white man. By season seven, he had transformed into Jai Rodriguez.
“How I Met Your Mother” is no stranger to continuity errors. But because it so frequently avoids them despite an ambitious storytelling structure that incorporates alternative perspectives, admitted falsehoods, flashforwards and flashbacks, those errors are more glaring–and disappointing–than they would be on another sitcom.
It is for that reason that a potential issue with climactic scene of Monday’s “The Lighthouse” could not fit under the rug.
Set two years after the events of the series’ central wedding weekend, which is in May 2013, the scene reveals the moment Ted proposed to Cristin Milioti’s unnamed character, whom viewers have been assured is the titular “Mother.”
The beautiful moment offered an exclamation point to one of the final season’s best episodes. There was just one problem: it seemed to contradict a pre-established element of the show’s timeline.
In season seven episode “Trilogy Time,” which aired April 9, 2012, “HIMYM” reveals that by the time the gang congregates for its triennial Trilogy viewing in 2015, Ted is already married (evidenced by a wedding ring) and the father of a baby girl.
Even if one assumes Milioti’s character was pregnant at the time of the proposal and that the Trilogy viewing took place at the very end of 2015, neither of which should be reasonably assumed let alone taken for granted, the show would still be cutting its timeline dangerously close.
Since Milioti was not showing (the only hint of a pregnancy was a comment about vomiting in unison with Ted, but the comment seemed more about illustrating their synergy than revealing morning sickness), she realistically could not have been more than a few months pregnant. Even in this scenario, which is the one most favorable to the writers, her due date would still be in November or December 2015, which would make for a photo finish when it comes to the Trilogy.
Why take that risk? Viewers know the core narrative ends in May 2013, and they already know Ted and his future wife return to Farhampton in 2014. Since Ted needed to be married with child in time for the 2015 Trilogy, which certainly seemed like it was meant to take place in April 2015, why not confirm that they got engaged at the Lighthouse in May 2014 and pregnant shortly thereafter?
Any reasonable reading of “The Lighthouse” will result in a simple conclusion: the writers made a mistake.
But if “HIMYM” co-creator Carter Bays is being honest, that intuitive conclusion is not necessarily the correct one. In a Tweet last week, he contended that “The Lighthouse” did not break continuity.
“Re: #HIMYM continuity… well played, home detectives! But not a mistake. Keep watching,” wrote Bays.
The explanation provided will reveal the sincerity of Bays’ Tweet (and the accuracy of the notion that the writers erred). Being able to work oneself out of a jam is, after all, not the same as avoiding the jam in the first place.
The content of the explanation–not the existence of one–will tell the final story.
