Chasing the elusive 'Mother'

So I've been on and off watching this little popular show called, "How I Met Your Mother" I fell in love with the pilot, then the first season, then followed by the second... kinda groaned my way through the third, all while realizing: As a writer, and comic book fiend, (which means that I'm a continuity Nazi) I believe this show was doomed from the first episode.


Let me take a moment to explain.
(Ignore this next paragraph if you've watched the show.)
The show is about the main character, Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) with narration by Bob Saget, who in the year 2030 recounts to his (pre or early teen- it's never identified) son and daughter the events that led to his meeting their mother, which explains the title and allows for a narration in the past tense. How I Met Your Mother follows Ted alongside his friends Lily (Alyson Hannigan), Marshall (Jason Segel), Robin (Cobie Smulders), and Barney (Neil Patrick Harris). The pilot opens with Ted sitting his daughter and son down to tell them the (long version) story of how he met their mother. The scene flashes back to 2005 and the story goes forth from there introducing several women Ted dates that teaches him something that will affect his future, all while keeping who the woman he will marry and have two children with (or as fans call her, the Mother) a secret. Which, with the addition of Neil Patrick Harris' breakout character, has been the main attraction to the show. 


So, we are now three episodes into season 7, and Ted has once again bumped into a major girlfriend (and by far my favorite out of all of misses-pun intended) from season 1. The baker, Victoria. Which led into some slight foreshadowing over the upcoming love triangle between Robin, Barney and Ted. I personally loved this character since her debut in Drumroll Please but it got me thinking. They really have to wrap this show up soon because if the kids are about 15 in the pilot, that means he had the kids in 2015, and knowing Ted, he probably is already married to her before he has children with her. Then it hit me. It  sort of became obvious (at least to me) who the Mother might be, and I'll gladly share my theory with you. 
So, let's start out with the FACTS that Ted has revealed about the Mother. (Note: It's also been shown that future Ted is probably an unreliable narrator, he's smudged a couple things for the sake of his children's ears, i.e. marijuana use and sexual acts.)

• Ted definitely meets the mother in New York. (Lucky Penny)
• Ted has NOT met the Mother yet. He tells his children that when he did meet her he called her right away. [that same night] (Three Days Rule) He has not yet done so with any woman shown. He also reveals to his children that the Mother laughed when he told his 'shellfish-selfish' joke. No other woman has done that.(Double Date) 
• The Mother is in college as of 2009. (Season 4) In the episode Definitions, Ted is teaching his first class at Columbia University and he reveals to his children that he is not only in the wrong classroom, (he was in the Economics class) but the Mother was in that class. 
• While teaching at Columbia, Ted briefly dates a student named Cindy. Cindy is the Mother's roommate. (Girls Versus Suits) In the same episode, it's revealed that the Mother is interested in a lot of the things Ted is also into. Ted also catches a glimpse of her heel as she runs into her bedroom. 
• Future Ted reveals he is the best man at a wedding, and he finally meets the Mother at that wedding. (Big Days) Later, in Challenge Accepted it is revealed that the wedding is Barney's.
• Ted has already married and had his two children by 2021. This is revealed in Garbage Island when he runs into Wendy the waitress and tells her so. This is further supported several episodes later in The Exploding Meatball Sub when 2021 is shown again, Ted is wearing a wedding ring. 

There are plenty of other factors we could talk about, but in my opinion, it's all filler. These are definite. 

This leads to my theory. The Mother is Barney's half sister, Carly Whittaker. She has never been shown, and she has only been mentioned. (Legendaddy) In fact, the only thing they've revealed about her is that she's in college. But I base my theory on: 

• She's in college. (I just said that.)
• Since she's Barney's sister, she'll most likely be at his wedding.
• Barney has absolutely no reservations with flirting with and attempting to sleep with Ted's sister, (even though it goes against his own 'Bro Code: Article 3') Heather, so it's probably the same vice versa. (Little Minnesota)
• Future Ted also frequently refers to his friends as 'aunt' or 'uncle' when he mentions them to his kids. Barney frequently refers to Ted as his best friend, and claims that he is Ted's to which Ted has repeatedly denied, and said Marshall is his best friend. A guy referring to his best friend to his children as 'uncle' is normal- a lot of men refer to their best friends do it. Since Lily is Marshall's wife, this would sort of explain her referral as 'Aunt Lily'. If Carly is the Mother, then Barney's 'uncle' title would be literal. So would Robin's if she winds up marrying Barney- but that's another conversation.
• Usually, in a mystery- the culprit is the character that has been mentioned but not shown frequently. most writers don't mention a character unless that character becomes essential to the story at some point. It's a waste of time to do so if the character has no place. Example. A character in a story may have a living mother, BUT her name probably won't be mentioned if she isn't going to have a place in the tale later on. Think about it. Even though she wasn't shown, they went out of their way to reveal Barney DOES have a half-sister, and she IS off in college. Even though it really had nothing to do with the plot of the episode. (again, see: Legendaddy)
• It's implied that the kid's mother is a brunette, in the episode Shelter Island It's revealed what his children would've looked like with a blonde mother. (or rather with Stella) Since Carly's brother J.J. has brown hair, (again, Legendaddy) odds are Carly will also have brown hair.  

Anyway, that's my theory- and until further hints drop- that's what I'm sticking to. Sorry I'm so long winded. Feel free to comment and call me an idiot. 
So back to my 'the show is doomed' line from earlier. Well they've locked themselves into quitting at 2015, no matter how successful the show is, or how much the studio wants to continue. They need to come to an end at 2015. Not only that, but they have to somehow keep Ted interesting, and sweet enough (which they are failing at) that we even give a damn about him finding his true love. Personally, Ted has been getting on my nerves ever since he broke up with Robin, (technically Victoria, but I forgave him) It's hard not to see his blatant douchebaggery with each passing season. And it seems the longer the show drags on with this mysterious premise, the more ridiculous Barney's antics get. Which, it could be argued that his antics are only ridiculous because of Ted's horrible and unnecessary (at times) storytelling, but I digress. 




UPDATE
As of May 14, 2012... my theory is still on track with being correct. In the episode, The Magician's Code it is revealed that Barney does indeed end up marrying Robin and Ted is the best man at that wedding. 


Also, at a bar the other night- I was speaking to someone about the show and then thought it'd be totally hilarious if the Mother was not the wife. Illegitimate children, rule! lol. 
...but then it'd be too much like Definitely, Maybe