The epic saga of the blue “french horn”

I figured as long as we’re on a HIMYM kick, let’s keep the ball rolling. I’ll be honest; I’ve always been a bit ambivalent on the whole blue “french horn” storyline (& i’ll explain the quotes later on). On the one hand, i do not condone in any way, shape or form the thievery of oddly-colored brass instruments from restaurants but on the other, i do think it was a very romantic gesture. I just know there’s a better way to show a girl how you feel without breaking any laws.

Ok, so let’s break it down, shall we? It all started in the pilot when he stole it from the restaurant on his first date with robin. However, it soon became clear they wanted different things & as such, he ends up returning it to Carmicheal’s as a method of signifying just how the relationship had run its course. The storyline picks up again three seasons later when he drunkenly (somehow) steals it again in an attempt to win her back. But after she moves in with don, she left it in their apartment as a sign that she was moving on & he should too.

Now here’s where the timeline gets a bit murky. You see, after she breaks up with kevin, ted tries to win her back by taking her to Carmicheal’s once again. & when they get there, it’s now back up on the wall right where it was before, albeit this time under lock & key. But it’s not really clear how it ended up back at the restaurant. I mean I guess he could’ve returned it again but you’d think after two different burglaries, they would call the cops if he ever showed his face in that restaurant again.

Long story short, because three time’s the charm, he steals it yet again (thanks to a bolt cutter that he just happened to have lying around for some reason) & uses it to convince her to get back together. They end up not resuming their relationship. So presumably he still has it come the series finale when penny & luke finally convince him to sack up & make one last play for robin. Of course, no one knows what happened to it after that but assuming neither of them learned how to play it, it probably just sat around in their apartment gathering dust while they carried on in marital bliss. So it all comes full circle.

& fun fact: when the series wrapped, Radnor asked the creators if he could take it home with him & they consented. Interestingly enough though, the so-called blue french horn is actually not even a french horn at all. It’s actually an old-style mellophone that was painted blue for some reason. So this whole time we’ve all been mislabeling the most iconic instrument in sitcom history. In any case, it remains a beautiful symbol of the potential love & what it can be. & I just hope one day all we find our own blue french horn & experience that happily ever after.