diff --git a/src/args.jl b/src/args.jl
index 5dbbc35b..8f0b23ee 100644
--- a/src/args.jl
+++ b/src/args.jl
@@ -1143,7 +1143,8 @@ function _add_defaults!(d::KW, plt::Plot, sp::Subplot, commandIndex::Int)
     end
 
     # this is how many series belong to this subplot
-    plotIndex = count(series -> series.d[:subplot] === sp && series.d[:primary], plt.series_list)
+    # plotIndex = count(series -> series.d[:subplot] === sp && series.d[:primary], plt.series_list)
+    plotIndex = count(series -> series[:primary], sp.series_list)
     if get(d, :primary, true)
         plotIndex += 1
     end
diff --git a/src/backends/gr.jl b/src/backends/gr.jl
index 8c9f2d2d..e2632080 100644
--- a/src/backends/gr.jl
+++ b/src/backends/gr.jl
@@ -684,9 +684,10 @@ function gr_display(sp::Subplot{GRBackend}, w, h, viewport_canvas)
     end
     GR.restorestate()
 
-    # TODO: can we remove?
     gr_set_font(xaxis[:tickfont])
-    # GR.setcolormap(1000 + GR.COLORMAP_COOLWARM)
+
+    # this needs to be here to point the colormap to the right indices
+    GR.setcolormap(1000 + GR.COLORMAP_COOLWARM)
 
     for (idx, series) in enumerate(series_list(sp))
         st = series[:seriestype]
diff --git a/src/pipeline.jl b/src/pipeline.jl
index 23b273b4..958594a0 100644
--- a/src/pipeline.jl
+++ b/src/pipeline.jl
@@ -355,11 +355,12 @@ function _expand_subplot_extrema(sp::Subplot, d::KW, st::Symbol)
     end
 end
 
-function _add_the_series(plt, d)
+function _add_the_series(plt, sp, d)
     warnOnUnsupported_args(plt.backend, d)
     warnOnUnsupported(plt.backend, d)
     series = Series(d)
     push!(plt.series_list, series)
+    push!(sp.series_list, series)
     _series_added(plt, series)
 end
 
@@ -382,7 +383,7 @@ function _process_seriesrecipe(plt::Plot, d::KW)
         sp = _prepare_subplot(plt, d)
         _prepare_annotations(sp, d)
         _expand_subplot_extrema(sp, d, st)
-        _add_the_series(plt, d)
+        _add_the_series(plt, sp, d)
 
     else
         # get a sub list of series for this seriestype
diff --git a/src/subplots.jl b/src/subplots.jl
index cd253a69..3400874c 100644
--- a/src/subplots.jl
+++ b/src/subplots.jl
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 function Subplot{T<:AbstractBackend}(::T; parent = RootLayout())
     Subplot{T}(
         parent,
+        Series[],
         (20mm, 5mm, 2mm, 10mm),
         defaultbox,
         defaultbox,
@@ -33,7 +34,7 @@ get_subplot(series::Series) = series.d[:subplot]
 get_subplot_index(plt::Plot, idx::Integer) = Int(idx)
 get_subplot_index(plt::Plot, sp::Subplot) = findfirst(_ -> _ === sp, plt.subplots)
 
-series_list(sp::Subplot) = filter(series -> series.d[:subplot] === sp, sp.plt.series_list)
+series_list(sp::Subplot) = sp.series_list # filter(series -> series.d[:subplot] === sp, sp.plt.series_list)
 
 function should_add_to_legend(series::Series)
     series.d[:primary] && series.d[:label] != "" &&
diff --git a/src/types.jl b/src/types.jl
index 8fdb45e5..b9965eec 100644
--- a/src/types.jl
+++ b/src/types.jl
@@ -21,11 +21,21 @@ wrap{T}(obj::T) = InputWrapper{T}(obj)
 Base.isempty(wrapper::InputWrapper) = false
 
 
+# -----------------------------------------------------------
+
+type Series
+    d::KW
+end
+
+attr(series::Series, k::Symbol) = series.d[k]
+attr!(series::Series, v, k::Symbol) = (series.d[k] = v)
+
 # -----------------------------------------------------------
 
 # a single subplot
 type Subplot{T<:AbstractBackend} <: AbstractLayout
     parent::AbstractLayout
+    series_list::Vector{Series}  # arguments for each series
     minpad::Tuple # leftpad, toppad, rightpad, bottompad
     bbox::BoundingBox  # the canvas area which is available to this subplot
     plotarea::BoundingBox  # the part where the data goes
@@ -56,14 +66,6 @@ typealias SubplotMap Dict{Any, Subplot}
 
 # -----------------------------------------------------------
 
-type Series
-    d::KW
-end
-
-attr(series::Series, k::Symbol) = series.d[k]
-attr!(series::Series, v, k::Symbol) = (series.d[k] = v)
-
-# -----------------------------------------------------------
 
 type Plot{T<:AbstractBackend} <: AbstractPlot{T}
     backend::T                   # the backend type