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The hopeless romantics and realists have entered the chat with the premiere of Hulu's How I Met Your Father.
A standalone sequel to 2005's How I Met Your Mother, the series is created by Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger. What makes it different from the original is that the story is now being told from a female perspective and is also set in today's digital age of online dating.
It follows Sophie on her journey of finding love while dealing with the harsh realities of life. It's time to dive in and dissect the second episode of Hulu's How I Met Your Father Season 1.
Note: This article contains spoilers.
'How I Met Your Father' Season 1 Episode 2: Recap and Review
Recap
The second episode of How I Met Your Father released along with the first one and centered around Sophie's attempt to get over Ian. While Sophie struggles with her short-lived 'relationship' with Ian, Valentina feels smothered by Charlie's constant presence.
Valentina talks about her troubles with Sophie and that she wants to break up with her boyfriend, but isn't able to come to a definite decision. The two realize what the issue is and set up Charlie to make new friends in the city.
Sophie invites Jesse and others to a brand new club named FOMO, thinking that the latter and Sid will become Charlie's friends.
However, the message comes across wrong to Jesse who thinks she's inviting him for a date. The gang hits the club later and while waiting in line, Sophie gets a message from Ian. When she considers replying to him, Valentina stops her.
After spending some time enjoying in the club, Ellen tries to find a new girlfriend while Jesse makes his move. He asks Sophie to join him in another room, which she happily accepts. On her way over, she gets distracted by her desire to respond to Ian's message.
Thanks to their ongoing Jason Momoa joke, Ian ruined Jesse's chance with Sophie. Jesse later comes to know that the invitation was not for him but for Charlie's sake.
The episode ends with Charlie actually bonding with the guys after Valentina breaks up with him. But the moment is short lived when the girls come by to Sid's bar and Valentina apologizes to Charlie. As for Sophie, she tries to clarify her intentions with Jesse and the two agree on staying friends.
Review
How I Met Your Father's second episode saw the new friend group embark on a nightclub rendezvous and also shed light on the less-noticed dynamic between Charlie and Sid.
The two men are complete opposites of each, and while Charlie is a silly and sheltered being who actually does not exist in reality, Sid brings the much-needed dose of emotional realism to the table.
The strange mix between the two is a definite treat to watch, especially the moment at the end of the episode where they compliment each other about things that don't really matter.
Compared to How I Met Your Mother, this standalone sequel is a more true-to-life reflection of New York City but it still lacks the personality a NYC show is supposed to have, like the original sitcom. It has way too many lifeless interpersonal dynamics going on at once, making its character-based humor useless.
Surely, How I Met Your Father has a connection with HIMYM, even beyond its narrative structure, but it still falls short and gets considered as a lesser version of it. Back in 2005, it only took a couple of lines to get to know Ted, Barney, Lily and Marshall, but in this series, even two episodes couldn't do the job.
The only concern here lies in whether the show would develop into something worth watching besides addressing the long-term romantic question, which is in the title of the show itself. How I Met Your Father might be built on the narratives of HIMYM, but it still has not clarified the rules discarded by the original show in the first go.
It is rather disappointing to see the lack of direction in the new series as the two-part premiere was directed by Pamela Fryman, who previously directed at least 12 of HIMYM’s episodes.
However, the highlight of this episode of How I Met Your Father was Sophie's comfort song, Drops of Jupiter. At first, it seemed like a usual song one cries to when upset, but when the episode ended, Jesse played the same tune and revealed that it was his comfort song too.
Viewers can now clearly see the connection between Sophie and Jesse, who are a mirror image of Ted and Robin, only it's not clear if the series will completely follow the original's plot when it comes to their future.
How I Met Your Father does have the original sitcom's whip-smart narrative and perspective shots but being a part of 2022, it can't help but look like a mechanical recreation of the bygone era, lacking all the charm and self-awareness. Perhaps, until it finds its right footing, it may just stay as a reminder of its predecessor.
Catch How I Met Your Father Season 1 Episode 2 streaming on Hulu, with its previous episode also available to watch.
