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Tag: How I Met Your Father

  • REVIEW: ‘How I Met Your Father’ Episode 10 – “Timing is Everything”

    REVIEW: ‘How I Met Your Father’ Episode 10 – “Timing is Everything”

    How I Met Your Father‘s Season 1 turned out as expected, but with giant twists that will definitely have giant repercussions for the future. As you may remember from the last episode, viewers were left with Sophie waiting for Jesse on their big date after finally giving them a shot. Charlie and Valentina were in a good place, while Ellen was in a bad place, and Sid and Hannah were on shaky ground. The characters all had different drama brewing in their lives, but the finale managed to turn that all on its heels, resolve a lot of issues, and leave an exciting premise for Season 2.

    Coming into the finale, it seemed like Jesse and Sophie would be getting together, but then Ian came back to put a knife in the plan. Valentina and Charlie would become a stronger couple, while Ellen would find some sort of happiness, and Sid and Hannah would break up. Almost none of this happened, though. It gives fans a look as to how the team on How I Met Your Father is approaching the story, both intending to make it more interesting and to keep viewers in the blind. With most shows, I break down the play by play of the episode in terms of humor, drama, story…etc. That looks to be the wrong approach here, however. Instead, let’s break off each character’s journey as they are truly what makes this franchise great, and so we can see what works, and what doesn’t.

    Let’s start with Charlie and Valentina. The two made great strides during the season, from being selfish and unwilling to change, to developing into a strong couple that seemed to be able to move past everything. Unfortunately, a serious conversation comes up with major repercussions for their future, which turned the couple from an amazing developing duo to one that might not know what’s next. While I came into the episode thinking they would end up in a happy place after a pretty great season for them, turned into some sad moments as we watched the pair have to face a serious reality. I loved this approach, even if a little borrowed, but I feel their story isn’t quite over.

    Ellen’s ending was very sitcomy, and not in a good way. After going all season to a pretty dark place, getting used to a new city, not having friends, and being in a terrible situation with her love life, things just manage to magically work out in the end. I understand the season can’t focus on all characters equally, especially with only 10 episodes, but Ellen ended up being a glorified side character at the end of things. The only redeeming element for her story is that she is in a place to have a more interesting story in Season 2. Maybe we will see her blossom later on, but as of right now, she has potential as a character, but the story just isn’t there for her yet.

    Sid and Hannah left off in a bad place. Finding out they had even more time needing to be away from each other, feeling a lack of trust and confidence, the pair definitely seemed to me as heading the route of Marshall and Lily and breaking up in the first season. This was the case even more at the start of the finale when wedding planning managed to set off their other relationship issues. However, throughout the episode, they don’t get a lot of screentime, but the pair makes a comeback with a pretty big moment for them at the end. Of course, it seems their story is far from over, and rocky water may be ahead, but as of now, they are in a good place. The two just seem so real with their issues, even if some parts are largely exaggerated, they are very relatable.

    Finally, onto Sophie and Jesse. The two came into the episode strong, and I was sure that Sophie was about to get stood up on their date. This didn’t end up becoming the case, with the two going through a lot. The episode is titled “Timing is Everything” for a reason. It is a central theme in both the original and new show. As Robin says in How I Met Your Mother, “You got chemistry, you only need one other thing… Timing. But timing’s a bitch.” This rings true for the pair. No spoilers of course, but as the return of Jesse’s ex, Sophie’s new career developments, and Sophie’s two past relationships for the season, with Drew and Ian, timing is as important as chemistry, and the pair are left in a great place for their characters, but maybe not the best place with each other.

    Thanks to some incredible story developments, amazing twists and turns, and a few pretty big cameos from How I Met Your Mother, the finale delivered on a great season. The show started off in a pretty rocky place, but throughout its 10 episode run, it truly managed to deliver a great story, with so much potential for the future.

  • REVIEW: ‘How I Met Your Father’ Episode 9 – “Jay Street”

    REVIEW: ‘How I Met Your Father’ Episode 9 – “Jay Street”

    The two-part finale of How I Met Your Father begins with giant setups, new drama, and a surprising cameo. Following a season of twists and turns, the love triangle that formed over the last few episodes gets even messier with Jesse’s ex, Meredith, throwing a curveball into things. Let’s unpack that, shall we?

    Going into the episode, my expectations for Sophie were to see her choose between two–or possibly three–men to get into a relationship with. Although I was anticipating one to begin, I will state that this does not mean I believe this relationship will lead to Sophie’s son being born. The episode’s entire runtime is setting up the events of the finale, complete with a “to be continued” at the end. What was already a messy situation with Sophie dating Drew but then ending up kissing Jesse, has gotten worse, as Jesse’s ex put a wrench into things when she released her new single, admitting to missing Jesse. From the start, things look great for Sophie and Jesse but all that changes is when he hears that Meredith regrets leaving him.

    Obviously, I’m not going to spoil what happens from that point on. You will need to watch yourself to get the full picture, but let’s just say that the entire situation has changed since we checked in with Jesse and Sophie last week. I already thought we’d be in for a great finale, but things are looking even better than expected. Stakes are high, and things are uncertain for our leading lady. Outlook on her relationships is suddenly out of her control, yet, a progression in her career may help lessen the blow. Although we don’t have a clear picture of what the next episode will look like, I have a feeling things are going to center on that career change, but once again, you will have to watch yourself to see what that is.

    A surprise cameo made this week’s episode for me. Although I was emotionally invested and on the edge of my seat with Sophie’s love story, a callback to How I Met Your Mother will always stand out for me. Not only did we get one cameo, but two due to the circumstances surrounding the two characters showing up, and no, it isn’t who you think it might be. The two characters were supporting cast in the original show, but two stand-outs that I’m sure most fans loved as much as I do. I call out the cameo now because, as I said before, the finale might connect with her new career step. I’m not entirely sure how all of this will tie together, as there are still a lot of loose ends that seem to be coming to a close.

    Although plenty of loose ends are looking like they will be tied, even more, seem to be unweaving as we lead up to the show’s confirmed second season. Of course, with a television show, not everything can be tied until the final episode. Sophie still has multiple possible suitors in addition to Drew and Jesse. New twists have developed for Sid and Hannah, Ellen is interviewing for a job, and Charlie is feeling homesick. All of these things get the spotlight in this episode, and that is definitely not the sign of a slowing plotline. While I believe we will definitely see an outcome for the relationship troubles, there is still plenty to leave open for next season, and that is what will keep me coming back.

    While the humor wasn’t there in this episode, at least not like with other traditional sitcoms, this was much needed for the story they are trying to tell. This is the same approach How I Met Your Mother took with many of its important episodes, which works really well to keep the emotional moments flowing without interrupting with weirdly placed humor. The show definitely still feels like a sitcom, but the humor was able to take a backseat to the plot, and I definitely enjoyed that. The show has once again left me wanting more and more. Viewers will be left at the edge of their seats in anticipation of the final episode next week, but until then, all I can do is recommend you watch and stay tuned for what’s yet to come.

  • REVIEW: ‘How I Met Your Father’ Episode 8 – “The Perfect Shot”

    REVIEW: ‘How I Met Your Father’ Episode 8 – “The Perfect Shot”

    The race for Sophie’s love is full steam ahead but now things are murky. We follow her as she continues her relationship hunting and further develops what she built with Drew. Yet, things take a turn in episode 8, as we see a relationship bloom rather unexpectedly. So, without further ado, let’s just dive in.

    The latest episode does start off slow, looking to be a typical sitcom story in the same vein as the previous one. Yet, as it progressed, however, I liked more and more of it. Random civilians on the streets are now getting involved in comedic moments, much like How I Met Your Mother. The silly humor was captivating whereas in some previous episodes it could get a little cringy. The character’s situations this time around were far more relatable, as instead of the usual pairings, this episode certainly changed some things up.

    Last week, I complained that for being in a relationship, Valentina and Charlie hadn’t had a lot of development ever since their heart to heart earlier in the season. Luckily, this week was different. While still presenting their relationship as a comedic duo, the two still managed to progress in this episode as Charlie begins to do things for Valentina that aren’t selfish. Compared to when we first saw him with his higher-than-thou attitude, it’s nice to see him break out of his shell more and more, especially when it comes to his love.

    Sid and Ellen have paired up this episode, as they attempted to cover for Jesse with his ex-girlfriend who has suddenly appeared. The two haven’t been majorly involved up until now, but as they are both the closest to Jesse–being his sister and best friend–it was nice to see them together to help her out. Speaking of his ex, it’s great to see her in the picture for some added tension going into the last two episodes, but I’ll dive deeper into that later on.

    The largest moments from the episode, of course, surrounded Sophie. But this time it did not only involve Drew. We know that Jesse has had a crush on Sophie since day one, but up until now, the two have agreed neither of them is ready for something serious and that they are better off as friends. However, this episode may put a knife in those plans. As Sophie suffers from drama with Drew, Jesse seizes the opportunity. No further spoilers on that, however.

    With Drew and Jesse both competing for Sophie now, and on more equal footing than before, Meredith, Jesse’s ex showing up, and multiple other suitors still in play, the final two episodes are definitely being set up for something big. I have said before that Ian, a gentleman that Sophie had an immediate connection with in the first episode, is definitely in play still and I feel he might make his return. I don’t see why they would have set him up with Sophie if they weren’t going to do something with him.

    Considering they did not know they were being renewed for a second season until after production was already over, I’m betting we see that comeback sooner rather than later. Having three established relationships in play, drama in at least two of them, and plenty of more possibly fathers out there, the race is on and more confusing than ever. This emotional attachment is definitely what the show needed, as it was what made How I Met Your Father so popular during its run time.

    The finale is just two weeks away, and I currently believe How I Met Your Father is on track for an unforgettable end to its first season. I currently cannot wait to see how all of these loose plotlines come together for what’s looking like a major decision for Sophie, and a possibly amazing twist for fans. The show needs to end on an iconic moment, as it is going up against How I Met Your Mother‘s original conclusion with Robin and Ted getting together, as well as the unfortunate break-up between Marshall and Lilly. That moment would set the tone for the entire rest of the show, with those iconic moments coming into play multiple times per season. It’ll surely keep viewers coming back week to week. Hopefully, How I Met Your Father will be able to deliver, and so far with what has been set up, I believe they can.

  • REVIEW: ‘How I Met Your Father’ Episode 7 – “Rivka Rebel”

    REVIEW: ‘How I Met Your Father’ Episode 7 – “Rivka Rebel”

    Episode 7 of How I Met Your Father takes a break from Sophie’s love life and focuses instead on development with the core cast. Considering the two previous episodes were easily the best of the season, and were heavily involved with her love life, it is interesting going into an episode not fully knowing if it is going to land on the same level as those which directly preceded it.

    The episode follows each character as they try to develop in problem areas. Sophie and Valentina are tasked with performing a photoshoot for the head photographer of Sophie’s dream job. Meanwhile, Charlie and Ellen take on adjustment to living in New York, as well as Sid and Jesse spending the time dealing with procrastination. The duo pairings are already starting to seem like patterns. So far the cast is really falling into a weird place where each person has a best friend of the group and the cast all get together every few episodes to establish that they are a cohesive group. This has been ongoing, but I didn’t really catch onto it until this episode.

    Every episode pairs up Valentina and Sophie, Charlie and Ellen, and Sid and Jesse. Sure, we see them all interact, but when it comes to the personal moments where only two characters are there, it gets a bit underwhelming. This is largely because those types of relationships are being developed continuously while there is still no big development in other areas. Valentina and Charlie are a couple, but only two episodes have involved their relationship for example. Jesse is obviously in love with Sophie at this point, but we don’t see him actually do much about it, whether it is jealousy, chasing her, or any other type of emotion. This weird disconnect is my new big complaint about the show, not that there are many complaints, but I do hope we see this corrected in the final three episodes, or if not, in season 2.

    While the pairings have me critical, the actual development between the characters did progress well. Jesse is starting to move on from the tragic ending to his last relationship. Sid is getting closer to marrying Hannah, with them agreeing on more and more. Sophie is finding herself and taking leaps for what she wants. Valentina is admitting to her true feelings about where she is in life. And Ellen and Charlie are getting more comfortable with each other. I do like how the characters are progressing. Sophie is obviously the most interesting due to her being the main character, but Valentina and Jesse are early standouts. Valentina is quickly breaking away from the free-willed and confident character we were introduced to and becoming a very interesting character with lots of real-world problems and reactions, such as lying about how glamorous her life is to not worry her friends. Jesse is also great because of his struggle moving on from his ex, especially since it left him a semi-famous internet sensation. The struggles are very 21st century, relating to the target audience as much as it can, but it feels real all the same, especially as a twenty-something like myself.

    While we have talked about my major complaint about this episode, I do have a second. As I have stated before, the show really has no time to waste in its short 10 episode season, especially now as we near the end. However, this episode seemed like a disconnect from the really big momentum they had coming into it. Due to this, the episode felt like filler, even if it did help develop some of the main cast. I think this largely stems from my first complaint of the pairings being more of the same, since it is starting to be smaller and smaller jumps in development, we as viewers don’t perceive the new changes as well, and therefore the episode falls into this weird place that it feels like a filler episode despite being a normal episode for a traditional sitcom. Filler is usually an episode that does little to progress the plot, such as the rhyming episode in How I Met Your Mother‘s final season. While they can be fun, they have to be used in appropriate places. This episode doesn’t fit the filler category because it did develop the plot, but it just didn’t land as well as the last two episodes since there were no real standout moments.

    How I Met Your Father has definitely improved a lot since its premiere just a short few weeks ago. While almost every episode has gotten progressively better, there have been two small dips so far, and sadly, episode 7 feels like one of them. With only three episodes left, I feel like there could have been a better balance of time in this one, but hopefully, this means a killer winddown. I wouldn’t be surprised to see next week’s episode as another one like this, but that should hint at an amazing final two-episode performance. Let’s just hope I’m right and we don’t see a significant slide.

  • REVIEW: ‘How I Met Your Father’ Episode 6 – “Stacey”

    REVIEW: ‘How I Met Your Father’ Episode 6 – “Stacey”

    Episode 5 of How I Met Your Father really upped the emotions and was a standout episode for the season. As a result, episode 6 had a lot to live up to in order to keep the show on a high. From an amazing emotional performance last episode to humor massively improving from episodes 1 and 2, I had hopes that the show would keep up and be able to meet that kind of quality for the entire second half of the season. Did Episode 6 continue on the great path?

    “Stacey”, the episode title, refers to Sophie’s current love interest’s ex-girlfriend because all sit-coms need that episode in the beginnings of a new relationship. To avoid spoilers, the man in question on this episode will not be named. He and Sophie are invited by Sid and his fiancee to a weekend out. Not having previously slept together, obviously, tensions were a little high.

    The episode did a really good job of focusing on the relationship aspect of the show. I have already said how well they have been developing the characters and relationships thus far; the show really dug into that this episode with each of the main cast members. From Sid and his fiancee dealing with their own problems, to Sophie and her current love interest dealing with some jealousy with the ex-girlfriend, and the rest of the cast having a dinner party, which ends up revealing many secrets about their relationships as well, it was all handled competently.

    As previously discussed, the emotional moments of the original show and how they were starting to come up on the new show as well matter. After last week’s episode, I thought they would surely save episodes like that for the end of the season, as most shows do. However, with the season only being 10 episodes long, I also felt they would be wasteful if they followed that since there really isn’t time for filler episodes that sitcoms are known for. Luckily, they did not nearly do what I expected, at least so far.

    If episode 5 was a standout memorable moment, episode 6 was a defining one. Sophie not only has an absolutely charming end to the episode when all loose ends are tied, but she also has a surprising moment with one of the other characters on the show (who I suspect is the true father). One moment that further develops the current relationship, and one that hints at other possibilities is one of the biggest things I loved from How I Met Your Mother, comes to How I Met Your Father and I am all for it. Always keeping viewers on their toes about the mystery of the aforementioned father is what the show truly needs to shine and keep viewers engaged and, so far, they have absolutely killed it. With one character currently winning Sophie’s attention, one that makes sense on a lot of levels, again, no spoilers, and one that has openly denied very unconvincingly that he is in love with her, there are so many possibilities.

    Humor also stayed on a high note in this episode. Multiple character moments had me giggling and some added environmental humor that,while a little corny, also managed to get a laugh out of me in the end. Add in a whole lot of banter from the cast and the show really feels like it is getting in a grove. Great sitcoms are a mix of good humor, memorable characters, and relationship development. How I Met Your Father already had the relationship development down; now, the memorable characters are getting developed perfectly. While some moments are still corny, or definitely will not age well, they are starting to work out those kinks, which makes me really excited for how the recently announced season 2 will help in that area even more.

    The second half of the season is really getting How I Met Your Father on a hot streak. With better humor, keeping up with the tremendous characters, and delivering absolutely stellar moments, the problems of the first two episodes seem so far away now, likely even to be more forgivable on a second watch-through, similar to season 1 of How I Met Your Mother. I truly hope the show stays on this path, I am absolutely loving how charming and emotional it is becoming, and with season 2 confirmed, I cannot wait to see what else this cast and crew are able to deliver with feedback in hand. The foundation is set for success on this show’s journey to be a great successor to the phenomenal original, maybe even being able to fix some of the original’s complaints, such as the often criticized final season. With only a few episodes left this season, I’m excited about where things are going. I just hope they can deliver on a season finale worthy of the twists and turns of How I Met Your Mother’s.

  • Hulu Renews ‘How I Met Your Father’ for a Bigger Season 2

    Hulu Renews ‘How I Met Your Father’ for a Bigger Season 2

    Good news has arrived, as How I Met Your Father is getting a second season on Hulu. The show received mixed reviews on the first 4 episodes, but things have been looking good so far. The newest episodes were great, and Hulu must be happy with the performance thus far to renew it and even add a little extra.

    The second season of the show will be double the episode count of the first, moving up from 10 episodes to 20. Considering the relationship-building needed for a show like this, much less for a successor to How I Met Your Mother, I’m glad the second season is going to get a bit more time to spend with this cast. The character development in the show has been great so far, so a doubled episode count should really help the show.

    How I Met Your Father is a standalone sequel to the acclaimed How I Met Your Mother. The show follows Hilary Duff’s Sophie as she explains the tale to her son of how she came to meet his father and the subsequent love story that follows. Twisting key plot lines and troupes of the original, How I Met Your Father does a lovely job at following the original in new ways. You can catch it on Tuesdays on Hulu.

    Source: Deadline

  • REVIEW: ‘How I Met Your Father’ Episode 5 – ”The Good Mom”

    REVIEW: ‘How I Met Your Father’ Episode 5 – ”The Good Mom”

    How I Met Your Father seems to be off to a great start. Each episode so far has been better and better, aside from episode 4 being a bit of a slide in quality. Episode 5, entitled “The Good Mom”, is exactly as you’d expect: about Sophie’s mom. Obviously How I Met Your Mother explored similar ”parent” episodes, like Ted learning of his mom and dad’s divorce and the beginnings of their relationship basically being a mirror to that of Ted and Robin’s. I do feel that just like before, How I Met Your Father is seemingly borrowing tropes and plots from the original, but adding new spins to make them their own. Episode 5 is a perfect example of this.

    While the episode had antics from the rest of the cast, it was obviously focused on Sophie and her relationship with her mom. What started out as what seemed like a traditional happy mother-daughter relationship developed further and further as the episode progressed. As Sophie learns more about her mom, she starts to think back on moments of their life, ultimately getting a clearer picture of what was going on when she was young. The relationship, although only being developed over one episode, truly felt like one of the most developed relationships in the show so far. I hope to see the mother again, as the history there is very interesting to Sophie’s development. I’m glad the other characters had a bit of a light story to the episode, with most of the cast trying to get over their fears, and Valentina being attached to Sophie for the duration of the episode, it really gave Sophie and her mom time to shine.

    I always think back to How I Met Your Mother, not for the humor, although funny, but for the emotional moments that truly made the show great. The ones that shook a character to their core. Spoilers for How I Met Your Mother, but Barney and Robin getting engaged, Ted reuniting with Victora, the countdown to Marshall’s dad dying. Those are the moment that made the show stand out. This episode was one of those moments for How I Met Your Father. The episode developed Sophie’s character and made her finally do something for herself, as we learned was hard to do for her when it involved her mom. I absolutely loved the moment she took that leap, and as a result, the moment she shared with Drew at the end. I walked away from the episode with the same smile and reaction as I have had with those favorite episodes of mine from the original show, and that was the moment that this evolved for me from a sitcom recapturing the feel and tone from How I Met Your Mother, to a proper successor that deserves the fan’s attention.

    Although having a rough start, I truly feel audiences should give the show another chance at this point if they have dropped off. This episode has me excited for this story to unfold more and more. If they can have a great episode like this in the first half of season 1, and so quickly developing the two characters involved in this moment with Sophie, I can only imagine what is in store for us as more relationships evolve, grow, end, and deepen. Sophie’s love story seems great, although it is early, she is a very easy character to cheer for, similar to how Ted immediately grasped me. Her ability to build with the rest of the cast seamlessly, and have deep and impactful relationships with them, has me clapping for the writers, as well as Hillary Duff for her performance. Although there have been some questionable acting in the show so far, I do find Sophie’s character charming and ultimately a great showing.

    I am definitely excited for the future of the show, one good episode is all it takes for a show to start to grow, and I feel like this can be that episode for the show. I hope they can capitalize on that feeling for the second half of the season. There are still so many plot threads currently dangling in front of us with no resolution. I cannot wait for them to be explored. The show is shaping up to be an early favorite of mine for 2022, and if it can keep up with episodes like this, maybe it might stay in my favorites.

  • REVIEW: ‘How I Met Your Father’ Episode 4 – “Dirrty Thirty”

    REVIEW: ‘How I Met Your Father’ Episode 4 – “Dirrty Thirty”

    Last week, we saw How I Met Your Father start to feel like a true successor to How I Met Your Mother. Between perfect relationship building, good comedic moments, and a whole lot of charm, it seemed as though the show was starting to hit a stride. Can that continue through the entirety of season one? Or did episode four dig a ditch?

    Episode 4 started off with Sophie finally beginning to take a partner seriously, so much so that the majority of the episode is spent trying to impress the man. This isn’t a novel concept, as you may recall, this type of thing is right out of the Mosby playbook. In How I Met Your Mother, a young Ted spends an entire episode planning multiple parties over a weekend to try and impress a newly found crush, Robin. Luckily, this similarity stops there. Once again, How I Met Your Father does an excellent job of mirroring parts of How I Met Your Mother without feeling like a cheap copycat, rehashing old ideas. Instead, the show decides to do things a little differently. Sophie was already having a party, her birthday party, in fact. Instead of randomly trying to make her suitor find her more spontaneous, Sophie is aiming to seem more mature to match the personality of her date. She spends time disguising her apartment, looking to match both the “trashy rager,” as she recalls, and the more mature tone she wants in order to impress the man. 

    The above seems like a great way to follow the tone of the original, but other parts of the episode fall flat. There are moments sure to take viewers out of the episode, as it loses its engaging tone with the addition of a random scene, forcing it to feel more like a generic sitcom than the charming show its predecessor was. There were parts of episodes one and two that had a similar feeling, but it seemed like most of the early sitcom tropes were starting to feel fixed. Yet, despite its flaws, the latest episode still feels stronger than the earlier episodes. It’s just a shame the show seems unclear of the tone it wants to take on, especially as the series seemed to finally be hitting its stride.

    Luckily, while the weird generic sitcom vibe was definitely there, the laugh track issues still seem to be gone. As initially expected, it appears the premiere episode may have been trying a little too hard to land its humor. Thankfully, though, the latter two episodes definitely used the laugh track more appropriately.

    Luckily, the relationship-building and supporting cast still feel great. The episode follows Valentina and Charlie as they continue to try and work out their relationship, as well as Jesse and Ellen as they try and form their sibling bond. Unfortunately, Sid seems to have been put on the sideline for this episode; while it makes sense, given his storyline, it’s an unfortunate turn of events.

    Valentina and Charlie remain an almost inverse of Marshall and Lily, a couple trying to make it, but instead of being the perfect couple in a more traditional sense, their way of life is a little more “modern,” if you will. Their chemistry is starting to show through the one-tone character that is Charlie. He seems to be starting to settle into his new lifestyle a little more, previously being a rich and rather condescending character that was hard to like. Valentina and Charlie seem to be starting to round each other out, which seems like it could do wonders for their characters.

    While Episode 4 feels like a step back from Episode 3, it appears to be a small step back. The show retains its charm while continually making the characters and their relationships very easy to love. Hopefully, the next 6 episodes will manage to capture the charm and continue to improve, potentially leading to a phenomenal ending that will want us begging for more like How I Met Your Mother did in its first season. Considering there are three possible suitors set up for immediate relationships with Sophie, and any of them can come up at any moment, it seems likely the end of season 1 is aiming to get there. It’s obviously too early to tell for sure, but who knows, one might happen before we say goodbye to Sophie and her gang for the season. 

  • REVIEW: ‘How I Met Your Father’ Episode 3 – The Fixer

    REVIEW: ‘How I Met Your Father’ Episode 3 – The Fixer

    Sophie’s love story continues. This time, Jesse takes the spotlight, as they both try and conquer their return to the dating world. Last week, I shared my thoughts on the premiere of How I Met Your Father and had some complaints about the series. Luckily, it seems those may have been answered. During the premiere episodes, I felt the humor was a bit lacking, and the connections to How I Met Your Mother were great, but I felt the feel was a bit off. In a way, it was almost like the show was trying desperately to recreate the atmosphere of the original, but wasn’t quite hitting the mark. Episode 3, however, answers these problems and then some.

    As I had suggested last week, I feel the first two episodes may have only felt off due to it being a premiere and, therefore, needing to set up multiple different characters and relationships. One thing I did love last week was that I had already started to get a feeling for the characters and have grown to love a few of them already. That helped tremendously in the third episode, which is by far the best one out of the three. It follows Sophie and Jesse returning to the dating world, both feeling a bit defeated on their search for love. As romantic sitcoms go, the episode concludes with both characters hyping each other up, and having new prospects and views on their current dating life.

    Episode 3 was both charming and funny. The humor that I felt missed the mark last week was dead on this time around, obviously not all jokes will land with everyone, but I felt that laugh tracks weren’t placed in humorless moments as often. The characters once again stand out, and the more I watch them – especially Jesse and Sophie – the more I am falling in love with them. I am invested in this journey. In my last review, I noted the clever approach to already hinting at who might be the father. Yet, this new episode defied expectations and introduced a new possible father, Josh Peck‘s Drew, as we learn he met Sophie briefly on the first night while asking for a charger. This new development not only adds another father into the mix but also opens up the possibility of many new men that could be the aforementioned father. I mean, it was a party that filled up a bar, after all.

    On top of the love story, the supporting cast also made some leaps this week. Just like with How I Met Your Mother, the show followed Sophie and Jesse on their “main journey,” but also spent some time with the other members of the group while they live their respective lives. This week, we followed Valentina and Sid trying to improve their long-distance relationship, as well as Ellen and Charlie house hunting in New York. The character pair-ups were a bit odd to me at first, but as the episode continued, you immediately felt the chemistry between them. This cohesive friend group continues to impress me with how natural it feels.

    From the character sitting around the apartment to the humor to the charming love story, this episode landed so perfectly in its attempt to capture the feeling of the original. How I Met Your Father had an uphill battle in trying to live up to one of the most beloved sitcoms in the last 20 years, and somehow, they managed to do it. Episode 3 had me truly feel like this was an extension of How I Met Your Mother and that it’s expanding the world of the original. I was quite impressed with how fast the problems seemed to just disappear, and how fast the show has managed to grip me.

    How I Met Your Father is starting to line up as a great premiere in a crowded 2022 schedule. If they can continue to deliver as they did with this entry, they may have a stand-out new show on their hands that is worth your attention. As the streaming wars continue, IP is like gold. So, when a new show manages to deliver on its predecessors, it’s a true treat for fans. So far, How I Met Your Father is a good show worth checking out, but if they can keep up this momentum, it may just become a must-watch. I hope it continues on this path, if they do, I truly believe it may possibly live up to and maybe fix the problems of How I Met Your Mother.

  • REVIEW: ‘How I Met Your Father’ Episode 1 – 2

    REVIEW: ‘How I Met Your Father’ Episode 1 – 2

    Everyone has their “ol’ reliable” show to fall back on. It’s that one show you can’t help but go back to, over and over again even though there are countless other things to watch. Some have The Office, while others Parks & Rec, and for me, it always ends up being How I Met Your Mother. I have watched my ol’ reliable over 30 times by this point. If I’m being honest, I watch it so much that I have started to leave it on while I fall asleep purely to function as white noise. You can imagine both my excitement and skepticism when How I Met Your Father, a spin-off set in the same universe as its predecessor, was announced. I loved the prospect of a new series with the same love and charm that made the original so great. However, I was also worried about the all too common problem of a sequel that either falls into the trap of trying too hard to be the original, or steers so far off from it that the only link is by name. Now, after a long wait since its announcement, it has finally arrived on Hulu. Does it live up to How I Met Your Mother, or is this another sequel disaster in the making?

    Thanks to a two-episode premiere, we already have a start to the character and relationship development needed for a romantic sitcom. The show follows Sophie, played by Hillary Duff with Kim Catrall as her future self, as she tells her son the story of how she met his father. Similar to the approach of How I Met Your Mother, we follow older Sophie recounting her memories of the past. However, the show has made some changes to the original formula. Instead of being in the blind on who the aforementioned mother or father is, the new show lets us in on a pretty big secret as of the first episode: the father is one of the men we see her meet in the very first episode.

    Another change is that instead of watching the kids react to the story in the future, future Sophie is instead seen telling the story to her son, who is the one kept a secret from the viewers. I feel this was pretty obviously done in an effort to not make it obvious who the father is, considering we are narrowing it down to four gentlemen from the start. I personally love this change. The original was very ambiguous, which made it so any lucky lady could be the mother during the journey. However, I feel like this new approach will make for some tense and emotional moments as the show progresses. We’ll be on the edge of our seats, as four possible suitors are in the picture, all being around Sophie and competing for her attention as the plot unravels.

    In the two-episode premiere, I was surprised by how fast I was getting emotionally invested in the characters and their relationships. Jesse (Chris Lowell) is an emotionally damaged character that immediately takes a liking to Sophie. He is charming but awkward, which makes for a great character to cheer for. Sid (Suraj Sharma) seems to be a fun and loving man, who gets engaged to his fiancee in the first episode. It’s a similar scenario Lilly and Marshall’s from the original, but with a twist. Unlike the original, Sid’s fiancee has to leave to work in another city, seemingly not a part of the main cast. This dynamic has led me to believe that while he is engaged now, he is definitely not out of the running to be the father.

    Other characters include Valentina (Francia Raisa) who is Sophie’s best friend – a character that immediately made me laugh out loud – and her date Charlie (Tom Ainsley), as well as Ellen (Tien Tran), Jesse’s adoptive sister. I felt the cast immediately had chemistry and seemed like a very easy to imagine as a group of friends. This is largely why I am excited for the future of the show, a lot of shows struggle with introducing a new cast or building them into a cohesive friend group. With this largely already out of the way, more time can be focused on developing the plot.

    While the relationships and characters are lovable, the humor felt a bit forced. Multiple times I heard a laugh track and couldn’t help but feel that it distracted from the show rather than back up an actual hilarious moment. I’m not particularly fond of laugh tracks in general, but I will never fault a show for using them considering it is such a standard practice in the genre. However, using them to force a boring moment into being a funny one is never fun. That isn’t to say the show doesn’t have its laughs, there were many times when my fiancee and I audibly laughed out loud. While this was a negative thing for me, I also feel this is a problem with a lot of shows as they start out, so I will reserve judgment on this until the full season is completed.

    All-in-all, while I feel like the humor could use some work, the groundwork laid out in the first couple of episodes has me excited for the future. So far, I feel the show lies firmly in the “fans of the original should check this out” category. Sitcom lovers will also probably feel right at home. However, so far, I think the show is not for everyone, but we will see how that changes over the course of the season. Considering the emotional moment at the end of the second episode that ties How I Met Your Father to How I Met Your Mother, I think we are in for a real treat when we see what’s to come.