Opinions about How I Met Your Father are divisive and understandably so. The show has to live up to HIMYM’s long and iconic legacy, with die-hard fans watching its every move. At the same time, it has to carve out an identity of its own.
It seems like the show is trying to learn from any follies HIMYM may have succumbed to, notably when it comes to setting up the mystery of who the “father” could be.
It makes us wonder whether hinting that the father was present in HIMYF’s episode 1 was a good move, or not? On one level, it works — Curiosity keeps the cat hooked and all of that. But let me also tell you why it won’t be enough.
HIMYF Tries to Not Repeat HIMYM’s Mistake
One of the reasons How I Met Your Mother’s end was so controversial is because the first few episodes of the show depicted how fixated Ted was about his love for Robin.
Even though they eventually start seeing other people, it left fans expecting Robin to be the mother (especially because they reveal Tracy quite later in the series).
On the other hand, while HIMYM does show that Sophie thinks Ian could be “The One,” it keeps her options open by not making Sophie fall madly in love with any of the characters straight away.
Then it adds in a bait when Sophie hints that she met the father, “that night.” Immediately, we get four candidates to choose from — Ian, Jesse, Sid and Charles. It’s a fun puzzle to solve and even gives audiences the chance to pick their favorites instead of having only one end-game, as seen with Robin.
But, we also have to keep reminding ourselves that Sophie didn’t necessarily mean she met the father on-screen in episode one.
This point quickly becomes important in episode 3, when we meet Drew who has been teased as Sophie’s important love interest for season 1. Drew and Sophie later recollect that they both briefly met at Sid and Hannah’s engagement, a scene that takes place in episode 1’s timeline but was not previously revealed to us.
Now, this retroactive addition may leave a sour taste in some fans’ mouths, but it is fair play. In fact, Drew’s revelation not only prepares viewers to accept other prospective fathers, but also it is also a good loophole for the writers to use if the show goes on to have more seasons.
All of this being said, the mystery of the father is a good hook, but it can’t be the only plot that drives the show. With HIMYM, the audience resonated with the characters and spent countless hours guffawing to really well-written comedy.
As I said in the beginning, the show reviews are not exactly sparkling and its viewership is currently only banking on nostalgic value. (Also, what is up with the laugh track being injected every two seconds?!) It may have potential, but given streaming’s cutthroat attitude for renewals, it has very little time left to prove its worth.
If HIMYM wants to earn even an ounce of what made HIMYF legendary, it has to start tightening its act and delivering a truly engaging sitcom.
About How I Met Your Father
How I Met Your Father (HIMYF) is a spinoff series of the incredibly successful CBS show, How I Met Your Mother. The original show ran for nine seasons, from 2005 to 2014, quickly making its mark with a dedicated cult-like fanbase.
HIMYF was announced to start production in April 2021 with the Lizzy McGuire star Hilary Duff playing the lead called Sophie, narrating her journey to her children in the future.
The show’s flashbacks will start from Sophie and her close friends navigating love, life and struggles in the modern era of dating, paying bills and more, in 2021.
Created by writers Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger of This Is Us fame and directed by the original show’s director, Pamela Fryman, the first season of HIMYF is revealed to have 10 episodes. No further details have yet been released.
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