Created by Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, How I Met Your Father is the standalone sequel to the iconic show from the early 2000s that fans love- How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM). We meet the new gang living their lives just like Ted and crew in New York City. The new faces include Hilary Duff, Christopher Lowell, Francia Raisa, Suraj Sharma, Tom Ainsley, Tien Tran, and Kim Cattrall. The first two episodes of the show have already premiered, each with a runtime of 20 to 25 minutes.
– How I Met Your Father review does not contain spoilers –
How I Met Father Review: ‘Pilot’ and ‘FOMO’
Trying to revive the golden age of sitcoms, How I Met Your Father starts just the way HIMYM started, only this time instead of Ted, our protagonist is Sophie- the older version narrating the story is played by Kim Cattrall, whereas the younger version is our very own Lizzie McGuire star, Hilary Duff. However, as sweetly as we can recall the story being narrated in the older version, the latest one has all the modern touch with a lack of intimacy.
We meet Sophie, tired with her Tinder dates in the modern world and when she thinks she has met the one- it isn’t exactly the way we would want it to go. Very Ted-like, ain’t it? But, Soph is not alone in the journey as she is joined by Jesse and Sid (whom she literally met during an Uber ride), Valentina (her roommate), Charlie (Valentina’s over-the-top English boyfriend) and Ellen (Jesse’s sister). As oddly as our central protagonists for the show meet, it isn’t long before we see them becoming friends, be it forced or drunk.
Of course, as Sophie is our new-age Ted there is a constant fiddle with love. Valentine and Charlie are sweet but, incorrigible. Jesse is another Ted in our story, and you can already imagine he has set an imaginary life with one of our ladies in his head. Then, there is Sid, who plays a mix of Barney and Marshall, but, really does not stand out in the crowd and, Ellen who seems just an add on for the representation of the LGBTQ+ community as this is a 21st CE show.
Also Read: The Lost Symbol Season 2: Will the Robert Langdon Thriller Get Renewed?
A lot happens in How I Met Your Father episode 1 titled ‘pilot’ and, a lot of things try to happen in the second episode titled ‘FOMO’. Yet there is something hugely amiss in the show. It is very much self-aware but, not enough to engage you. The first two episodes are surely hurried and, it lacks the mystery and anticipation of the yellow umbrella from HIMYM.
How I Met Father Review: Final Thoughts
A comparison scale is set between the two shows starting from the name and, the fact that it is a sequel to the apartment from the original show. However, based on the first two episodes we cannot say it is doing a good job of standing out. The external laughter of the audience is very 90s and, it does not really work when the jokes are unfunny. But, you can see the show is trying to give us its own definition of nostalgia and, hopefully, the future episodes will have something more interesting and engaging to offer.
You can watch the first two episodes of How I Met Your Father on Hulu. Each episode will get a weekly release and will arrive on Hulu on Tuesdays and, on Disney+ Hotstar on Wednesdays.
Also Read: Andrew Garfield Lied to Emma Stone About Spider-Man: No Way Home, Read to Know Her Reaction