How I Met Your Father Review: HIMYM Fans Should Prepare to Be Disappointed

Please note this review contains minor spoilers for How I Met Your Father Season 1 Episodes 1 and 2.

When I tell you that I really, really wanted to love How I Met Your Father, I mean it. As a fan of the original series, I was excited to see a modern, gender-reversed take on a beloved, very funny comedy series.

But How I Met Your Father, at least based on the first four episodes I’ve seen, doesn’t hold a candle to the charm and wit that was How I Met Your Mother. It doesn’t even come close. And that’s a shame.

The new version stars Hilary Duff as Sophie, a photographer who is best friends with Valentina, played by Francia Raisa. After a chance meeting in an Uber, they become friends with Jesse (Chris Lowell) and Sid (Suraj Sharma). A new group of friends is then formed, rounded out by Jesse’s sister Ellen (Tien Tran) and Valentina’s new boyfriend Charlie (Tom Ainsley). 

Now, How I Met Your Father isn’t trying to be the exact same show it was inspired by, and it’s barely connected to it — except for one key thing that, quite frankly, feels a little like a stretch given the timing.

It’s revealed at the end of the first episode that these two shows are connected by the fact that Sid and Jesse are living in the apartment that Ted, Marshall, and Lily once lived in. They even left the swords!

This moment is a highlight of the first episode. That big reveal is really emotional, and there’s something magical and sweet about getting to see that apartment again. Plus, we’re reminded of Lily and Marshall specifically when we’re told they got the apartment from an old married couple.

However, this should also mean that Sid and Jesse have been living there for a while. As of now, that seems perfectly plausible, though like I said, it also feels like a bit of a stretch. Still, I’ll take it.

That connection is a nice tribute to the original series, and it makes sense that a reboot/sequel series could come from that alone.

Of course, there’s also the premise, which is the long story a parent tells to their children/child about how they met their other parent. The way that’s done on How I Met Your Father is fun and interesting at first, but it gets old quick.

This time, we watch the mother tell the story. We only hear the voice of her son, who she’s talking to virtually because she’s now telling the story during the year 2050.

Kim Cattrall is captivating as the older version of Sophie. But as the narration moves forward, the scenes of her telling her story while drinking wine feel pretty unnecessary, and her interjections, which should be funny, don’t add much either.  

The theme song from the original also remains intact, though updated, as does the vibe in the opening credits. But that’s about as far as it goes.

Despite knowing the differences between the shows, you’d expect the vibe to match the original. You’d expect it to be as upbeat, endearing, and laugh-out-loud funny as its predecessor. But instead, it just falls extraordinarily flat.

It’s Sophie who is setting out to find love on How I Met Your Father, and she’s hopeful that the right person will come along. What’s interesting about How I Met Your Father is the way it shows modern dating. Everything revolves around technology, and poor Sophie has been on a slew of bad Tinder dates. 

But where Ted Mosby was hopeful and just a little naive, it feels like Sophie is really just a little sad. It’s a more melancholy story for her somehow, and that makes it a lot less fun to watch. 

Then, when the series tries to be funny, it barely manages. The jokes are either cringe-worthy (Sophie’s bit about her phone needing to be fed, for instance) or they just fall flat. On top of that, the laugh track seems like it’s trying way too hard — so much so that it distracts from the storytelling. 

It’s as though How I Met Your Father wants to be like its predecessor in some ways, but it doesn’t quite know how to. I can’t help but wonder if this story wouldn’t work better with an entirely different approach.

New friend (and possible love interest) Jesse has also had bad luck when it comes to finding love. He’s perhaps the most endearing character on the new series, and his #proposalfail viral video is a unique 2022 story. Those kinds of details give How I Met Your Father a little more promise, as does this will they/won’t they that’s being set up between him and Sophie.

Jesse’s relationship with his adopted sister also has potential for interesting storytelling, which we start to see in these first few episodes.

I also really enjoy Sid so far. His character is funny and full of life as he navigates a long-distance relationship with his new fiancé (who he proposed to on the first episode, another parallel to HIMYM).  

All of these characters have interesting details and could be really enjoyable, but the chemistry of the group is lacking, and too many of the interactions feel forced. 

The mystery of who the father actually is is a key element of this story, of course. And we’re told Sophie met him that first night. It could really be any of these men, or it could be someone we just haven’t seen yet. 

The catch is whether or not we want to stick around to find the answer. Like with the original, it’s clear that the journey is more important here than the answer to that question. The story of their friendships is what should keep it going, and How I Met Your Father does have potential.

Between the look at modern dating and the unique new group of friends, it’s probably worth seeing if the show will find its footing a little better with the next few episodes. At the very least, it could be fun to continue to look for callbacks to the original series.

But so far, How I Met Your Father just isn’t living up to the original series, and it’s hard to imagine that it will be able to based on its first few episodes. 

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What did you think of the first episodes of How I Met Your Father? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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How I Met Your Father airs Tuesdays on Hulu.

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