How I Met Your Father ended season 2 with a double dose of episodes, all spanning a hurricane in New York City, the perfect backdrop for plenty of drama to ensue. 

Jesse threw everyone for a loop, particularly Sophie, by announcing that he was moving in with his new girlfriend Parker. They literally just started dating! 

Sophie began to spiral, and though she was adamant that she was going to be supportive of the relationship, she ended up making a fool of herself by accusing Parker of being a shady drug lord. She somehow got Sid to go along with it, and while their sleuthing team-up was fun to watch, their theory crashed and burned rather quickly when Parker explained that she moved to town to take care of her sick mother. 

Sid acknowledged that he was simply emotional about the idea of his longtime roommate moving out, but Sophie couldn’t bring herself to admit why she acted in such a crazy way, simply saying she wanted the best for her friend. 

Of course, the truth is that she’s completely in love with him, a fact that she admitted in the second-half of the episode once Drew, who professed his feelings for her only to get shut down, revealed that Jesse wrote a song about her. 

Sophie confronted him about being a “coward” and not honest with her about his feeling, but Jesse informed her that she was also denying her feelings for months, which made her just as much of a coward.

Their little spat was witnessed by everyone at Pemberton’s because there’s no privacy when you’re riding out a storm in a bar. 

Jesse decided to brave the storm and be with Parker, while Sophie locked herself in the closet and moped. 

Eventually, Valentina, who has been urging Sophie to be honest about her feelings decided to no longer sugarcoat it—Sophie was too afraid to go after the man of her dreams even though there was no obstacle—like him not wanting to have children—standing in their way.

Sophie declared that she was finally ready to go “get her drink,” clarifying that her drink is Jesse, but she didn’t have to go far as she stepped out into the storm and ran right into him. Turns out, he had a change of heart the moment he arrived at Parker’s as he realized he wasn’t over Sophie. The two of them then laid out their biggest fears—that they would break each other’s hearts, and though there’s no guarantee that they wouldn’t, they decided to take a leap of faith and shared an epic, sloppy, and wet kiss right there in the middle of the downpour. 

Finally, am I right? 

While things ended on a high note for Sophie and Jesse, the same cannot be said for Hannah and Sid, which is honestly unfortuante considering that they’ve kept them together all this time only to have them hit a rough path once they are finally living in the same city. 

All this time, Sid could’ve been single, and we could’ve seen witnesses his dating adventures. Instead, he was reduced to somewhat of a side character in the series, always teaming up for random storylines with the others because there was no way to utilize him while he was in a long distance marriage. We could’ve seen him explore his feelings for Taylor because they actually had a real spark!

Credit: Hulu/ HIMYF

Sid was willing to forgive Hannah’s kiss with Eli because he understood the toll that long distance takes on a relationship having experienced it himself, emotionally cheating with Taylor because he was craving connection. 

The thing that Sid couldn’t forgive is the fact that Hannah “ran away” from LA, blocking every single possible connection to Eli, which means that it wasn’t just a one-time thing. She defintiely had feelings for the guy, and she felt guilty that she acted on them, so she decided the only way to forget about him is to remove him from her life. It doesn’t exactly bode well for her relationship with Sid, nor does it speak to how strong they are as a couple.

At this point, I think it’s fair if they want to take a break and see where they stand without all the pressure of making a marriage work. 

It’s a shame because I liked Hannah and think she would’ve been a great addition to the group if she were present more often. 

And finally, in a shocking turn of events, Valentina and Drew hooked up in the closet—and it was steamy. Obviously, it wasn’t meant to last as this was the very definition of a one time thing, and though we didn’t get to see the aftermath or how it impacted Charlie, adult-Sophie informs her son that it if the hookup didn’t happen, Valentina and Charlie would’ve never had Alex. 

She then whips out—fittingly, from her bra—a photo of her besties as young adults with an adorable son. 

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It’s unclear if the series will get renewed for a third season, but if it does, I can’t wait to explore how Charlie came to the conclusion that he does, in fact, want children. I don’t think it has to do solely with his jealousy after she hooked up with Drew, but also the fact that Charlie was thankful that she helped him work through his childhood trauma. It started with helping him get over his fear of storms, but it was tied to his abandonment issues, which in turn, likely have a lot to do with his desire not to have children of his own. 

Charlie had a change of heart, and based on that photo, it was the right call as they truly are the picture-perfect family. 

For fans of How I Met Your Mother, there were plenty of callbacks to the original, including the inclement weather, the life-changing kiss, the major breakup, and even Sandy Rivers! 

It’s a formula that works—and creates just enough drama to keep fans wanting more. 

As for who the “father” is, well, I wouldn’t be so sure it’s going to end up being Jesse. Prior to the breakup, when Sid tells Hannah that he also had feelings for someone, she questions if it was Sophie, alluding to the fact that Sophie and Sid have chemistry that other people are picking up on. They are great partner in crime, but could they one day be partners in life? With Sid newly single, we can’t count anything out, and for that, I’m hopeful for another season. 

HIMYF might never be HIMYM, but it’s a fun-watch with the cast finding a firmer footing and the jokes landing better than they did in season one, even if its still a bit cheesy. 

In the words of Hilary Duff’s Lizzie McGuire—this is what dreams are made of. 

Naturally, I’m referring to the How I Met Your Father episode guest-starring 40% of NSYNC (and thank you so much to the sitcom writers for doing that math for me1), Lance Bass and Joey Fatone. 

HIMYF Season 2 Episode 17 was peak millennial as it gave fans a punch of nostalgia while brilliantly summing up our generations existance: addicted to our cell phones and desperate to relive the ’90s. 

Sophie and co. decided that they were going to try their best to have a no phones, no screens, no internet day, which, as you can imagine, was pretty tough for the people who rely solely on their cellular devices, compulsively checking it even when nothing is going on. 

Sophie and Valentina did find the light at the end of the rainbow when they eventually realized that it allowed them to reconnect by opening up to each other. When you don’t have a screen in front of you 24/7, you can start getting in touch with your inner self—feelings, thoughts, and emotions. It’s scary but also pretty liberating. But mostly scary. 

Without the ability to use a phone, they also explored some fine establishments like the bank—where they ran into NSYNC—and the library—in hopes of figuring out where the bologna factory is located. 

Eventually, they were able to pinpoint it with Sid’s help (an NSYNC super fan who once wore the exact replica of Justin Timberlake’s iconic denim outfit), though there was sadly—for them and for fans–no signs of Lance or Joey anywhere. 

Instead, they stumbled upon NSYNC lookalikes and simply figured the cellphone/internet detox got the best of them. Why didn’t they stick around and wait and see?! They were out of sync with NSYNC. What a shame.

It was only when they finally got their devices back at midnight that they saw Lance and Joey’s IG Story that revealed the guys were waiting around for them and even got “hall passes.”

Sid may have been a mere a sidekick but even with those few and far in between moments, each and every single one was comedic gold. And I loved how self-sufficient he was without his phone, and he didn’t cave even when they were begging him for it.

The night wasn’t a total dud, however, as Sophie ran into Ian and proceeded to meet his new girlfriend, Kiana. While it likely wasn’t the encounter Sophie was hoping to have, it is the closure that she needed to move on and put him in the rearview. And unless Ian and Kiana break up and his path crosses Sophie’s again, it does cross him off the potential father’s list. He’s popped in so many times that I’m almost ready for him not to return… at least for awhile.

It just wasn’t meant to be, though I know that’s not much of a consolation when you feel as though every single one of your exes is moving on while you just stay in one place. 

Jesse’s name was added to the list as he had a rather successful first date with Parker, all hiccups aside. Jesse was so nervous about his date, and he wanted to impress the gym teacher so badly, that he forgot his wallet when he gave up his phone. He then spent the rest of the time ordering everything off the menu to come off as generous before coming clean. Parker ended up handling it like a pro, however. She wasn’t scared off, instead calling the waiter over and pointing out a rather large hair in her meal, resulting in a comped menu on the house. And that’s how it’s done. 

I’ve been holding out hope for Sophie and Jesse, but I can’t lie—I love how spunky Parker is. I don’t know if they’re soulmates, but I do think she could balance him out and compliment his awkward nature. 

Charlie and Ellen spent the day together, with the former trying to help the latter get over her ex, Rachel, with an at-home spa day. Ellen went rogue, escaping through the fire escape in hopes of getting her phone so she could check up on her former flame. In the process, she created a rather massive gas leak, and since Charlie was in a sensory deprivation, he didn’t hear the emergency crews clearing the building. 

That’s when Ellen went full-hero mode—all the adrenaline just kicked in—as she went to save her best friend. It was a cute moment, and she looked totally badass carrying him out of that building, even if it didn’t add much to the storyline. They are one of the best team-up that continously provide so many laughs. 

While NSYNC was definitely a welcome surprise guest, the episode felt more like filler, which isn’t overly problematic because it makes sense for a show like HIMYF that doesn’t take itself too seriously and can capitalize on the lighthearted nature of storylines. And staring down a finale just a few episodes away, it honed in on Sophie coming to the realization that she needs to be an active participant in her life rather than a bystander. Will she pursue Jessie? Will she tell him to the truth before it’s too late?

And I still can’t get over Charlie and Val not being soulmates, but if neither of them will have a change of heart, they need to move on. The same goes for Sid and Hannah—either she moves to NYC or they break up because the long-distance relationship, which is understandably hard, doesn’t do Sid’s character any favors and hinders him when it comes to fun plots. 

In fact, when it comes down to it, we’re at the point where all of the characters need to hit refresh, including Ellen. She had to mourn Rachel, but she’s in the past, so lets leave her there. 

It’s also necessary to shoutout some of the fantastic and subtle callbacks like Goliath National Bank (HIMYM) and Robert McGuire (Lizzie McGuire)! And the cherry on top was that seamless inclusion of Bye, Bye, Bye. 

But before I head off to go listen to No Strings Attached, the album, what did you think? Do you want Sophie and Val to get it together or is that the whole point—to keep stumbling around until you finally land where you’re meant to be? And was this just the calm before the storm, or, the jam packed season finale?

How I Met Your Father Season 2 Episode 16 made some moves when it came to relationships—though most of them ended in heartbreak. 

The series has been playing around with partnering the core cast up in unexpected ways, and this time, we saw Sid, Ellen and Sophie make the trek to New Jersey for a stakeout as they followed Rachel, who was acting shady and kept her plans of going to a “work thing” rather vague, raising cheating suspicions. 

Those suspicions were seemingly confirmed when Ellen saw Rachel meeting up with another woman at an apartment complex, though additional sleuthing revealed that she was actually looking to lease an apartment.

Rachel caught Sid and Ellen snooping around the apartment red-handed, which was definitely awkward and as bad as it looked, though the moment lent itself to a fairly honest conversation between the partners, and honestly, it’s better that it happened now. 

Rachel’s explanation for wanting to look for another apartment was to put a “barrier” between her and Ellen as she “needed some space.” That’s not something you want to hear from your significant other, nor is it an indication that the relationship is going in the right direction. 

Usually, couples who want to stay together dream about moving in together, and yet Rachel wanted to get further away from Ellen—a whole town over, in fact, so it was a clear sign that their relationship had hit a natural end. 

HIMYF may not take itself too seriously, but it was nice that they really took advantage of this moment, allowing Ellen to be unapologetically and confidently herself. Take it or leave it mentally is really something everyone should adopt in a relationship. She knows what she deserves and if Rachel wasn’t there for all of it, they couldn’t be together. It’s hard in the moment, but necessary in the long run to simply walk away from someone who wants you to make yourself smaller so they can feel comfortable. We love Ellen for all of her quirks, and Rachel simply didn’t appreciate it enough. 

Sid was there for Ellen from beginning to end, while ditzy (I know she has her blonde moments, but she was far out in this episode. Did she eat an edible or something?) Sophie took off to follow Jesse, who was conveniently also in Jersey with some “big plans.” At first, I thought he was potentially meeting Rachel to plan some kind of proposal for Ellen, but it turned out that Jesse was going to an open mic at a nearby dive bar to vent his frustrations about his colleagues. 

It was as cringe-worthy as it sounds—even Sophie had to look away—but it gave her insight as to why his colleague straight up hated him and chose not to invite him to Melanie’s birthday. Melanie was at the bar previously and heard him basically trash-talk them all in front of an audience (like comparing one of them to Ann Dowd), which gave her the impression that he was an asshole. Sophie ended up mediating the situation by allowing the colleagues (who are honestly just adult bullies and likely don’t deserve his friendship) to roast Jessie in return, and that seemed to do the trick, though Melanie made sure to inform Sophie that she wasn’t allowed to stick around after cheating on Drew with Jessie and then dumping him as well. Seriously, Melanie sucks.

As Sophie made her way out of the bar, she noticed that a female colleague struck up a flirty convo with Jessie, and it definitely seemed as though her feelings for him were bubbling up to the surface again. The sitcom’s half-hour episode format is an easy-breezy watch, which is great, but it also means so many storylines get tabled until much later, including her romantic feelings for Jessie and her new relationship with her biological dad. 

One of the storylines that did make a comeback was the possibility of Val and Charlie getting back together. I didn’t know how much I missed them as a couple until they teamed up again and rekindled that spark. They are electric together.

Charlie picked up Val for a reservation at a fancy restaurant run by a child chef winner from a cooking competition. Val hesitated to go on the dinner date since she figured that all the romantic vibes would lead to sex, though she eventually decided to give it a shot with the two promising to be on their best behavior and keep their hands off of each other. 

And it was a lot harder than they anticipated as the restaurant was uber romantic—I’m talking Lady and the Tramp one strand of spaghetti-romantic—which meant they had to call it a night super early as sexual tensions picked up.

On their way out, they spotted the young chef crying in a corner after a girl broke his heart, and Charlie saved the day by giving him a little pep talk, which made Val fall even harder for him. She saw him in a new light as someone who would one day make a wonderful and loving dad. Unfortunately, the reason for their breakup hadn’t changed despite the situation—Val wanted kids in the future and Charlie didn’t. While it would’ve been easy for the show to simply ignore this realization for the time being and give people what they want, it took the mature route as they both realized that there was no point in getting invested if they aren’t on the same page. They are both valid in their feelings, and if neither of them is going to change of heart, they need to move on and find happiness. I’m rooting for those crazy kids, but I’ll also accept them as just friends who support each other wholeheartedly. 

And at this moment, it becomes clear that much like in HIMYM, the strength of the series is the group’s friendships with one another.