'How I Met Your Father' Episode 9 Review: Complicated aftermath of Sophie and Jesse's kiss
Safe to say, we won't be knowing who the father is even after the end of 'How I Met Your Father' Episode 9. The Hulu dramedy kicks off a two-parter that concludes with the season finale next week. Jesse (Chris Lowell) and Sophie (Hilary Duff) finally kiss, but the aftermath is a complicated, and heartening affair. The good news: Sophie breaks up with Drew (Josh Peck) after she realizes she's in love with Jesse, but the latter was last seen trying to decide whether to help his ex-girlfriend Meredith with her upcoming concert.
What makes 'HIMYF' good is relatability. From complicated relationships between Sophie, Jesse, and Drew, Hannah and Sid's testing long-distance love story, and Charlie's homesickness, it's all simple, yet heartwarming moments that saw the show gain a sizeable audience over the last few weeks. Episode 9 predominantly focuses on the question of who the father is and while it doesn't hint if it is Jesse, the picture she clicks in the previous episode suggests he is the man who she married.
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The episode ends with Sophie waiting in the restaurant for him to show up and switches to the present-day version of the character (Kim Cattrall), calling it a day even as her son asks if Jesse was indeed the father. God forbid that something happens to Jesse as he heads to meet her for their date. Apart from a mishap, there's no reason to believe that Jesse would actually agree to Meredith's offer. His feelings about Sophie were out for the world to know and only time will tell if they indeed married each other.
In a way, 'HIMYF' tries to induce a shock factor with Jesse's absence making us feel worried and exasperated at the same time. But with a good 20 episodes in the offing, there's almost definitely a twist or two in the tale that suggests there might be a Jesse-Sophie love story delay. The other storyline is all about having a strong bond. Sid and Hannah will have to manage with another year of long-distance, while Charlie and Valentina grow closer by the episode. The two are the most-liked characters of the show and it is a great arc as far their future together goes.
Impressively, 'HIMYF' leans more towards being a love drama rather than a forceful comedy. It's a huge step to change the pattern that they have followed, but a simple love story works in favor of the show, considering the times we're in. We won't be surprised if Season 2 follows the same template.
'HIMYF' drops a new episode every Tuesday on Hulu.