Caution: Spoilers Ahead for How I Met Your Father's season 1 finale.
How I Met Your Father season 1 concludes with plenty of exciting twists that leave viewers curious for more. Hulu’s series begins approximately 8 years after HIMYM’s finale timeline, following a new group of New Yorkers in their 20s and 30s as they navigate dating and friendships. Like Ted in the original series, How I Met Your Father’s premise is based on Sophie (Hilary Duff) telling her son the story of how she met his father. While How I Met Your Father has given clues to his identity, season 1 ends without revealing the title dad.
HIMYF's 10-episode season ends with twists for a few significant relationships. After Sophie’s fear took over from Jesse saying he loved her, Sophie went down to MacLaren’s Pub and met a familiar figure – How I Met Your Mother’s Robin Scherbatsky. Robin explains that Sophie shouldn’t let fear get in the way of her romance with Jesse, but when Sophie goes to his apartment, he’s already reconciled with his ex-girlfriend Meredith. Meanwhile, Charlie and Valentina have broken up due to their differing views on having children, while Sid and Hannah have wed at city hall. Ellen also has a new job and date, with How I Met Your Father season 1 concluding as Ian, Sophie's Tinder date from the series premiere, returns from Australia.
While How I Met Your Father’s creators were secretive about whether HIMYM characters would cameo, episodes 9 and 10 saw the returns of three figures: The Captian, Becky, and main character Robin Scherbatsky. As such, How I Met Your Father has officially sealed its connection to HIMYM’s story, while also setting up future appearances from past characters. With the identity of the father still unclear, How I Met Your Father season 2 still has many questions to answer about Sophie’s love story – here’s everything we know so far.
Hulu officially renewed How I Met Your Father for season 2 on February 15, 2022, the same date that season 1, episode 6 premiered. How I Met Your Father season 2 will be upgraded to a more standard 20-episode treatment, which better aligns with the original show's formula. Hulu’s standalone HIMYM sequel receiving a supersized season 2 will thankfully give the sitcom more ample time to explore Sophie’s story, as HIMYF season 1's 10 episodes limited the scope of Sophie's story.
Hilary Duff will inevitably return as How I Met Your Father season 2’s present-day Sophie, with Kim Cattrall likewise reprising her role as 2050’s Future Sophie. While unconfirmed, How I Met Your Father’s season 2 cast is also apt to bring back main actors like Chris Lowell as Jesse, Francia Raisa as Valentina, Tien Tran as Ellen, Tom Ainsley as Charlie, and Suraj Sharma as Sid. Daniel Augustin’s Ian, Ashley Reyes’ Hannah, and Leighton Meester’s Meredith are assumed to return as the main characters’ romantic interests. It’s unlikely that Josh Peck’s Drew will return after his breakup with Sophie, but How I Met Your Father season 2 could still revive Cobie Smulders’ Robin Scherbatsky, Kyle MacLachlan’s The Captain, Laura Bell Bundy’s Becky, and so-far-unseen HIMYM characters for cameos.
Season 1’s finale primarily sets up Ian and Sophie to date during How I Met Your Father season 2. With Charlie and Valentina broken up, the pair will have to learn to be amicable friends as the gang explores their future storylines. Jesse is also going on tour with Meredith, but it’s unlikely their romance will last again. Although Hannah and Sid are now married, their long-distance relationship will likely still cause problems in How I Met Your Father season 2.
How I Met Your Father season 1 debuted on January 17, 2022 after being ordered by Hulu in April 2021, which helps give an estimate for season 2. While it has twice the number of episodes, How I Met Your Father’s season 2 release date can be predicted for late 2022 or early 2023. Until then, viewers can continue speculating the dad's identity in How I Met Your Father's future.
