Sumith Prasad
The second season of Hulu’s sitcom ‘How I Met Your Father’ begins with the aftermath of Sophie’s meeting with Ian. In the first episode, titled ‘Cool and Chill,’ she considers dating him, whose Australian trip has ended. While Sid and Hannah celebrate their marriage with a party, Sophie struggles to deal with Ian and her two ex-boyfriends. The predicament makes her evaluate her relationship pattern, which leads to a significant decision she makes. The intriguing episode ends with a starting conversation between Sophie and her mother Lori, which leads her to an astounding encounter with a beloved character. If you are eager to know more about the same, let us be your ally! SPOILERS AHEAD.
How I Met Your Father Season 2 Episode 1 Recap
‘Cool and Chill’ begins with Ian asking Sophie whether she is romantically involved with anyone. Since Jesse has made out with Meredith shortly after separating from Sophie, she ignores her feelings for him and tells Ian that she is single. He asks her out and they prepare to spend the night together. Sid and Hannah recall their uneventful wedding, which motivates the former to throw a wedding party for their friends. Jesse arrives at the bar and offers his congratulations to his best friend but gets astounded seeing Ian back with Sophie. Valentina and Charlie let Sid, Hannah, and Ellen know that they aren’t together anymore.
Jesse continues to stare at Ian, making the latter, who is unaware of the former’s relationship with his date, uncomfortable. While Sophie asks Jesse to stop staring, she meets Drew, drunk and drugged. She learns that Drew was badly affected by their breakup. Ian meets Drew, who tells the former that he is Sophie’s ex-boyfriend. Jesse lets Ellen know that he is going on a tour with Meredith. She brings up her abandonment issues and confronts her adoptive brother about the same. She regains her composure when she learns that Jesse will be gone only for a month.
Ian, Jesse, and Drew try to talk to Sophie simultaneously, leaving her worried. To stop her past and present romantic interests from having a conversation, she sings to celebrate Sid and Hannah’s wedding. Charlie and Valentina try to resist their attraction towards each other, only to end up having sex. They accidentally screen their sex tape, which is included in the slideshow they make with Sid and Hannah’s photographs.
How I Met Your Father Season 2 Episode 1 Ending: Who is Sophie’s Dad?
The first episode of the second season ends with a flashforward in which Sophie tells her mother Lori that she thinks she is dating her dad. Since she is having a heated conversation while driving, she doesn’t drive properly, only to crash her car into Barney Stinson’s. Although the fans of the show and its parent series have been theorizing that Barney can be Sophie’s father, it may not be the case. In ‘How I Met Your Mother,’ although Barney is someone who has been with numerous partners, he lost his virginity only at the age of 23. Considering Sophie’s age, she was born in the year Barney turned 17, which rules him out as her father.
Since Lori had several partners that lasted only a few days, it is unlikely that even Sophie knows who her father is. Her revelation that she thinks she is dating her father can be an assumption she makes based on the age and familiarity of her unrevealed date. The particular date Sophie mentions to Lori can be John Corbett’s unrevealed character. Whoever it is, Barney may turn out to be a temporary support system for Sophie. Like Sophie, Barney also considerably searches for his estranged father in ‘How I Met Your Mother.’ He was abandoned by his father when he was a child and the same has caused problems in his relationships. Barney’s obsession with casual dates and one-night stands is caused by the abandonment issues that started affecting him due to his father’s absence.
Sophie isn’t in a different position. She has been with three men within a period of forty-eight hours, making her a strong competitor to Barney. As someone who has been in her shoes, Barney may help her separate her abandonment issues from her commitment, which may lead her to “the One.”
Why Don’t Sophie and Ian Get Together?
When Sophie and Ian first meet and get closer, she considers the possibility of him being her true love. Her dreams concerning the same get shattered when Ian leaves for Australia. He returns to her life at the worst possible time. When Ian returns, Sophie really wants to give him a chance. But she knows she cannot date a third man within fourth-eight hours. She wants to find her true love without hasty decisions and making the same mistakes again and again. After breaking up with Drew and Jesse, Sophie needs some time off from dating to get better clarity about her relationship patterns, her sabotaging methods, and her obsession with uncertainties.
When Sophie tells Ian that she cannot be with him, she makes it clear that her decision doesn’t reflect how she sees him. She even lets him know that they may get together in the future but only once she has a better grasp of her life and emotions. In addition, her love for Jesse hasn’t faded away. In Jesse, Sophie has found a man who will go to any lengths to be with her and their breakup happened only hours ago for her to deal with her feelings for Jesse to make space for Ian in her heart. Thus, Sophie’s decision to not be with Ian is influenced by her circumstances and they may even get together in the future once she takes control of her emotions and decisions.
