Sumith Prasad
In Hulu’s sitcom ‘How I Met Your Father,’ Ellen arrives in New York City to reconnect with her adoptive brother Jesse and deal with the divorce from her wife. Ellen tries his best to find love in the city like Sophie does and ends up encountering Rachel, who lives next door to her apartment. They form an endearing relationship together, putting an end to Ellen’s struggles to date after moving cities. Aby James’ character Rachel becomes an integral part of Ellen’s storyline in the series but her presence is extremely limited in the second season of the standalone sequel to ‘How I Met Your Mother.’ Does that mean the actress’ departure from the series is a possibility? Let’s find out! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Rachel’s Whereabouts: Absent in Season 2
The first season of the series ends with Ellen and Rachel planning to go on a date, which eventually paves the way for their relationship. Despite being in a relationship, Ellen doesn’t get to spend enough time with her girlfriend. In the fourth episode of the second season, Ellen joins a new company to open a new chapter of her life in New York City without the presence of Rachel. Even during Valentine’s Day, Rachel is not in New York City to spend the occasion with her girlfriend. Ellen orders an ice statue of Rachel as a gift to her girlfriend, only to come to know that the latter has left the city due to an emergency.
Although Rachel FaceTimes Ellen to not let the latter spend the day alone, her absence is noted by the ardent admirers of Ellen and the sitcom. Rachel is currently in Florida, taking care of her aunt, who broke her back. She has to cancel her and Ellen’s Valentine’s Day plans because of her aunt’s medical emergency. In the eighth episode of the season, Ellen expresses how she misses Rachel, who is still in Florida. Rachel’s absence has become a concern for the fans, especially since Aby James has only featured in two episodes out of the already-aired eight of season 2, excluding her virtual appearance in the seventh episode of the season. Is Aby’s limited appearance an indication of her potential departure from the series? Let’s see.
Aby James May Return to How I Met Your Father
As of yet, neither Hulu nor Aby James has released a statement concerning the actress’ departure from ‘How I Met Your Father.’ Although Aby hasn’t featured immensely in the second season of the series until now, Rachel can very well return to the narrative of the rest of the installment as a prominent part of the same. Aby is seemingly still an integral part of the show’s production and the actress was even present in the filming sets while lensing the seventh episode of the season despite only having a brief virtual appearance in the episode. Rachel may return to New York City, the prominent setting of the sitcom, from Florida soon.
If Aby is slated to leave the series, Rachel must have left New York City at least for a considerable while to set the stage for the actress’ supposed exit. Since it is evident that Rachel is in Florida only temporarily from Ellen’s words, we may not need to worry about Aby’s commitment to the show for now. Rachel’s departure to Florida might have been conceived to explore Ellen’s survival as an independent individual, confronting several challenges and obstacles, especially at her workplace.
Thus, Rachel may return to New York City sooner than later. We may see Aby featuring extensively in the rest of the second season of the sitcom as Rachel is expected to compensate Ellen for the time she was away. Rachel and Ellen may address how the former’s absence is affecting their relationship and they may work on it as well.
Read More: Did Leighton Meester’s Meredith Leave How I Met Your Father?
