How I Met Your Father is a playful spin-off of How I Met Your Mother, and one of the best shows on Hulu right now. The sitcom hasn’t yet garnered the same positive response as the original. But the formulaic set-up and the modern-day Gen-Z setting make it an interesting watch for both fans of the original and an entirely new audience.
The characters are all funny in their own way, though some come across more as caricatures than they do believable people. Nonetheless, the main characters stand out as likable for different reasons.
7. Sophie (Future)
Kim Cattrall is always exciting on screen, and while she only appears sparingly in each episode as she tells her adult son the story of how she met his father, hers are always stand-out scenes. The future Sophie is so blatantly self-absorbed, she leaves her son hanging while she cooks up a plate of pasta and takes a quick nap. She reminisces about her young love life, recalling even the most inappropriate stories. But she also confesses her mistakes, like being a huge liar when she was young. All the while, future Sophie is unperturbed by the fact that her son just wants to get to the end of the story and hang up the call.
Imagining this character as the older version of Sophie makes seeing the younger Sophie more interesting. Even after all her mistakes and navigating adulthood, Sophie really hasn’t changed much. But we love her for it.
6. Ellen
Ellen is a lot to take in. She’s overly animated, expressive, and dramatic. But there’s also something endearing about her zest for life juxtaposed by her worry about the future and how to move forward into adulting. Actor Tien Tran only has so much to work with for the character but plays Jesse’s quirky adoptive sister well.
As the only main LGBTQ representative on the show, fans love watching Ellen’s pursuit of finding “the one” just as much as they do Sophie’s complicated love life. Ellen’s ability to fit right in with the group once arriving in New York is proof that she’s inherently likeable. When the others are in the mood, her ability to be the constant life of the party and her pick-me-up personality is refreshing.
5. Charlie
Every show needs comic relief, and while Charlie (Tom Ainsley) doesn’t quite hold a candle to Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) from the original, the character he’s clearly designed to emulate, he’s still a breath of fresh air in every scene. His fascination with American culture, hilarious one-liners, and desperate attempts to “fit in” with the middle-class folks all make his fish-out-of-water story fun to watch.
If the show were to explore a deeper storyline beyond Charlie’s on-again, off-again relationship with Valentina (Francia Raisa), Charlie could become less of a caricature and more of a central character with layers and substance beyond the humor.
4. Valentina
While Sophie is desperate to get her life together, Valentina is happier to go with the flow. Even though she does have aspirations for the future, she’s determined not to dwell. Instead, she’s going to focus on enjoying life while she’s young. She’s confident she’ll reach the level she wants to at some point, and obsessing over it won’t consume her. Valentina is the voice of reason for Sophie in many cases. Not to mention that whenever Sophie is up to new antics or getting into more trouble, Valentina is there to help.
She’s the type of best friend anyone would want to have, and the character fans most want to know about in the future. Valentina is the type of character fans root for, hoping she gets everything she deserves in life because of how much she gives as well.
3. Sid
Questions about how Sid (Suraj Sharma) manages to keep things afloat with a flailing bar aside, from a personal perspective, the character is the right mix of funny, sweet, kind, and corny. Sid is madly in love with his fiancé turned wife, yet fans can’t shake the feeling that he could be the secret father on the show. He and Hannah are moving in different directions in life, which could suggest the marriage doesn’t last. Even if that’s the case, Sid’s honest nature and willingness to show vulnerability make him a good man.
Sid is the kind of character who is always there for his friends, too. While he struggles to make difficult decisions, from deciding on a wedding venue to telling Jesse the truth about Meredith, he never shies away from a challenge. His methods of arriving at a solution are often roundabout and confusing, but he always ends up doing the right thing.
2. Jesse
Jesse (Christopher Lowell) is the most level-headed character on the show. Dealing with a breakup, lacking confidence in himself in both his career and with women, and trying to find his right path is something every Gen-Zer has dealt with. Jesse is also charming, sweet, and arguably the most relatable character on the show.
A case in point is when he jumps right back into things with his ex despite every sign pointing to the fact that she’s not worth it. Everyone has a friend like Jesse who deserves so much better than he gets but needs to realize he deserves it before it happens.
1. Sophie (Present Day)
She’s overly dramatic, struggling in her career, confused with her love life, and seemingly unable to commit to anyone or anything. Yet she wants the world. This makes Sophie, played by Hilary Duff, seem largely unlikeable. But it’s the realness, including her consistent stream of bad decisions, that viewers appreciate.
Based on the future flash-forwards, Sophie eventually gets it together enough to get married, have a child, and see her career take off. But the journey to get there and the conflicts she faces along the way are what make Sophie so likable. It’s honest, raw, and even, at times, ridiculous. The young Sophie is a self-professed hopeless and hapless mess. But she’s also totally relatable to anyone who still hasn’t quite figured their life out yet and continues to make mistakes as they try.
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