A two-part finale is just what How I Met Your Father needs. Are we going to learn anything new about the father of Sophie’s son? Probably not.
Episode 19: Shady Parker
Sophie (Kim Cattrall) tells her son that life is not always blue skies and sunshine. Sometimes life can be stormy. Though her son thinks she is referencing some difficult time with her friends, Sophie is talking about Hurricane Marcy and the destruction it caused.
At Pemberton’s Bar, Val, Ellen, Sophie, Sid, and Charlie, (Francia Raisa, Tien Tran, Hilary Duff, Suraj Sharma, and Tom Ainsley) watch as weatherman Sandy Rivers (Alexis Denisof) describes the destruction of the upcoming storm. Sid is worried about how long the storm will last because Hannah (Ashley Reyes) could potentially be flying through the storm.
Jesse (Christopher Lowell) comes into the bar with Parker (Meaghan Rath) excited because they are going to move in together. While his friends are supportive, they question how fast the couple is moving by living together. Sophie is trying to be supportive but sounds weird in her congratulations.
Val takes Sophie aside and asks her what’s wrong. Sophie admits that she is still interested in Jesse. Telling her to tell Jesse how she feels, Sophie says no and that she will support his relationship in a positive way. Trying to find the lyrics to a song Jesse wrote for Sophie, Val is puzzled at their disappearance.
Back at Sid’s apartment, Ellen talks about how silly the weather announcement is. Jesse invited everyone to a party that turns out to be a surprise help him pack party. Sophie is trying to be supportive and nice and soon learns that Parker left her last job mid school year and won’t explain why.
Sophie is suspicious, and she brings Sid into her web of wonders about Parker. Wielding a web of weird conspiracies, Sophie and Sid are searching for more evidence about Parker. Val spends her time looking for the lost lyrics, and corners Ellen and Charlie in the bathroom about the lost lyrics.
Distracting Parker with an arm-wrestling contest, Sid searches through her purse. Jesse is left wondering what is happening. Alone in the bedroom, Sid informs Sophie that he found prescription medication with someone else’s name in Parker’s purse. Sid believes that Parker is a drug lord, and while Sophie thinks there is enough evidence to bring to Jesse, Sid wants more proof.
Inviting Drew (Josh Peck) to the packing party, they hope to learn more about Parker, since he hired her. Cornering him in the kitchen, Drew thinks Parker is awesome. Sophie asks about Parker’s history and learns the name of Parker’s last school.
Ellen returns with the home haircut book, but this is not what Val wants. A flashback of Ellen trying to give herself a haircut is next, but Val wonders what’s the big deal, and Ellen reveals that she has been wearing a wig since then.
Calling Parker’s former school Sophie learns that the principal doesn’t recognize the name. Both Sophie and Jesse accuse Parker of being a con artist to Jesse and believe she is going to take advantage of Jesse. Parker explains why she has the pills and Sophie and Sid look ridiculous.
Sophie apologizes and says that she wants what’s best for Jesse. Parker accepts and then leaves to drop off her mom’s pills. Trying to apologize to Jesse, Sophie asks for a box to start packing, but he is angry and tells her that what she did is not what a friend does. The episode ends with the power going out in the storm.
Episode 20: Okay Fine, It’s a Hurricane
Sophie describes how Hurricane Marcy was raging with the power out all over the city. Her friends all head to the bar, which doesn’t shock her son. That’s the only place they ever go.
Sid, Ellen, Val, Sophie, Charlie, and Jesse are given some light from the bar’s generator. The generator dies and the friends mock Sid for buying the generator on facebook marketplace.
Val asks Sophie if she wants tough or fluff, to which Val is obliged to fluff up Sophie by stating that Jesse needs to get over the fact that Sophie accused his girlfriend of being a drug dealer. Looking for a drink, Drew happens to have one ready, which Sophie downs quickly and they make more.
Finding Charlie in the corner, trying to reassure himself about the storm, Val joins him to help him through the storm. Telling him that storms don’t have to be scary, Val tells Charlie that a storm can be a big slumber party.
Sid is surprised to see Hannah (Ashley Reyes) come through the door. Having caught the last flight out before everything was cancelled, Sid is very happy. Jesse plans to go check on Parker but sees that the storm is impossible to navigate. Ellen is at the bar when she sees a disturbing text show up on her phone from Hannah. It’s addressed to Eli and states that he is not to contact her again because it was a one-time thing. Drew is seeking some advice, but Ellen is too distracted to listen and follows Hannah to the bathroom.
Unable to lie about the text, Hannah tells Ellen that after a work event last night, Hannah explains that she kissed Eli and doesn’t want to tell Sid. The confrontation ends with Ellen agreeing not to tell anyone.
Ellen is trying to tell Sid about Hannah but uses the neighborhood cleaners as an allegory. (This is a funny moment.) Ultimately Sid explains that he would want to know. This leads Ellen to tell Hannah that she needs to tell Sid or else she will.
Sophie has had a few drinks and at the bar with Drew, she plans to make the next round of beverages. (Her skills with vodka are incredible.) Having a great night, Drew tells Sophie that he feels like there is something between them. (Drew is really reading the wrong messages.) Telling him that she is not into him, this gives Drew a moment of self reflection that is hilarious. She admits that she is still into Jesse. Drew tells him he found the song Jesse wrote about her. (He recognized his handwriting from the complaint box at school. Quick short comedy bits are the best.)
Admitting that he hid the song because he knew he wouldn’t have a chance with Sophie, Drew gives the song to Sophie. While she reads the song, the group plays a game to help distract Charlie through the storm.
Sophie confronts Jesse about the song, and he tries to deny that it’s about her. Admitting that it was about her, Jesse says it doesn’t matter. Sophie calls him a hypocrite and coward and says that he should have told her. Not liking being a coward Jesse says that it’s no different than all the time’s that Sophie still had feelings for him and never acted on it.
Their discussion moves from the backroom to the bar, where Jesse talks about how Sophie blew up the relationship after he said I love you. Accusing Sophie of being the coward, Jesse leaves the bar to go to Parker’s apartment.
Sid tells Ellen that he has changed his opinion about the cheating laundromat story, and this leads Ellen to stop Hannah from telling the truth about her kiss with Eli. Hannah won’t keep her secret and goes to tell her husband.
Val and Charlie are at the bar making drinks and the two are very happy. She observes that there have been 25 claps of thunder he hasn’t noticed, and Charlie is surprised. Telling her that he would do it all over again, Val is smitten by his response. (Charlie and Val make a great couple. Ainsley and Raisa have unbelievable chemistry.)
Alone in the backroom, Hannah tells Sid about her one-time drunken kiss with a colleague, and Sid explains that he forgives her, but he is still mad. Sid also explains that he almost had a thing with Taylor. Nothing happened, except that they texted too much, and Sid wanted to shut it down before something did happen. Hoping for a bright future now that they are in the same city, Hannah tells Sid that she didn’t even pack her belongings she just left LA. Wondering why she would leave so fast, Sid asks Hannah what she was running from.
Talking with Sophie, Val won’t fluff her up and decides to be tough. Telling her friend that she has met someone she is crazy about, Val calls Sophie a coward and tells her to get off her butt and go do something about it. Sophie decides to go get Jesse and leaves the bar. Val is about to start moping in the storeroom but is surprised by Drew.
On the street Sophie meets up with Jesse. He tells her that he made it to Parker’s apartment and knows that he hadn’t moved on from Sophie. They tell each other that they love the other, and they kiss amongst the rain and thunderclaps of the storm. When they come into the bar, Sophie and Jesse are overjoyed, while Sid is devastated, and Val and Drew are making out in the storeroom.
Shocked that Val and Drew were together, Sophie explains to her son that the relationship was a disaster, but if it hadn’t happened, Val and Charlie would have never had their son. (This revelation makes me so happy.)
Finale Verdict: A
A two-part finale in a series like this would need to give some important information. The father of Sophie’s child is yet to be revealed, but the brilliance of a show like How I Met Your Father is that the story can lead to many similar narratives.
After all we met Sophie’s father this season, and thanks to some brilliant chemistry between Francia Raisa and Tom Ainsley, we learn that they two will settle down and have a child of their own. The journey is long in Sophie’s view, but the moments we have gained from this season have led to a richly developed and incredible world, where I would love to hang out and be friends with these people.
The finale was well orchestrated, and seeing some resolution is great, because we know that Jesse and Sophie need to be together. Finally, we get that moment, and season three should be quite fun exploring their relationship. There were so silly cliff hangers, and what was expected happened, with Sid and Hannah hitting the biggest roadblock of their marriage. Will it last? Most likely not.
What was interesting is that in the middle of their confessions, Hannah asked if Sid had a relationship with Sophie. Is this telegraphing future events? Possibly! Sid and Sophie connect well, and they have had some moments that have made me wonder if Sid ends up being the father.
I have no idea who the father is, but if season three ended with the father being revealed, then How I Met Your Father will have told a fun, entertaining tale without wearing out its welcome.
I look forward to what is to come.