How I Met Your Father season 1, episode 2 recap – FOMO

This recap of Hulu’s How I Met Your Father season 1, episode 2 contains spoilers. 

Read the season 1 review.

“I’m going to get with a whole bunch of dudes before I wind up with dad,” promises future Sophie at the start of this week’s episode of How I Met Your Father. But so far Sophie has yet to get with any dudes. In fact, she’s still hung on Ian she’s listening to Drops of Jupiter in her room.

How I Met Your Father season 1, episode 2 recap

Valentina’s solution is to go out, and she’s gotten them into a club called “FOMO.” But Valentina also plans to break up with Charlie, who’s emotionally smothering her (what did you think when you brought him over from England?). Sophie comes up with the idea of setting him up with some guys to be friends with, and wouldn’t you know it, they met some guys just last episode.

Sid and Jesse are hanging in the former’s bar when the latter receives the invite to FOMO, which the others interpret as Sophie being interested in Jesse. That theory is bolstered when they overhear Valentina referring to the night as a setup (of course she was referring to making friends for Charlie).

The club itself has, in my opinion, pretty cursed vibes (why do they give them one sticker to cover their phone cameras, all phones today have at least 2 cameras?), but at least Charlie gets some funny lines. Trying to seem down to earth, he says things like “I hate cake. I’m actually more of a bread guy.” He’s still a cartoon character but at least he’s a funny one.

Unfortunately, as these things go, Sophie’s attempt to move past Ian is thwarted when he texts her (a recurring joke about Jason Momoa lookalikes), but she tries to put it past her and Jesse now seems like an ideal way to do so. That is, until she encounters another Momoa look-alike and violates the club’s strict no-photo policy, and leaves Jesse sitting alone in the “candle room” waiting for her. And it doesn’t make him feel any better when Valentina clears things up as to the nature of the night’s setup, and that she thinks Sophie is not ready to date.

And nobody else is having a good night. Ellen is struggling to flirt, and Charlie cannot for the life of him fit in. Before they leave, Valentina admits that she needs space, and asks him to leave. Seems like a bum night if there ever was one

But later, in Sid’s bar, the guys begin to bond for real; once Charlie stops trying to be a normal guy and lets his lavishly wealthy, nineteenth-century royal personality come through. Not only does Charlie make friends, but Valentina comes back to apologize with a bagel in hand (the best way to apologize in my opinion). He agrees that they need space, and says he’ll move out.

The other person who’s had a great night is Ellen, who turns her repeated embarrassment into a positive point; she’s excited by all the women in New York. To be honest, Ellen is the least well-sketched character, and the announcement comes out of nowhere and doesn’t really amount to much.

The ending

Her half-brother, however, is in the weeds, seen punching a jukebox he can’t get to work. Jesse doesn’t share her optimism banging on a jukebox until Sophie comes over to apologize for the mixup. “Dating in the city can make you feel hopeless and alone,” she says, vowing to never be someone who will make him feel like that. They agree that, given the state they’re in, they should be friends for now, but then the song Jesse tried to play earlier comes on and of course, it’s Drops of Jupiter, and Sophie decides to leave that Momoa message to Ian unsent.

Additional notes

• “So what’s your favorite entry-level sedan.”
• It’s the middle of the night, why is the bagel shop open! 
• Jesse lost his cat, named “girl” (like Jesse’s girl) in the breakup. No wonder he’s bummed out!
• I’m sorry but who still does Jane Fonda workouts in 2022 (please correct me if I’m wrong).

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