Hulu’s renewed for an extended second season before the first even concluded. Although the goodwill from the original show has carried forward, a lot of the show’s success comes down to the characters involved.
It abides by the general premise of friends living in the big city, with the main character, Sophie, narrating the events of how she met her future spouse. Everyone onscreen has been seen enough for a solid judgment to be made of their effectiveness and it’s worth rounding up which characters are the pick of the bunch.
Hannah
Hannah represents HIMYF repeated from HIMYM, which is to present characters whose whole purpose is to inhabit the love interest role. Hannah hasn’t been given any real characterization apart from being Sid’s fiancée, and she’s also stuck in the lecturing role since she has only served to point out Sid’s bad decisions.
It’s not Hannah’s fault that she’s been designated such a role, but she’s stuck with the side effect of showing up as a reminder of Sid’s insecurities about becoming a mature adult. Still, she’s never actually been wrong, so fans can see her as perhaps the only character who acts according to their age.
Drew
Drew represents a HIMYM and HIMYF, in that he takes up the nice and sweet love interest role to Sophie that Victoria was once to Ted. The problem is that it also makes him relatively uninteresting since he doesn't have any relatable flaws or quirks.
Drew’s nice guy tendencies occasionally can be funny and he’s one of the most likable characters. However, he doesn’t have a specific hook to his personality that would make viewers want to follow him, so it’s clear he’s just there for Sophie to learn that not every nice guy is supposed to be husband material.
Meredith
Even though she broke Jesse’s heart after rejecting his proposal, Meredith isn’t as bad as she’s made out to be by the others. After all, Jesse did blindside her with a public proposal she wasn’t ready for and she’s been shown to feel bad about it.
Meredith possesses a natural charisma that makes anyone who comes across her become fond of her, which Jesse’s friends have had to begrudgingly it. Of course, since she’s in the designated “villain” role, it’s difficult to trust Meredith or become too attached to her.
Ellen Gilbert
Ellen is among characters, but she’s also the one least fleshed out for viewers. Episodes have generally shown her to be inherently sad but unwilling to confront it and she tends to be quite rude to her brother Jesse and roommate Charlie when they try to help her.
The show hasn’t done the best job with her love life either since her misery with being single is always played for laughs. On the other hand, Ellen always has something funny to say to break the tension and her chemistry with Charlie is arguably the best for a friendly duo. Ellen has the potential to be more if the series touches upon her problems.
Sophie Tompkins
There are plenty of How I Met Your Father, including the presence of the doe-eyed protagonist who believes in true love. Sophie’s burdened with steering the series, which means a lot of the pitfalls and embarrassing things tend to happen to her.
She’s proven herself to be someone that fans want to root for due to her refusal to be let down by her disappointing childhood. The downside is that a lot of episodes have her repeat the same formula of making mistakes and then turning to her friends for comfort. The show’s still in its early stages, which leaves room for Sophie’s growth to follow.
Sid
Sid’s the character that viewers can see as the representation of the conflict among young people at pivotal points in their lives. He left a promising medical career to run a bar that isn’t profitable and is constantly unsure about what future he can have with Hannah, who’s much more secure in her career.
Sid’s quirks enable him to be a likable character, with fans on the lookout for the next unexpected things he’s a fan of. He could be better by not doubting every life move he makes, but that’s where character development should come into play later on.
Jesse Walker
Jesse’s similar to Ted in the way he was ditched after a grand declaration of love and has feelings for his close friend. While his constant skepticism can get frustrating, Jesse has the most room for development. His characterization ranges from his aspirations to make it big in music to his changing view on the possibility of true love.
There’s a danger of the show ruining him like How I Met Your Mother did to Ted by frequently holding the torch for someone who isn’t available, which prevents Jesse from being the best all-around. Should the series choose to focus on him overcoming his issues, then Jesse’s future storylines look promising.
Valentina
Valentina takes up the spunky best friend position for Sophie, which can be a make-or-break role to play. However, she’s done well so far since her character has already matured, going from a party girl to giving love a shot with Charlie.
Valentina’s chaotic choice of fun has brought plenty of funny moments that involve all the characters, which strengthens their bond. She’s been a loyal friend despite her inherent flightiness and such a blend in personality is worth following. The show could tone down her tendency to get offended very easily, but it’s been harmless overall since her reactions are shown in a comedic light.
Future Sophie
Future Sophie is very different from her younger version, being a lot more quick-witted, carefree, and carrying a positive vibe. She’s gone through all the struggles of the present-day Sophie, which gives her a laidback attitude that is perfect for the role of the show’s narrator.
Unlike Future Ted in How I Met Your Mother, Future Sophie has fun with her son’s reactions to her tendency to overshare, bringing funny quips on Sophie’s part that are nods toward the audience since she’s the point of view character. Putting her onscreen was the right decision by How I Met Your Father and it should get better once Sophie adds in more emotional arcs to tell.
Charlie
The one character that viewers are inclined to tune in for is Chalie because he’s the main avenue for comedy in How I Met Your Father. Charlie’s an amalgamation of Marshall and Barney, the two most popular characters from the original series, having Marshall’s hilarious naivete and Barney’s role as the designated comedian of the group.
Charlie also has the most going on for him, having moved from abroad to pursue love, find his footing in a different place, make friends, get a real job, and enjoy adulthood for the first time in his life. He’s easily the breakout character from How I Met Your Father with a lot of further storylines and development in store.