The fifteenth episode of How I Met Your Father ended with Sophie and Ellen planning to be coworkers who would cooperate and Sophie planning to take her 9-to-5 job seriously. This leads to a new chapter in Sophie and Ellen’s friendship. Hannah, at the end of the last episode, decided to move to New York because she would rather live where Sid is happy. Meanwhile, Jesse’s crisis in the last episode ended with him not dying as the psychic had predicted. What lies ahead for the group from here on?
Spoilers Ahead
Jesse’s Colleagues Do Not Like Him
Jesse had gone back to teaching music at school. His colleagues from school, including his friend Drew, show up at Sid’s bar, not knowing that Jesse is a regular at the place. The colleagues surely do not talk to him enough to know why this place is his hangout space. By the looks of it, they are having a party without him, and Jesse is curious to know why.
Jesse feels he has all the right to know, as an employee of the school, why he is being ostracized. Jesse does not come across as a mean enough person to be treated this way. He confronts the group, and Drew lets him know that the entire group, especially Melanie, hates him. Drew must go along with Melanie’s words because of peer pressure. This proves that Jesse probably did something to make Melanie angry, but he is unable to remember doing anything that made her actively hate him.
Ellen Is Suspicious Of Rachel
Rachel, who was with Ellen during the standoff between Jesse and his colleagues, plans to go somewhere without informing her, and it is obvious from her demeanor that she might be up to something. It would seem the divorce did leave Ellen with trust issues, which makes her feel Rachel is cheating on her. It comes across as a plausible theory, but Rachel does not seem like a person who would cheat on her partner. Ellen asks Sid and Sophie to join her in following Rachel in the hope she will find some answers. Ellen might be proven wrong or right, but she would rather know what is up sooner than later.
Val And Charlie Go On A Date
Val is surprised to see Charlie show up all suited up at her doorstep. She is amazed because it has been a while since they broke up, and ever since, Charlie has never shown any major interest in having a conversation only with Val. He lets her know that he’d made a reservation for the two of them when they were dating at a restaurant that happens to be run by a 12-year-old kid who won a reality cooking competition. Charlie either made the reservation back then as a joke or just as a way to spend some time with Val. But since they have broken up, going out to a fancy dinner seems awkward. They are uncomfortable with each other, which means there are still unresolved feelings they have for one another, and that’s why Val actively avoids going out with him this time around.
At Charlie’s insistence, she dresses well and heads out for dinner. Charlie also pretends to have moved on, but it is obvious he also harbors feelings for her. Maybe he did not want to cancel the reservation in the hope that the date night would reignite his feelings for her. Their date does not go as planned because, at the end of it, Val realizes there is no future for them as a couple because she would always want a child, and he still does not want one. This one mental clause would probably be the reason why they would never get back together as a couple. Something like Monica and Richard in “Friends.” They would find their path and a partner who would want what they want from life. But it is too soon to say that Val and Charlie will stop seeking each other out. Hopefully, the end of this season will let the viewers know more about where they stand as individuals.
Why Was Jesse Hated By His Colleagues At School?
Sophie, Sid, and Ellen reach New Jersey in pursuit of Rachel but to their surprise they end up seeing Jesse there as well. For the first time he is hiding his true self from the people he hangs out with. It would seem Jesse might be here to help Ellen, but again, they both seem to be going in two different directions, making the three of them wonder what Jesse and Rachel are up to. This comes across as a genuine concern because coming to New Jersey from New York is a big deal for the group.
Sophie follows Jesse to a local pub that gives struggling artists opportunities to showcase their art through open mics. Jesse lets out a rather bad parody song about how much he hates his coworkers at school. He probably does this to vent his anger after a long day at work.
Sophie confronts him and gives him a thought to work on, which is that maybe Melanie or any of his colleagues heard his performance. This comes across as the only possible theory on why his colleagues hate him. Jesse was probably too naive to think his colleagues would ever come across this performance. Melanie, being asked by Jesse, confirms Sophie’s theory that she heard his lyrics and turned everyone against him out of pure spite, which seems like a normal reaction. His music and lyrics were mean and maybe Melanie should have also confronted Jesse about it instead of going on a mean girls campaign against him. The only solution to his standoff would be to roast Jesse at Sid’s bar. This also comes across as a decent solution to their problem, in the hope that Jesse and his colleagues, especially Melanie, will have a cordial relationship at work.
Do Rachel And Ellen Break Up?
Ellen and Sid follow Rachel into a building, where they see her meeting another woman and believe she is probably having an affair. They walk into the apartment to finally conclude that Rachel is here looking for a place to move. Ellen did not see this coming because she was anticipating the worst, and Ellen assumed Rachel was looking for a space for the two of them. But as she and Sid hide in the kitchen and learn that Rachel is planning to stay away from Ellen by moving to New Jersey. Living here would probably give her the distance she thinks her relationship requires. Rachel is probably feeling overwhelmed by Ellen and her friends, and her concerns come across as genuine.
Rachel spots Ellen and Sid at the apartment and finally talks about the time she needs away from the relationship just to build a place for herself. Ellen realizes they are probably heading towards a breakup because if Rachel needs some time away from the relationship it would mean she probably does not like Ellen for who she is. Ellen’s concerns are also genuine because she would rather be with someone who accepts her for who she is, and Rachel’s concerns would mean their relationship wouldn’t last. They finally talk, and Ellen comes back to Sid to let him know she and Rachel broke up. Ellen has been through a divorce, so hopefully, this breakup will not take a toll on her. She has Jesse and the entire group helping her get over Rachel.
The episode ends with one of Jesse’s colleagues showing interest in him as a potential date. Sophie is visibly upset to see Jesse showing interest in his colleague. This will set the stage for another Jesse and Sophie subplot because it is clear they both have feelings for each other, and their relationships with other people always end because they seem to go back to thinking about what they are to each other.
What Can We Expect From Episode 17?
The next episode will probably have Ellen trying to get over the breakup and not trying to feel upset or anxious about what the future holds for her. Jesse and Sophie, too, will find ways to cheer Ellen up, and hopefully, in that process, they will find a way to connect. Jesse will most likely date his colleague, and just like before, the Sophie factor will cloud his judgments. It would be interesting to see how far Sophie and Jesse are willing to play this game until they finally realize they love each other. Charlie and Val will also have serious thoughts about considering having a serious relationship rather than going on casual dates.
Final Thoughts
The screenplay, humor, and story took a backseat in this episode because there was nothing that was added to make this episode stand out. Again, the writers are losing track of the humor and focusing more on the drama. It is high time the series put in some effort to work on the comedy bits; otherwise, the show would be unwatchable after a point.
