‘How I Met Your Father’ season 1 episode 4, revolves around Sophie’s 30th birthday and her wish to have an amazing party, and the mess that follows.
Recap
Sophie is remembering her 30th birthday party. She tells her son how 30 is a very funny age. “30 looks different on everyone. Some 30-year-old people are a picture of maturity while others are way, way, way less grown up,” says Sophie. She also points out how she was in the latter group and how her 30th birthday was a complete mess.
Next, we see a younger Sophie entering a bar to meet all her friends. She is really hyped up about her date with Drew tonight and her birthday party tomorrow. She asks Valentina, her best friend and the incharge of planning her birthday party about the preparations and Valentina reveals that she is crushing it and all Sophie has to do is dress up as Christina Aguiler for her ‘Dirty video-themed party’.
Ellen is excited to see that this is going to be her second party along with her brother since her 5th birthday party at Chuck E Cheese, when her mom left her dad to remarry a man named Chuck and move all the way across the country taking Ellen with her, while Jesse stayed with his dad. Jesse points out to a baffled Charlie that this Chuck had no relation with Mr. E Cheese. Jesse and Ellen become happy for getting a chance to make up on lost time.
At her dinner date with Drew, Sophie realizes that Drew has his life together while she is a mess. They both enjoy their time together being lost in conversation and drinking wine to the point that the waiters are glaring at them. Drew immediately tries asking Sophie on a second date but ends up getting invited to her birthday party instead.
Sid is made fun of for wearing his Man-gagement ring as a sign of his long-distance engagement. Sophie reaches home and finds her friends playing Tequila bobbing and is hit by the fact that she will need to pretend to be sophisticated and have a classy party.
She asks everyone to change the theme to cocktail dresses, set up a raw bar, bring sophisticated food and snacks and arrange candles and books for her. While pretending to be mature and sophisticated, she makes a mess of the food and breaks the heat pipe turning the party into a hot sauna.
Charlie and Valentina discuss the status of their relationship and Valentina reveals that she doesn’t want to be a boring old monogamous person, and hence does not want to commit. Ellen and Jesse feel a sibling disconnect and Ellen tells Jesse how they are not the same as before as he doesn’t know anything about her, but they talk about it and manage to reconcile their differences. Charlie and Valentina flirt with strangers but realize that they are ready for commitment.
Drew ends up burning his hand on the heat pipe and Sophie decides that she needs to come clean to Drew and stop pretending. Drew tells Sophie that she is perfect as she is, and doesn’t need to change for him.
He also says that he thinks that he has missed a lot of things people look back on by having everything figured out, and this night is going to be one of those memories for him. He also hopes he can take Sophie on six more dates. They both enjoy their time together and find out about their common love for Christina Aguiler’s ‘Dirty Video’.
Review
- This episode seems better than the last few and some of the jokes are genuinely funny but at many points the humor comes off as cringey and forced. The laugh track seems outdated and unnecessary.
- The characters seem relatable. The way they all are facing their own problems and dealing with them responsibly while trying to make Sophie’s birthday special makes the story engaging.
- ‘Drew telling Sophie that she does not need to change for him and is perfect as she is’, makes for a great heartwarming scene.
- At many times the friendship between the characters and the chemistry between actors seems forced. The way the characters are shown as really good friends while being practically strangers not long ago seems far fetched.
Rating 3/5
Also Read: What The Folks season 4 episode 2 recap and review: The Damaad Test