Warning: Contains spoilers for How I Met Your Father episode 9.
In How I Met Your Father episode 9, the ending scene appears to reveal who the father is with a photo tease, but it might not be that simple. The spin-off How I Met Your Father took almost a decade to reach the air after How I Met Your Mother concluded. The original series revealed the identity of the mother at the end of season 8, but it is possible that How I Met Your Father might conclude its identity mystery much earlier.
How I Met Your Father episode 9 is the first episode of the season to be left on a cliffhanger and a “To be continued…” title card. In 2022, Sophie (Hilary Duff) breaks up with Drew (Josh Peck) after she kisses Jesse (Christopher Lowell) and decides that Drew isn’t the person she needs in her life. When she arrives late for their dinner, she finds that Jesse has not shown up, and he’s been revealed to be spending time with his ex-almost-fiancee, Meredith (Leighton Meester). While Jesse and Sophie’s future appears in jeopardy, in 2050 Sophie (Kim Cattrall) pauses the story to get more wine and the camera pans over to reveal that she has her first picture of Jesse hanging in the living room.
The fact that in How I Met Your Father’s 2050 Sophie has a picture of Jesse hanging in a prominent location, especially with the camera lingering on the image, heavily suggests that Jesse is the father. This might not be surprising as, of the four potential fathers introduced in the first episode, Jesse has long seemed like the most likely choice. However, the presence of the photo is by no means a guarantee. The picture of Jesse was Sophie’s first photo to be accepted into a real art gallery, so keeping a blown-up version of it on her wall might be a reminder of her creative career, small beginnings, and apparent success.
In an interesting twist, it is possible that the real father in How I Met Your Father could be revealed to have gifted the copy of the photo to her, having purchased it from the gallery. This would be a portrayal of a particularly healthy relationship as it would suggest that the father doesn’t feel jealous of any of her past relationships and understands that it was an important moment for her. The idea of the photo and its sale being key to the plot of How I Met Your Father is set up by the cameo from The Captain (Kyle MacLachlan) in the introduction as he was an art collector in How I Met Your Mother.
Ultimately, it almost seems more likely that this photo of Jesse in Sophie’s apartment in How I Met Your Father is a red herring. If it isn’t and Jesse is the father, then the show has spoiled their big reveal before the final episode of season 1. However, it is possible that rather than focusing on the mystery of the father’s identity, as How I Met Your Mother did, How I Met Your Father season 1 could end with a reveal that the father is Jesse and How I Met Your Father season 2 could instead explore their courtship and the pair eventually becoming parents.
How I Met Your Father releases new episodes Tuesdays on Hulu.