There's Another Mystery On HIMYF: Who Is Sophie's Dad?

The paternal mysteries on How I Met Your Father are multiplying in Season 2. Now, not only is the father of Sophie’s son a big question mark, but the identity of Sophie’s own father has also been called into question. Let’s dive into How I Met Your Father’s new Season 2 mystery.

Spoiler alert: This post discusses plot details from Season 2, Episode 1. Sophie’s dad has actually been an enigma all throughout Season 1, but his identity didn’t actually become a pressing question until the end of the Season 2 premiere. In the first season, Sophie confided in Valentina that her mom Lila’s commitment issues are what made her into a hopeless romantic. Sophie recounted how her mom was constantly seeing a new man all throughout her childhood, a pattern that Lila never stopped, as revealed when Sophie caught her mom cheating on a new boyfriend after reuniting with her. Because of this, Sophie didn’t have a real relationship with her father.

But her dad’s identity wasn’t a real focus of the show until the Season 2 premiere, which ended in a flash-forward to Sophie leaving her mother a very bizarre voicemail message. “Mom, please call me back. I think I’m dating my dad,” she said in a panic, before crashing her car into none other than Barney Stinson’s vehicle.

The moment may bring to mind that viral theory that Barney could be Sophie’s father, but that’s been completely debunked not only by the shows’ timeline (Barney was canonically still a virgin in 1992 when Sophie was born), but also by HIMYF’s co-creators. “We’re not telling a teen dad story,” co-creator Isaac Aptaker told TVLine when asked if Barney could be ruled out as Sophie’s dad. “I think given Lori’s age, that’d become a pretty uncomfortable story.” Co-creator Elizabeth Berger added: “I don’t think you need to be a mathematician, only a HIMYM fan, to reach the conclusion [that Barney isn’t Sophie’s dad].”

So then, who is Sophie’s father who she may soon be dating? The Season 2 trailer may have the answer. The preview revealed John Corbett will guest star as a man who dates Sophie. Notably, Sophie’s pals are shocked to learn how much older Corbett’s character is than her, which could be a hint at him actually being her dad.

That’s really all fans have to go off of so far, and in true HIMYM fashion, the big reveal could still be someone nobody could’ve seen coming. Watch the mystery unravel as new episodes of How I Met Your Father release Tuesdays on Hulu.