How I Met Your Father “Midwife Crisis” Review: All the Lies

How I Met Your Father 2x02 “Midwife Crisis”  As she waits for the gallery to call, Sophie lands a gig she lied to get and enlists Val to help. Jesse forces Sid and Meredith to work out their differences. Sophie (Hilary Duff) shown.
(Photo by: Patrick Wymore/Hulu)

How I Met Your Father 2×02 “Midwife Crisis” Spoilers Ahead

How I Met Your Father Season 2, Episode 2, “Midwife Crisis,” should be titled the one with all the lies, but this works too. The romantic comedy continues to do a decent job of placing friendships center stage to showcase the tremendous importance of all the dynamics within the series while strengthening Hilary Duff’s Sophie as our main character. By picking apart her flaws and placing them at the root of the episode, it allows her to feel more grounded and real. 

Let’s take a moment and be honest about something: Who hasn’t embellished the truth a little when we’re intimidated? Perhaps not to the dire extent that Sophie does in How I Met Your Father 2×02, but we’ve all been there to some degree. There’s also something to be said here about how one lie dramatically propels the narrative forward through comedy, and another will likely lead to an emotionally taxing outcome. 

“Midwife Crisis”

Sophie and Valentina in HIMYF 2x02 "Midwife Crisis"
(Photo by: Patrick Wymore/Hulu)

Despite how hilarious some of the hijinks are in “Midwife Crisis,” they’re also concerning. On top of the list of things people should never lie about is knowing how to assist in a birthing process. Still, the entire ordeal is an incredible reminder of Valentina’s importance in Sophie’s life as her person. No matter what both women face with the men in their life, how they step in for each other is on an entirely different level. Their friendship will undoubtedly continue to stand the test of time in every way.

The full acceptance of each other’s traits and the ability to call one another out and deal with their situations properly as adults is a strength that allows them to do better as individuals and as best friends. And for this episode’s arc, splitting the core six into sets of two gives the characters ways to touch base with where they’re at in their endeavors. Valentina’s big arc is undoubtedly coming, but for now, being the voice of reason in Sophie’s adventure allows us to see her growth too.

House Party

How I Met Your Father Season 2 Episode 2 with Charlie and Ellen in "Midwife Crisis"
(Photo by: Patrick Wymore/Hulu)

In an understandably petty episode and for reasons that are easy to understand, How I Met Your Father 2×02 validates that Charlie and Ellen moving in together is one of the best decisions. Their dynamic as the two newbies in New York and the two who are most upfront about their feelings fleshes out the group friendship while taking the show to comedic heights that genuinely merit laugh-out-loud moments. As we learn, Rachel (Aby James) still has yet to text Ellen since getting her number, and the two plot a way to lure her toward doing so. It’s disastrous in the best way because it somehow makes them the apartment’s most famous tenants.

Still, while keeping the door ajar tempts everyone but Rachel, we get a sweet interaction that shows how alike both characters are in their thinking, which could result in a better partnership. In other words, they both got into their heads about what the other person might be thinking. In an episode that’s all about lying, Ellen and Rachel being honest with one another about their feelings sets them apart from the others, making them far more intriguing as a romantic relationship because we’re getting into the “sunshine and sunshine” trope territory, which is always a win. Now, while there are ways to go to determine whether there’s an endgame here, it’s still entertaining.

Swedish Fish Erasure

Sid in How I Met Your Father 2x02
(Photo by: Patrick Wymore/Hulu)

Sid, our beloved, you named everything great about Sweden but not Swedish Fish? (Editor’s Note: This is a joke. Please don’t take it seriously.) In an episode that highlights lies and truths along with loyalty amongst friends, Sid takes it to the next level in the end by choosing to swallow his frustrations with Meredith. For a moment, it was questionable whether the show would acknowledge what he heard during the burrito incident right away. The fact that it does so is going to make the coming episodes more agonizing. And ultimately, this is a good thing. Because we all had our reservations about Meredith for various reasons before Jesse’s relationship with Sophie even came to light.

Knowing that she pretended to be sick to avoid going to Jesse’s recital is the worst lie we get in this episode. It doesn’t matter if he was coaching kids who might need to improve. It doesn’t matter where it was and whether he was the one performing or not. She could have chosen to be honest with him instead of choosing to be malicious about it, which is the most frustrating part. Sure, not everyone likes kids, and they don’t have to, but sometimes, you have to be a decent human being and do something because it’ll make someone else smile. (Especially if that someone else is your significant other.) And Meredith’s choice tells us that when it comes to her relationship with Jesse, she wants more from him than what she’s willing to give. Because when you love someone, you do things just because you know it’ll make them happy. And for crying out loud, if you really don’t want to go, just tell him.

How I Met Your Father 2×02 “Midwife Crisis” is all about friendships and the steadfast loyalty that comes into play with making tough decisions. Some of these scenarios might backfire, while others will come to fruition with the slow burn that’ll make it worthwhile. In that sense, the show continues to be lighthearted and fun. 

Further Thoughts

  • Charlie’s compliments are God-sent, and we should just start compiling a list of all of them.
  • So…when will Barney show up again after the accident at the end of last week’s episode?
  • Do people in apartment complexes just go into open homes? Is this a thing that happens? Is this the Arconia, and are we going to get Only Parties in the Building soon? (No, that’s not a typo. Indulge me.)
  • Anyway, as a non-beer drinker, I was today years old when I learned that foam is called head.
  • Also, cannot believe that this show tried to convince us that Sophie wasn’t hot after a workout? She didn’t need any makeup. Bye.

Now streaming on Hulu: What are your thoughts on How I Met Your Father 2×02 “Midwife Crisis?” Let us know in the comments below.

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