It’s All Legendary in HIMYF as Barney-Wait-For-It-Stinson is Back!

If you’re sad, just stop being sad and be awesome instead because- wait-for-it- Barney Stinson is BACK! 

Neil Patrick Harris is all set to return as the legendary Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Father, a spin-off of the iconic 2004 sitcom, How I Met Your Mother. 

Harris played Barney Stinson throughout How I Met Your Mother’s nine-season-long run. The series ended with Robin and him getting a divorce, and him deciding to start a new life with his newborn daughter whom he initially did not plan to have out of a hook-up. 

HIMYM does not specify what exactly happens to Barney after that, and both Harris and creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas have mostly left it to the fans to speculate. From what we know, Barney has now left his signature ways of being a playboy and most likely lives with his daughter. 

A few weeks ago, Harris made a special appearance as Barney Stinson in the How I Met Your Father season 2 premiere, almost 8 years after the HIMYM finale. While official statements from the cast and crew confirmed that we’ll see more of Barney in HIMYM season 2, no other details were shared. 

Finally, the official Twitter and Instagram account of HIMYM (@HIMYFonHulu) confirmed that Barney Stinson will be back in the mid-season finale of How I Met Your Father. Some official first look images are also out now. Check the post here – 

Barney as a character remains one of the most popular and loved characters on television and his iconic punchlines and catchphrases are still cherished by the HIMYM fanbase. Many fans also remain disappointed with the ending his character got, as they feel all of the character development, he got throughout the nine seasons, was all in vain.

While we are not sure what’s going on in Barney’s life right now, he seems to still have his sense of humor intact. In his brief cameo in the season premiere, Barney appears in his signature suit and a car plate that reads ‘LGNDRY’. If you’re an OG HIMYM fan, I bet you screamed, just like me. 

After Barney’s cameo and Sophie’s telephonic conversation which preceded it, many came up with the theory that Sophie is actually Barney’s daughter. As of now, Sophie is unaware of who her father is in the series, as her mother only slept with him once. She even shares a touching story about putting up posters on V-Day as a child for her dad to come to her for dance, who, of course, never turned up. 

Though these hints do somewhat point at Barney, it is almost impossible for Barney to be Sophie’s father. Logically speaking, the HIMYM finale was set in 2014, in the timeline of Ted’s story. Barney’s daughter, therefore, was born in 2014. So, she is supposed to be only 8 years old. 

Moreover, in the last episode, Sophie sort of begins dating Robert, a chef who is much older than her. (Sophie is in her Monica-Richard era, we know it!) And according to what we saw in Barney’s cameo in HIMYF season 2 premiere, Sophie was worried she was dating her father. She could have been referring to Robert, which would be really creepy but it’s sort of possible. 

Or perhaps, things didn’t go well with him, or something happened in between, and Sophie may have had an interaction with Barney. Since Barney’s antiques from HIMYM could match Sophie’s father (at least as far as we know), she made the same mistake as many of you – she thought Barney was her father!

But in this case, Barney might not have changed much since HIMYM. He could still be following the Playbook. This could be the cause of controversy, as many of Barney’s pranks and antiques did not age well. Viewers have pointed out that Barney’s tricks have often been misogynistic and offensive, so his not changing in these 8 years would not sit well with many. 

Moreover, as our legendary Barney always said – “New is always better!” 

Nevertheless, Barney’s return is one of the most awaited moments of HIMYF as the entire HIMYM fanbase has been waiting for years to see this legendary dream come true. Whether Barney changes or not, Harris definitely still has that charm that made us all love Barney despite his shortcomings. 

We’re really excited to see how legendary this appearance turns out to be, and what role he has to play in it. Previously, the makers mentioned that his appearance would not be just another cameo, but he would have an important role to play. Let’s hope we get to see him some more and learn about what he’s up to today. 

Don’t lie to me, you would all buy another edition of the Playbook in spite of everything, as there’s nothing more intoxicating than pure nostalgia. Let’s hope Barney’s return is nothing less than Legen-wait-for-it-dairy! 

About How I Met Your Father

How I Met Your Father (HIMYF) is a spinoff series of the incredibly successful CBS show, How I Met Your Mother. The original show ran for nine seasons, from 2005 to 2014, quickly making its mark with a dedicated cult-like fanbase.

HIMYF was announced to start production in April 2021 with the Lizzy McGuire star Hilary Duff playing the lead called Sophie, narrating her journey to her children in the future.

The show’s flashbacks will start from Sophie and her close friends navigating love, life and struggles in the modern era of dating, paying bills and more, in 2021.

Created by writers Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger of This Is Us fame and directed by the original show’s director, Pamela Fryman, the first season of HIMYF is revealed to have 10 episodes. No further details have yet been released.