Warning: Minor spoilers for How I Met Your Father season 2
How I Met Your Father season 2 sees Kim Cattrall returning to play a future version of Hilary Duff’s character, Sophie, but it makes another problem even worse. How I Met Your Father premiered in January 2022 and was renewed for season 2, with Hulu expanding its episode count to 20 episodes. Cattrall narrates the How I Met Your Mother spinoff like the late Bob Saget, as an older Ted Mosby, did for its predecessor.
Cattrall is still best known for playing Samantha Jones in the hit HBO series Sex and the City, which spawned two movies after the show ended and a revival series in And Just Like That. When it was announced that Cattrall would be narrating How I Met Your Father, she seemed like a good fit for the role. However, it became clear that the actress would not return to her role as Samantha for And Just Like That. And while Cattrall returns as future Sophie in How I Met Your Father season 2, her presence on the show continues to be a reminder of what And Just Like That truly lost.
Kim Cattrall’s HIMYF Role Makes Her And Just Like That Absence More Frustrating
Kim Cattrall was noticeably absent from And Just Like That, the Sex and the City revival that saw the return of three of its four stars. While Cattrall landed How I Met Your Father, it’s an underwhelming comedy that isn’t on par with the actress’ talents. What’s more, Cattrall’s role is rather small in the comedy series, whereas her role as Samantha Jones in And Just Like That would have been much more significant. How I Met Your Father doesn’t utilize Cattrall very well, as she’s limited to scenes where she’s alone talking to her character’s son offscreen.
Her vibrancy and electric onscreen presence is somewhat diminished, and it doesn’t help that she doesn’t have a true scene partner to work with (though she does the best she can with limited resources). How I Met Your Father season 2 doesn’t do Cattrall’s acting abilities justice, nor does it highlight her subtle body language and comedic timing to tell its story. Considering How I Met Your Father premiered only a month after And Just Like That, Cattrall being left out of the latter despite being a memorable character, is frustrating because it’s not exactly better in quality.
Why HIMYF Is The Perfect Choice For Kim Cattrall Right Now
While there will always be a Samantha Jones-sized hole on And Just Like That, How I Met Your Father is the perfect choice for Cattrall right now because it isn’t as grueling a schedule. Cattrall has discussed the 18-hour days shooting Sex and the City and how it impacted her personal life. For How I Met Your Father, Cattrall still gets to be a significant part of the Hulu series without the pressure of being its star. It’s a small role that allows the actress to flex her comedic skills, but it doesn’t require her to be in almost every scene. It’s comfortable and likely doesn’t negatively affect her personal life.
Suffice it to say that if Cattrall had agreed to return as Samantha in And Just Like That, she would have had a much busier shooting schedule. After all, the actress would have been in several scenes throughout the episodes, which are even longer than the original Sex and the City, which was only half an hour. How I Met Your Father is a relatively light workload by comparison, which is likely what Cattrall wanted after years of being a series regular. Though her absence is indeed a loss for And Just Like That’s quality, How I Met Your Father works well enough for what she’s perhaps looking for.
