SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers for How I Met Your Father.The second season of How I Met Your Father premiered on Hulu on Tuesday, and with the premiere episode came the surprise return of a fan favorite from the original show. First premiering on Hulu in January 2022, How I Met Your Father primarily follows an all-new cast of characters, though the spinoff series has featured characters from its parent show, How I Met Your Mother. The latest to join the fray is Neil Patrick Harris, who made a cameo in the premiere, “Cool and Chill,” as his How I Met Your Mother character Barney Stinson.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

The moment happens in the closing moments of the episode. Distracted by the phone while trying to get ahold of her mother (Paget Brewster), Sophie (Hilary Duff) mistakenly crashes into another vehicle. The driver of the other vehicle is revealed to be Barney himself, who surveys the damage done to his Audi while exasperating, “Dude!” As episodes are released weekly, fans will have to wait for the next episode to see what happens next, but this isn’t going to be a one-off appearance for Barney.

The show’s creators, Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, addressed the cameo in an interview with TVLine. It’s revealed just how easy it was to make the cameo happen, as NPH was very receptive to the idea and quick to get on board. As Barney’s behavior on the original series has come under scrutiny in the MeToo era, Berger admits this was of concern when his return to the role was discussed. She says it was important that they stay true to the character, even if he’ll be utilized in a different way for the spinoff.

On what could happen next, Aptaker teased:

Barney Will Return in More Episodes

     Patrick Wymore/Hulu

In the first season, Cobie Smulders returned as Robin Scherbatsky, her character from How I Met Your Mother. Aptaker addressed how these kinds of special appearances can help offer some hints about what else is happening with the characters from How I Met Your Mother, even if they’re not the focus of the new series.

You can stream How I Met Your Father on Hulu.