HIMYF's Sandy Rivers Sighting In S2 Episode 5 Got A Big Reaction From Fans
Contains spoilers for "How I Met Your Father" Season 2 Episode 5, titled "Ride or Die."
Fans of "How I Met Your Father" were treated to surprise when the latest episode opened with a cameo from the franchise's (least) favorite newscaster: Sandy Rivers (Alexis Denisof). The womanizing, lazy, and human manifestation of a walking lawsuit was first introduced in the debut season of "How I Met Your Mother" as Robin Scherbatsky's (Cobie Smulders) conniving co-anchor. Rivers continued to appear throughout "HIMYM" as a foil to Scherbatsky, though he never seemed to change his inappropriate ways.
With Episode 5 of "How I Met Your Father," the pariah is back, this time interviewing Jesse (Chris Lowell) and Meredith (Leighton Meester) as their tour kicks off. "SANDY RIVERS THE CAMEO WE NEVER KNEW WE NEEDED BUT CANT LIVE WITHOUT," exclaimed Reddit user u/scrappychaz on the spin-off series' fan subreddit. Though his appearance is brief, Rivers confirms that he's currently dealing with allegations, all but confirming he hasn't learned a single thing between "How I Met Your Mother" and "Father." "Sandy Rivers is back?! I love the callbacks to the original," tweeted @aIreadyovers.
Fans are hoping that the spin-off series on Hulu continues to integrate more cameos from the parent series. "Sandy rivers cameo was a nice surprise, hopefully we get more like that soon," shared user u/Elijah_Cool. As fantastic as it is to see the "How I Met Your Mother" guest character back as his slimy self, fans might be wondering how exactly the newscaster and entertainment personality is still working in the United States...
HIMYF showrunners explain how Sandy Rivers is back
As "How I Met Your Mother" wrapped up, it dropped a bombshell piece of information: Sandy Rivers' career in America would nosedive thanks to a scandal. The showman would later become a correspondent in Russia. If Sandy is supposed to be "canceled" and working in Russia according to "HIMYM," how exactly is he interviewing Jesse and Meredith in "How I Met Your Father"?
"He's [still] on his way down," spin-off co-creator Isaac Aptaker told TVLine. Aptaker continued by confirming that Sandy's stint in Russia happens further in the franchise's timeline. "The original show was ahead of its time 'cancelling' Sandy." As for the likelihood of Sandy returning in the future? "He was wonderful, and we'd love to have him back if the opportunity ever presents," fellow co-creator Elizabeth Berger told the outlet, confirming that Sandy will probably return.
"HIMYF" takes place in 2022, nine years after the contemporary events depicted in the final season of "HIMYM." The spin-off series takes place two years before the Mother passes (Cristin Milioti). It's unclear exactly when Sandy gets the boot from the States, but it's likely it will happen between 2022 and 2024.