Call Leighton Meester’s ‘How I Met Your Father’ Guest Role What It Was: Iconic

How I Met Your Father, Hulu‘s How I Met Your Mother sequel series from Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, has been slaying the guest star game from Day 1. Josh Peck continues to bless us with a recurring role, we’ve seen legendary cameos from original series stars like Cobie Smulders and Neil Patrick Harris, and big names like John Corbett are on the horizon. But we’re gathered here today to celebrate an iconic guest star who’s been in the picture since the pilot: Leighton Meester.

The 36-year-old actor kicked off her recurring How I Met Your Father role with a blink-or-you’ll-miss-it appearance in the pilot that left the internet wanting more. She first appeared as Jesse’s (Chris Lowell) ex-girlfriend Meredith Jones in a YouTube video he played for Sophie (Hilary Duff), titled “Guy Rejected By Bandmate #PROPOSALFAIL.” Then, after dumping him, Meredith fled to Europe with his cat to write an album of her own. She returned in Season 1, Episode 8 with news that a major label signed her and her first single, “Jay Street,” was about her relationship with Jesse. And if the lyrics — sung by our musical queen Meester herself — haven’t gotten stuck in your head yet, they will in the latest episode, “Ride or Die,” which bids farewell to the sneaky, self-serving songstress, at least for now.

When we left Meredith in Season 1, she tried to win Jesse back with a game of Hot Sauce Surprise, revealed that she left him to figure out who she was, and invited him to play piano on tour with her next month. Since Jesse and Sophie finally kissed ahead of Meredith’s return, he turned her down to be with Sophie. But after Sophie got spooked by his premature “I love you,” he ended Season 1 by kissing Meredith. *Gasp* Much to the dismay of Sophie and Jesse shippers — and Jesse’s bestie Sid (Suraj Sharma), who knows Meredith doesn’t really love him — the exes reconciled by the start of Season 2. But five episodes into the season, they’re done again. I’d add a “hopefully for good” to the end of that sentence, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to see Meredith return down the line.

Meester has had quite the career since landing her 2007 breakout role as Blair Waldorf in Gossip Girl, but her most recent series, Single Parents, reminded us how captivating she is in comedies. Her How I Met Your Father role was such a satisfying fit because it gave her a chance to explore Meredith’s many different facets. She got to flex her comedic chops, showcase her musical talent, tap into some drama, and embody a shallow celebrity. She did it all effortlessly, while flaunting a fabulous Free People-inspired wardrobe.

Before Jesse dumps Meredith in Season 2, Episode 5, she forces him to pose for performative social media posts and tries to convince him to relive the most painful moment of his life — the proposal fail — in front of all her fans. Whether she was asking about about the vibes, being fake for her fans, defending La La Land, or exuding main character energy, Meester always hit Meredith’s fluctuating beats perfectly.

Though “Ride or Die” may be the last time we see Mer, we’ll always remember Meester’s beautifully unhinged performance. And “Jay Street,” of course. We couldn’t forget that cursed catchy tune even if we tried.

How I Met Your Father is currently streaming on Hulu. New Season 2 episodes premiere weekly on Tuesdays.