Within the immediate friend group, Jesse's younger sister, Ellen (Tran), is also a huge influence on the dynamic of the show. Ellen is openly a lesbian whose mostly fruitless quests for a relationship are just as important as everyone else's in the group. For dedicated fans, the need for LGBTQ+ characters like Ellen was always there, but that desire took a backseat — usually as the butt of a joke (See: the Robin and Lily kiss scene) — to the straight relationships in the original. Fewer than five episodes into "How I Met Your Father," the show has already demonstrated that queer characters will not be forgotten in this saga or romantic mishaps, a huge win for casual viewers and longtime fans alike.