How I Met Your Mother "Nannies" Review

Carter Bays and Craig Thomas were going to tell a baby Marvin story sooner or later. The baby plot hasn't been detrimental to the series, mostly because the show still being on the air is detrimental to the series. Bays and Thomas could've completely mailed in an episode, a B or C story, with a baby Marvin story; but they've resisted, mostly because they mail it in in other areas of the show. Baby Marvin's been fine as essentially a prop, and a vehicle for whatever emotional resolution Marshall and Lily's personal arcs needed, i.e. Marshall's relationship with his father, Marvin, and Lily's complicated relationship with her own father, Chris Elliott.

"Nannies" is about Lily and Marshall's search for a nanny to take care of Marvin whilst the parents work. Predictably, the perfect nanny demands a salary above what the couple can pay. The montage-of-unoriginality takes place between acts one and two. Even Stevens used the montage-of-unoriginality. It's a common sitcom trope embedded in our culture, so much so that I thought anything could be accomplished with a sign outside of my house seeking band members or Schwoe writers. During the HIMYM montage, a number of unqualified candidates roll through. One wonders whether HIMYM writers were embarrassed to contribute to a horrible trope. Once they find a nanny, Lily's unwilling to part with her baby boy, which was as obvious as the Jaguars 41-3 defeat yesterday.

Barney introduced 'Bangtoberfest' to the gang mere days after his engagement ended with Quinn. 'Bangtoberfest' is a throwback Barney story that some fans no doubt enjoyed. Barney's been a taken man for a bulk of the last three seasons. The show gets somewhat meta when Barney laments his tired act and pick-up lines; so, instead, he opts to interview nannies and then sleep with the candidates, which causes Lily and Marshall to lose their nanny-of-choice-who-is-affordable.

The stories intersect. Barney eventually pays for the older nanny the couple originally wanted, which leads to Lily's small personal story involving Marvin and her father. Strangely, Barney's and Lily's arcs intersect. The thought is strange because Barney's arc involves sleeping with over a dozen young nannies, and Lily's reluctant to let anyone else care for her baby. Both characters are afraid of what they'll miss when they're away. Barney really fears what he missed during his relationships. 'Bangtoberfest' represents Barney's public desire to make up for lost time by sleeping with many girls. Lily will rock Marvin all day if it means she's never away from him.

The third act brings resolution and clarity for both characters. Barney identifies his emotions as symptomatic of a man who needs to heal from heartbreak, with Ted's and Robin's help. He didn't miss anything; he needs to learn it's okay to miss someone. Lily, meanwhile, needs a moment of emotional closure with her father. She'll miss several hours a day of her baby's life, and she's afraid of becoming her father, whom she thinks missed so many important events in her young life. Chris Elliott corrects her thought; he took care of her through her first day of school. The truth instills Lily's confidence in her father to take care of Marvin. HIMYM has a lot of silly nonsense before emotional resolution. The nonsense is never worth it.

Suffice to say, "Nannies" is not a good episode of How I Met Your Mother.

Other Thoughts:

-The other relationships will be over by November sweeps.

-Ted and Robin competed for title of 'Involved in Best Relationship.' Robin's Nick is sensitive and weeps, and therefore lame. Ted's Victoria is a slob. That's it? Relationship implosion should be about more than what the writers established.

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