Inside Television with Alan Sepinwall

Review: 'How I Met Your Mother' - 'Nannies': Scary Poppins

Lily and Marshall need childcare help, Barney falls off the wagon and Ted and Robin compete

By Alan Sepinwall Tuesday, Oct 9, 2012 9:45 AM

Chris Elliott and Alyson Hannigan in "How I Met Your Mother."

Credit: CBS

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Let's try to accentuate the positive, shall we? I can say the following things in favor of "Nannies":

1)Even though it was telegraphed from the start that Lily's dad would wind up taking care of Marvin, the final scene with the two of them, featuring flashbacks to Lily's childhood and flashforwards to Marvin's journey to preschool (a journey we won't see unless CBS is determined to never let the show end), was very sweet, and an example of "HIMYM" using its time-bending powers in service of the story being told right now, rather than as a tease for something a little ways down the road.

2)Jane Carr was her reliable comedy pro self as Mrs. Buckminster.

3) Just when I was ready to completely hate Barney for screwing Marshall and Lily over on the nanny situation, A)he offered to pay Mrs. Buckminster's salary, and B)Robin and the others made it clear that Bangtoberfest was not something we were meant to applaud, but a sign of an unhealthy post-Quinn spiral.

4)The run of jokes about George Jorgenson's Organs was clever.

5)The show is at least acknowledging the logistics of how Lily and Marshall remain part of the gang by having them tag team the childcare (and putting them in the apartment above MacLaren's helps).

So there's that. But the Barney and Ted/Robin stories were pretty terrible.

Even though the show tried not to treat Bangtoberfest like it has the rest of Barney's career of tricking gullible women into having sex with him, it still feels like that joke is long past its sell-by date. NPH invests it with as much joy and energy as he can, but it doesn't work anymore.

And the Ted/Robin clicking competition failed because the show hasn't made any effort whatsoever to tell us who Nick is, nor to show Ted spending any real time with Victoria since they got back together. I talked last week about how Future Ted's pronouncements of impending doom makes it hard to invest in these relationships to begin with, and it's like the show doesn't even want us to bother. If not for Ashley Williams' stint in the first season, it would be like these two characters don't exist at all, and at that point, who the hell cares which one of them is clicking more with one of our regulars? Especially when the story featured Ted at his most insufferable, and dragged Robin down to that level?

What did everybody else think?

Alan Sepinwall
Sr. Editor, What's Alan Watching

Alan Sepinwall has been reviewing television since the mid-'90s, first for Tony Soprano's hometown paper, The Star-Ledger, and now for HitFix. His new book, "The Revolution Was Televised," about the last 15 years of TV drama, is for sale at Amazon. He can be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com

Related Searches: How I Met Your Mother, Cobie Smulders, Josh Radnor, Neil Patrick Harris, Jason Segel, Alyson Hannigan

Shannon

The start of this season has been so depressing. I'm not sure why, but I really thought they were going to get it together for what should be (and really needs to be) the last season. Instead we're getting the same old retreads and stall tactics. So much of the humor is just lame now.

This show has really lost its charm, and I wish I didn't feel obligated to keep watching to the end.
October 9, 2012 at 9:59AM EST Reply to Comment
- Brian I agree with this. Every show goes down hill eventually, but HIMYM really feels like it is falling off a cliff. I had similar hope for the last season but, so far, Im really dissapointed.
  October 9, 2012 at 6:04PM EST
- To be fair, it's been on 8 years. I'm sure C&C never expected this, especially when the show was firmly on the bubble after S2-3.
  
  That said, it has fallen so far. I try to remember the good ol' days, but it is quite hard to see a show that was once so good be so average now.
  October 10, 2012 at 11:05AM EST
Jeremy Meyers

This is the first season I haven't DVRed since the beginning, and I can't say I miss it much.
October 9, 2012 at 10:00AM EST Reply to Comment
AJ

So I spent the last year or so catching up on HIMYM on Netflix with the wife, and that glossed over so many of the problems with this show because...

1) I knew ahead of time that we were never meeting the mother, so I never watched the show waiting for that storyline to move in any real direction.

2) The bad episodes, like on any marathon watch, get glossed over fairly quickly and even some really rough stretches go by fast enough that they don't linger.

But man, we finally caught up and episode like this (which I thought was terrible all the way around and had some awfully unfunny, very cartoony jokes) really just lingers. So I get it now, and man is it frustrating to watch in real time. Tempted to just take it off the DVR and plow through it again in a year on DVD.
October 9, 2012 at 10:05AM EST Reply to Comment
Sharon

I'm just sticking around to see Robin and Barney get together. Ted isn't as insufferable as he used to be, but I am long past caring who the mother is. I did love flashback/flash forward with Lily's dad - I've really enjoyed how they've handled that story. Lily's has allowed her father into her life, but she hasn't completely let go of her distrust of him - a realistic reaction to her childhood.
October 9, 2012 at 10:05AM EST Reply to Comment
- Jeff Carroll Somehow I feel that this show could partially redeem itself if it allowed each character to come to terms, in some way, with their parents. Marshall's storyline with his dad was one of the only redeeming plots of the last few years, Lily's with her father the best of last night. Each remaining character has some outstanding issue. Why not make these the finishing theme? After all this is supposed to be a story told between kids and their parent.
  October 9, 2012 at 10:22AM EST
- Sharon I think that's a great idea, which of course means it will never happen - let's not forget what show we're watching!
  October 9, 2012 at 10:30AM EST
Mike.G

Pretty much agree. The Marshall/Lilly story worked (though why is it that everyone on TV has a nanny, and almost everyone I know in real life uses a day care center?) even though you knew where it was going, the Barney story line seemed tired (though it does have its moments) and the Ted/Robin story line really wasn't a story so much as it was another week of the show running out the clock until Victoria and what's-his-name are no longer in the picture. The conceit of the show is the problem here. If Future Ted is telling stories to his kids about how he met their mother, why would he bother including these boring anecdotes about how Victoria was messy and how what's-his-name is a chick unless it had anything to do with the mother? The show has the problem of building something up as a huge thing and then blowing it big time with the resolution. Nora, Quinn, Kevin, and Victoria: all of these characters suffer from the show’s recent pattern of building their characters up as a big deal and then sending them off with a relative whimper. It matters less with Robin and Barney’s beaus but more with Victoria. Since the show is called How I Met Your Mother, shouldn’t the Victoria story have more weight? Why is Ted telling his kids about her if the big payoff is that he can’t stand being with her because she’s a slob?
October 9, 2012 at 10:15AM EST Reply to Comment
- chasd everyone on tv has a nanny because it adds a character that can be used. of course a day care can add a whole slew of characters.
  October 10, 2012 at 12:02PM EST
blitz

the show is just running on fumes now. lost all relevance.
October 9, 2012 at 10:46AM EST Reply to Comment
Heisenberg

Horrible. You could predict every story beat and 85% of the jokes. The strong majority of the jokes weren't funny. The writer's narrative decision to forebode the demise of the relationships has prove to be a horrible one for all the reasons you've stated.

I mean, this episode made the Gossip Girl premiere look like Citizen Kane.

End this show now. It hasn't truly been good since the first half of Season Three, but since last season, it has nothing left.
October 9, 2012 at 10:49AM EST Reply to Comment
Mike

I can't believe how this show has ruined Victoria - one of the few threads that held any promise for me. Why bother casting the one person who has chemistry with Josh Radnor, if you aren't even going to show them in any scenes together?

This might be the last straw for me.
October 9, 2012 at 10:59AM EST Reply to Comment
- Patricia This show has jumped the shark years ago. I start to cringe when A note of the very tired theme song is heard and dive for the remote before another sound is heard!
  October 9, 2012 at 11:12AM EST
TR

I can't believe you're still reviewing this, and I can't believe I'm still watching this. Ted is the absolute worst part of this show, with Robin now following a close second. The Barney schtick is getting old, and Marshall/Lily are getting overly corny. Josh Radnor grates on me like (the more talented) Zach Braff used to. I can't imagine his film "Liberal Arts" being anything but a pretentious pile of crap. Hopefully I'll be pleasantly surprised (if I ever get around to seeing it).
October 9, 2012 at 11:54AM EST Reply to Comment
- LJA Agree that Ted is the worst part of the show, but the close second to me is Lily. I deplore her.
  
  Please (insert deity here), let this be the final season.
  October 9, 2012 at 12:06PM EST
Dan

I thought it was a solid episode. The Lilly/Marshall plot had a lot of good jokes. I'll admit the Robin/Ted plot line was weak. The barney plot was kind of dumb, but it was still pretty funny.
October 9, 2012 at 12:01PM EST Reply to Comment
Liz L.

...I've tried to keep watching . . . and have decided I will just keep up with the show by reading Alan's review of it and not bother watching unless it sounds like a full episode of entertainment. Otherwise, it's just too disappointing knowing what it once was.
October 9, 2012 at 12:05PM EST Reply to Comment
bryan-a

Hey Alan, what's the possibility they're trying to make Victoria look bad because they don't want her to overshadow the mother? It's stupid but It's the only thing that makes sense to me.
October 9, 2012 at 12:28PM EST Reply to Comment
- sepinwall You're not the first commenter to suggest this. If that's really what's going on, they may as well have just not brought her back. This is stupid.
  October 9, 2012 at 1:44PM EST
- BigTed The show has already established Victoria as a talented baker who makes beautiful wedding cakes, something that requires care and precision as well as an aesthetic sensibility. Heck, she's been trained in Germany. The idea that she would turn out to be a major slob at home doesn't make much sense.
  October 9, 2012 at 2:00PM EST
- Dezbot I know people who are neat and tidy at work and slobs at home. Victoria being a slob doesn't surprise me. Also, we know Ted tends to exaggerate, so she's probably not as bad as he's making her out to be.
  October 9, 2012 at 6:35PM EST
- Kendall The problem is that Victoria had only one brief scene in this episode, that did nothing except abruptly introduce a flaw to her that had never even been hinted at in any of her previous appearances. It's as if the writers were desperately trying to come up with a reason why Ted would want to break up with her.
  October 10, 2012 at 5:34PM EST
mrbilliam

I must admit I really enjoyed the Marshall/Lily plot. It had plenty of good jokes, an emotionally satisfying ending, and mostly I just enjoyed the time I was spending with those two.
Too bad the rest of the episode wasn't better. I'm sick of Barney's misogyny, and why can't the show ever tell a good story about a relationship with a guest star anymore?
October 9, 2012 at 1:36PM EST Reply to Comment
sangs

Sadly, this was the best episode of the season so far. (Which is akin to saying that Whitney is better than Guys With Kids.)
October 9, 2012 at 1:37PM EST Reply to Comment
bmfc1

It was clever to mention the Giants playing the Browns since they played last Sunday. What didn't make sense is Robin's knowledge of the Brown's poor run defense given her previous lack of knowledge of American sports.
October 9, 2012 at 1:46PM EST Reply to Comment
BigTed

You say "gullible women," but this episode presented us with a dozen women who are pretty much idiots. I imagine real-life nannies are sick of being seen as sex objects or being hit on by family members, much less the obviously fake situation Barney has set up here. It's one thing to make Barney a cartoonish pickup artist who lies his way into sex, but this was ridiculous. (And I'd imagine the nanny employment agency would have grounds for a major lawsuit, too.)
October 9, 2012 at 1:51PM EST Reply to Comment
srpad

Barney's antics would almost always make me laugh but for some reason it all just felt cheap and boarder line criminal.
October 9, 2012 at 2:38PM EST Reply to Comment
Jesse

Remember when when were all worried that this show was going to get cancelled after the first couple seasons?

Sad to think that it might've been the best thing to happen to it. It could've been on all those lists of shows that were gone too soon, with Terriers and Freaks and Geeks. Alas.
October 9, 2012 at 4:25PM EST Reply to Comment
- If the show ends mid-word with "Legen... wait-for-it" at the end of S2, and we never meet the mother, it is probably remembered so much more fondly than what it will be.
  October 10, 2012 at 11:08AM EST
isaacl

Rather then tell us about clicking, give us quick peeks at the progress the couples are making (the show's gimmick is perfectly suited for it). And add me to the list of those saying that if the writers weren't going to use Ted and Victoria's chemistry, and instead turn them into just an ordinary incompatible couple, they might as well have used yet another generic girlfriend. Ted's breakups with Robin and Victoria were a result of them moving in different directions in their lives, which made them notable and significant epochs in Ted's life. Hopefully the writers will not nullify this for Victoria with the pending second breakup.
October 9, 2012 at 8:52PM EST Reply to Comment
Jo

All I know is, I kept waiting for a Mrs. Doubtfire reveal with Nanny Buckminster. The rest was just OK.
October 9, 2012 at 10:08PM EST Reply to Comment
Noah Body

I actually liked Ted and Robyn squaring off, trying to argue who was in a more committed relationship -- especially the tampon trump card.

But any time Chris Elliot appears, I retch. Just a terrible character.
October 10, 2012 at 12:08AM EST Reply to Comment

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Review: 'How I Met Your Mother' - 'Nannies': Scary Poppins

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Comments

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Brian I agree with this. Every show goes down hill eventually, but HIMYM really feels like it is falling off a cliff. I had similar hope for the last season but, so far, Im really dissapointed.

To be fair, it's been on 8 years. I'm sure C&C never expected this, especially when the show was firmly on the bubble after S2-3. That said, it has fallen so far. I try to remember the good ol' days, but it is quite hard to see a show that was once so good be so average now.

Jeremy Meyers This is the first season I haven't DVRed since the beginning, and I can't say I miss it much.

Sharon I think that's a great idea, which of course means it will never happen - let's not forget what show we're watching!

chasd everyone on tv has a nanny because it adds a character that can be used. of course a day care can add a whole slew of characters.

blitz the show is just running on fumes now. lost all relevance.

Mike I can't believe how this show has ruined Victoria - one of the few threads that held any promise for me. Why bother casting the one person who has chemistry with Josh Radnor, if you aren't even going to show them in any scenes together? This might be the last straw for me.

Patricia This show has jumped the shark years ago. I start to cringe when A note of the very tired theme song is heard and dive for the remote before another sound is heard!

LJA Agree that Ted is the worst part of the show, but the close second to me is Lily. I deplore her.Please (insert deity here), let this be the final season.

Dan I thought it was a solid episode. The Lilly/Marshall plot had a lot of good jokes. I'll admit the Robin/Ted plot line was weak. The barney plot was kind of dumb, but it was still pretty funny.

Liz L. ...I've tried to keep watching . . . and have decided I will just keep up with the show by reading Alan's review of it and not bother watching unless it sounds like a full episode of entertainment. Otherwise, it's just too disappointing knowing what it once was.

bryan-a Hey Alan, what's the possibility they're trying to make Victoria look bad because they don't want her to overshadow the mother? It's stupid but It's the only thing that makes sense to me.

sepinwall You're not the first commenter to suggest this. If that's really what's going on, they may as well have just not brought her back. This is stupid.

Dezbot I know people who are neat and tidy at work and slobs at home. Victoria being a slob doesn't surprise me. Also, we know Ted tends to exaggerate, so she's probably not as bad as he's making her out to be.

sangs Sadly, this was the best episode of the season so far. (Which is akin to saying that Whitney is better than Guys With Kids.)

bmfc1 It was clever to mention the Giants playing the Browns since they played last Sunday. What didn't make sense is Robin's knowledge of the Brown's poor run defense given her previous lack of knowledge of American sports.

srpad Barney's antics would almost always make me laugh but for some reason it all just felt cheap and boarder line criminal.

Jesse Remember when when were all worried that this show was going to get cancelled after the first couple seasons?Sad to think that it might've been the best thing to happen to it. It could've been on all those lists of shows that were gone too soon, with Terriers and Freaks and Geeks. Alas.

If the show ends mid-word with "Legen... wait-for-it" at the end of S2, and we never meet the mother, it is probably remembered so much more fondly than what it will be.

Jo All I know is, I kept waiting for a Mrs. Doubtfire reveal with Nanny Buckminster. The rest was just OK.

Noah Body I actually liked Ted and Robyn squaring off, trying to argue who was in a more committed relationship -- especially the tampon trump card. But any time Chris Elliot appears, I retch. Just a terrible character.

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How I Met Your Mother is updated

To be fair, it's been on 8 years. I'm sure C&C never expected this, especially when the show was firmly on the bubble after S2-3.

That said, it has fallen so far. I try to remember the good ol' days, but it is quite hard to see a show that was once so good be so average now.

Jeremy Meyers

This is the first season I haven't DVRed since the beginning, and I can't say I miss it much.

blitz

the show is just running on fumes now. lost all relevance.

Mike

I can't believe how this show has ruined Victoria - one of the few threads that held any promise for me. Why bother casting the one person who has chemistry with Josh Radnor, if you aren't even going to show them in any scenes together?

This might be the last straw for me.

LJA Agree that Ted is the worst part of the show, but the close second to me is Lily. I deplore her.

Please (insert deity here), let this be the final season.

Dan

I thought it was a solid episode. The Lilly/Marshall plot had a lot of good jokes. I'll admit the Robin/Ted plot line was weak. The barney plot was kind of dumb, but it was still pretty funny.

Liz L.

...I've tried to keep watching . . . and have decided I will just keep up with the show by reading Alan's review of it and not bother watching unless it sounds like a full episode of entertainment. Otherwise, it's just too disappointing knowing what it once was.

bryan-a

Hey Alan, what's the possibility they're trying to make Victoria look bad because they don't want her to overshadow the mother? It's stupid but It's the only thing that makes sense to me.

sangs

Sadly, this was the best episode of the season so far. (Which is akin to saying that Whitney is better than Guys With Kids.)

bmfc1

It was clever to mention the Giants playing the Browns since they played last Sunday. What didn't make sense is Robin's knowledge of the Brown's poor run defense given her previous lack of knowledge of American sports.

srpad

Barney's antics would almost always make me laugh but for some reason it all just felt cheap and boarder line criminal.

Jesse

Remember when when were all worried that this show was going to get cancelled after the first couple seasons?

Sad to think that it might've been the best thing to happen to it. It could've been on all those lists of shows that were gone too soon, with Terriers and Freaks and Geeks. Alas.

Jo

All I know is, I kept waiting for a Mrs. Doubtfire reveal with Nanny Buckminster. The rest was just OK.

Noah Body

I actually liked Ted and Robyn squaring off, trying to argue who was in a more committed relationship -- especially the tampon trump card.

But any time Chris Elliot appears, I retch. Just a terrible character.

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What's Alan Watching is updated