The silver lining to this story was Lily's father Mickey, who eventually proved that he would make a capable nanny. His explanation for why he eventually turned to gambling was a nice little realization, and his scene with Lily and the photo album was debatably the saving grace of the episode.
Meanwhile, it was nice to see Barney back to his old self for a bit as he devised a new plan to score with aspiring nannies via an elaborate interview scam. I'm kind of torn on stories like this, because on one hand these are the kind of ploys that once made Barney's character so great -- and it was also nice that this arc tied in with Lily and Marshall's to some degree. Then again -- especially at this point in the series -- these sorts of shenanigans also kind of negate the eight seasons of growth we've seen from his character. While it was later explained that the nanny scheme was merely a coping mechanism in order to deal with the loss of Quinn, it seems kind of backwards to set Barney up with such a pedestrian grab for laughs. It's only a shame that a conclusion as weak as Barney getting beaten up by a gang of nannies was the punchline to this potentially classic bit, because knowing where this season ends up, we may not have many more moments like this left from the sleazy character we once adored.
Likewise, Ted and Robin's arc felt like a callback to the old days. Of course, the only thing these types of stories are really good for anymore is teasing at what might have been. While the duo's competitive chemistry together here was somewhat entertaining, it only serves to remind us of two things: 1) Ted and Robin are never ending up together, and 2) their issues with Nick and Victoria add up to absolutely nothing. As of right now, Nick and Victoria are essentially placeholders meant to bide enough time to get us through the season. Not only are they doomed characters, but they're also keeping Ted and Robin from exploring other potential outlets -- not to say that their screen time would be any more dynamic, but at least it would involve something we didn't already know.
However, the biggest slap in the face this week was Future Ted's line, "Both of those relationships imploded within the month." Yeah, no kidding. How about we just skip that part so we can get to the next predictable plot point? Please and thank you.
Honestly, apart from a sweet moment near the end with Lily and her dad, this was yet another episode of bland comedy and uneventful character development. Don't get me wrong, I still hold out some hope for Season 8. But if these first three episodes are any indication of what's to come this season, then I'm afraid it's going to be weary trek to that wedding. Max Nicholson is a writer for IGN, and he desperately seeks your approval. Show him some love by following @Max_Nicholson on Twitter, or MaxNicholson on IGN.