TV.com

How I Met Your Mother Season 5 Episode 1

Definitions

Favorite

Watched It I've Watched This 4

Next
Episode Previous
Episode

AIRED: Sep 21, 2009

8.0

User Rating

496 votes

Your Rating: 10
Your Rating: 9.5
Your Rating: 9
Your Rating: 8.5
Your Rating: 8
Your Rating: 7.5
Your Rating: 7
Your Rating: 6.5
Your Rating: 6
Your Rating: 5.5
Your Rating: 5
Your Rating: 4.5
Your Rating: 4
Your Rating: 3.5
Your Rating: 3
Your Rating: 2.5
Your Rating: 2
Your Rating: 1.5
Your Rating: 1

Rate Now

EPISODE REVIEWS
By TV.com Users

Write A Review

Episode Summary

EDIT

The rest of the gang uncovers Barney and Robin's clandestine romance. Ted fights his nerves over his impending teaching debut at Columbia.

FAN RECAP

Fan Episode Reviews (17)

Fine comeback with some funny jokes

6.0

By nananabatman, May 02, 2013

In the overall 89th episode and the first one of the fifth season, we see some things changing in How I Met Your Mother. Narrator Ted finally decided to be a college professor and in his first lesson, he's already facing some major difficulties, . how many fs the word 'professor' has or if he should wear his newly gotten fedora. But bigger than that is the story part with Barney and Robin who've been sleeping with each other for quite a while and also have love-like feelings, yet are terribly afraid of any sort of commitment. To define their relationship, Lily forces them to have 'the talk'.

I'd say this is a fine comeback for the highly successful sitcom and it provides what fans were looking forward to see. I thought there were many cheesy jokes and Neil Patrick Harris and Cobey Smulders didn't do well in their sort-of relationship. Still, it's better than most of the episodes in the disappointing season 4 because I really enjoyed how Ted was doing as a professor and there were some nice running gags in there.

I thought it was great when future Ted just casually mentioned that the mother of his future children was sitting in his course and the scene at the end where Barney and Robin go to eat brunch and the rest of the group is looking at them was pretty awesome. All in all, "Definitions" is by far not a perfect episode, but surely an enjoyable and amusing one.moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
0 0

Flag
Share Hide
The start of season 5 was good or . . . . . . . . .

8.0

By Lostindharma, Feb 12, 2013

Actually it was good. But on that later. After Ted fails to get a client for his business and gets beat up by a girl goat, he decides to take a teaching job. Now that Ted doesn't deserve to be a teacher for something he is passionate about, but don't you need a degree to teach? Ted doesn't know which kind of teacher he will be. I find it curious that Lilly doesn't have advice for Ted even though it was her words that led Ted to makes the decision to become a professor. It's too bad all of Ted's friends didn't offer advice for him like Marshall with his Ninja Report. The dream that Ted on what his first day would be like was interesting. I did find it amusing that one of the students didn't take him amusing that he didn't have a whip or hat. Ted's actual day in the classroom was important one. The mother was in there. Just when you think you will see her (and maybe you did if you watched very closely) something else happens. This can be surprising or frustrating. I don't mind it but that's because I have seen the entire series at this point. At the time I saw this It didn't bother me.

Meanwhile at the end of season 4, Barney and Robin finally hook up. When this season started they were friends. At least at first. If you were hoping that Barney and Robin would be this happy couple holding hands and all of that couplely stuff, you haven't been watching this series all that close. Remember this is Barney and Robin. This episode would be the start of Barney showing his serious side. You only see a small part of it but it was very good. I liked the ending when Barney and Robin told Lilly that they were a couple to get them off their backs. What Barney and Robin are actually are is what Ted said. They are a couple but they don't know it at least on the outside. I think deep down inside they do but but they want it their way.

Like I said this was good episode but his this season would be lacking behind the other season of this show. This wasn't a bad season but the bar was set so high for this series. Overall it was not a bad season but more episode were lacking and didn't match the usual flair. That being said this season was better then most shows best season.moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
0 0

Flag
Share Hide
It's Ted's first day as a teacher.

9.0

By Jon_MW_14, Aug 27, 2011

"Definitions" is a great season premiere of How I Met Your Mother season 5. I love how this season begins with Ted's first day of teaching. I love how Ted is in the wrong classroom and he completely embarrasses himself in front of the class. I love Lily's obsession with defining the relationship. I love how she locks Robin and Barney in a room so they can define their relationship. I love how they fake their definition of their relationship and Lily is satisfied because even though they think they're tricking Lily, Lily knows they secretly meant what they said. Did that make any sense? I give this episode a 9/10.moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
1 0

Flag
Share Hide
HIMYM is back

7.0

By avi01, Feb 15, 2011

HIMYM was at one time a show I considered as the best sitcom i`ve ever watched along with Friends, I even thought the storytelling was much better than friends. But that was the first 3 season, they were simply brilliant but then came season 4. An average season with still a couple of great episodes but overall inconsistency reigned. The show was no longer fresh, most characters (apart from Barney and probably to an extent Lily) became pretty much annoying and the writing was terrible at times. So I was hoping the show would be back on track. Did it? No but still it was an enjoyable premiere.

So the Barney-Robin relationship is going to happen. It is interesting and brought some depth into the Barney character last season but to be honest, i have my reserves. While Barney was still good here, didn`t find him awesome. I fear they might change him a little bit too much.

Ted is not really the funniest character but he was pretty good in here and his scenes were mostly enjoyable.

Marshall was meh. He used to be my favorite but been pretty dull since season 3 and no, screaming not good enough while whipping won`t help imo.

Overall, it is a decent start but still the weakest premiere of the show, which is worrying. However there are new interesting angles developed here and if explored well might bring this show on track again. **Fingers cross***moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
5 0

Flag
Share Hide
Robin and Barney figure out what their relationship status is, while Ted struggles with the kind of prof(f..fe..ff..e?)essor he will be.

10

By bracara, Oct 12, 2010

This was such a funny episode, one of my favourites so far. It had me laughing the entire time. Robin and Barney together in a relationship is so perfect in a completely messed up way. They are both horribly afraid of commitment as well as the status of boyfriend and girlfriend that they will always do anything to avoid the inevitable talk which will label them once and for all. Additionally, Ted trying to find out what kind of professor to be was very amusing and entertaining.

I really loved the way this episode was set up, it was a really good one and definitely a favourite of mine, although it may be because i am a huge fan of barney and robin's "relationship(?)"moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
0 0

Flag
Share Hide

See All Fan Reviews

Cast & Crew: STARS

EDIT

Josh Radnor	Ted Mosby
Neil Patrick Harris	Barney Stinson
Alyson Hannigan	Lily Aldrin
Jason Segel	Marshall Eriksen
Cobie Smulders	Robin Scherbatsky

See All Cast & Crew

Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

EDIT

Dale E. Turner	Professor Calzonetti	Guest Star
Laura Ornelas	Girl #2	Guest Star
Abhi Sinha	Guy #2	Guest Star
Bob Saget	Voice of Ted, 2030	Recurring Role
Joe Manganiello	Brad	Recurring Role

See All Cast & Crew

Watch Online

Featured Episode Clip

Episode Photos

Marshall (Jason Segel) and Lily (Alyson ...

© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc.
Marshall (Jason Segel) and the gang find...

© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc.
Ted (Josh Radnor) is anxious about teach...

© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc.
Ted (Josh Radnor) finds out that Barney ...

© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc.

See All Photos

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

FILTER BY TYPE

TRIVIA (0)
ADD TRIVIA
- ADD TRIVIA from this episode.
QUOTES (7)
ADD QUOTES
- Barney: I've done all three of those things with Robin. Is she my girlfriend?
  Marshall: Just once, I wish you guys would call me on tuxedo night!
  EDIT SHARE
- Lily: We're at the point of physical violence! Now will you please have the talk?
  Barney: Because of that? I'm always punching my guys. That's my thing. I'll punch a girl; hell, I'll punch a baby.
  EDIT SHARE
- Robin: Look, Barney's awesome.
  Barney: And Robin's more than awesome. She's awe-some-more. She's even awe-quite-a-lot.
  EDIT SHARE
- Ted: You do realize they were lying, right?
  Lily: No, Ted. They don't realize they weren't lying.
  EDIT SHARE
- Barney: How do you keep a girl from becoming your girlfriend? Simple! The rules for girls are the same as the rules for gremlins. Ted: Gremlins? Barney: Gremlins. Rule number one: Never get them wet. In other words, don�t let her take a shower at your place. Number two: Keep them away from sunlight, i.e. don't ever see them during the day. And rule number three: Never feed them after midnight. Meaning she doesn't sleep over, and you don�t have breakfast with her. Ever.
  Ted:What about brunch? Is brunch cool?
  Barney: No, Ted. Brunch is notcool.
  EDIT SHARE
- Barney: Maybe we should get back to being just friends.
  Robin: Maybe... but I don't want to stop having sex.
  Barney: Oh, good, me neither! (he leans on her to kiss her)
  Robin: Yeah, friends isn't gonna work.
  Barney: Nope. We're not good at being friends. We're not good at being in a relationship. What are we good at?
  Robin: I know something we're good at.
  Barney: I don't know. If we're gonna do it again we're gonna need some Gatorades.
  Robin: No, not that—lying.
  EDIT SHARE
- Barney: Lily, why can't you just let us be happy?
  Lily: You're not happy! You just think you're happy because you feel happy.
  Barney: And that's not happy?
  Lily: Of course not!
  EDIT SHARE
NOTES (4)
ADD NOTES
- The Italian episode title is "Il discorso", meaning "The Speech".
  EDIT SHARE
- Music: "Oxford Comma" by Vampire Weekend; March from Raiders of the Lost Ark by John Williams
  EDIT SHARE
- This is the first season premiere not to open with a shot of Ted's kids.
  EDIT SHARE
- International Airdates: Australia: February 11, 2010 on Channel 7; United Kingdom: May 27, 2010 on E4; India: September 28, 2010 on Star World; Czech Republic: December 2, 2010 on Prima COOL; Germany: January 12, 2011 on ProSieben; Slovakia: November 16, 2011 on JOJ Plus
  EDIT SHARE
ALLUSIONS (0)
ADD ALLUSIONS
- ADD ALLUSIONS from this episode.