Unraveling the Decision: How Ted Became the Unexpected Villain in the Fourth Episode of How I Met Your Mother

How I Met Your Mother’s lead character, Ted Mosby, could occasionally come off as a jerk—and that was intentional.

In the April 14 episode of the How We Made Your Mother podcast, hosts Josh Radnor, who portrayed Ted, and Craig Thomas, co-creator of the series, along with producer Kourtney Kang, discussed season 1, episode 4, titled “Return of the Shirt.”

The trio revealed that while the early episodes of HIMYM painted Ted as a romantic hero hopelessly in love with Robin (Cobie Smulders), they sought to introduce a twist in episode 4 by portraying Ted as the “villain.”

Kang shared, “[The writers] were excited about flipping the switch and putting you in a position where someone wanted you, and you were the one breaking their heart. It helped to build up the Ted character. He’s this romantic guy who desperately wants to fall in love and find the perfect girl. However, it’s not that simple, as it has to be someone truly special.”

She continued, “Ted’s not just a guy who pines after girls,” emphasizing the show’s desire to explore his “history.”

Thomas stated, “We thought, ‘Let’s scuff Ted up a little in this episode. Let’s make Ted the one in the wrong. He can’t just be a guy who gives great speeches, where the stars don’t align, and he’s always right. Ted messed up this time.’”

In the episode, Ted rediscovers a shirt he had purchased years earlier but never liked. Realizing he appreciates it now, he begins to wear it. This prompts him to consider what other aspects of his past he may have overlooked, leading him to reconnect with his ex-girlfriend Natalie (Anne Dudek), whom he had dumped over the phone on her birthday.

When Natalie ultimately agrees to date him again, Ted realizes that breaking up with her was the right decision and ends their relationship once more—also on her birthday. Her response is to physically retaliate against him.

Radnor noted, “With most of Ted’s screw-ups, he has visible bruises and injuries to show for it. I think this is the first time Ted shows up black and blue, but not the last.”

Later in the episode, Radnor reflected on the significance of “scuffing up Ted as a character who desires and is desired, experiences heartbreak, and also causes heartache.”

He remarked, “If you’re in the dating game long enough, you’ll play all the roles. It’s misleading to say he’s always the heartbroken one or the one who leaves. Being in it for a while means you can be both the hero and the villain depending on the situation.”

Kang added, “I appreciate that in this episode, Ted displays real flaws. He’s not just a shining knight in shining armor.”