When do Ted and Robin start dating in How I Met Your Mother? Josh Radnor describes the unintentional "gender flip" in their relationship
How I Met Your Mother actor Josh Radnor opened up about the unintentional "gender flip" the creators introduced in Ted Mosby and Robin Scherbatsky's relationship in the series. The two characters were involved in an on-and-off relationship throughout the show's nine seasons between 2005 and 2014.
In the latest episode (aired on April 28, 2025) of the HIMYM re-watch podcast, How We Made Your Mother, Josh Radnor and Craig Thomas discussed Ted and Robin's relationship in the series. The duo specifically spoke about season 1 episode 6, Sl*tty Pumpkin.
Discussing the popular pairing, Josh Radnor mentioned that Ted and Robin's dynamic features unconventional gender roles. The "gender flip" shows Ted being the more emotional, romantic, and vulnerable of the pair, while Robin Scherbatsky is known for her outgoing, career-focused, and realistic persona.
"I think it's smarter to have made Robin the avoidant one and Ted the more anxious attacher because the cliché is the opposite, right? Like, the woman is going to want all the, all those things, and the man's going to be like, you know, I want my freedom. But I think what you guys were exploring, and I don't think you invented this," Radnor said.
Josh Radnor further mentioned that several guys believe they are "just like Ted," which satisfied a demand for such a character in television.
"I think that I think that you were satisfying, like, a market demand for like a more emotionally centered, underserved community of vulnerable men who weren't just just interested in getting laid. I mean, Ted has a healthy libido, but he really wanted to meet someone and connect with someone in the deepest way. So, I continue to think that this whole show was a genius kind of gender flip," Radnor explained.
Josh Radnor portrays the protagonist, Ted Mosby, in the series How I Met Your Mother. Robin Scherbatsky, his primary love interest, is played by Cobie Smulders. Ted and Robin officially begin dating at the end of How I Met Your Mother season 1.
The season one finale sees Ted rushing to Robin's apartment to ask her out after he seemingly made it rain to stop her from leaving town for a work trip. Robin finally accepts Ted's proposal, with the couple officially dating throughout How I Met Your Mother season 2. The pair finally end up together in the series finale, despite the two marrying other characters.
Josh Radnor discusses Ted and Robin's different attachment styles in How I Met Your Mother
In the April 28 episode of the How We Made Your Mother podcast, Josh Radnor and Craig Thomas discussed How I Met Your Mother season 1 episode 6 in the series, The Slutty Pumpkin. In the episode, viewers see Ted and Robin develop their friendship despite not being romantically associated with each other.
Many fondly recall the final scene in the episode, where the pair sat together on Ted's terrace and discussed their disappointment with their relationships that night. Speaking of the episode, Josh Radnor mentioned that Ted and Robin have different "attachment styles," as was evident in the plotline.
"It is becoming more and more clear to me as I watch this that Ted has an anxious attachment style and Robin has an avoidant attachment style. And the way they, you can very simply identify what your attachment style is. When in a relationship, when intimacy comes into your life, do you fear engulfment or do you fear abandonment?"
Josh Radnor elaborated on his character, claiming that Ted Mosby's fear of abandonment proves he has an anxious attachment style. The How I Met Your Mother protagonist is known for his fear of losing and missing out on life's experiences. Throughout the show, viewers follow Ted's journey in looking for the perfect woman as he wants to experience a perfect love story.
"If you fear being engulfed, you do what Robin did in the episode. You want your own ice cream sundae, you want to have these markers of individuation, like I am not a we, I am my own person, get away from me. And then the person who is coming at you with their we-ness," Radnor explained.
For those unaware, Josh Radnor was referring to how Robin Scherbatsky is unwilling to share or engage in romantic and "couple-like" behavior with her boyfriend during the episode. Robin's behavior is a stark contrast to Marshall and Lily's demeanor in the episode, who are portrayed as a loving couple engaging in sweet gestures.
The episode ends with Mike, Robin's short-term boyfriend, initiating a breakup due to her lack of attachment to him. Meanwhile, Ted's contrasting personality is established by the episode's main storyline, where he waits for a woman he met in a pumpkin costume during Halloween four years ago.
Josh Radnor's Ted explains in the episode that the Slutty Pumpkin is symbolic of hope of finding true love for him. He is willing to wait every year to meet her again on the rooftop of his apartment. However, the woman does not turn up.
In the end, Robin and Ted share a blanket while discussing the events of the night. Robin expresses her disappointment and concerns about being a cold person and wanting to be alone rather than with people. Ted says when she finds the right person, she would be willing to do the couple-like stuff.
The scene perfectly sums up Ted Mosby and Robin Scherbatsky's characters. Throughout popular culture, Ted Mosby has been celebrated as the hopeless romantic looking for love in a fast-moving world where the idea of romance is fleeting. Meanwhile, Robin Scherbatsky represents the realist who takes her time to find love and understand its value despite never giving up the key traits that make her a unique character.
How I Met Your Mother is available on Hulu and Amazon Prime.
