Slutty Pumpkin

"Slutty Pumpkin" is the sixth episode in the first season of the television series How I Met Your Mother. It originally aired on October 24, 2005. The episode was written by Brenda Hsueh and directed by Pamela Fryman.

Plot

Marshall (Jason Segel) and Lily (Alyson Hannigan) are very excited about Halloween, and have received their costumes in the mail. Marshall has decided to dress up as Jack Sparrow, and Lily as a green parrot. They really hope to win the costume contest at the bar and win the prize of a $50 gift certificate having spent $100 each on their costumes. They invite Robin (Cobie Smulders) and her new boyfriend Mike (Jeremy Gabriel). Although Robin told them neither she nor Mike were dressing up, Mike comes dressed as Hansel, and asks Robin why she isn't dressed as Gretel. They go down to McLaren's, and Lily notices that Robin doesn't appear interested in Mike, even though Mike is obviously interested in her. Lily tells Robin that in order to avoid losing Mike, she is going to have to do "couple things" (such as share food, hold hands, etc.) and not send Mike the wrong signals. Robin tries, but she doesn't succeed, and Mike breaks up with her. Marshall and Lily do indeed win the costume contest.

Ted (Josh Radnor) spends his Halloween waiting for the "slutty pumpkin" (which has strategically carved holes) that he met in 2001. Ted really likes this girl, but he lost her phone number when Lily gave away the Kit Kat that he had written the girl's phone number on. All he knows about this girl is she has studied penguins and enjoys making a drink that combines Kahlúa and Root beer which she likes to call "The Tootsie Roll". Every year he waits at the same party, dressed in the same old costume, a hanging chad, hoping the "slutty pumpkin" will be there.

Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) wants him to come to a Victoria's Secret party on a yacht, but Ted stays at the party, even though the "slutty pumpkin" doesn't show up. (He thought she did at one point, but it was Barney, who was already in his third costume of the night, intentionally trying to fool him by dressing as a penguin and making "the Tootsie Roll".) Ted finally gives up and goes to the roof to think. Robin, knowing he'd be up there, comes up to the roof, and sits and talks with him for a while.

Production

In an interview for Television Without Pity series co-creator Craig Thomas said that every season the writers discuss at length how the Slutty Pumpkin might factor into the mythology of the show. He describes Ted waiting optimistically as being like Lloyd Dobler (portrayed by John Cusack) from the film Say Anything....^[1]

References

External links

• "Slutty Pumpkin" at the Internet Movie Database
• "Slutty Pumpkin" at TV.com