How I Met Your Mother loved to treats fans to holidays specials throughout its long run, but how many Halloween installments did the beloved sitcom have? Debuting in 2005, the inventive sitcom series How I Met Your Mother gradually built a cult following over its nine seasons thanks to clever storytelling tricks and a stellar ensemble cast including Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders, and the show’s breakout star Neil Patrick Harris.
The series followed sad sack architect Ted Mosby’s meandering recollection of how he first met the titular mother as recounted to his beleaguered offspring. Of course, this ambitious setup was mostly used as a springboard for Friends-style hang-out sitcom shenanigans. That iconic NYC sitcom was a big influence on the show, with How I Met Your Mother and Friends often including the same guest stars. And like any great hang-out sitcoms, the show had more than its fair share of holiday specials.
So with five Thanksgiving (or Slapsgiving) episodes and seven Christmas specials including the penultimate season’s two-parter, how many Halloween installments of How I Met Your Mother were there? Well, surprisingly for a show which loved holiday specials there are only three Halloween episodes. The first and last of these are the two Slutty Pumpkin installments from season 1 and its season 7 sequel, as well as the less-remembered 'Canning Randy' from season 6.
'Canning Randy' is a solid season 6 installment that benefits from a lack of Ted-centric stories, following Marshall’s anguished decision to fire the eponymous co-worker played by guest star Will Forte and Robin’s attempts to cover up an embarrassing secret. There’s a Halloween party, sure, but it’s a relatively subdued affair (no need for Barney's legendary hangover cure here), and the episode isn't nearly as holiday-centric as the Christmas specials or even both Slutty Pumpkin episodes. Put beside each other, these two Halloween episodes illustrate the show’s move from a (relatively) small-scale character comedy into the zanier sitcom of later seasons.
In the first Slutty Pumpkin installment the titular heroine is never seen, much like the show’s much-discussed Mother wasn’t revealed until its final season. As a result, the show has room to deepen Robin and Ted’s connection and despite some hilarious gags like the dated Hanging Chad costume, the episode ends on a bittersweet note. The show wasn’t afraid of leaning into the loneliness and uncertainty of singledom in these early seasons, but by the time How I Met Your Mother ended with its ninth season, the show's tone had undergone a serious shift. As such the early episode makes for a marked contrast with season seven's The Slutty Pumpkin Returns. Here, she’s played by high-profile guest stars Katie Holmes of Dawson’s Creek fame but, despite a charming turn from the actor, this busier and less emotionally involving episode sees the show struggle to capture the sweetness and simplicity of its earlier outings. All three How I Met Your Mother Halloween specials make for solid watching, but taken together they illustrate the fact that, in the case of this sitcom at least, sometimes less really is more.
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