In this episode of How We Made Your Mother, Josh and Craig revisit “The Slutty Pumpkin,” a fan-favorite early episode of HIMYM written by Brenda Hsueh. They explore how the episode deepens Ted and Robin’s characters—Ted’s relentless romantic hopefulness and Robin’s fear of losing her independence—while also setting up major relationship themes that carry through the series. They reflect on the inspiration behind Ted’s ritualistic loyalty to the pumpkin party, the show’s early use of attachment theory (before it was trendy), the origins of classic bits like Marshmallow and Lilypad, and why Ted’s unreasonable optimism often becomes his superpower. Plus, they share behind-the-scenes stories about Jason Segel’s eyeliner, Neil Patrick Harris’s love of magic props, and the surprising indie rock influences that shaped the emotional tone of the series.
CONNECT WITH THE SHOW:
Official Website (Send us your audio and written messages)
Substack (Join the mailing list, get announcements, and read more from Josh and Craig)
Instagram
HOW YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE:
Donate to our ongoing campaign to support congenital heart disease research
AND MORE:
Josh’s “Museletters” on Substack
Josh’s Official Website
Josh on Spotify
Craig’s Official Website (with links to his published writing)
Alek’s “Dead Fathers Society” on Substack
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:
Nutrafol - Start your hair growth journey with Nutrafol at nutrafol.com and use the code YOURMOTHER
PrettyLitter - Save 20% on your first order and get a free cat toy at prettylitter.com/HWMYM
Advertising inquiries:
hwmym@wearebv.com
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
