In Season 1 of How I Met Your Mother, Ted (Josh Radnor) explains his fascination with Halloween.
A story his friends have heard one too many times.
So many times, in fact, that they can all recite the tale.
The tale of THE SLUTTY PUMPKIN!
But Lily (Alyson Hannigan) starts to tell it wrong.
Because Ted has followed the (curse of the) Slutty Pumpkin for nearly half a decade.
He recalls that fateful night.
And why it was so special.
Lily tries again to tell it.
And Marshall (Jason Segal) and Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) join in.
You see, on Halloween, the most accessible piece of paper is a candy wrapper.
But that also happens to be the easiest to lose.
And when Ted realizes the Slutty Pumpkin's phone number has accidentally been given to a trick-or-treater, he freaks out.
Because he basically just let his future wife walk away in a pumpkin bag.
And for five more years, Ted re-wore the same costume he was in the night he met the Slutty Pumpkin, in hopes it would help her spot him.
Almost 10 years after first meeting the Slutty Pumpkin, in Season 7, Ted spots the EXACT costume in a store window. And of course the store owner had a log of everyone who had checked out the suit each year.
And that led Ted directly to the Slutty Pumpkin's door.
SLUTTY PUMPKIN (Katie Holmes) HAD BEEN WAITING 10 YEARS FOR TED TOO!
Coincidentally, the encounter was in October. And the two went out for Halloween, in the costumes that brought them together.
WAS THIS THE MOTHER?!
No. This was Naomi. And once Ted spent more than a few minutes with her, he realized they're super awkward together and really not meant to be.
And though they both tried to make the fairy tale last, Naomi knew it too.
So as hard as it was to let each other go, they said good-bye, kind of?
And the Slutty Pumpkin was never seen again.
