It's another holiday. That's right it's President... sorry it's Valentine's Day. (Great, I thought we were doing a President's Day special, boo!) I haven't done anything with Hey Arnold in some time and it does have a Valentine's day half hour (with ads) special just laying around so let's go!
This episode came out on February 12, 1997 . meaning once again I've missed a big 0 or 5 anniversary moment (par for course here). This is from season 1 of the series, unless you find this on Paramount Plus they stuck it in season 2, Wikipedia says this episode episode is from season 1 and is episode 20, the production code says it's season 1 episode 24, I've seen it called Season 1, episode 25, Hulu calls it season 1 episode 20, so things are going great. It's an episode , it exists.
Hey Arnold is a series where romance does have its place, especially Arnold who has shown crushes and Helga being madly in love with Arnold. A Valentine's day episode seems to be fitting. This is from the period of the show where 4th grader Arnold has a crush on a 6th grader named Ruth McDougal. The class is making valentines because it's the day and it's something to do. (like sleeping) Arnold makes one for Ruth -signed anonymous because he is a coward. Helga works on making one for Arnold which is hard. She overhears that Arnold wants to give on to Ruth and gets jealous.
The teacher gives out the plot device to the episode, letters from their foreign pen pals. Arnold has a pen pal from France named Cecile and Helga decides to commit mail crimes by opening his letter to read it and add a line to the letter where Cecile says she's coming for one night only. (Good thing the letter came the same date she was coming or that'd be odd) Arnold sees the letter and is anxious, but he's also made a date with Ruth, so... oh no it's a dual date episode.
He likes they have same head/ Copyright Paramount
Time for one of my silly tangents (oh great!). I like how in Arnold's city they have two French restaurants right next to each other. There's Chez Pierre and Chez Paris, they were also used a later plot because they similar naming. So for some reason someone made a French restaurant then someone else decided to also make one - have it be next door to the other one and have a similar name because what? Sounds like bad business. Back to the episode, Arnold is going on a date with Ruth at Chez Pierre and Cecile or I mean ' Cecile' wants to meet with him at Chez Paris. Good thing they are next to each other. (We don't ask if he an Italian pen pal)
It's a war! Copyright Paramount
So the plan, of course, is Arnold runs back and forth like a mad man. I'm also glad a 9 year old has money for a French restaurant or wants to to go to one.
Helga continues her plan of whatever this plan is supposed to do, by pretending to be the French girl Cecile. She does quick French learning, so it won't be very good. Then she does a make over, which I mean I'm glad Arnold won't be able to tell. This episode has some funny moments in it, but have to laugh that Helga is so pushy that she won't let the man at the salon tell her that it's a dog salon and makes him do a haircut. (a bark life)
Ruff hair cut/ Copyright Paramount
Gerald helps Arnold with the Ruth part of the date by trying to give him pointers. It's funny how Gerald pretends he knows all this stuff. Ruth as a character isn't very interesting, but that's not really matters; Arnold like her mostly because he likes how she looks. This special does a good job at pointing out that Arnold really doesn't know anything about her.
That's the first half. It is all set up for what the 2nd half will do. While the idea of having two dates and going back and forth is old, and was old when this episode was made, it does set up something funny for this show to do. The little jokes so far were great. It's also doing some good things with characterization like how Helga just can't tell Arnold how she feels so she'll do an elaborate plan to do it instead. Arnold wanting to go on a date with a girl he doesn't know really, probably doesn't have a chance with, while he also wants to meet a pen pal. Gerald being his best friend and doing things to help prep his friend and also pretending to be a ladies man, even when some ladies tell him to leave them alone, all works together well.
More after the jump
But wait! There's a twist! The real Cecile' is coming. I also like how she and father talk in exposition it helps. But that will take time to come up, as the plot progresses.
I sure hope no one is stealing my identity/ Copyright Paramount
Arnold wait to see Cecile, the fake one -meaning Helga- who looks nothing like her picture that Arnold has, who looks like the girl on the plane. I'm glad Arnold is kind of stupid and doesn't think that maybe this is odd. (Arnold thinks eh girls they change their entire bodies all the time) Helga isn't faking it very well as she's not very good with being someone else, especially from France. (oui) She does the classic thing where she wants Arnold to talk about himself.
Then Arnold offends the French restaurant because he wants a burger. (Silly, Arnold they only have fries there, - yes this joke is bad, that's why you read this blog) Arnold takes a suggestion instead, when the snooty waiter corrects him. So we aren't getting Arnold goes to Wendy's boo! (Aww, I wanted Arnold to have a Frosty)
We serve food her, sir/ Copyright Paramount
Helga orders a $15.00 meal that she probably doesn't know what it is. (It's Cervelles braisess avec les oeufs brouilles or Braised brains with scrambled eggs.) Then Arnold sees Ruth in the window and starts his date thing, it's a surprise that he starts. He finds a spot where they can sit. Helga practices telling Arnold she 'likes likes' him.
Helga prods him to see if there's any girls he likes his class, or of any note. He mentions Helga on the of note part, which is interesting. Arnold mentions that she bugs him and Helga prods more but then the brains and eggs show up.
Arnold takes that as a chance to go back to Ruth and she thought that Arnold was a busboy and she actually thinks Anonymous is a name. Arnold should have signed his name. Helga gets out of the bathroom from her heaving of the brains and eggs. I like how Arnold gets bored with Ruth's talking. It's also a nice touch that when he speaks to Helga and mentions, in directly, that when he thought he liked Ruth and thought she was interesting, but finds out she's not. That's a nice touch. The idea that of we can build up something or someone and it not being the way we thought.
I think you might not be the one/ Copyright Paramount
Helga tells Arnold she likes him, he gets a little nervous and goes to check on Ruth and sees that she has been with this busboy. Helga sees him looking at Ruth and she yells at him for not being honest and then enter the real Cecile shows up. That's funny. She's confused, Arnold is confused, and Gerald takes real Ceclie. He doesn't know who the fake one is and she won't tell him who she is , but we get a sweet moment with the two, before she runs off.
This is a good special there's some good humor, and expresses a message well. Love is more than just how someone looks, that can be an entry way, but there has to be substance to the person for it to work. It's a message you don't see that much in these kind of shows, but it does it right here. It works that we also don't know anything about Ruth either and we are learning with Arnold. It's a well done special. The ending is a good bittersweet feeling. I am concerned about how the real Ceclie will work out with future letters, not that she is ever mentioned again.
Tune in next time, when we launch a French restaurant right across the street from across another two.
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