Arthur: Season 5: Episode 8: The Last of Mary Moo Cow/Bitzi's Beau

Arthur  PBS 

Episode 8a: The Last of Mary Moo Cow 

The Cold Opening: Mary Moo Cow is the running program that D.W loves to watch a lot in the series. It also causes the tension between her and Arthur as this is a family with one TV set.  D.W loves the show so much she knows when it's on instinctually. This is also when kid shows would be on at a consistent time.  

The Episode:  Mary Moo Cow is coming to town, to the mall. D,W wants to see her. She goes to see the cow but then finds out the news  Mary's event has been canceled.  D.W comes home and she goes to watch the show on TV.  She finds out that this is the last episode of Mary Moo Cow.  Bold for a children's show to announce it's over.  Arthur joyfully tells her it's over.   Mrs. Read tells D.W that's what eventually happens to all TV shows (even this one!) they get canceled. Everything does, except for "America's Funniest Home Videos" will out live all of Earth. I'm also guessing the idea of reruns doesn't pop up here.

        "Arthur" also predicts both afternoon children's programming - on broadcast TV- being replaced and the modern idea of having a news type program at 3:30 PM.  D.W decides she still is going to use her TV time.  She decides to watch the stock market show.  (By the time she's  9 she'll be rich)  She gets an idea to make a petition to bring back Mary Moo Cow. D.W has reached the bargaining part of a dead TV show. (This show is being too realistic) 

                I like  how D.W imagines Mary Moo Cow and the kids on the show have been arrested and put in prison. That would be strange if that happened to people who worked on shows. Arthur is a little mean this episode. They are really trying to do something to him here to make the ending work out for them where people don't think the ending is mean or something.  Shieled.  Also the show saying Channel 12, and Arthur airing on Channel 12 in my area was fun , it felt personal to me. [Take that people who have PBS on Channel 54 or 35 or 25 ppppft] [Shoutout to KBDI-TV] 

            D.W is invited to the TV studio, apparently, it was a local children's show? I guess it just makes things easier.   The stock market show is also being done in  the same studio that was home of Mary Moo Cow. This trip doesn't work out well. She goes into the the room that was dressing room for Mary Moo Cow and the stock show anchor comes in. I like how the stock market anchor is actually the lady who played Mary Moo Cow.  Her doing the Mary voice for D.W was very sweet. 

          Dark Bunny gets canned so some other channel can get reruns of Mary Moo Cow. I guess that's how that works or something?  I think they really just did that ending to have Arthur be mean earlier. 

                     I like how the petition didn't work  because that is more realistic. The show had a blunt yeah shows end message.  It's hard when a show you like gets canceled and they end for different reasons. Most of the time money, but also if the ratings aren't hitting what the people who want the money are wanting, or not getting the right demo they want, or in the case here where the woman who was playing Mary was just getting tried of the role.   It's an interesting piece for a children's show to do, since alot of kids shows end and eventually go hard on reruns or pulled from the line up, but at times networks didn't tell the viewers, it just kind of happened.  Like I said, I think it works better as an episode since it doesn't have a show coming  back- minus reruns- kind of having to understand that idea of accepting the end of show. Something that kind of needs to be learned in current times a little more.  

 Also , why was 3:30pm so big here why is everything on at 3:30pm.  Also, also, would have been bold  since there were only 2 more half hours of the seaosn, if this had been one of the last few episodes of "Arthur". 

        I can remember the times Arthur aired ,at  peak in my area, on the two different PBS stations. Weekdays 7:30am  on 12,  8am on 6/8,  5pm and 5:30pm on 12  at least at the time this episode aired. 

Fun fact: the kids' segment was replaced by having the folks from the new "Zoom" series that first premiered on PBS in 1999, this episode is from 2000. 

more after the jump 

Valentine's Day: The Simpsons: I love Lisa

The Simpsons Valentines Day 

         No, not a declarative statement there.  The Simpsons does have a lot of episodes about the theme of love,  not many of them take place on or around Valentine's Day. Here we do have one and a famous on at that. It's from season 4, and it's episode 15, under the name "I love Lisa". 

            I think an episode starting with "The Monster Mash" is a funny way to start a Valentine's Day episode. The radio DJ, who played it as a mistake trying to figure out a way to make it fit Valentine's Day is top tier.  

          Various members of Springfield are in Valentine's Day moments. Homer forgets, magically remembers, Bart knows he didn't remember and eggs him on, then he runs to get a gift. Ned Flanders doing his own over of the hit Rod Stewart "If you think I'm Sexy" is fun. Finally, it gets to the 2nd grade classroom with Lisa and also the other star of this episode, Ralph Wiggum. 

              It sets up that Ralph is a little strange and that the class thinks he's that too. After the Valentines exchange, Lisa sees that Ralph didn't get one, so she decides to kindly give him one. This makes Ralph very happy and sets up the plot.  A line the show didn't know would become famous is born, "You Choo-Choo- choose me" 

            Ralph is so happy he decides to walk home with his Valentine, Lisa.  We can declare that Ralph is a sweet character and awkward talking with him and Lisa is cute. He's brave talking to her though he didn't have trouble with that, so powerful for him.  Lisa is being kind,  but she's not really interested in Ralph.  It makes a relatable episode. There's a charm to Homer's advice and its funny, Marge offering her simple advice is fitting and charming too. 

             Lisa tells Ralph she's not that interested. Ralph decides to ask his dad for advice about how to get a girl to like you.  Now he's going to try to win Lisa's affections.  There's the 29th Anniversary of the "Krusty Show" which will be playing into the episode, they mentioned it more than once. This episode also happens to be a Presidents' Day episode   Lisa will be playing Maratha Washington and Ralph will be George. (Chief Wiggum extorting the teacher for his son is kind of sweet in a twisted way.  Ralph also got Lisa two gifts: a new Malibu Stacy car toy and tickets to that anniversary show. 

             Bart is willing to do anything to go to see that show. even pretend to be Lisa and go as far as he has too. You have to admire his love of Krusty going that hard. Sadly, for Bart, Lisa goes with Ralph to the show. This episode will also make one wonder what exactly is Krusty's show?  

             We get the other most remembered scene form this episode where Krusty does a talking to the audience thing and goes to Ralph who declares his love for Lisa Simpson and this causes Lisa to explode, figuratively, and say that she does like him.  We get the famous part were Bart uses the tape to show Lisa right where Ralph's heart break. 

                The Chief Wiggum being there for his son his really sweet, even if he does some dodgy things.  I like that it shows he cares for his son and will do anything for him.   Bart gets some funny and wild scenes in this episode, they sprinkle him to just add something funny each time and works to perfection.  The play starts and there's also the fun "lesser presidents" song number.  Homer at the play is funny too, he encourages Bart -as John Wilks Booth- to finish off some other presidents and cheers at the play being almost over.  

              Ralph playing Washington is great, they should give cartoon characters Oscars and then retroactively give Ralph one, because that was art.  The ending is sweet to give a moment of Lisa giving Ralph a card saying let them be friends.  Also capping off the episode with "The Monster Mash" 

         The hard part of talking about an exceptionally good episode  and one that's pretty old is that it has been talked about a lot a lot.  This episode is good because how strong it works. There's a great amount of little moments that are funny or sweet that bring it together, but also makes a good story with Lisa and Ralph.  Lisa doesn't like Ralph- in that way- and tried to tell him but it didn't work, she really only takes advantage by going to the Krusty show, but otherwise doesn't play with his heart.  Ralph's understandable that he first thought Lisa liked-him that way- but got the wrong message. The ending is sweet because it's Lisa trying to correct from hurting Ralph but still knowing her feelings, so being friends is great. 

             This episode isn't totally in comedy, but it has some great funny moments. Bart has the funniest moments in this, Homer coming up second. I'm also glad that thing where Homer kind of forgets Valentine's Day wasn't a b-plot, and kind of interested in how there really wasn't a b-plot story. Instead more side things happen that smaller and either add to the atmosphere or add something in the main plot.  

             I did stretch  it's kind of only partially a Valentine's Day episode, but it works and yeah. I like this one, it's fun, there's a good amount of sweetness and the classic wholesomeness.  

      That's it for now, tune in next time when we choo-choose a different something.  

Arthur: Season 3: Episode 3: Arthur Goes Crosswire/ Sue Ellen and the Brainasaurous

Arthur   PBS 

Episode 3a: Arthur Goes Crosswire 

The Cold Open:  Arthur talks about change and how sometimes it can be strange. Change can be an improvement and how he seemingly enjoyed D.W acting like a cat.  Which is a strange thing to say. What happens if someone changes too much? 

The Episode: Arthur gets paired with Muffy to do an assignment on animals. (what'd the show mean by that?) That means Arthur gets to spend time on Muffy's yacht (not listening to rock) looking for whales. He was bored,  but Prunella and Jenna are impressed and want to know about Muffy's yacht and details. They think Arthur is lucky and something sparks in him because of that.  Arthur is easily swayed. 

            They end up seeing the guy who plays Bionic Bunny on TV,  his yacht had engine troubles and asks for help from Arthur and Muffy.  Meeting Wilbur Rabbit makes his head even bigger. I do like the call back to the first episode where Arthur mentions that Wilbur likes Arthur's glasses.  Arthur even makes TV where can barely talk.  He was impressed by Muffy's large TV.  Also it was on a channel that is oddly specific called Celebrities at Sea network. Which like most pay TV channels probably ended up being a channel devoted to reruns of MASH and reality shows about people other people despise.  

             You can tell that Arthur is becoming more like Muffy. I am also wondering does Arthur have satellite TV? Also, this came out when that would be impressive, somehow more than cable being impressive. (Fun fact: I had cable and still watched PBS because it was also on there, good we are both doing tangents) Muffy and Arthur are making a new club for Wilbur Rabbit's friends. Muffy and Arthur are over assuming things.  They also commit public domain infringement?  Hmm. 

             It is funny that Arthur and Muffy are like one step from being the same.  Or more like Arthur being in Muffy's orbit too much can sway him to be more like her in some sort of way that even Francine can resist.  There are times that Muffy is a force on Francine but Arthur is a lot more influenced , especially since he wants to stand out.  

            Arthur's lunch falls on the ground, but still in the bag, but what we really learned is that Muffy wastes food.  Arthur drops a book and Arthur repeats what Muffy said  earlier because the book is dirty now he won't pick it up and repeats her line of vomitrocious. ( A word that should have made into the public use and been used like how we use Simpsons words)  Brain is surprised because Arthur loves books.  Binky and Brain show up return the book, but Arthur thinks Binky wants an autograph and yeah.  

         Brain says the tile of the episode. Arthur denies Buster going to the club meeting. Brain tells everyone that Arthur has become Muffy-fied.  A new plan is made to have everyone else act like Muffy to snap Arthur out of it. Muffy's friends are roasting her and somehow Muffy only sees it as acting like Arthur.  He realizes they are acting like Muffy. Muffy and Arthur are both right.  This episode is strange. Arthur decides to act like Arthur again. 

            A funny and strange episode. There's a lot of fun in this episode. You can see how Muffy being impressive kind of makes Arthur like the fun and glow of being around her. Plus she kind of makes things go a way where she at least liked that Arthur was copying her.  Guess it's more fitting they are distant friends though.  Really fun episode. 

More after the jump

Arthur: Season 17: Episode 6: Speak Up, Francine/Waiting for Snow

Arthur  PBS 

Episode 6a: Speak Up, Francine 

            The Cold Opening: Arthur says that there are some people who love being in the spotlight, while Francine freaks out and Arthur says that's Francine.  Who apparently then faints as others cheer speech.

        The Episode: Arthur, Francine, Muffy, and Buster go near the creek and find dead fish. Francine's dad explains that some lawn stuff can get into the creek and cause fish death. Francine takes this personally.  Buster, Arthur, and Francine make a film to warn people about the problem. The acting is better than a lot of films. The parks department wants one of them make speech for the Earth Day thing. Muffy decides that she can do it. Arthur and Buster pick Francine and she accepts.  

             Francine does a school report and it goes badly it seems that Muffy might have messed up her mind thinking about thousands of people.  She decides to practice her speech and Muffy doesn't help very well.  Ladonna offers to help. I loved how Ladonna tricks Muffy into letting her go with Francine to help her. Amazing work. (clapping.)  I find this interesting, but is she helping? Who knows? 

            Ladonna makes a test audience for Francine and we get an image spot of Francine just falling apart. Francine decides to let Ladonna do it, which is also a plan, but the winds of change decide to interplay into the plot and make plot happen and have the papers blow away. Ladonna can't do the speech  and Francine decides she has to do it now. 

                 The speech has gone well, even if we didn't hear all of it. There we go. 

         I can't really chip hard into many later Arthur episodes. That's something I'll say in this post for some reason.  There's a simplicity, because PBS Kids, and later Arthur went for more simple ideas. It's actually a good environmental episode  something that is very hard to do -apparently.  Francine's problem is something that a lot of people of any age can feel, the idea of a speaking to a bunch of people and hoping you don't fail. I do like how her confidence was because  she wasn't thinking of failing but really feeling her topic.  I think the episode is fine.  Ladonna was a star in this one too, and loved how she made Muffy confused there.

More after the jump 

Arthur: Season 18: Episode 1: The Tattletale Frog/ D.W and Bud's Higher Purpose

Arthur   PBS

         We dip into season 18 which first came out in 2014. That means time is a scary thing.  I start with the very first episode pairs from this season which aired in October of that year. 

Episode 1a: The Tattletale Frog 

    The Cold Opening: Help! I think Arthur is being held hostage, he's looking right into our souls and says  "D.W. is perfect, she never does anything wrong." I'm scared whoever has Arthur please let him go, how much do you want? Then it cuts to D.W doing something wrong and her Dad asking her who ate the chocolate eclairs, D.W denies it and says Pal did, and the parents laugh because her face is covered in chocolate.  Arthur then compares D.W to George Washington.  DW never gets blamed for anything, except this one time.  I'm concerned and scared, please help Arthur. 

        The Episode:  D.W and Bud are bored and their busy father suggests they play a game.  They do, they play games. The thing to notice is that Bud keeps winning the games and D.W's face is giving me the sense that she is not happy about this. She makes up a game called throw the hat and throws Bud's hat.  I will note that it is interesting (hello readers from the season 1 premiere episode post) that Bud is seemingly the only "Arthur" male kid with hair.  Make one think. Anyway, throw the hat, Bud throws his hat next and it goes around. Then D.W ends up throwing it again and kills a mechanical frog and says to Bud "Look what you made me Do". I'd like to think that Taylor Swift was watching this episode when she thought up the title to her 2017 song of the same name. Not really, I don't really think that. 

            Bud, wanting to do the right thing, thinks they should tell her PA,  D.W imagines that her PA will just say "You're in Trouble." I  think the slightest things scare her. Instead, she decides to hide it so he won't think it was broken.  That's not the best plan, now is it? Is it? No!? Anyway, Bud wants his hat back, but guess where his hat is?  (You don't have to guess)  Well it's way up there and they aren't way up there. Uh-oh.  Bud wants D.W to ask her PA if he can reach it down. [Yeah, I'm using Bud's terms , because I can] D.W takes a bold approach to make  sure her father won't be mad about the frog, by destroying the other stuff in the room too! 

                Bud plays a role of both saying the right things, but also still kind of helping in the mess. This whole episode is pretty much a comedy errors and a sense of mess getting worse as again she tried to hide a frog she broke, and ended up causing damage to more stuff, drops a fan out the window, and breaks a priceless vase. Your afternoons have nothing on this.  Mr. Read finds a fan, shoe and then follows the trail of destruction.  He doesn't know about the room yet and gets a beep because he has go do that thing he does.  D.W thinks she's safe, but the umpire says nope, because Mom shows up. Thanks to D.W's idea of telling her mom there's no reason for he to go upstairs, she sees the room. 

            Her mom either knows that D.W did this but decides to mess with her when she finds Bud's hat on the shelf or she really thinks Bud did this.  Nadine, D.W's imaginary friend, plays the conscious part of D.W's mind making her feel guilty for her not speaking up for Bud in being accused.  When  Bud's mom is calling- probably about the hat- D.W finally breaks down and decides to tell her Mom.  

            D.W is still grounded, they don't use the word, but ... yeah. Bud seems to understand that she almost framed him.  

             This episode is kind of funny in how it just escalates D.W's problem by how much of a mess she gets into.  It's even funnier because her father wasn't too bothered about the old frog thing she broke in the first place, so she probably would have been told to be more careful and not throw things in the house, but everything else is messier because she decided to hide stuff. Bud is fun in this episode, he was right.   It's not a bad episode, very simple, but not bad.  

More after the jump

Arthur: Season 1: Episode 1: Arthur's Eyes/ Francine's Bad Hair Day

Arthur PBS 

Episode 1a: Arthur's Eyes 

            Before I start the episode, yes, this is the very first episode, of Arthur and no, I've not done it before, which is probably in style of this blog.  I also try to not dip into season 1 a lot, because it does have the most episodes but I don't want to drain them out quickly for reasons.  The very first episode of Arthur aired on PBS stations on October 7, 1996. The very first episode here is actually one based off one of the books that the series based on.  Not every episode of "Arthur" is based off a book, because "Arthur" doesn't have 200 books.   I will tell you that they did make chapter books that are based off episodes, so this is confusing. 

            "Arthur's Eyes" was the 2nd "Arthur" book from the year 1979.  The very early days of  Arthur and his friends and family and possible enemies.   

The original book cover 

        The very first book was "Arthur's Nose" which never was an episode and also not about Arthur getting his nose hit by a football. (Arthur Arthur Arthur)  It's about Arthur not liking his nose and wants to change it. The original book is where looks more aardvark than he eventually would be well known as looking like.  In fact, that cover above there already shows some design changes were made from book 1 to book 2.   I can also see why "Arthur's Nose" wasn't made into an episode or especially the first episode. Ironically, this means Arthur did have nose work done.   

They eventually changed the cover to match the TV Arthur 

         The third book wasn't called "Arthur Ears" I think we were robbed of just going to different body parts.  Anyway, the first episode is here to also explain why Arthur wears glasses, to give the origin story of his power.  In modern context (depending on when you are reading this), glasses episodes don't seem to happen as much in children's media. Either because people have accepted them more because being able to see is good, maybe media thinks that having kids be shown that making fun of people wearing glasses actually causes people to um think that glasses might be a thing to make fun of someone for?  Or that more kids have to wear glasses now because I blame *looks around* not enough playing in dirt.  People blame phones, I can blame not playing in dirt. 

                Also from a context, it was rarer to have a main character wearing glasses. Arthur, himself, isn't even a nerd/geeky stereotype, he's pretty much an average kid, but he doesn't not take his academics seriously to a point, but the super smart character in the show doesn't even wear glasses, so therefore. Arthur was doing something amazing. That and Chuckie from the Rugrats?  

             The cold open: Sorry, rambled alot there.  D.W , who should be in bed,  has decided to snoop around the house, wake up Arthur and tells him to come with her to find out their long lost brother.  She apparently has never seen Arthur without his glasses on and apparently couldn't tell the little boy in the pictures is him, just younger.  This also means the episode will be a flashback. 

        The Episode:   It takes place  2 years earlier, not that it matters because their clothes aren't different and since this is episode 1 , a new viewer wouldn't know what's different, except they will see a younger D.W.  Also, Sue Ellen is in this episode- even though she would later be introduced as a new kid. Arthur fails a math test because he couldn't see the board very well, Arthur fails in basketball because he can't see very well, and he fails at an eye test because he can't see very well. Wait a minute. 

            Arthur has to go the eye doctor. I like how the doctor's name is Dr. Iris. Arthur finds out he needs glasses to see. I'm glad at how quick this goes. Arthur has to pick frames like we don't know which ones he's going to pick. Eventually, Arthur gets the glasses. That's when it gets to the plot where Francine decides to say that Arthur looks weird (which is bold for this show and characters looks)and calls him 4-eyes. (She's lucky there's no 4 eyed animal people.) Buster is a true friend and says layoff because some people need glasses to see, only to ruin that later. I do like the bully Binky is like the only one not bullying him because he can't tell he got glasses. 

                Arthur decides to try and lose the glasses but, the forces of plot don't let him. He decides to not wear them at school, instead. Then he goes "There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom" by accident.  Thankfully, Arthur gets confidence. How?  By watching TV.  He's watching a special on TV about how "Bionic Bunny" show is made. The actor, Wilbur Rabbit, who plays the bunny hero wears glasses. That gives him confidence and he doesn't even care what Francine says.  So now Arthur is happy and the world is better now.  Even Francine makes fake glasses to fit in.  Then it goes back to the present and now D.W has to learn about the concept of shaving.  Also, seeing Arthur's Dad with a beard , sure, but he also has hair, so they keep Arthur bald? 

        I do hope the fact we don't get glasses episodes anymore is a good thing like with progress has been made that kids aren't mean to kids because they ...need to see things... that or some third reason. As an episode for an episode start, you do get a lot of the early characterization. It probably helps that were books already to lead from.  You get a sense that Arthur is an average kid, Francie is gruff, Buster is friendly, but a jokester and he did feel bad after making fun Arthur, and Binky is a little lost.  You get the young innocence of D.W. (D.W haters are going to show up) 

Rugrats: FOOTBALL (Touchdown Tommy)

Rugrats Nickelodeon 

         This post is made to be published right before the SuperBowl... hold on  The SuperBowl ™️ which gives us a great time to look at "Rugrats" episode "Touchdown Tommy" from season 1, episode 11a.  

            Touchdown Tommy  has to be one of the most fun episode of Rugrats to exist. It shows the show's strength to an advantage and just has chaos going to 100. It starts with the simpleness of a season 1 episode, Tommy is playing with a balloon it goes under the coffee table and he bonks his head and reacts with a cry. Stu is right in noticing that Tommy was going after the balloon but Didi calls it a concussion and her reaction is 1000.  She tells Stu she's not sure she can leave the dads alone that afternoon for the totally not the SuperBowl because that's copyright game, because Stu was reading a newspaper and not noticing that Tommy was possibly going to bonk his head. (If Didi really cared, she would have removed the under from the table) She is reconsidering going on a shopping trip with Betty (women do be shopping?...on a Sunday?)  Also why is she pretending she has an eagle view on the kids? 

            Stu figures out a way to make he and the other guys won't have to watch the Excellent Pot [hang with here] in shifts. He thinks of an idea-helmets. Why does Angelica scream at her cat?   Why does the cat run and not tear her face off?  Stu shows his wife his strange helmet on Tommy that it works. (Why didn't they get the balloon)  I think it's funny that this episode sets up the idea that the guys won't be really watching the kids because of the game, but the trick is that it won't be anyone bonking their heads, also helmets are the big set up to this.  

                Why are Stu and Grandpa Lou wearing Houston Oilers shirts? I just wanted to ask that question because I found it funny they picked an Oilers like logo for the shirts.  Chaz comes with Chuckie, and also brought a very large TV for the Splendid Dish. This is back when  large TVs were cool, expensive [so this man was risking alot] and heavy. (In my day we walked 15 miles to watch at 15 inch TV , for 15 minutes  a day) Angelica is with Drew, she needs to be her for this episode to work the way it does. Of note, Charlotte isn't in this episode, she's not even mentioned. A detail that she's not hanging out with the guys or the women. Angelica is with Drew, that woman is working there is no Sunday break for her. 

             Chaz says he'd rather watch the chess playoffs, he's wearing a chess shirt, and doesn't mean he could just watch the kids? (hmmm big think) This is also Chaz's first episode where he says more words than Chuckie.  I will note that Drew and Howard are wearing Dallas Cowboy style star jerseys.  Showing both Texas teams, which were a rivalry.  The Oilers never played the Cowboys in a Superbowl, neither have their current name the Titans or the Houston successor team The Texans. Would have been funny if their had been one in 1992, a few months after this episode aired. (The Cowboys and Oilers didn't make it to the 1992 SuperBowl : Super Bowl XXVI )  Drew and Stu wearing contrasting team jerseys shows their rivalry.  It also shows Lou and Stu seem to be closer, besides the fact Lou lives with Stu instead of Drew. Howard sometimes contrasts with Stu, but not as hard, and there's not much Drew and Howard connections. . Chaz is more neutral and has a 'geeky'  chess shirt on, fitting his character.  

            The guys are ready to watch the Ultra Bowl[ this time their word for it, not my joke] and this one was called UltraBowl XXXVII , way ahead of the Superbowl at the time.  All the kids have helmets and Stu really didn't much effoft in this. Tommy's is a bowl with plush turtle and some toilet paper on rolls?,   Chukie's is just a bucket with some green sponges, and toilet paper on a roll. Phil and Lil have stuffed bears on top of their bowls with a roll of toilet paper each. Angelica's he just gave up 100% and just stuck a diaper on her head with some string and a roll of toilet paper.  Angelica, seems like the one most likely to even bonk her head in ways Tommy would, but that's just a diaper, it's not going to help anything. Stu lost it and is mad. 

            Grandpa Lou gets up to get more pork rinds and Stu asks if he can give the kids their bottles. He gives one to Angelica who remarks that bottles are for babies and that she is, in fact, not one. (To be fair the diaper on her head doesn't help) Between this and Lou forgetting he had a grand daughter in a previous episode, I don't think he cares much.  He goes away, but also for some reason decides to give Tommy chocolate milk, while no one else gets any. This man chose violence and chose to create what happens the rest of the episode, he must be stopped! 

          Angelica is very jealous and she wants the milk. Then the episode does what makes this silly episode ever better.  The football commentary on the game ends up working as the commentary on how the babies try to keep Angelica away from the bottle.  (There is more milk in that bottle than their should be) This is really a great scene, no dialogue  from the babies and Angelica and just mimicked football with a bottle with brown liquid.  There's even a replay like football game broadcasts do, it's amazing.  

            But of course, it's over and Angelica realizes the bottle is empty and starts to whine. She also gets blamed because Didi comes home and sees the mess made.

          To rank a Rugrats episode, this one is one of the top ones. Season 1 Rugrats has very high tier memorable episodes. This one is a pure treat. It's a fun episode. It actually interesting it really holds back it's most memorable part for the last fourth. Everything else is build up, but interesting in its own right.  Didi's first time mom overreaction at the start is funny, even more since its not like  she also has a firm grasp on watching the kids, herself.  Stu's finding the funniest solution that later does nothing to help what really happens, but gives us helmets for football style keep away is great.  

         Another fun thing about a majority of the episode is how contained it is. It mostly stays in the living room area. There are some small parts that happen in the basement -Stu's Workshop- but the majority of this episode is living room based , but shows Rugrats power to make one spot just the most interesting place. Since this is early early Rugrats, they aren't even showing the Rugrats pretending to be anyone, it's straight forward but you still get a nice match up.   

           I love the little details in this episode.  They didn't have to really go as close as they could do with almost NFL team logos they did. I mentioned the helmets , and  mentioned that Stu really was just kind of putting random stuff together, but I do love the effort in these different ideas for all of them.  The twins have the same design matching how they look and their clothing as well, Chuckie's not even being a bowl is funny. He probably has the 2nd worse safety one after Angelica. Angelica's is funniest like there was an outright contempt towards her and that felt like a deliberate choice to make her look like that. It also fits her pigtails to stick through.  There was a lot effort done in Stu's quick thinking here. 

             Also, you can't tell me this episode wasn't propaganda for chocolate milk, you know you want some.  Top tier Rugrats episode. That's all. 

           That's it for now , tune in next time, when we see what happens when strawberry milk is involved. 

             

Rugrats: I also Remember Melville

Rugrats 

     

          This is a Rugrats episode where a bug dies and it's still very sad.  With also a context of it being an episode about Chuckie where the very next season the audience learns about another death that also happens to be connected to Chuckie.  "I Remember Melville" is a season 3 episode, it's season 3; episode 25a.  

       Chuckie is playing with a bug he has seemingly made into a pet.  The bug is of course named Melville. The bug isn't given a species but it does seem to be a pillbug that bug that is nicknamed "Rolly-Polly" because of that thing they can do where they roll up.  Looking it up, they apparently live 2-5 years or at least can live that long... I'm just going to say that Chuckie found a 3-year-old not insect, [I had to look this up], yeah that's what I want to say. (We aren't going with some sort of accusation  are we?) 

        I also do find it pretty interesting that Chuckie is actually just playing with a bug and has no fear of it, that's different.  This is his pet since his family really can't have other kinds of pets for a various amount of reasons. It's really sweet and cute to see Chuckie care and tend for his bug pet friend. The episode really works to give the viewers a happy montage of Chuckie and Melville, it's just being mean now. I know what's coming; I've seen you before episode, I can't be taken down this way again.  We also find out that Chuckie has eaten soap before.   

           Chuckie brings Melville, who is still alive, with him and asks Tommy, Lil, and Phil if they can watch the bug while he goes and finds some leaves. (He leaves for leaves)  Anyway, first off Phil and Lil were like Chuckie was gone for 1 second and they say let's eat him. Which concerns me, but Tommy is like woah hey! hey! no! no! Bad Phil and Lil, bad!   Then, Tommy thinks to teach Melville some tricks to surprise Chuckie and well Chuckie will be surprised, alright.  We, the viewer, see the bug laying on its back.  It's getting sun tanned right? It's resting, it's a back sleeper?  Uh oh. 

He went quickly too/ Copyright Paramount 

        Also, also, also Lil and Phil know dead is, that's an interesting detail there.  This episode is not a coward.  It says dead. I have to give it a point for at least saying it out loud.  Lil and Phil explaining with the knowledge they know of what dead is but in the smallest sense of the idea that is sleep forever. It's  well characterized balance where  it fits two spots at once.  Probably for the best Angelica isn't in this episode, though they wouldn't have written her being mean in this episode anyway. 

       Tommy understands that Chuckie will be really upset when he returns and decides that the best to help Chuckie is to get him a new bug. They find him a snail. This is a bold strategy, will it pay off?  (I'm sure Chuckie will be like hey, Melville you grew, lost your  legs , gained a shell in the time I was gone, how long was a I gone?) 

             Chuckie returns and Phil goes the direct approach of saying  bug dead. Chuckie know what dead means and freaks out.  It's a heartbreaking scene.  (especially for the snail) He denies that Melville is dead and is adamant about it even with Tommy trying to say otherwise.  Chuckie goes off and later we see him playing with the dead bug as it just kind of well falls and stuff.  It's a good way of showing that Chuckie has maybe processed it but doesn't want to accept it. Hoping for a different result. I also like how it's not played off as funny or a joke brought in to lighten up the moment.  Tommy also attempting his best to try to get Chuckie to snap out of it is also really good. 

dang it/ copyright Paramount 

        

          Tommy doesn't go that far and just kind of backs off and lets Chuckie continue.  Then Chuckie finally does break down.  The next day,  Tommy, Phil, and Lil  decide to make sure not to do anything to remind Chuckie of Melville so he won't be bad.  This um, doesn't work.  Chuckie has seemed to accept things and isn't in a sad mood, until chocolate pudding makes him sad because that's what Melville and him ate before the death. (I'm not saying it)