02.06
Last Thursday, the Nicktoons turned 20. We had a plan to celebrate this and everything, but our series seemed to have fell through. But the interest was still there, and after watching the Nostalgia Critic’s Top 11 B:TAS Episodes list, I decided to take a crack at something different myself. I picked eleven memorable episodes from eleven memorable Nicktoons and put them up in this list. There’s no ranking here, and each show is put here in broadcast order. I also decided to only go with episodes that fill up a half-hour. No multi-parters or 11-minute shorts or anything.
I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed putting everything together.
Doug- “Doug’s Christmas Story”
Who doesn’t remember this classic? Even in the Disney version’s Christmas episode, Skeeter and his family can be caught watching it together.
While ice-skating, Porkchop save Bebe Bluff from slipping in thin ice, but bruises her leg in the process. This “outburst” alerts her rich daddy, causing Porkchop to go to the highest security room in the local kennel while he awaits his possible trial. Now all Doug wants for Christmas is for his dog to be out safe, and tires to save him in the process.
While it’s never directly mentioned that Porkchop would be put to sleep, there’s still a lot of tension as Doug attempts to get the city of Bluffington to save his dog. While it’s a little light in humor, the heart and relatable peril make up for that. And let’s be honest- Doug was never really a laugh riot to begin with. There are some good jokes here, though, like Doug and Judy’s plan to give their dad a more satisfactory 9 iron.
Doug is about a down-to-earth kid facing issues we can relate to at his age, and handles them with his warped imagination and perplexing actions. Out of all the episodes of the series, this one tends to get a response from audiences more than most, and it really is one of the show’s best moments.
Rugrats– “Mother’s Day”
One of the specials made before the show’s first post-revival season started off, this episode of Nick’s flagship show of the 90’s had it all. Some really funny moments and the show at its most heart-wrenching. This episode is hard not to like, even if you’re not a fan of the show.
The babies discover what mother’s Day is when Angelica tells them, and they try to find gifts for their mommies. Except for Chuckie, who doesn’t have one. The babies try to make up for that, and find him a new mommy, with disastrous results. Meanwhile, Chaz tries to hide his collection of remains from Chuckie’s mother, hoping that he doesn’t find it and start to miss her.
This episode is special for two reasons, the one that most people remember being the discovery of Chuckie’s mother. While we never learn exactly how she dies (we’re told that she was in the hospital, long enough to write some journal entries no less, but that’s it), we finally get to see what she looks like, discover what she was like, and get an idea of what her relationship with Chuckie and Chaz was like before passing on.
The other factor that isn’t as well acknowledged is when Angelica takes on being Chuckie’s mother. Charlotte’s neglectful treatment towards her daughter is apparent when Angelica tries becoming a mommy and almost completely disregards Chuckie. While I doubt Charlotte is as cruel as Angelica can be to the babies in this episode, but the seems are there early on in the episode, and everything starts to be put in place near the end when Angelica cries when giving her mom her inadequate Mother’s Day gift. One of the few times we see Angelica as vulnerable as she is here.
A little sappy, yes, but Rugrats could occasionally pull off sappy moments like this, and the movies aside, you’d be hard-pressed to find it pull off more touching moments like the whole of this episode after it’s release. This is possibly the show at it’s best.
The Ren & Stimpy Show– “Sven Hoek”
Jesus. This episode. Just…
Ren get tired of Stimpy’s inanity (no, I didn’t mean to say insanity), and invites his “intellectual” cousin Sven over to their house. The only problem? Ren hasn’t seen Sven in years, and is shocked to find him to be a big, fat goofball like his best friend. Sven and Stimpy connect, and make jackasses of themselves. At the end, Ren is not happy. Not. One. Bit.
This contains the show at it’s sickest, it’s most vile, it’s most disturbing. “Sven Hoek” is a test of endurance for viewers to see how much they can handle. Plenty of gross-out jokes made throughout, some going beyond funny and being just plain nasty. Hell, the dumbbell’s favorite game is called “Don’t Whiz on the Electric Fence”, and guess what Ren does at the end.
Speaking of the ending, Ren gives a speech that borderlines on horrifying. If you can, find the unedited version of it, since Nickelodeon cut out a section of it that adds to the whole thing. All I’ll say is that Ren could use some TP at that point, and you might feel uncomfortable at this point of the episode. But it’s worth watching for John K’s performance as Ren. His voice is pitch perfect, and the animation is sharply detailed during his breakthrough. Spumco at their finest.
“Sven Hoek” is not for everyone, but hell, neither is Ren & Stimpy. This is one of the show’s defining moments, even if Nick won’t allow it to broadcast anymore.
Rocko’s Modern Life– “Wacky Delly”
Best episode ever? Or best episode ever?
It seems like everybody’s had their say on this episode, so I’ll keep it a little brief. Cartoonist Ralph Bighead, son of Ed and Bev, finishes his animated series, The Fatheads, and is required to pitch another pilot to the studio before he can retire to focus on actual art. Uninterested, he hears a crack from Rocko, Heffer, and Filbert, and has the three friends work on his pilot, hoping they’ll make the worst cartoon ever. Somehow, their series, Wacky Delly, becomes a huge hit, and Ralph is intent on destroying it before it’s too late.
This episode is a brilliant parody of the animation industry, hitting a little close to home (Ralph is voiced by show creator Joe Murray, and many believe that the rise and fall of Wacky Delly is comparable to neighboring Nickelodeon hit Ren & Stimpy). It’s an insanely clever half hour of television that pulls no punches and has tons of little gags that make up for a great experience (a half hour broadcast of just a jar of mayonnaise? Grody).
But we all know why we love this episode so much. And say it with me. “I am the cheese…”
AAAHH!!! Real Monsters– “The Switching Hour”
The best episode of the show has got to be the first. “The Switching Hour” is a clever half hour that introduces the characters well and has some very sharp moments.
On Halloween, all the monsters are hoping to head out into the human world and scare some kids, but after noticing his student’s incompetence, the Gromble punishes his monsters by staying home this year. Ickis, Oblina, and Krumm decide to head out anyway, and wreck havoc. All goes well, until Ickis runs into a kid with a costume that looks identical to his body, and the two get swapped- the kid goes into the monster world, while Ickis goes to school in his “Halloween costume”.
Overall, this is a pretty funny episode. Real Monsters wasn’t one of the best, all things considered, but the four main characters are each likable, the monsters’ misconceptions of the human world are cute, and the ending is rewarding. Before you knock the show, at least check this one out.
Hey Arnold!– “Helga on the Couch”
Some of Hey Arnold’s best moments, surprisingly, don’t involve much of Arnold at all. When you get down to it, he isn’t that interesting of a character. Arnold is kind of there to make the rest of the supporting cast react. And nowhere is that more prevalent in Helga G. Patacki. Her character arc on the show is arguably the most important, even outshining Arnold himself.
In “Helga on the Couch”, the school’s new therapist decides to check into Mr. Simmons’ class for the day. Out of all the nutjobs in the classroom, the one she attracts herself to the most is the girl throwing spitballs at the boy with the football shaped head. She suggests that Helga takes therapy sessions, much to her family’s dismay.
Helga herself is reluctant to take this mandatory request, and at first, she turns the tables, asking the doctor questions about her child. Before long, Helga delves into as many of her issues that the 20 minute episode span can handle, including her family troubles, confusing emotions, and above all, Arnold. The reason Helga loves the title character so much is explained here, and while I’d rather not spoil the episode, I think you might see not only Helga’s character, but the show itself, in another light when you watch it.
There are some really depressing moments in this episode, some even shocking, considering that this is a kids show. Few other episodes of any series in this demographic are as emotionally involving or complex as “Helga on the Couch”. It features all the best qualities of Hey Arnold! in one episode, making it the essential episode of the series.
The Angry Beavers– “The Day the World Got Really Screwed Up”
In this Halloween classic, the Beavers find the house of their favorite B-movie actor, Oxnard Montalvo, and attempt to crash it. Unfortunately, what they don’t realize is that soon, Norbert and Daggett are bond to face every B-movie cliché in the book, as all of Montalvo’s films come to life tonight.
This episode is a lot of fun, especially for fans of campy sci-fi films from the 1950’s and 60’s. Nothing is sacred, and tons of good lines are spouted (“Another moment and it would’ve been… later”), while Norb and Dag’s eclectic chemistry is present as they attempt to save the day. The atmosphere also adds to the enjoyment, since it fits the story perfectly, and makes for good laughs.
A very clever episode from a clever, wacky Nicktoon at its peak. Just tons of fun to watch.
As Told By Ginger– “And She Was Gone”
While a fair amount of the time, Ginger was a melodramatic bore, the show had it’s moments of effective serious sequences, a big heart, and clever writing. Of the later Klasky-Csupo shows (The Wild Thornberrys, Rocket Power, later Rugrats/All Grown Up), it was easily the most tolerable.
Episodes like “And She Was Gone” are why. In this one, Ginger writes a poem to enter in a contest. While Ginger has proven her writing skills previously on the show, her teacher thinks that there’s more subtext to the poem, and recommends that she speaks to the school therapist. After this heads out, the school goes through a depressive state, and Ginger tries to prove that she doesn’t relate to this poem and that everyone needs to get off her case. Doing this helps Ginger find out things about herself that she wasn’t able to consider before.
Meanwhile, Carl and Hoodsey wish away a random student, and when she actually disappears, Carl starts to realize that she might be the one for him. Two emotionally harsh and depressing stories for the price of one.
Overall, As Told by Ginger wasn’t a great show. It had good characters (Courtney in particular is a highlight, like in the picture I chose for this episode), funny moments, and could handle relatable issues well. But what held it back was that it played everything too safe, making it seem like just about every other superficial show about kids in middle school released around this time, and a lot of Carl and Hoodsey’s subplots don’t click with the main stories. Not to mention that the designs, like every other Klasky-Csupo show, were hard to look at.
This is one of the episodes where everything falls into place, and does so well. If more episodes of the show were like this, it would have been a lot better.
Invader Zim– “Gaz, Taster of Pork”
Gaz is the best character in Invader Zim. A minority opinion, sure, but hear me out. Gaz’s apathy towards both Zim and Dib’s bullshit is how most viewers should watch the show, hating both and craving a snack. Her love for junk food, video games, cartoons, and all other good bad stuff reflects the general fanbase of the show. Better than Gir at least, who borderlines on annoying a fair amount of the time.
This is one of the few episodes about her, and is a fine one at that. In it, Dib experiments with his spell drives, and decides to try one of them on his sister in her sleep. When Gaz wakes up, she discovers that everything she eats tastes like pork, which comes to the attention of the media. Dib and Gaz’s father, Professor Membrane, keeps her shelter while doing research, as she’s now considered to be the Pork Girl. During all of this, Dib tries to find a way to save his sister’s sense of taste, and goes through hell to do it.
This is a rare episode with little of Zim or Gir, and it works. Dib is probably the weakest character in the show, but he’s fine here, and Gaz has typically sharp lines. The episode as whole is strange and very dark, like any good Invader Zim story, but with a sense of urgency and heart missing in most others, giving it an edge over the rest.
The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius– “Stranded”
One thing I’ve always liked about Jimmy Neutron was Jimmy and Cindy’s relationship. They both egg on each other frequently, but there’s some obvious sparks there, and the longer the show went on, the further their feelings and attitude towards each other developed. Now, normally I’m not one to ship elementary school kids together in a kids show, but their flings are familiar to how kids their age interact with their crushes, and makes for some entertaining scenes.
“Stranded” puts the two in a deserted island together, where they have no choice but to stop their bickering for a short period of time and help each other out. While it takes them both a little to adapt, Jimmy and Cindy really get to enjoy each other’s company, and make for some cute moments. Meanwhile, Carl, Sheen, and Libby also get stranded on Jimmy’s hover boat, without gas, as they try to save their friends, and make for good comic relief.
A cute episode for a cute, somewhat overlooked show. I find Jimmy Neutron to hold up better now that I’m watching it without Nickelodeon over airing it, and it’s a fun, if imperfect show. This is among the best stuff from it.
Avatar: The Last Airbender– “Zuko Alone”
Book 2 is easily the most solid arc in Avatar. The first has a rocky start, while the third has a little too much filler to forgive the highlights of the season. As for the second, while the premiere was weak and there were cases of filler throughout, it held an engaging story throughout, full of just about everything.
My personal favorite part is “Zuko Alone”, which delves into the past of the Fire Prince. Here, we see his life before gaining that painful scar and his eventual banishment from his nation, and get a chance to meet his loving mother and see what he and Azula were like as kids. Final verdict? They weren’t so different back then as they are at this point in the show’s run. We also see how neglectful and downright evil Ozai can be, and a hint or two towards the location of Zuko’s mother.
In the present time, Zuko heads into a part of the Earth Kingdom that resembles the Avatar equivalent of a John Ford setting. Zuko finds a family to spend shelter in, and when raiders come to distrupt the peace of the village, the firebender uses his will to make sure that doesn’t happen. He also loses the respect of the villagers he found in the beginning, and heads off into his quest to regain the respect of his father.
With none of the Gaang to hold him back, Zuko holds his own for a half hour, and proves to be an endearing lead with and without his tragic side taking over his personality. This is the series at its best, being both unbelievable and human at the same time, intense and calm, strong and sensible. You couldn’t ask for any more of the series.
Wait a minute! Wait a minute! There’s more!
SpongeBob SquarePants– “Pre-Hibernation Week”/“Life of Crime”
Since most of SpongeBob’s episodes exceeding eleven minutes aren’t all that great (and most of the half-hour episodes are just regular-length episodes overblown with Patchy the Pirate sequences), I decided to make a special slot for it to name two of the best episodes. Both of which aired in the same half-hour.
The former has the Sponge want to give Sandy a fun time before she heads off for hibernation, which leads to a day of extreme extremeness, nearly killing him in the process. This causes SpongeBob to hide from Sandy, making her go into a panic trying to find him.
Some of the games SpongeBob and Sandy play are so out there, that they’re hysterical (find the hay in the needle stack?), and there are good lines between the two. As well as Patrick, who has a memorable ending scene. But the real highlight of the episode is Pantera. Yes, that Pantera. Look for their contribution in this episode. Won’t be that hard to hear out.
The second short involves SpongeBob and Patrick try to get their hands on a balloon, the “wrong” way. After popping their broken balloon, the two go into hiding and try to do the right thing by the end.
This one is just out there. Spongebob and Patrick’s chemistry is present as well as ever, and some of their dialogue and expressions are great. And this one also contains a memorable ending.
Like this list? Hate this list? Feel free to tell us, and share some of your other choices!
Originally posted on Wednesday, August 17, 2011.