Rugrats Revisited: Part 5 By: Rodney McIntosh

Season 3 (September 1993 – May 1994):

While was fairly successful, it never was quite as strong in the ratings as the other , and with the tension behind the scenes reaching the boiling point, it ultimately lead to a decision to have the show enter a hiatus after the conclusion of this season. Thus, for a time, season 3 was seen as being the last season of the entire series (The reruns on Nick, even as late as the VHS release of The Rugrats Movie from what I could recall, usually stopped with the final episode of this season), and as a kid, I always felt this was the best season by far. However, how well does it hold up?

The season premiered on September 26, 1993, with the 40th episode of the series so far, which opens up with Dummi Bear Dinner Disaster. In this one, Susie's parents have invited her dad's boss (Paul Gatsby; creator of the Dummi Bears) over for dinner, and she believes that what has happened the past several times is going to happen again; his dad's boss will buy them a new house, and they'll move again. Thus, the babies and even Angelica plot to make sure things go as badly as possible, so Susie doesn't have to move away. This one's alright; it's not as strong of a season premiere as last season's Toy Palace, but enjoyable at least; mostly in the aspect of Paul Gatsby, and how he's not terribly fond of the obsessed fans of his work (Which kinda makes you wonder if any of the writers on Rugrats felt the same way).

Perfect for making volcano bakemeat

The second episode opens up with Chuckie's First Haircut. In this one, Chas notices that Chuckie's hair was getting too long, so it was time for him to get his first haircut. However, Angelica convinces Chuckie that getting your hair cut hurts, leaving him afraid when his dad takes him to the barber shop. This one's not too bad; it's another story about Chuckie overcoming a fear, like last season's The Slide, although this one was more memorable, especially when Susie attempts to hypnotize him (Also, to quack like a duck when someone says "banana").

The second half of the episode is Cool Hand Angelica. In this one, Angelica is going to day camp with Susie, and has trouble adapting to the camp lifestyle; which is portrayed as a boot camp. This episode's not too bad; I'll admit, I never got to go to camp as a kid, but this episode made me want to, if only because I expected an obstacle course to be part of it (What can I say? I watched a lot of Legends of the Hidden Temple as a kid).

Episode 3 begins with a Tricycle Thief. In this one, Angelica is accused of stealing Susie's new tricycle, leading to a trial, similar in nature to season 1's The Trial, to figure out if she's innocent or not. Honestly, I'd rank this one among my least favorite episodes of the season so far; while we have seen Angelica's sympathetic side in the past (Like in last season's Runaway Angelica), Susie acts completely out of character, by being a jerkass over what was ultimately a misunderstanding.

The second half of the episode is Rhinoceritis! In this one, Angelica gets a doctor playset, and begins by giving Chuckie a checkup; claiming that he's developed "Rhinoceritis", a disease that "causes you to turn into a rhino". Also, this is the episode with a sub-plot involving Stu and Didi trying to file their taxes. In contrast to the first half of the episode, this one's just a silly, enjoyable romp from start to finish.

The second half of episode 4 is The Legend of Satchmo. In this one, the kids have a camp out in the backyard with Grandpa, whom tells them about the legend of the Sasquatch, which leads the babies to believe that the "Satchmo" is lurking outside the tent...and when Chuckie steps outside to use the bathroom, the rest of the group venture out of the tent in an effort to find him, believing he's left to find the Satchmo. This episode's one of the classics of the season; providing a very fun adventure at nighttime with some great jokes, and let's face it; the mental image of Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong lurking in the shadows, popping out and playing his trumpet as the kids walk by, makes this episode even funnier.

The 5th episode begins with Circus Angelicus; which is one of the episodes I don't remember seeing too often as a kid. In this one, due to Chuckie's fear of clowns forcing them to leave a circus mid-way through, Angelica decides to put on her own circus in the backyard; with the babies being the main attraction. This one's not too bad; this one uses the same basic idea of the imaginary adventures for something, while smaller in scale (Just a circus, instead of a pirate adventure or the like), is still pretty enjoyable; with the episode smoothly shifting from what's really happening to the imagination bits and back again, when necessary.

“You see, Tommy, fezzes are cool”

The second half of episode 6 is Farewell, My Friend. In this one, due to a mishap that resulted in Chuckie accidentally breaking his glasses while exploring a greenhouse, he decides he no longer wants to go on adventures, but his decision ultimately leads to him and Tommy ending their friendship...at least until the end of the episode, given that Status Quo is God. As a kid, this episode was memorable for how different it was, by showing a conflict within the main group, which they would ultimately overcome by the end of the episode. Although, knowing of the issues happening behind the scenes, and this being the final season helmed by the original crew, it makes me think the idea for this episode may have stemmed from the internal conflict (Of course, that's just pure speculation on my part). It's a pretty good episode, all things considered.

The second half of episode 7 is Angelica Breaks a Leg. In this one, Angelica is staying with Stu and Didi for the weekend, and since nobody was paying attention to her, she fakes having a broken leg to get everyone to take pity on her. If you were wondering, yes; this is the episode that gave us that scene with Stu making chocolate pudding at 4 in the morning. This is one of the most memorable episodes of the classic era; it reminds me of some of the stories one of my aunts, whom is a retired nurse, told me about (Dealing with overly needy patients that were like Angelica was with the buzzer). Also, the chocolate pudding scene was amusing, even before it became a meme.

I’m sure you have this scene playing back in your head now Episode 8 opens up with The Last Babysitter. In this one, Susie's older sister, Alisa, babysits her siblings and Tommy while their parents are away, when a power outage occurs; which Tommy and Susie believe to have been caused by a monster, leading to them venturing into the darkness to try and find it. From a production standpoint, it's worth noting that this episode was written by Peter Gaffney; whom later went on to create Aaahh Real Monsters at the conclusion of this season. This is one of my favorites of the season; it's a spooky fun adventure through a house at nighttime, which kinda reminds me of Luigi's Mansion, and features some pretty cool monster designs in the book Susie flips through.

The B-side is Sour Pickles. In this one, after Stu and Drew argue about a kaleidoscope (Drew bought one for Angelica, but Stu feels he could have built one), Grandpa Lou begins to tell a story about something that happened when they were little; after being told they couldn't watch the new episode of Blocky & Oxwinkle. This episode is unique for the fact that a large chunk of it was a flashback to the late '50s, and was presented in black-and-white, while also showing that Stu and Drew had the same sort of character dynamic as their children (With elements of Phil and Lil thrown in, too). Also, for the Blocky & Oxwinkle bits, both Blocky and Sveltana the Spy are voiced by none other than June Foray; the voice actress for both Rocky J. Squirrel and Natasha Fatale on Rocky & Bullwinkle. This one's another memorable episode; it's interesting to get a glimpse into the past, and let's face it, the jingle for Lou's shop is classic.

Episode 9 begins with 2010. In this one, the VCR breaks down while the babies and Angelica were watching a Reptar movie, so they begin to share their ideas on how the movie would end. This one's a memorable episode; there's not much else to say about it, besides seeing Reptar destroy the office building.

The 10th episode begins with Give and Take. In this one, Tommy gives his new toy, Mr. Boppo (A inflatable punching bag shaped like a clown), to Chuckie, whom loves it at first...but upon realizing it resembles a clown, becomes afraid of it. Maybe it's just me having a dirty mind, but this episode has become funnier than it should be, if only because "boppin' his Boppo" sounds like a double entendre. This episode's alright, if you take away the (potentially unintentional) innuendo from it.

Episode 11 opens up with Home Movies. In this one after watching some of the home movies filmed by their parents, the babies and Angelica decide to make their own home movies. This episode stands out in my mind, for how unique it was; the art style for the kids' home movies looks like something a kid would draw (Which, the show's staff brought in their own children to come in and assist with the art; to make it authentic). This one is memorable for its simple art style and unique charm; kinda like that weird episode of Dexter's Laboratory that was apparently sent in by a kid.

The B-side is, bar none, my all-time favorite episode of Rugrats: The Mysterious Mr. Friend. In this one, Stu builds a new toy called Mr. Friend (A robotic doll that can walk and talk), which he so confident on how well this is going to go over, that he builds several of them. However, the doll isn't quite perfect yet; it tends to malfunction, especially when the parents aren't around, which scares the babies. Thus, they try to figure out how to get rid of "Mr. Fiend". This episode, while one of the scariest of the series, is also amazing at the same time; it feels like a strange mash-up of Frankenstein and The Terminator, with an amazing climax that is unlike anything you've ever seen on Rugrats, as the babies actually fight the army of Mr. Friend dolls in a manner that feels like Power Rangers. Honestly, I'd consider this among the best episodes of the entire series; it's a surprisingly intense ride.

Nothing says “deadly” like a group of babies

Episode 12 opens up with Cuffed! In this one, Angelica, with help from Chuckie, sneak into the closet to take the toy handcuffs that Drew was going to donate to orphans (Among other toys)...and in playing with them, they lose the key; as they try to find some way to unlock the cuffs and free each other. It's worth noting this episode was pulled from circulation in the early '00s, for reasons never officially stated; it's commonly assumed due to Chuckie and Angelica playing with fairly realistic handcuffs (They lack the safety release that toy handcuffs usually have). This episode is alright; the only thing that makes it stand out is the fact that it was pulled almost 10 years after it premiered.

The second half is The Blizzard. In this one, a snowstorm hits the town, as Chuckie's favorite toy fire truck breaks; leading to the babies venture out into the backyard the next day, in an imaginary adventure to find Santa, so he can repair the toy. This one's another favorite of mine; it providing an interesting spin on the imaginary adventures, in that the entire thing was narrated by Chuckie, like it was a journal entry, while hitting all of the right notes. Also, as someone from an area that rarely sees snowfall, I've always wanted to be somewhere with enough snow to do stuff like this.

I mean, I’d love to build an igloo or snow cave

Episode 13 begins with Destination: Moon. In this episode, Grandpa Lou buys himself a mini-camper, which the babies assume is actually a spaceship; which they use to go to "the moon" in order to get Chuckie's toy rocket back. This one's a fun episode; they balance the imaginary bits quite well and throw in plenty of Star Trek references (As well as some references to Alien and ), making for an enjoyable romp.

Join me next time, as we close the book on the final season of the classic era; featuring good old fashioned nightmare fuel and the Mega Diaper Babies. So, stay tuned; there’s more coming up soon