Shalini's Review- "Helga's Makeover"/ "The Old Building"
"Helga's Makeover"
The episode begins at school, where Rhonda is handing out invitations to her girl-only sleepover. Noticing that Helga has not been invited to the sleepover, Arnold asks Gerald why Helga has not been invited, since she is a girl. Harold agrees that Helga is a girl, but in a tone of voice that suggests that he thinks she barely qualifies.
Phoebe tells Helga that she was thinking about going to Rhonda's sleepover. Helga is outraged; she doesn't understand why Phoebe would want to go to a stupid girly party instead of hanging out with her (maybe she's a little jealous?). Phoebe and Helga part on bad terms.
Later, Helga is playing baseball with the boys. Harold tells her that the baseball game is boys-only. According to Arnold, they decided to have a boys-only baseball game since Rhonda's having a girls-only sleepover. This prompts Harold to notice that Helga hasn't been invited and guesses that Helga wasn't "girl enough" to be invited. He and all the other boys start chanting,"Helga's not a girl!" and this predictably results in Helga chasing Harold to beat him up.
Still angry, Helga winds up at Rhonda's house and peers through the window. All of the girls, (including Phoebe), are gathered in Rhonda's bedroom. Helga watches and gets irritated when Rhonda does an impersonation of her. All of the girls, including Phoebe, laugh at the impersonation.
Hurt, Helga resolves to become more "feminine" with the aid of a magazine.
...more fashion disaster, than fashion model, ammirite?
When she turns up at Rhonda's house, her makeover impresses the girls. Truthfully, she looks terrible, but I think it is realistic that a bunch of nine-year old girls would be awed by a peer attempting (and failing) to look like an adult.
Sid tells the boys that Helga's all "dolled up" and heading to Rhonda's party. They decide (at Harold's urging) to crash the party. Meanwhile, just before the girls decide to do facials, Phoebe takes Helga aside to talk to her about her, bizarre, girly behavior. She says that she prefers the way Helga used to be- at least the old Helga was honest about what she liked and what she didn't like.
Helga is dismissive of Phoebe's assessment- until the girls try to give her a facial. Just before the green gloop is poured in her face, she screams and shoves it away from her face. Rhonda accuses Helga of not being as girly as they are. Instead of denying this, Helga agrees and points out that they don't need to do any of this stuff- they're nine years old so they don't need to have facials to "reduce signs of aging".
However, the girls believe that this is what girls are supposed to do for fun- what could be more fun than putting on makeup? Then, the girls hear a noise coming from outside the house. Still wearing their avocado face masks, they open the curtains and scream when they see the boys they scream. The boys scream too and they run. All of the boys except Harold get away.
The girls capture Harold, tie him to a chair, and give him a makeover.
This looks infinitely more fun than putting on makeup!
Extra Stuff:
Still angry, Helga winds up at Rhonda's house and peers through the window. All of the girls, (including Phoebe), are gathered in Rhonda's bedroom. Helga watches and gets irritated when Rhonda does an impersonation of her. All of the girls, including Phoebe, laugh at the impersonation.
Hurt, Helga resolves to become more "feminine" with the aid of a magazine.
...more fashion disaster, than fashion model, ammirite?
When she turns up at Rhonda's house, her makeover impresses the girls. Truthfully, she looks terrible, but I think it is realistic that a bunch of nine-year old girls would be awed by a peer attempting (and failing) to look like an adult.
Sid tells the boys that Helga's all "dolled up" and heading to Rhonda's party. They decide (at Harold's urging) to crash the party. Meanwhile, just before the girls decide to do facials, Phoebe takes Helga aside to talk to her about her, bizarre, girly behavior. She says that she prefers the way Helga used to be- at least the old Helga was honest about what she liked and what she didn't like.
Helga is dismissive of Phoebe's assessment- until the girls try to give her a facial. Just before the green gloop is poured in her face, she screams and shoves it away from her face. Rhonda accuses Helga of not being as girly as they are. Instead of denying this, Helga agrees and points out that they don't need to do any of this stuff- they're nine years old so they don't need to have facials to "reduce signs of aging".
However, the girls believe that this is what girls are supposed to do for fun- what could be more fun than putting on makeup? Then, the girls hear a noise coming from outside the house. Still wearing their avocado face masks, they open the curtains and scream when they see the boys they scream. The boys scream too and they run. All of the boys except Harold get away.
The girls capture Harold, tie him to a chair, and give him a makeover.
This looks infinitely more fun than putting on makeup!
Extra Stuff:
- I love Helga's speech at the end. They really don't have to do any of that stuff to be considered girls!
- I like how Arnold notices that Helga has been left out & that he considers her "girl enough" to attend the party.
- I also like the fact that he joins in on crashing the slumber party afterwards. Arnold's a good kid but doesn't always have an unshakable moral center.
"The Old Building"
Arnold is spending the day with Ernie at his workplace (a demolition site). While Ernie is teaching Arnold how to use a wrecking ball, the radio is playing a song sung by Dino Spumoni (the Frank Sinatra of the Hey Arnold! universe). Ernie, in a heartwarming scene, asks Arnold to join him for his 500th demolition. This honor is usually bestowed on sons, but since Ernie doesn't have one, he asks Arnold join him. Arnold says yes.
At the boarding house, Grandma asks Arnold to help her protest against the demolition of the Circle Theater. The Circle Theater is a special place for Grandma because she and Grandpa had their first date there. There's a flashback to their first date and wow, Grandma and Grandpa look incredible (Grandpa looks especially suave, in his pin-striped suit and slicked-back hair). A young Dino Spumoni is serenading them (coincidentally, with the same song Ernie was playing earlier) while they dance. Grandma reveals that Dino Spumoni got his first big break there. Arnold agrees to help her.
Don't they look great?!!!
However, later, Arnold finds out that Ernie's 500th demolition is the Circle Theater. He decides to turn to his grandfather for advice, but Grandpa dodges the question. Realizing that his grandfather is useless, Arnold decides to tell both Grandma and Ernie the truth and that he wants out. Naively, Arnold believes that since they're both adults, they'll understand.
Predictably, Grandma and Ernie are furious at each other and start fighting at the dinner table. Arnold walks out during the argument and inside Circle Theater, he finds the sheet music for "You Broke My Heart" by Dino Spumoni ( the song that both Ernie and Grandma like). Arnold gets an idea and makes a phone call at the phone booth).
The day of the demolition has arrived and both Ernie and Grandma are there, each believing that Arnold will turn up and be on their side. Arnold does turn up... but with the mayor and Dino Spumoni! The mayor declares Circle Theater a "city landmark" and Ernie is so excited to see Spumoni that he doesn't mind not being able to demolish the theater. He even goes as far to thank Arnold from saving him from making a terrible mistake.
My favorite thing about this episode is that it shows how adults can behave childishly sometimes, especially if it's something they believe strongly in. It's not right and it's immature, but it's pretty realistic. Arnold, on the other hand, displayed great maturity (even more than Grandpa), by trying to find a solution.
Extra Stuff:
At the boarding house, Grandma asks Arnold to help her protest against the demolition of the Circle Theater. The Circle Theater is a special place for Grandma because she and Grandpa had their first date there. There's a flashback to their first date and wow, Grandma and Grandpa look incredible (Grandpa looks especially suave, in his pin-striped suit and slicked-back hair). A young Dino Spumoni is serenading them (coincidentally, with the same song Ernie was playing earlier) while they dance. Grandma reveals that Dino Spumoni got his first big break there. Arnold agrees to help her.
However, later, Arnold finds out that Ernie's 500th demolition is the Circle Theater. He decides to turn to his grandfather for advice, but Grandpa dodges the question. Realizing that his grandfather is useless, Arnold decides to tell both Grandma and Ernie the truth and that he wants out. Naively, Arnold believes that since they're both adults, they'll understand.
Predictably, Grandma and Ernie are furious at each other and start fighting at the dinner table. Arnold walks out during the argument and inside Circle Theater, he finds the sheet music for "You Broke My Heart" by Dino Spumoni ( the song that both Ernie and Grandma like). Arnold gets an idea and makes a phone call at the phone booth).
The day of the demolition has arrived and both Ernie and Grandma are there, each believing that Arnold will turn up and be on their side. Arnold does turn up... but with the mayor and Dino Spumoni! The mayor declares Circle Theater a "city landmark" and Ernie is so excited to see Spumoni that he doesn't mind not being able to demolish the theater. He even goes as far to thank Arnold from saving him from making a terrible mistake.
My favorite thing about this episode is that it shows how adults can behave childishly sometimes, especially if it's something they believe strongly in. It's not right and it's immature, but it's pretty realistic. Arnold, on the other hand, displayed great maturity (even more than Grandpa), by trying to find a solution.
Extra Stuff:
- I enjoyed the way Grandpa dodged giving Arnold advice - "Shoot, time to take my medicine already. Don't call me, I'll call you!" *walks away quickly*
- In honor of Spumoni, here's a link to "My Way" by Frank Sinatra. One of my favorites.
