1001 Animations: Regarding Stuie by Regulas314 on DeviantArt (original) (raw)

Show: Rugrats
Episode: S2 E6a
Year: 1992

Writer(s): Guy Maxtone Graham

Hey, SpongeBob staff. I hate to break it to you guys, but SOMEBODY already did a version of "Squid Baby" well over 20 years ago before SpongeBob was even put to celluloid! And the guys behind Rugrats managed to do this all without being gross, stupid or annoying! It's also one of the best takes on the amnesia plotline I've ever seen and quite and emotional roller coaster!

Like Squidward, Stu Pickles is regressed to a baby's mental state through a plausible means via a blow to the head. Except here it wasn't out of contrivance but an honest mistake on Stu's part (when doing roof work, you always want someone to hold the ladder or catch your ass). In a nutshell, Stu basically becomes Baby Huey and the Rugrats use him to help them get things they couldn't normally reach without toddler stacking. No, they aren't taking advantage of "Stuie" here because as tots, it makes sense for them to want to get to the unreachable. A lot of kids are like this, and Stuie himself gets his fair share of the glory as well. And it is pretty funny and sweet seeing Stuie hang with the gang and help them out.

Of course, since Stu is now Stuie, it dawns on Tommy that his daddy might never come back, and this makes him break down to tears. Anyone whose ever had someone go through amnesia or something similar can relate to Tommy's plight here, as a lot of people do in fact get regressed mentally via head trauma, and it can be a permanent affliction in many cases. You wouldn't expect a show about babies to actually get super emotional, but Rugrats has proven that it could be serious when it wanted to be in its own way, while never losing its charm.

The lengths Stuie goes through to try and be an adult again are very sweet and it just goes to show how much Tommy really loves his dad. Also, the way Stu gets knocked back to normal isn't even remotely insulting in the slightest; it helps immensely that he didn't end up shitting his fucking pants! And before you ask: yes, I have tried wearing a sheet or blanket as a diaper myself. All in all, is it any wonder people call this _Rugrats_’ best episode?

Rugrats is owned by Nickelodeon, Viacom and Klasky-Csupo.

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