SUMMER LOVE

Hey Arnold!

Season 4 (2000)

This special, extra-long episode of Hey Arnold! starts with some catchy surf music and the classic “bell ringing as students burst out the school doors on the last day of school” opening.  Arnold heads to the beach with his grandparents and their tenants/surrogate family only to discover his stalker Helga is sharing the other half of their beach house duplex.  The central story concerns a love triangle between Arnold, Helga and new girl Summer (her name is what the episode is!  Get it?!) but there are also about a hundred subplots that I’ll get to below.

But first for the A story-- the alluring Summer (the girl, not the season) approaches Arnold on the beach, complimenting his sand castle (FORESHADOWING!).  Summer and Arnold begin to while away the days together, but Helga soon discovers that Summer is only interested in having Arnold build her a winning sand castle for a local contest so she can win a role on “Babe Watch”, after which she will promptly dump him for her real boyfriend, aptly named Sandy.  Boy, the writers really threw in the towel when it came to naming characters for this episode.

Helga does her best to convince Arnold of Summer’s wicked ways, but due to her history of horribleness Arnold doesn’t believe her.  Eventually the truth is revealed and Arnold and Helga team up to build the winning sandcastle together and then film a slightly creepy CPR-kiss scene on the aforementioned “Babe Watch.”

Overall it’s a cute storyline but it’s somewhat overshadowed by the gazillion B stories going on simultaneously.  The best part of the episode is Summer, who makes for a very attractive summer romance-- and I write that as a human adult gay man (as opposed to a cartoon pre-teen straight boy).  She’s every pre-teen boy’s fantasy: tan, blonde and belly-shirted.  I don’t blame Arnold for falling for her and I’m surprised Helga doesn’t either (I so get future lesbian vibes from Helga).

The many subplots are a bit more fun, if not overwhelming.  Grandpa gets stranded on an island and is rescued by two Rastafarians.  Grandma surfs, discovers a nude beach and then surfs nude.  Oscar combs the beach with a metal detector, eventually stealing people’s belongings.  Ernie gets buried in the sand (and then sat on) while Mr. Hyunh searches for him.  Big Bob, Helga’s dad, is sunburned and forced to stay inside while his wife is wooed by a Latin dance teacher.  Whew!  They really cram a lot in.

Hey Arnold! always did a good job of mixing the kid and adult characters, but in this episode the adults are far more interesting.  Helga’s drunken mom, who clutches a blender to her chest for most of the episode and later drinks some sort of red concoction directly out of it, steals the show for me.  I also really like the glimpses we’re given of the beach town, which looks so cozy and picturesque I’m ready to move there.

Summer Quotient: 4

Further Reading: I recently learned that several novelizations were made of certain Hey Arnold! episodes, including this one.  I haven't added it to my holiday TV tie-in book collection as of yet, but used copies are out there if you're interested!

See It, Skip It, Own It?

This is perfect TV viewing for that wistful, end of summer, youth-is-fleeting, nostalgia vibe (especially for those of us raised on the Golden Age of Nickelodeon).  See it!

THOSE LAZY-HAZY-CRAZY DAYS

Gilmore Girls

Season 3 (2002)

Yes, this is technically an end of summer episode.  Lorelai even makes reference to the fact that it’s (presumably early) September.  Still, when I thought of which episode to watch to kick off the summer season this was the first that sprang to mind.  In re-watching it for the blog I realized it’s not quite as summery as I remembered, but it’s great fun regardless, a slice of Gilmore Girls from its prime.

This is the first episode of the third season, so there’s a sense of fallout and new beginnings throughout.  Lorelai is estranged from Luke after a Season 2 fight (the episode begins with a memorable dream sequence in which they’re married and expecting twins).  Rory is coming home after an internship in Washington alongside Paris.  And Lorelai has to explain to her parents that her would-be relationship with baby-daddy Christopher is, once again, kaput.  

Emily Al Fresco

The dinner scene between Lorelai and her parents is a highlight.  To reinforce the summer feel, they dine on the patio for a change, and Emily is hilariously (and justifiably) offended when Lorelai mocks their gift of scone mix, bought during their trip to Martha’s Vineyard.  Things go south quickly as Lorelai breaks the news about her breakup, and it ends with her slipping away while Richard and Emily argue with one another.

Another cute scene is Lorelai and Rory’s reunion at the airport, where souvenirs once again play a role (a bored Lorelai buys out the airport gift shop, including, weirdly, a baguette).  They then head to the End of Summer Madness Festival, town patriarch Taylor’s latest invention.  Anyone with a soul would want to attend a Star’s Hollow festival, and this one is no exception.  It looks wildly fun and is brimming with small-town charm, including a barbershop group that sings “Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer” on a loop.  

I want to go to there.

I grew up listening to Nat King Cole's rendition of “Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer.”  Many a summer night it would be playing on our record player (yes, record player!) while we barbecued or just sat outside on the porch watching the sunset.  Fond childhood memories aside, the lyrics just SCREAM summer, so it’s the perfect backdrop for this (semi) festive episode.  The festival scenes also remind me of Fourth of Julys spent at our own local outdoor celebrations.  This episode is folksy fun with just the right amount of angst and quirky characters, even if it is a little light on traditional summer trappings (a giant stuffed bear does make an appearance, however).

Happy Summer!

Summer Quotient: This wasn’t as summery as I remembered, though it earns a 3 off of the strength of the festival scenes alone.

See It, Skip It, Own It?

Worth owning along with the rest of the excellent Season 3—in fact you should own all of Gilmore Girls (yes, even the last season)!