ARNOLD'S THANKSGIVING

Hey Arnold!

Season 3 (1998)

Hey Arnold! is part of the 90s Nickelodeon pantheon of awesome animated shows, including some terrific holiday episodes.  In “Arnold’s Thanksgiving” two of the main characters, Arnold and Helga, finds themselves longing to escape their eccentric families and experience a normal Thanksgiving for once.  Arnold’s frequently confused grandmother insists they celebrate the 4^th of July every Thanksgiving, complete with a rooftop barbeque and fireworks.  With the hindsight of adulthood her apparent dementia is tragic but it’s played entirely for laughs on the show.  Meanwhile Helga’s perfect older sister Olga overshadows her and her (admittedly pathetic-looking) pinecone centerpiece.

Pinecone Centerpiece = Nice try, Helga

Both Helga and Arnold slip away and end up meeting on the docks.  After watching a replica of the Mayflower crash and sink they decided to seek out their teacher, Mr. Simmons.  He earlier wrote and directed a school pageant portraying the perfect Thanksgiving so the kids think he’ll provide one in real life as well.  Mr. Simmons welcomes them into his home but his friends and family turn out to be horrible, argumentative and gluttonous.  Realizing they don’t have it so bad after all Arnold and Helga return to their own worried and grateful families.

By far the greatest thing about this episode is the not-so-subtle revelation that Mr. Simmons is gay.  One of his guests, a mustachioed gentleman named Al, spends the dinner bickering with Mr. Simmons’ mother, who is none too pleased at Al's presence.  When she suggests Mr. Simmons take a female friend out on a date, he casts Al a nervous look and quickly tells his mother that he already has plans.  If I saw this when I was younger it certainly flew over my head, though it’s made screamingly obvious.  The show’s creator has apparently confirmed that Mr. Simmons was gay, although it was never stated outright on the show.  Pleasantly progressive stuff for a 90s kids show!

You go, Mr. Simmons! Seen here at the head of the table.

There are also tons of great Thanksgiving moments, whether it’s the opening pageant scene, Olga’s kitchen preparations, or a store window displaying a Thanksgiving meal that both Arnold and Helga gaze wistfully at.  Even the jazzy score helps set the mood for this urban and surprisingly urbane Thanksgiving adventure.

The Menu: We get multiple meals over the course of the episode, including but not limited to Turkey, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Peas, Corn, Pie, Hamburgers & Hot Dogs

Thanksgiving Quotient: 5

See It, Skip It, Own It?

This episode is dripping in Thanksgiving details and you’ll need multiple viewings to enjoy it all, so add it to your permanent collection!