Backstage, Angelica, peeking out from the behind the curtain to Spotlight Boy, has a bandage over the acne'd half of her face, and a daydream in which that half of her head has become one giant pimple and an attraction at a side show, and everyone is laughing at her. Pangborn tells Angelica to be ready in ten minutes, and to lose the bandage.

Susie comes in with flowers, and an apology for accusing her of lying. Rob Mariano once said, "accusin' somebody of lyin', that's personal," but when it turns out to be true, maybe not. Angelica says, "I don't know why I keep doing these things but now I'm being punished for it," indicating her zits. Angelica, I think I have a good idea why you did this particular thing: You would never have won this spot if Susie had auditioned. In admitting that she knew her machine broke and should have called Susie again, Angelica completely ignores this fact. One word: eh?

Susie says "After what you did, it would serve you right to have to go on stage with Mount Zit-suvius there. But it wouldn't be good karma so..." Susie, it wouldn't be good karma to take the spot away from someone who'd rightfully won it, and Houston, we have another problem with the main plot. Parting words: "You know about karma?" "Sure, doesn't everybody?" I guess Dil's got a really big mouth.

Now on stage, O'Keats' embarrasment to performing arts! Kimi, usually a major performer in Susie plots (like this one, or this one), only puts in a briefie here, hiding her face in embarassment, as Chuckie and the twins trip their way through O'Keats' embarassment.

Pangborn announces Susie, without mentioning that she's replacing Angelica. And she pops out and sings about mirrors, empty pages in open books, oceans, sunsets, and dragons [["Runaround Susie"]], thereby ripping off the viewers expecting something new from Susie every time she sings. Meanwhile: Angelica gets some multi-bounce lightage. Yaay... right? Not shown, however: Other disappointed auditioners complaining that Susie wasn't even at the audition. Also, if you heard an 11-year-old girl complaining that Angelica didn't simply untuck her hair to cover her zits, it was probably this person.

Outside, Chuckie and the twins make a dash for it. O'Keats stops them and tells the trio: "I know you probably want to dash out of here because you're all a little embarassed by tonight's performance. ... I'll do better for the Spring Arts Festival next week." O'Keats, just stop humiliating the trio with your moronic art routines... Please? You know it's all your fault.

O'Keats goes on. "But the truth is, you kids stuck with me when no one else did and for that I will always remember you." And with that, lightage for the trio!

Backstage, Charlotte asks Angelica if she had stage fright, and she shows her parents the zits. Mommy's gonna be making a dermatologist appointment just for her. Hearing that karma has nothing to do with her zits (though most of us would like to think of it that way), Angelica blames alien boy for giving her the idea.

As the creds roll, some Footballhead-heads are thinking, "Hey, wait a minute. Wasn't there an ep just like this plot where Helga Pataki prevented school brain Phoebe Hyerdahl from snagging a spot in a city-wide academic contest? And just before the contest, she gave Phoebe back the spot out of guilt?" There sure was, but that ep didn't draw the same amount of flak this ep got. Filipino Johnathan Sario (who would probably like you to check out his webcomic) analyzes why all the flak.

"I think theres a BIG difference between Susie and Angelica's case compared to Helga and Phoebe.

According to Mr. Simmons, Phoebe is the 'alternate'. Meaning if Helga can't or decides not to participate, Phoebe is legal to take her place. Phoebe did not break any rules whatsoever.

Angelica and Susie is different. Susie is NOT a legal alternate nor a second runner up to Angelica in the audtion because she NEVER auditioned.

Helga told Phoebe to take the fall and she accepted. Because of being an active choice, Phoebe could do nothing to break their agreement unless Helga changed her mind OR Phoebe declined Helga. Angelica not telling Susie is different.

In IKD, it looked like Susie not being informed by Angelica was the only reason she did not make the audition to qualify to sing. Therefore making it look like Angelica's fault. Thats wrong. There were other ways for Susie to know about the audition. It was postered all over the school. There were probably dozens of students on campus that know about it and are participating in it as well. Just cause Angelica did nothing doesn't mean Susie could not have done something about it.

But in both cases, both shows assumed that Phoebe/Susie would do better than Helga/Angelica which sorta brought out a sense of elitism. Just coz Susie joins the audition doesn't mean she's a 100% shoe in. KC asumed that she would be but for all we know, Angelica might have beaten her fair and square. OR some other absolutely random and faceless character beats both of them.

But still the rules state that Phoebe can legally take Helga's position while Susie cannot take Angelica's position. Thats why IKD seemed worse than PTTF."

(For the record, he also describes his idea for a better ending: "A more less controversial ending IMO would be for Angelica to simply apologize for neglecting to tell Susie and Susie forgives her. Susie then shows blessing and support for her friend's performance and no one in the audience even pays attention to her zit.")

To make a long story short: Phoebe and Susie both had the talent, but only Phoebe had a legitimate excuse to join her contest. In my mind at least, it also helps that Phoebe had a much better chance than Helga, while, at least in this ep, Angelica is on par with Susie talent-wise.

And that's the way it is.

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