by SpiderBraids
So, it had been just a bit more than two years since the airing of [[Rugrats, "All Growed Up"]], and about 7 months since Nick previewed this new spinoff with [["Coup DeVille"]]. Now, it was time for the series to begin properly. Meanwhile, Craig Bartlett was rolling in his Cartoon Network cubicle, as, long before KC even thought of making this show, Craig had proposed a spinoff from [[Hey Arnold!]] in much the same vein, which ended up never getting picked up. That's a different story altogether, however...
... as we open with Angelica caterwauling in her bedroom. And to paraphrase the late Rodney Dangerfield, she ain't getting no respect... especially from the neighborhood dogs. ;)
Title sequence (note to KC: making your titles mostly out of ep clips looks cheap), and then the ep title: "Susie Sings the Blues". In this case, she's singing the US national anthem at the Wombat Hall (you may have heard of this place before [Rugrats, "Rugrats in Paris"]).
Or rather, she's mangling it, if Angelica's comment is of any indication. She's complaining that Susie "sound[s] like Fluffy the day after she licked the tinsel off the Christmas tree." I know of someone who didn't like Susie's singing here either, if this USEnet post on this very episode is of any indication.
"OK, who is this Susie person," some of you might be asking? This is understandable, since during Susie's 10-year run on Rugrats, she was only in a relative handful of stories. In the first two movies, her roles were rather limited (of what use was her ability to speak clean French, if she didn't get to go to Paris [Rugrats, "Rugrats in Paris"]?), but in [[Rugrats Go Wild]], she travelled along with the others, with camera in tow. And with the new spinoff, she's actually getting a regular role, so expect more of her.
Now, where were we? Oh yeah, Angelica's complaining about Susie's singing. Next thing you know tho, some woman named Beverly Jones drops by, and makes some positive comments about her singing. Beverly even asks her, "do you have an agent?" Angelica interrupts, however: "If you're looking for real talent, plant it and dig it." She then goes into the song she was caterwauling before the title sequence, and that prompts this comment from Susie: "I used to like that song." Beverly leaves Susie her business card, and this, my friends, is the main plot will be working from.
We head over to the school cafeteria for another plot. Tommy and Chuckie are watching a bunch of students who sprayed mashed potatoes on the soccer field (as we'll see later in the series, Tommy's an avid soccer player) get some serious punishment from vice-principal Slambang Pangboarn. If that name sounds too much like one of them professional wrestlers (What kind of people find fun in beating up other people anyway? For that matter, watching other people beat each other up...), that's the whole idea. Finster's betting that he'll punish them with some holds he learned from his pro wrestling days.
It's been almost a decade since I first heard Kevin Costner say, "I just gave away the US Open," and I'm still not over it. Probably never will be, since it was all because Costner wouldn't make the safe choice that wouldn't have given it away. It may have worked for some viewers, but not me. "Why the heck are you giving me a personal anecdote," you ask? Well, in light of the potato boys' punishment, Finster sez that it's proof they took a risk. He's complaining about making safe and "boring" (his words, not mine) choices, like vanilla ice cream over chocolate mocha swirl for lunch. For the record, besides the ice cream, his lunch consists of cottage cheese, and bread without the crust. Prompting the comment: "Crustless, vanilla Finster."
Tommy sez: "Hey, be tight with that." The young Tommy [Rugrats] would never think of saying stuff like that. Yep, the show is desparate to appeal to teens and tweens, so KC's having our former favorite babies spout teen-isms. Not good.
OK, where were we? Anyways, Chuckie sez: "I wanna be tight with a different Chuckie, [...one] that flirts with danger." That said, he decides: "I'm gonna start messing up, you with me Tom!"