Let There Be Light

"Let There Be Light" is the first segment of the seventh episode of season 2, and the twentieth Rugrats episode overall.

Characters Present

 * Tommy
 * Chuckie
 * Phil
 * Lil
 * Didi
 * Stu
 * Betty
 * Lou
 * Spike

Synopsis
''Working on the anti-gravity playpen (his latest invention), Stu blacks out the neighborhood. So the Rugrats look for the light in the most logical place -- the fridge.''
 * - Description from Klasky Csupo.

Plot
Tommy and Chuckie are having a little sleepover. Tommy is playing around with the light switch until Didi arrives to stop him. She puts him and Chuckie into the crib and tucks them in. She turns on Tommy's Reptar night-light, wishes them a good night, and leaves. Tommy settles in to sleep, but Chuckie is worried. He tells Tommy that when the lights go off, monsters crawl out of the shadows. Tommy points out that the night-light is still on, so Chuckie doesn't need to worry.

Meanwhile, Stu is in his workshop, preparing to test his latest invention: an antigravity playpen. He activates the playpen, causing the toys and crash-test dummy baby inside to float. Stu is happy until the objects start to wobble and fall. The playpen overloads, causing a power surge that shuts down power to the neighborhood. Stu fumbles around in the dark basement, trying to find the fuse box. The night-light in Tommy's room goes out, making Chuckie scream in terror. Tommy tries to calm Chuckie down, assuring him that monsters will not come to get him because monsters don't exist. Just then, there is a loud thumping from downstairs. Tommy and Chuckie both scream and panic that the closet monsters are going to get them.

Didi goes to investigate the thumping, which is coming from the front door. She opens it to find Betty with Phil, Lil, and a battery operated espresso machine in her arms. Betty points out that the whole neighborhood is experiencing a blackout, which is as good of a reason as any to try out her espresso machine. She puts Phil and Lil into Tommy's crib. The twins notice large lumps underneath the blanket, so they poke them, causing the lumps to yell. The twins yell back, but they realize that Tommy and Chuckie are just hiding under the blanket. Lil says that the lights are gone at the Deville house as well. Chuckie tells the twins about the monsters and points out all the creepy shadows on the walls. Chuckie and the twins hide under the blanket, but Tommy leaves the crib to get his flashlight. After finding it, he shines the lights where the "monsters" are, revealing piles of clothes and toys. Chuckie calms down again, feeling silly for being afraid. But, the battery in the flashlight dies, making Chuckie scream again.

Phil wonders where the light goes when it gets dark. Tommy then tells the babies about a memory from when he was a few months old. It was very late at night, and Didi was going to give him a bottle. She brought him to the kitchen, and opened up the refrigerator, where Tommy saw light. He figures that the light hides in the fridge when it gets dark, and the twins agree to help Tommy go to the kitchen and get the light. Chuckie refuses at first, but after everyone leaves, he decides to follow, since being alone in the dark is much worse than being with a group in the dark.

Meanwhile, Didi and Betty are going over the emergency supply kit. Spike carries his leash up to her, wanting to go for a walk, but she shoos him away. Grandpa Lou is trying to get a fire started in the fireplace with "magic logs." Spike approaches him with the leash as well, but Grandpa shoos him away, too. Stu, still in the basement, is fiddling with the fusebox. After installing a fuse, the lights come back on briefly, but go right back out. By now, the babies have made it to the living room. Chuckie is still scared, but Tommy points out that no one saw any monsters while the room was lit. Chuckie sees something approaching them and panics. The thing then walks up to Tommy, and licks his face. It is only Spike and his glow-in-the-dark collar. Tommy gets on the dog's back and rides him to the kitchen while the rest of the babies follow.

Finally, the group makes it to the kitchen. They try to pull the fridge door open by the sides. This doesn't work, especially when Chuckie starts hitting the door with one of Spike's bones. Tommy then points out that they need to open the door by the handle. The babies are unsure of how to reach it until Spike beings them his leash. Tommy ties the leash around the handle, and all the babies pull. Spike even joins in the pulling. At that moment, Stu finds the proper part to fix the fuse box, and throws the switch. The lights come back on as the babies open the refrigerator door. The kitchen fills with light and the babies are proud of themselves. Stu comes back upstairs and finds the babies in the kitchen. Didi says they are too young for midnight snacks, and takes Tommy and Chuckie back upstairs, while Betty takes the twins home.

Didi says that since Tommy and Chuckie were so brave about being in the dark for so long, they don't need the Reptar night-light anymore. She powers it off and leaves the room. Tommy and Chuckie start screaming again.

Trivia

 * This episode was made into a level in the Rugrats: Search for Reptar video game.
 * During the climax, Chuckie throws a bone in the air as the lights are turning on. This could be a possible reference to the opening scene of the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, where an ape throws a bone into the air which transitions to a satellite in space.
 * "Let There Be Light" is a biblical saying in the Book of Genesis.