The Bubbe and Zayde Show

"The Bubbe and Zayde Show" is the first segment of the ninth episode in the first season of the 2021 series of Rugrats. It premiered on Paramount+ on October 7th, 2021

Characters Present

 * Tommy
 * Chuckie
 * Phil
 * Lil
 * Susie
 * Lou
 * Didi
 * Stu
 * Boris
 * Minka
 * Betty (On phone only)

Summary
Tommy's favorite characters from a funny TV show turn out to be his visiting grandparents. - Description from Paramount+

Plot
A man, Boris, tells Tommy "look who's here," presenting a sock puppet named Sid. The sock calls him the cutest grandson he ever saw as a woman, Minka, enters the room, telling "Sid" to step aside. She says that Selma Sock wants to play with her bubbelah as the angle cuts to show that Tommy is watching this on a tablet from inside his playpen. Tommy giggles as the two continue to put on a show. In the kitchen, Didi labels a container with "Reptar cereal" and talks with Betty on the phone. She tells Betty that she's not doing much, just labeling her food storage containers. Betty calls it "brilliant," saying that morning she fed the twins, Phil and Lil, dried lentils instead of cereal. She says that though they ate the, it wasn't her finest hour. Hearing Tommy giggling, she asks about it and Didi explains that Tommy has a video call with his grandparents in Florida every day after snack-time. She continues with her labeling and Betty asks if she can do her kitchen next. Back on the video call, the two continue to amuse Tommy using kitchen instruments as apparel. Didi comes in and greets them. She tells him it's naptime and says to wave bye-bye to "Bubbe and Zayde." She ends the call.

The next day, it's snacktime with Tommy and the other babies. She serves them Reptar space puffs and juice. Tommy tells the babies that it's almost time to watch The Bubbe and Zayde Show, believing his grandparents' call to be a television program. Chuckie says he's never heard of it and Tommy explains that "Bubbe" and "Zayde" are his grandparents, who live inside a thing called "the Florida." He pulls over the tablet, but is confused when nothing happens. Just then, the doorbell rings and Stu goes to get it. It turns out to be Boris and Minka in the flesh. Both Stu and Didi are surprised to see them. Didi says they weren't supposed to be arriving until the next day, but Minka says that Boris doesn't like to be late for a flight, so they got the airport a little early. "By a whole day?" wonders Didi. He asks if they can blame him, that he wanted to see his only grandchild. He grabs Tommy and pinches his cheeks, but Tommy is deeply confused and cries. He gives him a toy dreidel, saying that it's for Hannukah, albeit a little early. The toy attempts to play "The Dreidel Song," but it peters out due to cheap batteries, leaving Minka to think that their grandchild will think they don't love him. As Tommy continues to cry, Didi takes him, saying that he just needs to get to know them. She suggests that in the meantime, Stu show them his new workshop.

Stu does so, telling them that his dad's garage is now his professional inventing space. He tells them he's even soundproofed it so that when something explodes, nobody can hear it. They look around, Minka chastising him for a dangerous blowtorch. She asks what would happen if Tommy were to crawl in there, but he tells her he's covered that with his new Garage Lock-out invention. He shows them it has a child-proof security door that can only be opened with a numerical code. While Stu and Didi get the two settled in, Tommy tells the other babies that there's no way they can be his Bubbe and Zayde. He asks how they could even fit in the Florida, and Chuckie suggests they grew up since the last time he saw the show. Tommy says that they don't sound like them either. Susie says it could be them, that grandparents always bring presents. They wonder about just what the toy is, noting that it sounds sleepy. Tommy points out that when his Studriver gets sleepy, his daddy puts in new batteries. He says that perhaps Bubbe and Zayde would go back to normal if they got new batteries. He unlocks the playpen, while in the kitchen, Stu and Didi lament how unprepared they are for the visit. Didi suggests they make a run to CheapCo and Stu likes the idea, noting that it's "Free Sample Tuesday." He says he'll ask Lou to watch the kids.

Tommy and the other babies enter Stu and Didi's room, where Boris and Minka are sleeping. He lifts Minka's sleep mask, suggesting they could put batteries under it. Susie takes off one of Boris's slippers to find "socks with eyes," which Tommy explains is "Sid the sock." Tommy wonders why he's not talking. Phil covers Boris's nose, trying to get him to talk, and he sneezes them off the bed. Chuckie suggests they just go back and play with their toys and Tommy says this is it. If the two are Bubbe and Zayde, they can't do their show because they don't have their fun stuff with them. He says they have to help. The two eventually wake up and the babies present them with various toys and socks. Seeing them, Minka says they're so cute, she never wants to go back to Florida. Boris grabs the dreidel toy, suggesting that Stu might have some batteries in the workshop. Susie asks if Tommy heard what they said, that they're never going back in the Florida. Tommy despairs at the idea that the show won't come back. Chuckie says he's never seen Tommy like this before.

Boris and Minka approach the workshop. Minka approaches the panel, saying they need the secret code, but Boris simply pushes the door open, commenting "Our son-in-law, the genius." Inside, he finds a battery, only to find they can't get out, as Stu apparently installed the door backwards. They bang on the door, shouting for someone to let them out, but to no response. Minka tells Boris to call Didi, but he finds he doesn't have his phone on him. In the playpen, Susie, Chuckie, Phil and Lil all stare at the blank tablet, Susie suggesting that they could cheer up Tommy by finding Bubbe and Zayde inside it. They cycle rapidly through programs, eventually activating the call feature. Boris and Minka find that their phone is inside Minka's purse. They take the call and are surprised to see Tommy on the other end. Minka tells him that Bubbe and Zayde need his help. The babies sit down to watch the "show," as Boris tells Tommy to "find Mommy." Minka tells him that Tommy doesn't understand, but Boris replies that babies know much more than you'd think. He shows Tommy Sid the Sock and tells Minka to get Selma. She replies that she doesn't have her, that she wears footies for travel, so he tells her to get "The Footie Fairy." She shoots back that it isn't the time to introduce new characters, posing instead as "Bubbe the Soup Bowl."

Susie says that she thinks Bubbe and Zayde want to get out of the Florida. Phil asks why they would, that they're funnier in it. Tommy agrees that this may be so, but they are his grandma and grandpa, so "a baby's gotta do what a baby's gotta do." He grabs the tablet and shakes it, thinking this will get them out of there. Lou shows up, saying that he'll take it. He picks it up. "Boris, look, the barefoot hippie is here," comments Minka. She shouts at Lou to help them. Lou comes and unlocks them. Seeing that Boris doesn't have his socks on, he asks "Now who's the barefoot hippie?" Boris smiles sheepishly. Later, Stu and Didi arrive home from their grocery run. They find Boris and Minka sitting together with the babies, singing "The Dreidel Song" and Lou providing accompaniment on guitar. Afterwards, Didi talks with Betty, saying that Boris and Minka had a wonderful time and are back home now. She says that from now on, they'll be calling a bit later when all the babies can see them. They make their call, and Boris again plays as "Sid the Sock," now with Minka accompanying as "the Footy Fairy." The babies fall down laughing at their antics.

Trivia

 * This is Boris and Minka's first appearance in the reboot.
 * Boris and Minka's designs have drastically changed from their original counterparts.
 * When the babies are looking through Stu's text messages, there is a message Stu sent to Charlotte asking what Angelica's favorite pudding flavor is, which could be a subtle reference to the chocolate pudding scene in "Angelica Breaks a Leg" that became an Internet meme in 2010.
 * When the babies start the tablet, the "Loading" screen that appears is in the same style and font as the Rugrats logo. Additionally, as the babies cycle through programs on the tablet, "The Fishy Song" from "The Fish Stick" is briefly shown.
 * This is the fifth episode of the reboot in which Angelica doesn't appear.