Discover America

"Discover America" is a Season 6 episode of Rugrats.

Characters Present

 * Tommy
 * Angelica
 * Dil
 * Chuckie
 * Phil
 * Lil
 * Susie
 * Stu
 * Didi
 * Drew
 * Lou
 * Miriam
 * Betty
 * Chas
 * Spike (cameo)

Synopsis
''Grandpa Lou and Aunt Miriam return from their trip across America and show slides of their adventures. This inspires Tommy and the gang to have some adventures of their own as they travel by tour bus on a cross-country journey America, in search of a souvenir for Dil.'' - Description from Klasky Csupo

Plot
The episode begins with Didi decorating a cake designed to look like the American flag. She tells Dil, who is sitting in his high chair, that each blueberry represents one of the 50 states. She then points out that she did run out of blueberries before she made the cake, but Alaska and Hawaii weren't granted statehood until 1959. Stu walks in, having gotten back from the grocery store. While there, he bought everything he needed for the barbecue, including a new brand of charcoal that doesn't need a match to light, instead needing 100 cubic volumes of compressed hot air. Didi likes this idea, but decides to preheat the broiler, just in case the charcoal doesn't light. Stu assures Didi that his party will go off without any hitches. As Dil coos happily, Stu tells him that Grandpa Lou will be coming home today, hence why they're having a barbecue. Stu then tells Didi that Dil seems to understand everything they say.

Tommy peers out the kitchen doorway and overhears. He tells Chuckie, Phil, and Lil that Lou is coming home today. Phil asks him why Lou has been away from him the past few days. Tommy tells Phil that he and Aunt Miriam went on a trip to find America. Chuckie tells Tommy that America must really have been lost, since Lou has been gone for a very long time. Lil then says she hopes America isn't scared, and refers to it as a "she". Phil then tells Lil that America's a boy. Lil argues with him, until Angelica overhears and tells the babies that America is an entire country, not a person. Tommy asks Angelica what a country is, and Angelica tells him that a country is where they live. Chuckie then asks Tommy why Lou and Miriam didn't just spend a nice, long trip in Tommy's backyard, and Angelica tells him that wouldn't be any fun, as there would be no way to get souvenirs. Tommy, Phil, and Lil ask what souvenirs are, and Angelica tells them that they're presents that come from strange faraway places, not from stores. She then shows them a snow globe that Drew and Charlotte got her from Pittsburgh, and they are all impressed with it. Tommy asks Angelica if Lou and Miriam will bring them back souvenirs, and Angelica tells Tommy that they'll at least bring them and Dil back something since they're related to them. She then tells Chuckie they may also bring him back something, because he spends most of his days at Tommy's house. Phil and Lil look at Angelica, who tells them that Charlotte told her since Betty uses Tommy's house like a daycare center, they might get something like a piece of candy.

Lou is at the front door, asking where his grandchildren are. Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil and Angelica all run excitedly up to him and hug him. Miriam then tells Lou not to hog the kids, as she wants to kiss one. She does so with Chuckie, frightening him. Stu is surprised to see Lou and Miriam, as he wasn't expecting them for at least another hour. Lou tells him that he and Miriam skipped the last attraction, as he didn't want to be away from his grandchildren any longer. As he cuddles Dil, Angelica asks him if he brought back a present for her. Drew scolds Angelica, telling her it's not polite to ask, before hypocritically asking Stu when he's going to light the barbecue grill. Stu tells Drew all about the new charcoal that lights in a millisecond. Miriam tells Stu and Drew not to worry too much about them. Didi tells Miriam that she and Stu have planned a welcome home party for her and Lou. Miriam tells her that it's no trouble, as she and Lou had leftover sandwiches on the way over, and besides, she wants to show her family and friends the pictures from their trip, as she sent them ahead to be developed. She calls Stu over to set up the slideshow projector, and Drew to set up the projection screen. She then tells Didi that she would like a cup of tea to drink.

As the slideshow begins, the first photo is shown upside down. Stu then turns it right-side-up, and Miriam asks Lou why he wasn't smiling in the photo. Lou tells her that the reason is because she tricked him into going on a bus tour, when all he wanted to do was hit the open road, as it's the only way to see the sights. Miriam tells Lou that they saw plenty of sights thanks to their bus driver and tour guide. Lou complains about how the bus driver kept getting lost and the tour guide talked too much. Miriam tells Lou that he exaggerates everything, and asks him if he's going to say the Grand Canyon isn't all that big. She then shows Didi's family and friends slides of the Grand Canyon. Lou then asks Miriam if she's gonna say the burro didn't kick him down the canyon. Miriam tells him that the burro's hoof slipped. In the next slide, Lou points out the diner that had the best lemon pie he ever tasted, and Miriam tells Lou he's thinking about the place they stopped at in Yellowstone. She shows him a slide of him at a picnic table in Yellowstone Park, and tells him he ate pie there. Lou tells her that he wasn't eating pie in Yellowstone, he was eating one of her tuna sandwiches, and in the next slide, he says the sandwiches were so bad, even the buffalo refused to eat them. The buffalo frightens Chuckie, who covers his eyes. Lou then flips through slides of Old Faithful, St. Louis, Mississippi, and the Florida Everglades really fast, and Miriam tells him to slow down so everyone can see them. She fights over the slideshow projector with him, until they reach a slide of the Statue of Liberty. Miriam tells Lou he skipped right through New York City, and asks him if he's happy. Lou assures her he's happier than he's been in weeks. Angelica then walks up to the projector and yells at Lou and Miriam, asking them when she and the babies are gonna get their souvenirs. Everyone stares at her, and she chuckles nervously.

In the backyard, as Stu tries to get the charcoal to light, Lou gives Tommy a hat just like the bus driver wore, and Miriam gives Angelica a geniune Native American beaded purse. Angelica thanks her for it, and Miriam gives Phil a pencil and Lil a toy camera. Phil and Lil decide to trade their souvenirs, and Lou gives Chuckie a placemat resembling a map of America and a box of crayons. Unfortunately, Lou can't find the Statue of Liberty teething ring he got for Dil. Miriam tells Lou that he must have lost it, but Lou insists otherwise. Didi tells Lou and Miriam that Dil won't know the difference, and as she sets him down, she gives him his plastic keys. She then tells Lou and Miriam that Dr. Lipschitz says that even an infant knows when it's been overlooked. To Didi, Lou, and Miriam's relief, Dil happily plays with his plastic keys. Stu then tells Didi that he's having a little trouble getting the barbecue grill to light, and asks her if she can stall everyone. Drew asks Stu if he needs help, and Didi tells Miriam she'd like to see her slides again. Miriam tells Didi that she always says, "Why go to Europe, when there's so much to see in your own backyard?" as she leads her into Tommy's house, and Lou decides to check his suitcase to see if he left Dil's teething ring there. He is determined not to let Dil feel overlooked.

Sure enough, Dil does feel overlooked, and Tommy worriedly tells Chuckie, Phil, and Lil that Dil didn't get his souvenir. Phil and Lil tell Tommy that Dil's sure he wouldn't like their toy camera and pencil. Dil begins to cry, and Tommy offers to share his bus driver hat with him. Unfortunately, Dil swats it away, wanting a souvenir all for himself. Angelica tells Tommy that he can't just get Dil any old thing, and that a souvenir has to be something special. Tommy tells her that he'll get something special for Dil from his toy box, but Angelica tells him that it won't work, as the souvenir has to be from a trip, or it doesn't count. As Dil continues fussing, Tommy decides that if he has to go to America himself to find a souvenir for Dil, then that's what he's going to do. Chuckie asks Tommy how he's going to do it. Tommy tells Chuckie that Miriam said there's so much to explore in your own backyard, and surely then can find a place to get a souvenir for Dil. Chuckie, Phil, and Lil all like this idea, and Tommy picks up Dil's plastic keys. He then looks over at the Reptar Wagon, deciding to use it as a tour bus just like the one Lou and Miriam took. Chuckie points out to Tommy that even if he could drive a bus across America, they don't know the way. Tommy tells him they do, as they have his map. All they need to do is follow the lines on the map, and they'll take them to all the places Lou and Miriam went. Chuckie is unsure of which line to follow, though.

Tommy's imaginary tour begins, wherein he drives a Reptar Tours bus and picks up Chuckie in it. Chuckie decides he needs a little trip, and gets on the bus. Phil then shows Lil, who is working as a tour guide, his cameras. Lil then points out that she's a tour guide now, and she uses her pencil as a microphone. She asks if everyone in the back of the bus can hear her, and Dil coos happily. Tommy drives the Reptar Tours bus, which in reality, is the Reptar Wagon being pushed by Chuckie. Lil begins her tour, and tells Chuckie, Phil, and Dil that today, they're going all around America. Phil sees Spike digging a hole, and decides to take a picture of it with his toy camera. In the babies' imagination, the hole is visualized as the Grand Canyon. Tommy points it out, but Lil tells him that as the tour guide, it's her job to tell everyone what everything is. Lil tells Chuckie, Phil, and Dil that the Grand Canyon is a big hole in the ground dug up by the giants a very long time ago. Tommy is impressed with Lil, and tells her they should be able to find something for Dil there. Chuckie, unfortunately, has a bad feeling.

Chuckie takes Tommy, Phil, and Lil on a burro ride across the Grand Canyon, but has a tough time getting the burro to move. Chuckie asks Tommy if he's sure the burro won't kick him, and Tommy, Phil, and Lil all scream as the burro brays. It then sits down and causes them all to slide into the Grand Canyon, which in reality, is the hole Spike dug, and Spike is the burro. Tommy picks up a rock and initially decides to give it to Dil, but then he decides a rock isn't very special. Lil then tells Tommy it's time to get back on the bus, as there are many more sights to see. As the babies all get back into the Reptar wagon, Betty and Chas walk up to the picnic table where Didi is. Betty tells Didi the reason they were late was because she couldn't get her jiffy shred to work, so she had to chop the cabbage by hand. Chas suddenly asks Betty if she made cole slaw, which is exactly what he made. Betty realizes Chas is right, but tells him that you can never have too much coleslaw, and asks Didi if she agrees. Didi tells Betty that you can have too much coleslaw, and reveals that it is exactly what she made. Betty then asks her and Chas if anybody actually likes coleslaw. Stu walks in with a bellows, and tells Didi that Lucy and Randy gave it to him so he can light the barbecue grill with it. He also tells her that he invited the Carmichaels over to their barbecue. Susie rolls in on her tricycle, and greets Didi. She then tells her that Lucy told her it isn't polite to come to a party without bringing anything, so she brought her a Tupperware. Didi tells Susie she was thoughtful, but Susie reveals that what's inside the Tupperware is more coleslaw.

Angelica follows Miriam outside, and tells her her new bag is kind of empty. Miriam looks through her bag to see what she can give Angelica. She gives her a tube of lipstick that's too bold for her, a penny, and a pack of gum. Angelica and Susie greet each other, and Susie asks Angelica why she's so happy to see her. Angelica tells Susie that she got a brand new genuine Native American purse, but Susie doesn't have anything. Miriam asks Susie who she is, and Susie introduces herself to her. Miriam tells Susie she's sure she can find something for her in her bag, but Angelica protests, telling Miriam she doesn't have to do that. Miriam finds a pair of sunglasses and gives them to Susie. Susie thanks Miriam for them, and Miriam tells Susie she's sweet. She then decides to see what's taking so long for the food to be made. She then calls Didi "Dolly" and asks her if she has any crackers for her to eat. Susie puts on the sunglasses and asks Angelica how she looks. Angelica merely scoffs and walks away.

In the babies' imaginations, the babies try to give Dil a souvenir, but Dil rejects everything they give him, from a cowboy hat, to a Native American doll, to a dream catcher and a canoe. Tommy tells Chuckie, Phil, and Lil that Dil doesn't like any of the souvenirs they got him from the stand. Chuckie then picks up an armadillo, thinking it's a stuffed one, and asks Dil if he'd like it. Phil tells Chuckie that the armadillo isn't stuffed. Chuckie then tosses the armadillo aside, which in reality, is revealed to be a frog. Dil cries, and Tommy tries to calm him down, telling him he's sure they'll find him something.

Angelica tells Susie that she thinks she's great just because of her new sunglasses, but she bets she can't stand atop the bench of the picnic table. Angelica climbs onto the bench of the picnic table and tries to stand on one leg. Susie decides to take that bet, and climbs onto the bench of the picnic table. Angelica jumps off, and Susie tries standing on one leg, but loses her balance and grabs the tablecloth. She begs for Angelica to help her, and Angelica grabs her hand and tells her to jump. Susie does so, but without letting go of the tablecloth, causing the four containers filled with coleslaw to fall over. Realizing they could get in a lot of trouble for this, Angelica tells Susie they have to hide. Susie tells Angelica that what they did was just an accident, and they have to tell Didi what happened. Angelica tells Susie that no one will believe her when she says she didn't do anything. She then sees Susie's tricycle and gets an idea. She tells Susie they have to hit the open road like Lou did. Susie agrees, and she and Angelica get on her tricycle. As Angelica pedals Susie's tricycle across Tommy's backyard, she visualizes it as a motorcycle, and her and Susie as bikers. They pass by Tommy's bus, and Chuckie points out that Susie and Angelica must be in a hurry. Tommy tells Chuckie that they're in a hurry, too, and if he drives all night, they should be somewhere new by tomorrow morning. Tommy drives the bus across the desert road into the night as the first act ends.

In the second act, Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil, and Dil all become very tired. He then sees a motel in the distance. In the motel, Angelica tells Susie that tomorrow, they'll drive all the way to Timbuktu. Susie tells Angelica that it might be better if they just told Didi the truth, but Angelica tells Susie she'll never go back. Upon hearing this, Susie decides to just go to sleep. As Susie falls asleep, Angelica sneaks out of the motel, which is revealed to be Spike's doghouse, in search of a candy machine. She looks up and sees Chas and Betty looking up at the sky. Chas sees that the clouds are breaking up, and asks Betty if she'd like to play a game of croquet with him. Betty tells him that she might as well, since they might not get any food anytime soon. They pass by the Reptar Wagon, which Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil, and Dil are all asleep in. As they wake up, Tommy's fantasy begins again. Tommy starts up the bus, and Lil continues being a tour guide. She points out some mountains on the left side, and a diner on the right. She says that a diner is where you can get good pie, and a hungry Chuckie likes that idea. He tells Tommy to stop, but Tommy tells him they don't have time to stop at the diner. At the diner, Angelica and Susie eat a pie together, and Susie scolds Angelica for not sharing the last piece with her. As Angelica is about to get back on Susie's motorcycle, the Reptar Tours Bus passes by them, and Phil takes a picture of her with his toy camera. Angelica tells Phil to stop taking pictures of her, but Susie assures her that the people on the Reptar Bus are just tourists. Angelica then reminds Susie that she's going to be in trouble if she gets caught. Susie reminds Angelica that she, too, had a hand in knocking over the coleslaw. Angelica then reminds Susie that she dared her to climb on the bench of the picnic table, and she didn't have to listen to her. Susie appreciates Angelica sticking up for her, and assures her that whatever happens to them, they're in it together. Angelica appreciates Susie thinking about her, then suddenly visualizes Stu and Drew as FBI agents out to get her. Angelica and Susie get on Susie's tricycle and drive away. In reality, Stu and Drew are dressed like chefs and trying to light the grill. Susie asks Angelica where they're going, and Angelica tells her she has a plan; all they need to do is to get to Florida.

As Lou and Miriam set up the croquet set, Miriam asks Lou if he's sure where the wicket is supposed to go. Lou angrily assures her he is, and Chas and Betty are revealed to be sitting at a picnic table, having been kicked out of their own game. Betty complains about the party, with no food, and her and Chas getting kicked out of their own game. Chas then reminds her that Didi put out a bowl of oranges, and takes one of the oranges from the bowl next to him. Betty then tells Chas that they should raid the refrigerator for some food. As soon as they leave, Angelica takes the bowl of oranges. Susie asks Angelica what they're going to do with the oranges, and Angelica tells her to let her do the talking.

In Angelica's fantasy, Angelica and Susie have set up an orange stand. Tommy drives the Reptar bus up to it as Lil points out that orange juice grows on trees. Before she can finish, Tommy points out Angelica and Susie, much to Lil's ire. As Tommy opens the door, Angelica climbs in and tells him that she and Susie want to join their tour. Phil is about to take Angelica's picture, but Angelica stops him and asks him if he'd like her to take his picture. Phil gives Angelica his toy camera, and she tosses it out the bus, breaking it. Angelica then tells Tommy to drive the bus, and after she and Susie get on board, Tommy starts it up again. Tommy asks Angelica and Susie why they're in such a hurry, and Susie tells him that she and Angelica are on the run from the law, since they knocked over the coleslaw. Chuckie, Phil, and Lil all gasp upon hearing this, and Lil asks Susie what coleslaw is. Angelica tells Lil it isn't important, and to get her and Susie out of here. Suddenly, the bus comes to a stop, and Tommy tells Chuckie, Phil, Lil, Dil, Angelica, and Susie that they're stuck. Phil and Lil look out the window and find out they're stuck in the Everglades, which in reality, is revealed to be a mud puddle.

Angelica and Susie struggle to push and pull the Reptar Wagon out of the mud, but to no avail, and in the babies' fantasy, the bus begins to sink. Angelica tries to go out of the front door, but to no avail. Tommy tells Chuckie, Phil, Lil, Dil, Angelica, and Susie that they'll all go out the back door, and as he opens it, Angelica tells Chuckie, Phil, Lil, Dil, and Susie that she's coming out first, and pushes them aside. She is about to jump out, when she sees an alligator and screams in horror. Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil, Dil, and Susie all also scream in horror, but then Susie pulls an orange out of her pocket. She tosses it, and it bounces off the alligator's head. The alligator, which in reality, is revealed to be a lizard, crawls away, and Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil, Dil, Angelica, and Susie all cheer. Angelica congratulates Susie for fending off the alligator and saving them, as well as Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil, and Dil. Susie then gasps when she sees Stu and Drew attempting to light the grill. She and Angelica visualize them as FBI agents when Drew asks, "For the last time, do you give up?". Susie is about to climb out of the bus, but Angelica tries to stop her. Susie tells Angelica that they can't keep running for the rest of their lives, as they have to tell the truth. Angelica then tells Susie to wait for her. Susie is glad that Angelica has decided to apologize with her after all, and the two climb out of the bus together.

As Stu and Drew unsuccessfully try to light the grill, Didi walks out, and tells Lou, Miriam, Betty, and Chas that there aren't going to be any steaks, and there's no coleslaw, but she did manage to whip up a batch of New England clam chowder. She asks if anyone wants any, and Lou, Miriam, Betty, Chas, Stu, and Drew all want some. Lou tells Didi that he'd like to have some right now, and reaches into his pocket to see if his travel spork is in it. Just then, the Statue of Liberty teething ring falls out of his pocket and lands on the ground below. Miriam is shocked when she sees the teething ring, and scolds Lou for accusing her of losing it when he had it the entire time. Lou backs away nervously as Miriam swings her mallet at him, and as he tells Miriam that he didn't mean to accuse her and he didn't know it was in his pocket, he backs into Didi, causing her to spill her clam chowder all over the teething ring. This gets Dil's attention, and Tommy points out the Statue of Liberty. In his fantasty, he, Chuckie, Phil, and Lil are all on a boat as they stare at the Statue of Liberty in awe, and Lil finds it pretty. Chuckie points out the Statue of Liberty is a giant, and Tommy suddenly worries that it might be too big to give to Dil, and Phil points out that since Angelica threw his toy camera away, he can't take a picture of it. Just then, the Statue of Liberty flies away, much to Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, and Lil's shock. In reality, Miriam picks up the teething ring and wipes it off, then gives it to Dil, who is happy to have it as he teethes on it. Tommy points out to Chuckie, Phil, and Lil that Dil likes his souvenir, and they all cheer.

Miriam ask Lou if travelling with her wasn't as bad as he made it out to be, and Lou tells her it wasn't. Miriam tells Lou she's glad to hear it, and reveals that she booked them on a two-month cruise to the Caribbean, much to Lou's ire. Miriam tells Lou to get some sun before they go, so he won't look pale. Stu apologizes to Didi for not being able to light the grill, but Didi reminds him that they still have their cake. Angelica is excited to hear this, but Susie asks Angelica if there's something they'd like to tell Didi. They walk up to her together, and after they apologize, everyone has a pizza they ordered and some of Didi's cake. Under the picnic table, Tommy tells Chuckie, Phil, and Lil they've been all across America, and asks if they liked their tour. Phil tells him that he liked the wild animals, and the snacks they ate on the bus. Lil tells Tommy that she liked being a tour guide and telling people about what to see. Chuckie tells Tommy that he liked coming home best of all. Tommy agrees with him, then tells him, Phil, and Lil that since he's been back home for quite some time, he's ready to go somewhere else again. Chuckie asks him where, and Tommy tells him he isn't sure, since America's an awfully big place, so maybe he'll just go wherever the road takes him. He then visualizes him, Dil, Chuckie, Phil, and Lil all riding motorcycles across the road as the episode ends.

Trivia

 * This is the first English Rugrats episode to make its U.S. TV debut not on Nickelodeon, nor in millions of homes across America, but in the electronics departments of over 2,500 Wal-Mart stores nationwide, transmitted via the closed-circuit Pics Retail Network. Pics was also responsible for presenting live concerts of Garth Brooks and Faith Hill, both exclusively for Wal-Marts. While the tape's street date is May 5, Wal-Mart did not start selling the tapes themselves until after the telecast. The premiere is followed by an in-store scavenger hunt, where kids can search for the Rugrats and America's landmarks by roaming the aisles of Wal-Mart. This was all part of a month-long promotion in May 2000 at Wal-Mart, in celebration of the Rugrats.
 * This is the eleventh half-an-hour episode of the series after "Tommy's First Birthday", "The Santa Experience", "Passover", "Chanukah", "Mother's Day",  "Vacation", "The Turkey Who Came to Dinner", "The Family Tree", "No Place Like Home", and "Be My Valentine".
 * One of the places that the Rugrats go was the "Graham Canyon"; Tommy and Angelica have been there before in the "Graham Canyon" episode.
 * On the Rugrats tour bus, Tommy is the driver, Lil is the tour guide, and Susie and Angelica are outlaw bikers on the lam after spilling some coleslaw.
 * This is the last episode to use hand-colored cel animation.
 * Ending Tagline: "That's miss tour guy Mr. Sir." - Lil
 * The World Trade Center's Twin Towers can be seen in this episode.
 * At one point one of the twins picks up a snow globe with the word Pittsburgh on it. Pittsburgh is a real city located in Pennsylvania.