| This article is about The Slide (1991 episode). You may be looking for the 2021 short. |
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| The Slide (1991 episode) | Gallery | Transcript |
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| Season 2 Episode 22a | |
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| The Slide (1991 episode) | |
| Original Airdate | March 28, 1993 |
| VHS release | Chuckie the Brave Volume 4 |
| DVD release | Season 2 Complete Series |
| Previous Episode | Spike the Wonder Dog |
| Next Episode | The Big Flush |
"The Slide" is the 29th episode from Season 2 of Rugrats.
Characters Present[]
Characters Introduced[]
- Big Kids
Characters Mentioned[]
Synopsis[]
After a traumatic experience at a pizza parlor playground, Chuckie develops a horrible fear of going down the slide. When Angelica calls him a scaredy-cat, can the other Rugrats help him conquer his fear? - Description from Klasky Csupo
Plot[]
One day in the park, Chuckie breaks down into tears when he climbs onto the first step of the slide at the park. Later, Tommy asks Chuckie why he cried, because Chuckie loves the slide.
Chuckie explains that, recently, his dad took him to Pizza Puppet Place. In the play area, Chuckie made his way through the ball pit to the steps of the slide...or so he thought. After a long climb, Chuckie realized he was at the top of the big slide (which in Chuckie's imagination is absurdly huge), which almost reached the ceiling. At the top, some big kids crowded behind Chuckie and told him to hurry up and go. In response, Chuckie broke down crying.
Tommy points out to Chuckie that it was the big kid slide, and not his slide that scared him, so he should still be able to enjoy the regular slide. Chuckie says it doesn't matter; he fears all slides now.
Angelica, who has overheard the story, laughs at Chuckie and calls him a scaredy cat. Susie, who is also nearby, tells Angelica to knock it off and promises Chuckie she'll help him get over his fear.
After Susie has Chuckie climb steps and ride in a wagon, she declares Chuckie ready for the slide again. At the park, Chuckie slowly, nervously, climbs the steps of the slide while repeating to himself that he's a "big, brave dog", something Susie taught him. Angelica calls Chuckie a scaredy-cat and bets two popsicles with Susie that Chuckie won't be able to do it. Susie insists that he can do it, and she, Tommy, and the twins encourage Chuckie from below.
Chuckie finally reaches the top of the slide and goes down it. He screams the entire way down, but after he's reached the bottom, Chuckie is happy because he's remembered how much fun the slide is. Everyone is happy for Chuckie, except for Angelica, who now owes Susie two popsicles. Chuckie now cheerfully slides the slide over and over again.
Trivia[]
- After Susie and Angelica's argument, Chuckie quotes John Merrick from the 1980 film, The Elephant Man, albeit imperfectly, given his age. ("I am not an animal! I am a human being!" becomes "I am no aminal! I'm just a hoomin bean!")
- Originally, Chuckie was supposed to be pushed in an office chair down a hill. However, Nickelodeon said that it was too dangerous and told the writers to change it to something that kids wouldn't imitate at home.
- Nickelodeon originally thought that no narration during Chuckie's slide story (apart from the set-up) would be better for this episode, but in the end, it stayed in the episode.
- Due to "standards and practices" concerns, Susie wasn't allowed to push Chuckie and greater care had to be taken when it came to skateboards.
- In the episode, there was a line where Chuckie said, "Now I'm every slide in the whole universal" and Nickelodeon wondered if it was a typo. However, the line was eventually cut from the episode altogether.
- There was supposed to be another vertigo shot near the end of the episode before Chuckie goes down the slide successfully, but it was later removed in the final episode draft.
- At the beginning of the episode, Angelica and Susie aren't there, but when Chuckie climbs up the slide ladder and looks down, Angelica and Susie are standing there.
- Both this episode and its sister episode, "The Big Flush", are about conquering fears.
- This is the first episode Angelica and Susie are both in and interact, although they met off-screen before this episode.
- This is also the first episode where Susie appears with Chuckie, Phil and Lil.
- This is the second time Chuckie pees his pants, but this is only implied, as Chuckie says his "pants was wet" as he went down the slide.
- Angelica's growl after she loses the bet to Susie (in this case, two chocolate popsicles) would later be reused for the end of "Hiccups".
- The episode was later remade into a 2021 short of the same name.
- Chuckie's cry after stating that he can't go down the slide anymore would be reused in "Mother's Day", when he's being chased by a bee, and twice in "Cuddle Bunny", after the piñata falls and breaks.
- The red skies in Chuckie's flashback would later be re-used in the ending of the episode "Cool Hand Angelica".
- Morals:
- Making fun of other people is not usually very nice, especially if it involves insults, derogatory terms, racism name-calling, and profanity. It can be a form of verbal abuse. It isn't always a good way to make new friends.
- Face your fears, even the worst ones, as long as they aren't too dangerous.
- Be yourself, even if someone makes fun of you. Don't tolerate verbal abuse.
