| What the Big People Do | Gallery | Transcript |
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"What the Big People Do" is the second segment of the thirteenth episode of Season 2, and the fifty-first Rugrats segment overall.
Characters Present[]
Synopsis[]
The Rugrats imagine the trials and tribulations of an adult from a baby's perspective. In their world, you get "Reptar On Ice" tickets for going over the speed limit, boxes upon boxes of Reptar Cereal are kept everywhere (including inside the refrigerator and the stove), coffee is mud, and work involves pushing paper, literally, with a broom.
- - Description from Klasky Csupo
Plot[]
Tommy and Chuckie are tired of being babies. It seems that everything they want to do, they can't, because they're kids. Angelica manages to tattle on Tommy and Chuckie after they get a hold of Didi's lipstick (which Angelica had given to them). Tommy says it'll be great when they're grown-ups and can do anything they want. Chuckie asks what they'll do, and it dissolves into a fantasy in which Tommy and Chuckie are adults (though still with their baby voices).
Tommy explains that they'll be able to eat whatever they want for breakfast, and every meal, for that matter. For Tommy, this means every cabinet in the kitchen is stuffed with dozens of boxes of Reptar cereal. The two of them eagerly gobble down bowls of Reptar cereal before heading off for work.
On the way to work, Tommy drives not only extremely fast, but also very recklessly as well. Chuckie warns Tommy they're going to get a ticket if he doesn't stop, but Tommy says he wants to get a ticket, because it's a good thing. Moments later, they're pulled over by a motorcycle cop (who looks and sounds like Angelica), who tells Tommy he was going a thousand miles an hour and just earned himself a ticket. The cop hands Tommy the ticket, who happily exclaims it's for Reptar on Ice.
They arrive at the office building they'll work in. It's filled with hundreds of other adult-babies including Phil and Lil, who run around literally pushing papers around with giant brooms all day. Tommy and Chuckie happily play until a voice over the intercom says the boss wants to see them right away.
Tommy and Chuckie nervously take the elevator up to the top floor and make their way down the hall to the boss's office (which is populated by giant portraits of evil-looking people). When they reach the office, it's revealed that Angelica, who is much bigger than they are, is the boss. Angelica tells them that they're not big, just big babies, and they're fired.
At her words, the office erupts in flames and Tommy and Chuckie flee the office and run back to the elevator. The portraits come to life and try to stop the babies, but they make it to the elevator and back down to the now empty lobby. But it turns out the doors are locked, and Angelica and her robot minions are going to catch them. Chuckie says he doesn't want to be a "big people" anymore and wants to be little again. Tommy says the only way out is to punch a clock on the wall. Just as the robots catch them, they punch the clock and there is a bright flash.
At that moment, Tommy and Chuckie sit up horrified. Obviously, they've been daydreaming in the playpen the entire time. Chuckie states that being grown-up isn't so great after all. But Tommy tells Chuckie that another fun thing about being grown up is to have a house of their own and have babies and get married. Chuckie thinks about it for a moment and realizes that Tommy is right until Angelica comes up and says "Oh, boys... time to play HOUSE!", and laughs maniacally as Tommy and Chuckie shake in fear. The episode then ends abruptly. What Angelica does to Tommy and Chuckie is unknown.
Trivia[]
- This is the first episode that show the Rugrats older than they are (the second is "All Growed Up").
- Didi is the only parent to appear in this episode.
- Unlike most episodes of the following seasons, this episode has a darker tone, considering that the dream ends in a nightmare and the end of the episode shows a villainous Angelica saying to Tommy and Chuckie, "Oh, boys...time to play HOUSE!" followed by her laughing evilly.
- During the dream, in the hall leading towards boss Angelica's office, there's a portrait of the devil.
- Some of the portrait’s eyes follow Tommy and Chuckie.
- This is the only episode of Rugrats where Didi is shown to be legitimately upset with Tommy and Chuckie.
- Angelica seems to have two roles in the grown-up fantasy. In addition to the giant boss Angelica, there's a motorcycle cop that resembles Angelica in voice and appearance as well.
- The scene where the portraits come to life and try to stop the babies is a reference to Super Castlevania IV.
- Tommy is the only one who wears his dad's suit, while the others wear different clothing.
- In the imagination, the robots that chase Tommy and Chuckie have the Wicked Witch of the West's guard chant from The Wizard of Oz.
- Charlotte's casual outfit and occupation might have been inspired by Boss Angelica in the imagination, since Charlotte's first appearance is an episode after this episode. Here are the following comparisons between them.
- Boss Angelica has a large dark pink bow on her business outfit; Charlotte has a red necktie instead.
- Boss Angelica has buttons on her business suit; Charlotte does not have this feature.
- Boss Angelica and her occupation is bossier.
- Boss Angelica has different tone colors on each piece of her business suit (the top has a darker tone of pink, while the bottom has a brighter tone of the same color); Charlotte has the same color instead.
- First appearance of the recurring gag of "this coffee tastes like mud".
- The last time this episode (along with "A Visit From Lipschitz") aired on Nicktoons is April 11, 2020.
- This is the last piece of Nickelodeon programming that aired on the network during the 20th century, as it aired at 11:45 p.m. on December 31st, 1999.
- Morals:
- Enjoy your childhood.
- Don't tattle on your siblings, cousins, friends, etc. to get them in trouble (especially if you yourself encouraged them to do the wrong thing)
- Boss Angelica's office would serve as the basis for regular Angelica's boss area in Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland.
Video Clip[]
Tommy Pickles Gets a Speeding Ticket Rugrats The Splat