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Helga on
the Couch
The biggest thing that makes this show stand out from other
slice of life shows is the sheer depth and believability to nearly all its
characters. When you first see them, you
don’t think there’s much reason for their nature, but time is taken to flesh
them out to great extent, sometimes playing to one’s emotions. This allows the cast to not feel like mere
cartoon characters. They feel like
actual people you could meet in real life, and their lives don’t hold back with how honestly
crazy and difficult they are. It’s these
reasons why this show holds a place in the hearts of many, including myself,
and I feel that this half-hour special presents these reasons the best.
I’m sure Helga Pataki, would seem like just a standard bully
and nothing more to people watching this show for the first time. All it takes to disprove those assumptions is
looking into her background to discover that she’s more than she seems. That’s the direction taken here when child
psychologist, Dr. Bliss, comes to PS 118 to observe the students. She takes the most interest in Helga who just
goes about her usual aggression, mostly aimed at Arnold. When it gets violent via her running gag of hitting the deeply breathing Brainy in the face, Dr. Bliss reports Helga
to the principal. It says a lot when Helga’s frequently overlooked actions are brought to the authorities’
attention. You just know this story is
going to lead to something big with this realistic outcome, and that is very much the case. Helga is sentenced for therapy sessions with
Dr. Bliss to see what can be done about her behavioral problems, and the
sessions just make the special.
Despite
Helga’s plans to not get too personal and her parents demanding her to keep
things under the rug, major factors of her character become huge topics. All the discussions are welcome after effects of bonding with
Dr. Bliss. At first ,Helga dreads seeing
her and wants to get it over with. Over
time, things about Dr. Bliss like favorite artwork, hobbies, and why she chose
her career peak Helga's interests. These little moments help to show that this psychologist
is much better than Helga initially thought.
For this, Helga becomes open to sharing the causes for her behavior. She talks about her family with her
work-obsessed dad, her lethargic mom, and over-achieving sister. They're shown as interestingly
staged flashbacks where the family’s part of a happy sitcom that stops
whenever Helga enters. It’s a funny and interesting look at Helga's life,
but there’s also a somewhat somber layer.
The flashbacks show just how disconnected Helga is from her own family. That’s a lot to deal with, and these feelings
are especially apparent in a flashback showing that this has been the case for
Helga since youth.
Both her parents
always loved Olga and her accomplishments, but largely ignored Helga,
especially when she needed them for things like getting her to preschool. The following scene of young Helga alone in
the rain amongst poor homeless people and a dog taking her lunch is the epitome
of pain and sorrow. It shows that life
truly doesn’t always let up on its harshness for people, including toddlers.
That said, it’s this moment that shows the
one thing to make her life bearable, and that was meeting Arnold for the first
time. The kindness he showed her is
refreshing to see considering the lengths of how hard her life is. Subsequent teasing from the other kids toward
Helga’s reactions to these generous acts becomes a visual explanation for why
she hides her affection for Arnold with bullying. It's all for the sole effect to avoid embarrassment and teasing sure to make her already cruel, unforgiving life even worse. The fact that this was established in Helga’s
toddler years brings weight to what we typically see from her in the present.
Going back to the therapy, it really says
something that Helga gets this personal about the cause for her anger and even
subtly hints towards the only good thing in her life. Then, upon Dr. Bliss assuring her that what’s discussed will be kept confidential, Helga openly admits with
dramatic flair that she loves Arnold.
It’s very rewarding for Helga to grow to trust her psychologist so much
to tell her something she’s been so determined to hide all this time. She’s better understood, has a loving adult
figure she needs in life, and while she still hides her true feelings, she’s in
a much better state of mind. If you
weren’t fond of Helga at first, this therapy session is the best way to truly
get her character and appeal.
It’s true that these facts about Helga were seen many times
in the show, but her home life, love for Arnold, and mean behavior have never
felt more connected than here. They
showcase her many layers, many not afraid of showing the depressing parts of her
life, and in turn everything there is to her becomes so clear. You understand where she gets her aggression, how
much Arnold means to her because of it, and why it’s for the best she keeps her crush
hidden as long as no one gets hurt. By
the end, Helga turns out to be the perfect representation of this show’s
strength of doing the most with its many versatile characters. Along with a sweet bond with a caring adult
figure bringing this endearing depth to attention, this whole special is easily among the
best character studies in all of TV animation.
A++
The Ranking
1. Helga on the Couch
2. Helga Sleepwalks
3. Monkeyman!
4. Veterans Day
5. Buses, Bikes, and Subways
6. Headless Cabbie
7. Grandpa’s Sister
8. Back to School
9. Helga’s Parrot
10. Oskar Can’t Read?
11. Dinner for Four
12. The Beeper Queen
13. Helga’s Masquerade
14. Stinky’s Pumpkin
15. It Girl
16. Polishing Rhonda
17. Baby Oskar
18. Synchronized Swimming
19. Weighing Harold
20. Big Gino
21. Mr. Green Runs
22. Chocolate Turtles
23. Friday the 13th
24. Grudge Match
25. Fighting Families
26. Phoebe Skips
27. Eugene’s Birthday
28. Weird Cousin
29. Egg Story
30. Student Teacher
31. Love and Cheese
32. Jamie O in Love
33. Deconstructing Arnold
34. Full Moon
The next Hey Arnold review is another character study on Dino Spumoni which also has a lot of merit to the lengths he goes to in response to his failing music career.
Next time on MC Toon Reviews is the penultimate Star vs the Forces of Evil Season 3 episode, "Divide."
If you would like to check out other Hey Arnold reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.
HA! Okay, I thought to myself there was no way in hell there wouldn't be a plus after the obvious A grade this episode would get but... two pluses? I mean... yeah, it's deserved. For a while I used to think this episode was overrated just a little. I still considered it to be among the best episodes, but just not one that I rewatched often. Then I eventually realized why I couldn't rewatch it often... to this day I can't get through it with dry eyes...
ReplyDeleteAn A++ is a very rare grade I give to episodes of shows I think are absolute works of art when it comes to animated storytelling. To ensure the specialty of the grade, I make sure to use it sparingly and only give it to works that deserve it.
DeleteI believe this episode deserves to be seen as a work of art for how it celebrates how multi-layered cartoon characters can be, even if they're a child. And yeah, the emotional aspect is also a big part of why I hold it in high regard. It doesn't hold back on how harsh the real world can be, further making Helga's character so understandable.
Oh totally. I think the real reason I found it overrated at first was because it mostly kind of just reaffirmed what we already knew about Helga’s life just in greater detail. What I came to appreciate more is that it’s a real game changer going forward in her life however, now that she has an adult she can actually trust and is basically now set on a course where she will finally have to tell Arnold the truth someday.
DeleteAnd of course it’s reassuring to find out that her sometimes creepy feelings for him are actually rooted in something very sweet and innocent (still tragic and not totally healthy), and that kind of affirms that she loves Arnold for the right reasons, for his kindness and giving nature that she needs in her life.
Also that scene where she basically turns to the dark side may be the greatest villain origin story ever...
It was one of my top 5 favorite episodes, and one of those rare episodes from an animated show that really stays with you long after you watch it. I remember having a similar reaction to several episodes of Batman The Animated Series also like "Heart of Ice" and "Baby Doll".
ReplyDeleteYou can feel the depths of Helga's genuine affection for Arnold, any most fans already really suspected the story for them; but this episode confirmed it all and really hit home for many of us Arnold-Helga shippers especially.
The episode is really the moment that really showed the depth of a character and helped many to appreciate just how strong Helga was beneath the stereotypical bully persona.
I dare say it was probably the moment that many folks who were not on board with the Arnold-Helga pairing finally realized that these two really are what the other needed, especially Helga.
One of the best episodes of a 90s animated series ever.