The Truth About Melinda Finster…
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- Опубліковано 10 тра 2023
- I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Chuckie was the audience favorite out of the four core Rugrats, when I put out a poll asking your guys' favorite. That poll left me thinking about all of the great Chuckie centered episodes we've seen over the years, and there was one in particular that I just felt like I had to talk about, especially considering Mother's Day is right around the corner. That's why today, on our nostalgic walk down memory lane, we're going to check out the episode of Rugrats called Mothers Day.
Thank you for watching!
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RIP Christine Cavanaugh. You're Chucky Finster-ing in the heavens, now
Wh- What?! 😢
@@ShadyRK9 Unfortunately, Chucky's voice actress died some years ago. Cancer, iirc. She was also Ug's gf in Salute Your Shorts.
Ooooh...I didn't know.
Ugh, man.
@@tenebrousoul9368 oh, wow! That sucks! 😭
But Nancy Cartwright take Cavanaugh's place as Chucky's voice actor.
Tommy's recollection of being in a fish tank = he was a preemie baby in an incubator 🥺🥺🥺
Yeah :( poor little guy.
This made me happy honestly. My little boy is a premie and I always wondered if he knew we were there. It’s comforting to see representation and I love how Tommy is the most courageous and he was a premie. He looks smaller than all the other babies and my son is no different and he’s super courageous 🎉
@@paradiserestored6179 For what it's worth. My little brother was also a premie and while he was often the shortest kid in his class he ended up being the tallest and most athletic among our immediate family by the time he was collage bound.
@@zelda8u love that! 🥰🎉
My firstborn son was born very sick and had to stay in the NICU in an isolette for 5 weeks before we could bring him home
Fun fact: the last scene of Chuckie's monologue of his mom being in the sky and flowers made the voice actress of him cry.
It was Kim Cattrall who voiced Chuckie’s mom
@@csea__go was it really? I didn’t know that
I started crying right just cause read your comment and it reminded me of it
@@csea__go Samantha from Sex and the City is Chuckie's mom?
@@canaisyoung3601 yes she voiced chuckie’s mom for that episode
“I want a mom that will last forever” while she gets imagined by him in the clouds in the Paris movie, changed me.
That scene literally breaks my heart every time! 😭
I have to skip that part it breaks me every time
That scene plus the "I want a mom" song breaks me everytime. :(
Everytime I see that scene my hearts starts breaking and I start tearing up
Had me in tears as a kid every time!
It’s worth mentioning Angelica was also quiet during the scene when Chuckie gives the picture to his dad.
Makes you wonder how much she remembers.
That’s a good point, Syd! I totally didn’t think about that.
@@DuskTillShawn Like I doubt it’s something mind blowing but Angelica’s at least a year older then Chuckie I think. Personally based on experience it’s probably likely she felt the vibes being off around the time but didn’t fully understand what was going on.
When they had the Rugrats newspaper comics, there was a strip where Chuckie is stepping on a sidewalk crack and looking up at the sky. He explains to Angelica that he heard that stepping on a crack will bring his mother back. She starts to chastise him and explain the real phrase when she realizes it and goes quiet. She then asks if he sees anything yet, and he says, “Not yet, but I know she’s watching”.
@@MaxineLunaZorua That's what I think as well. She is sensing the vibes everyone is giving off. If she did have memories of Melinda, they would be just as vague as Chuckie's memories if any at all 🤔. Makes you wonder what certain dreams are just that dreams, and which ones are genuine memories trying to get through. I'm very glad Chuckie at least has that memory of his mom.
@@pinocchiofan Oh that made me tear up.
Man I forgot how well-written the adult characters on this show were. The baby's perspective is the main focus of course but I really appreciate how interesting they made the parents as well. Chucky's father being a single dad. Didi with her side of the family and their Jewish heritage. Phil and Lil's dad being implied to be a stay-at-home father. Angelica's mom being a cut-throat business woman. All while helping each other with raising their kids? Damn.
Right? It’s interesting when you look at it like that. For a show focused on the babies perception of the world, they put an awful lot of creativity and depth into the parents.
I love it though, it added way more enjoyment to the show in my opinion.
kids shows used to be good at slipping in some stuff just for the adults watching, look at some of the old side segments on Sesame Street from the 70s and 80s. I can remember watching as a kid with my mom and once in a while she would be cracking up laughing about something that was over my young head, now I have rewatched some of them and now I'm catching those bits
I remember attending a Hanukkah party several years ago. Everyone asked me how I knew about the Hanukkah story since none of the other non-Jewish attendees knew (I'm Black and Christian). I said "Oh, from Rugrats".
It's even crazier watching them today and realizing things you didn't understand as a kid.
Thing is, the ending is written as Chaz using Chucky as an excuse for his own inability to process his grief. He was afraid to finally accept that his wife is gone... and the only way he could explain that was to say that he was petrified Chucky would miss her
I’ve seen this episode before as a kid, but now that I’m an adult…hearing Chaz say he was “thinking about the box from the other room” is devastating
Parents do that. It's very painful.
Yes that but what if he didn’t want to screw up his kid mentally early on
@@stellastarfield1111agreed
Yeah. He even says goodbye to the box when it goes into the box, like hes saying goodbye to his wife again 🥺
What I love about the show is how all these families felt like one big family it’s sweet how Didi and Stu care for Chaz and help him during his grief so he isn’t alone that’s true friendship and family
@@Superlad945what episode was that
I thought for years as a really small child that they were all kin. I assumed Tommy's mom and Chuky's dad were brother and sister because of the hair color and glasses. I wasn't sure how Phil and Lil's parents were related, but I just knew they were. We all know how Angelica is related. It wasn't till I got older and started watching AGU that I finally realized the truth.
Makes my eyes tear up on how much of great friends Chaz has that kept him company after the passing of his wife.
I feel like in the 90s there were more families like that, my mom was the lady in the neighborhood where everyones kids hung out and all the babies got watched. My dad worked in construction so there was lots of kids that needed to be watched but whos parents could not afford a babysitter or nanny. (Tbh there is probably other families like this still today bc people have to work.)
@Will N exactly!
I don't think Chaz was out of line for keeping it away. As a parent it's very natural to want to protect your child from sadness even if it isn't the best course of action to do so.
When DeeDee said "You can miss her together" that broke me.
He was also trying to protect himself from his grief I think. If Chucky found the box, he would have to open those wounds again. 😔
Me to
Yeah, plus he is pretty much just a baby still. Realistically I would say it'd make sense to want to wait and share these things when he's a bit older and can really understand it all
Also we don’t know how losing his wife and mother of his child affected him. I think he is trying his best as a single dad and doing what he believes is best.
@@Capri_00Doesn't help that Chaz has serious money problems. He's probably exhausted and Melinda's death on top of it doesn't help
I love that Chucky is cautious. It makes sense because he is old enough to understand consequences and situational awareness.
Isn't it said earlier that Chuckie is actually the oldest of the babies being 1?
@@ShadyRK9 Yes, in the show, he's the oldest toddler , thats why its make sense why he has situational awareness, said his 1st word and potty training. What are you confused about?
@@ShadyRK9 actually he was 2
@@ShadyRK9 He's 2
He's 2 and i believe tommy is the youngest all I remember is he was a premie
Just the short, simple pause from Chaz before saying she started the diary while she was in the hospital spoke volumes about how he’s tried to avoid the thought for a while.
The poem really hurts. Her knowing she won’t survive to raise Chuckie and writing that poem is just crushing.
Thanks for this comment, ViridianCrisis.
I noticed the pause before what Chaz said and I connected the dots there, but I never really put it into context until reading your comment…
As a father, imagining myself in Chaz’s position is completely terrifying.
Thanks for watching, my friend!
The poem was definitely soul crushing 😭. I imagine Melinda must have been so relieved to see Chaz finally move on and find love again with Kimmy's mom 💞. And Chuckie getting a stepmom who loves & cares about him just as much as she does her own daughter.
@@DuskTillShawn Also definitely explains why they never come out and say she's dead or died. If Chaz can't even say she was sick or dying how must he feel about the finality of dead.
Yes Chuckie (and by extension the kids watching) might be able to connect that Chuckie's mom is dead like Melville but this episode was more about the love, memories, and grief that comes with death,, not the permanence death itself.
Yeah :(
Imagine writing letters to be read after you die so your survivors don't feel alone. In any context that's devastating and brave. It must take real strength because I'd bawl the whole time doing it.
Chucky is the embodiment of the phrase "courage only counts when you can count". If you're too young to realize how dangerous things are of course you're going to be brave
I love that they depicted a toxic mother-child relationship with Angelica rather than any of the real parents. It brought awareness to emotional abuse while eluding to how immature toxic parents are by having them be represented by a kindergartener. And I think if they tried making an adult character say the things Angelica did, the other parents would have to intervene or else it would look acceptable for children to be mistreated that way. Same with Lil possibly representing mothers doing their best but aren’t as knowledgeable as they should be. There are plenty of parents out there who genuinely love their kids and have the best intentions, but aren’t fit for the job
Unfortunately a lot of people that are smart enough to be self aware, are self aware enough to not have children. Then we get a world where stupid ppls have children bc they think they're capable, and smart people opt out.
Well I wouldn't say Angelica was emotionally/verbally abused but she definitely felt neglected at times bc both her parents worked and Drew most likely felt guilty about this and spoiled her like crazy. But Charlotte wasn't without morals as both her and Drew have disciplined Angelica when she did something wrong. So I wouldn't say that Drew and Charlotte are always bad parents workaholics definitely but not abusive as Angelica isn't suffering any immediate danger but she gets both spoiled and neglected
@tierefuerimmer9635 Oh, I know that. I was referring to how Angelica acted as an abusive or toxic mother, not that she's emulating her own mother. Charlotte is definitely a very busy person given her career, but I wouldn't go so far as to call her abusive because of it.
The fact is that, Chad wasn't worried Chucky would miss his mom. He was worried to open his own wounds
He didn't want to remember her more than he did.
And honestly I understand. Imagine the pain, missing the person you love everyday, already having a forever reminder of that, your child.
I get he didn't want to open more wounds than he has
Edit: hold on... you are a DAD?! wow!!! Did not know that! Haha
I totally get not wanting to re-open the old wounds. That’s a lot of pain to carry around, and I can’t blame him for not being sure how to proceed.
And yeah, I have 2 kiddos 😁
Thanks for watching, Marlin!
@@DuskTillShawn awww man, that's adorable! Wishing the best for you and your family
@@DuskTillShawn Aww how old is the youngest one? :D
I keep hearing this take but I'm not sure. People do not handle children's grief very well at all. It might seem easier or kinder to let him forget. As bad as losing a spouse is watching a child grieve a lost parent may be the most awful, helpless feeling in the world. You can get a new partner, you'll never have your lost parent.
Ik the pain I'm a pet parent one cat I had took a year after her death for me to say her name without breaking down and recently I lost three dogs peanut back in oct black Jack her son in Jan and spot the other son just last week it has taken a toll on me Spot we had to put down as his seizures weren't calming down he lost his brother to worms and their mother she got a cut that got infected to the point it was gangrene when we ended up putting her down very few ppl know how much of a toll it took on me I hide it well 😢
I think the writers chose not to directly state that she's dead because the it wouldn't make sense for the characters to say it, Chas is trying to bury his feelings, Chucky doesn't seem to fully understand why she's gone, and Didi is trying to help as much as she can without inflaming what is a very sore spot for Chas.
I was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around my neck. I was purple and had to take me away to make sure I'll live. This ep made me so sad, but it's nice to know that we had balls in the 90's to talk about these kinds of topics.
Dang, friend. I’m glad you’re here today! That’s really intense.
Thanks so much for watching 😁
That's actually pretty common. I, my sister, my brother, one of my nieces and my daughter were all born with our umbilical cords around our necks.
All my kids had the cord around their necks. Its really common.
I was born blue, and my younger siblings don’t let me forget it. The doctor didn’t really react, according to my mom, but I’m pretty sure it left me with some minor brain damage.
Rainbow babies unite!
I’m so glad you made it here! I would have had a little brother if that hadn’t happened to him. But a few years later I ended up with a sister.
Tommy defending Chuckie from Angelica’s abusive behavior here is a true bro moment.
"You guys go ahead. Mother's Day is for kids who got moms 🙂" MY HEART IS IN A MILLION PIECES
In the robot episode, Stu says to Chuckie "Good night Chuckie. Your mom and dad will come get you in in the morning." There are 2 optional scenarios there. Either Melinda hadn't died yet or if she did, Stu's mind was very fuzzy and tired. Think about it, Stu was so finagled to the point where he started sleepwalking. Surly in his drowsy mind, the fact that Chuckie's mother was dead must have escaped his mind
Theres a theory that the writers didn't have Melinda's status pinned down yet (Nick wouldn't allow a dead or divorced parent) and it wasn't until this episode they decided to reveal she had passed.
@@austinhinton3944 There's also that episode where they find Chaz's old fish trophy, that one looked to be written for a divorce backstory.
@@christopherwall2121I liked that episode from the perspective that she was dead. Mostly because when you're dealing with grief, you do start to make jokes about the situation
Or the writers came up with the idea of Chuckie's mom behing deceased after the series was already a few episodes in.
Rugrats is packed with representation. For me, it was the first time I saw a interfaith family like mine represented. A family that celebrated both Jewish and Christian traditions. I loved seeing DeeDee’s parents because they were so similar to my own. I can’t praise this show enough ❤️
That's why I find modern representation pointless. If you look hard enough, there's a lot of 1980s and 1990s (and some 2000s) shows and movies that at least try to be progressive (or show that women, minorities, the disabled, and the LGBTQ community are people too), but that's not good enough for today's standards.
Totally. I remember being so impressed by Suzie as a kid, and her entire family. I wasn't raised in a healthy family so seeing that a healthy black family with loving parents existed was pretty fascinating to me. And I learned to respect other cultures and religions 💜
It was packed with the typical usual representation countless of other shows already had as well so what exactly makes Rugrats special? Nothing. there are so many other cultures religions people that desperately needed representatipn and as usual didn’t get any, because Rugrats like most other shows only showed certain representation! Jewish representation great, but literally almost every show has it, it’s gets annoying!
As someone who lost his wife and mother of his son this episode hit me so damn hard. I miss her so much
As a woman who is 5 months pregnant with her first child, getting ready to celebrate my first Mother’s Day, this had me sobbing lol. Thank you for another great video!
Congratulations! Happy mother's day as well. I wish you and your baby future happiness.
Congratulations mama!!! I pray your labor and delivery goes well ♥You're halfway there, just keep thinking soon you'll hold your little one in your arms ♥
Congratulations!!
congrats momma, wishing you, baby, and family an uncomplicated delivery and happy lives 🫶🏼
I hope things are well for you all. 🥰
It wasn't about Chuckie missing her... Chaz just wasn't able to handle the grief yet and was projecting his own feelings onto Chuckie. Chaz was missing her so much that he couldn't handle even looking at a picture of her. He wasn't sure if he was ready to talk about her but Deedee kind of reminded him that it wasn't just about him and that it was unfair to keep Chuckie in the dark.
My son was born via emergency csection weighing 3lbs, he wasn't early though, my body was failing him due to pre-eclampsia, He and I almost passed away but those two weeks he lived in the nicu were the scariest and most beautiful time, he laughed for the first time while breastfeeding and I love how this episode reminds me of those times, happy, sad, and scary. Its all a part of this experience. My son Gabriel is now 10 months old and so close to taking his first steps 😊
Watching this as an adult makes me realize how well written this show actually was. 90s TV was truly a gift.
Yes! ❤
Seriously... I remember watching this as a kid and didn't understand. Now it hits home.
For some reason the Tommy moment makes me cry more than anything else now. I don’t even have kids but after talking to my friends and hearing them talk about how their son or their twins were taken before they got to hold them. That scene makes me think about how strong Didi is at that moment. That might have been the first time she got to touch her own baby. And makes Dil’s birth so important to her and explains why she is always so obsessed with baby reading books. Like that one moment explains so much in a few seconds.
Omg you're right
Both my sister and I were preemies. I had it rougher because I was born two months early. The first of my baby pictures showed me in an incubator. My mom and dad were smiling in the picture because they were near me, but I never really stopped to think how they felt seeing me that way, or how they felt having to go through the very same thing with my sister three years later.
I can deeply feel for Chucky because I lost my mom back in 2009 from breast cancer and honestly Mother's Day has been my least favorite holiday since then
Mother's Day is my least favorite holiday as well for the same reason.
I’m sorry for your loss, Kal-El.
I don’t blame you for Mother’s Day being your least favorite holiday.
My thoughts are with you, my friend.
Same 😔🤗
Yeah I lost mine in 2019. We didn't have a good relationship at all, she was very toxic and abusive...but I still miss her. She was my mom.
Same here. Mom passed o. 2014 when I was 27. 9 yrs later I haven’t healed. Pretty much every holiday is tough for me but Mother’s Day….never been the same
I remember being surprised at how not only does it show so many important things in this episode. Showing the different kinds of mothers there are, including abusive ones. I also remember this being this first time seeing breastfeeding on a kids' show, Tommy being in an incubator and single fathers on mothers day. It's an incredible episode.
Speaking of which, I'm glad they were smart enough to drape Betty's chest with a blanket in that scene, seeing as though the core audience is too old to be breastfed, but not old enough to go horny over those features.
In my head canon, Chuckie's mom was alive at the very beginning of the series. Real or Robots? was a very early episode. And my guess of Chuckie being at the Pickles' house that night was because his mother was in the hospital and Chaz was with her, not able to watch their toddler. And then she died shortly after. And to help Chaz out, presumably with the estate and funeral arrangements, Chuckie was over at the house a lot.
I also like how Tommy was standing up for Chuckie in this episode. So wonderful.
That is my personal headcanon as well! I know the writers probably didn’t know what to do with her character yet but my personal theory after rewatching the show just to tie loose ends, is she died early on and after she died at some point in the early seasons, chuckie might have forgotten about her over time cause they stopped mentioning her after a while until the Mother’s Day episode but I definitely think personally she was alive seasons 1 and 2 then died at some point!
I wish we saw more of Chuckie's maternal side of the family lots of untapped potential in that angle
I completely agree! There’s a TON of untapped potential there for sure.
Thanks for watching, Mathieu! I appreciate it :)
Honestly there's a lot to unpack in the fact we never see Melinda's side of the family... to our immediate knowledge.
Melinda might've been an orphan, her parent's might passed away by the time Chuckie was concieved, Melinda could've been a runaway fugative...
Melinda might've eloped with Chaz and fled a terrible family.
They might've ghosted Chaz when Melinda passed and nuked any chance of a familial relationship with Chuckie.
or since the Klasky Csupo Shared Universe has had multiple examples of supernatural elements... Chuckie's maternal grandparents could've been kidnapped or killed by an untraceable paranormal force.
Yeah that is a bit of a wasted opportunity. We never knew the family on his mother's side at all
Melinda Finster was a story that brought me to tears, because of the fact Chaz just couldn't process the grief. It tells you just what grief can do to someone.
I've watched this episode as a child and with my child. The later viewing left me weeping for a good hour after words. It made me so incredibly grateful for my health, I can't imagine the pain of knowing you are going to leave your little behind. Not knowing what world they are going to have to grow up in, knowing that you won't be the for all the bumps in the road along the way. Missing out on all the milestone, friends, breakups, bullies, successes, hobbies, and watching them grow into the amazing person you know they will become.
I can totally relate, Emilee. Passing away and not getting to see my kids grow up is definitely something that terrifies me. I’m very thankful for my health, as well.
Thanks for watching! 😁
I cried when I was a kid and I still cry
My theory; I think Melinda may have been DeeDees friend from school/college whatever. Knowing each other at a younger age would explain why DeeDees mum would have more opportunity to get to know her. This would also explain why even the self-absorbed side of the Pickles family froze when Chuckie had the picture.
DeeDee and Melinda got to know Angelica’s mum through dating the Pickles brothers, so likely the person who had known Melinda the least amount of time was Chaz.
The way he almost exclusively talks to DeeDee rather than Stu makes me think that they met Chaz when he started dating Melinda and chose to keep supporting him after her passing.
DeeDee can see he is using Chuckie’s well being as a pretty reasonable excuse to not relive the worst event of his life and she respects him enough not to push it on this occasion.
He also trusts DeeDee with the box, which says a lot in itself, it felt natural for DeeDee to keep a hold of Melinda’s things until Chaz was ready, she had had years with Melinda and may feel warmly when looking at her friend’s things.
The fact that you can read this much into a slice of life animation about babies is insane.
I remember watching Rugrats when I was younger and favoring Tommy more as a character because he was adventurous, brave and a leader. Then Chuckie started getting more screen time and character development. To me he’s probably the most realistic kid on the show and my favorite now. I still remember the Rugrats in Paris movie where Chuckie finally gets a mom 😭❤
16:48 “Then you can miss her together” 😭😭😭 damn who’s cutting onions 🧅
Edit: Btw Happy Mother’s Day 🖤
Im not crying, you’re crying! 😭
It breaks my heart, now, seeing the photo of Melinda, Chuckie’s mom.
Sameeeee!!!!
Thanks for watching!
I remember seeing this episode long ago and, though I can't recall crying then, I can say I teared up hearing Melinda's poem this time. I could feel the grief coming off of Chaz so much more. Also seeing the earliest days of the other babies was a nice treat (even though now I realize Tommy was prematurely born, hence the "fish tank")
This comment had such a funnier and odder vibe imaging Toriel saying it all with that confused face.
Dear lord it made me cry.
Thankfully my mom was and is still alive, but I do remember seeing this episode as a child around the time many of my grandparents, including the one I loved super dearly, passed away.
I am a religious person, and shortly after my grandma passed away I encountered a monarch butterfly who touched its antenna to my finger. My mom told me it was my grandma saying hello and that she's watching over me.
So seeing Chucky's mom and the butterflies really struck me. It was a nice feeling not to be alone.
I've actively avoided this specific episode & the entire Rugrats in Paris movie for so long after losing my mom. This is my first time actually seeing it in years & I just wanted to say thank you for talking about this episode today. Growing up I always related to Chuckie, I just never knew how much alike we'd end up being 🥺🤞🏽
Thanks so much for watching this video, Mini Monroe. I’m sorry for your loss.
@DuskTillShawn thank you so much for posting! It was meant for me to see 🥹
The scene where we learn Melinda is dead is absolutely heartbreaking, but I was glad Chas and Chuckie were able to find happiness in their lives again with Kira and Kimi. I also loved how Chas and Kira adopted the other's child as their own to ensure they were truly a family.
There was an episode where Chuckie wondered what the world would be like without him and as it turns out, Chuckie is one of the most important characters among them. Tommy wouldn't have courage, Chaz lived a solitary sad life as a fat dude in front of a television screen. Even the families weren't friends anymore simply because Chuckie never existed. At least that's what I can remember. I only saw the episode a couple times as a kid.
Even though that episode was a parody of It’s a Wonderful Life, it shows why you should never think the people in your life would be better off without you.
@@huntercoleman460 And it is a better "It's a Wonderful Life" spoof than that Fairly Oddparents episode that showed that Timmy's so bratty and useless that the world would literally be better off without him.
16:12 As an adult I understand this scene so much better. As we snap back away from the imagination of the babies to whats really going on, youre shown a deafening silence. Chucky WASNT supposed to find that photo yet, and it put him in a very awkward position
This episode TORE ME UP as a kid. I remember watching it every year with my own mom, and this episode now makes me smile even though my own mom has gone on.
I love the part at the end, where Chucky‘s dad finally tells him about his mom and he read him that beautiful poem that she wrote for him in her diary. I love the whole episode, and a lot of parts really were funny, sweet, but this was my most favorite part. that was such a beautiful and touching moment.
This episode will always make me cry, because I absolutely identify with it. My mother passed away when I was very young, and my memory of her is nonexistent. It’s a struggle…hurts a lot, but I have bonded with her thru art, baking, and I guess a love of silver jewelry and the metaphysical. I feel her all the time. I miss her very much. I felt SO VALIDATED back then when it originally aired. It still makes me cry at 37!!❤
In the second episode, "Barbecue Story", there's a lady with glasses sitting next to Chaz. This was only the second episode of the entire series, way before they planned for Chaz to be a single father. I think she was intended to be Chuckie's mother. In other episodes Chuckie does mention having a mother. In the episode where he's being potty trained he says, "This is the worst thing that's ever happened to me since my mom put me on the bottle!" In the episode "Special Delivery", Stu orders a baby doll from a catalogue so he can compare it to a similar project he's working on. Didi says "Hear that, Tommy? A new little baby for you to play with, and she's coming in the mail!" Tommy assumed he's she means a real baby and tells the other babies his parents are going to have another baby. Phil and Lil say, "That's funny. Our mom's been talking about another baby too." Phil thinks babies come from the store, Lil thinks they come from the store. Chuckie says his mom told him he came from the hospital.
True! I was also going to point out Chuckie mentioned his mom a few times before this episode, but didn’t remember the exact scenarios.
My guess on why they avoided outright saying Chuckie's Mom passed away despite dealing with the subject of death before was the magnitude of the situation. I'd say they considered the death of a parent heavier by comparison.
It could also be a standards and practices rule; you’re allowed to mention the death of an animal as long as the death itself isn’t overly graphic but the death of a human should be avoided at all cost.
Melinda's poem was so beautiful. I don't remember this episode but watching this as an adult and hearing her poem was fantastic.
That episode made me sob from beginning to end as an adult. Tommy was a preme, Chuckie and his mom, the adults and Chaz.
It’s just sooooo saddddd 😢
I love it though!
That story of Chuckie’s mom is one way to make a grown man cry. It gets me every time. The reason why it gets me is because that scene always reminds me of my first stepmom who was more of a mom to me than my biological mom ever was. Sadly my first stepmom passed away back in 2017. I’d give anything to tell her how much I love her and to hug her one more time.
I’m pregnant with my first child and the thought of my little guy not having me around is just so heartbreaking, I was sobbing the entire video.
I think Chaz was using Chunky missing her as a subconscious excuse for himself because he himself would miss her.
Damn this episode always got me crying and it still does to this day
Same here and I’m a grown man. Very few things make me cry but that scene with Chuckie’s mom is probably the number 1 thing that’ll do it for me every time.
This show was probably the first time saw a parents death shown from a child's point of view and as a child myself, I had no friends who had lost a parents. But only a year or so later, a close friend lost her mother to cancer.I always remembered this episode.
This episode makes me ugly cry everytime I see it and yet its an amazing episode. Happy Mothers Day everyone
I was born very prematurely in the early 90s, and had to stay in the NICU for about 4 months. Rugrats was my absolute favorite show as a kid, and still holds a very special place in my heart (yes, I even like the reboot) but I'll admit I never caught on to Tommy being in an incubator until rewatching this episode much later in life. Thanks for covering this, even though it brought tears to my eyes. This episode, the first movie, and Rugrats in Paris never cease to make me cry.
I ,too, was born in the early 90s and had to live in the NICU for a few months.
That was me too as a preemie in the 90s😢
I was also a preemie in the 90s! I love that they included that.
I could kinda hear the break in your voice at the poem.
And I feel that…. God this episode persists easily. I don’t often remember this show- but this episode stays.
Thanks for this.
And I have to make mention of why they never specifically say she died.
In a way, it’s an episode specifically geared to children or those in grief of losing someone like that- and that poem at the end saying that they aren’t really gone.
Death is a final word- but to anyone with spiritual inclination, it’s a comfort to believe that truly they are still with you no matter what. And the poem Chuckies mom gave him was her way of comforting him someday knowing she herself would not be physically there to do.
And honestly- that was a royal move on the writers.
Born 3 months premature in the 90s, lost my mom at age 6 from cancer, deal with anxiety every day, watched all the Rugrats episodes including the "I want a Mom" scene from Rugrats in Paris...this stuff still hits me hard all these years later.
Paramount plus posted the last part on their channel earlier this morning and tears were welling up in my eyes.
As an almost twenty eight year old woman who was a premature baby like Tommy, I’m not ashamed to admit that this episode still gets to me all these years later.
I’m also premature as well. I’m 23. Do you have a disability like me?
@@quinnhouk5369 Yes. Low vision.
@@penmars9530 my vision was also bad until I got it fixed with laser eye surgery. I have high functioning Cerebral palsy
I just want to say when I was 4 the Day After Christmas. My mom passed away from skin cancer. and When I saw this episode I broke down into tears and it really got me emotional the 1st time I saw it And I can definitely relate to chuckie knowing that His mom and my mom is always going to be with him.
I’m sorry for your loss, Will. I’m sure that was really hard to go through at such a young age.
I appreciate you being here. Thank you so much for watching and leaving a comment!
my dad died on fathers day, this hits too close to home.
I’m so sorry for your loss, Defile Odds. 😢
@@DuskTillShawn oh wow, thanks bud. No worries it was years ago. I've been playing your vids all day
I’m so sorry for your loss ❤
@@PlusUltraAdrian it was a long time ago but thank you I appreciate that, have a fantastic day 👍😎👍
just watched this episode again the other day. it hits harder as an adult for sure
I miss my Mama....
Hugs❤️
@@sadlilbean602 *Hugs back*
Dude I miss your mom too. It's not fair that such a kind lady was taken from this world but I think she would be proud of you solely for who you are
So do I
I’m so sorry for your loss ❤
By far the biggest tearjerker of the whole run
Straight up! 😢
This is one of those episodes that gets me every time and I will always love it even though it punches me right in the feels.
Saaaaaaame. It’s like a punch to the gut every time! But I love it lol.
This episode used to destroy me as a kid. My dad was killed when I was 3, and growing up Father's Day was always tough for me. I was 7 when this episode came out, and it was the first time I felt like someone understood how I felt.
Also, I completely understand Chaz feeling like Chucky was too young to understand what happened. A lot of people don't really consider the fact that babies and toddlers can retain memory. I know my mom didn't tell me any version of what happened to my dad until I was around 6. And I didn't learn actual details about what happened to him until high school... Also, Chaz is clearly still mourning. So him saying Chucky wasn't ready to hear it could have been more him not being ready to share it with Chucky.
I watched this episode for the first time on Netflix when I was maybe 13 or 14, and remembered it being sad but it didn’t hurt me that much. Now rewatching the clips from this video it hits HARD! Especially since I went through having a single parent and death in my family. The way Chuckie was so nonchalant about not having a mom was just like me when I was little. I didn’t have a dad cause my mom broke up with him, and I didn’t know this and pretty much just accepted that I didn’t have a dad for some reason. That hit especially hard, now knowing that my dad was an abusive partner towards my mom. It made me realize that back then, you just accept things and you don’t know what you’re accepting because you don’t know the truth. Which is scary. I also had a family member pass away from cancer about three years ago, and it was hard,and made this episode even harder to watch. It’s like now that I’ve experienced these things, I fully understand the severity of it, which I didn’t the first time I watched. It really goes to show that things hit differently when you’re an adult and have more experience. Part of me wish I did, when I was younger, but then I guess there would be no point of growing up you know?
This ep always hurt as a kid. My mom was alive but 500+ miles away, the song "I want a mom who lasts forever" from the Paris movie also got me so bad I won't rewatch the movie.
34 now and a mom, but my mom is gone so it hits me even harder
I remember seeing this episode when I was a kid, and it was one of the first times I felt like I saw my family on TV. My dad died when I was 3, and I remember the hospital a lot. You didn't see a lot of families where one parent was dead a lot. Even now it's still not common. So I've always appreciated Rugrats for that.
Yes it did and I heard this episode gave the creators ideas to make rugrats in Paris
It's a bit strange that Chuckie can't remember his mother outside of the one memory, but Tommy remembers his time in the NICU.
I imagine there's a mental blocker there somewhere, maybe based on how Chaz jas decided to handle her memory? Clearly the babies can remember some of their earliest memories.
What’s NICU stand for?
@@robbiewalker2831 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. It's a specialized ICU for babies.
There's a real concept for that, toddlers at some point begin to forget things from when they were babies.
Chuckie's at least 2 or 3 years old, if i remembered right, well within the threshold for losing all or most those early memories.
I used to be a nanny specializing in kids under 5 (especially newborns) and yeah they usually do not remeber me except maybe a faint resemblence to someone they know haha. That is when many of their parents break out the photos of me.
It has to do with the development they go through during those years, they are usually learning so many new things from ages 2-5 that is why many memories are marked as unessential by the brain. (How to walk-essential some random lady that takes care of me on wednesdays-unessential, ect.) Chuckie could also have some truama from that time which would further hinder his memories.
I kind of viewed that as Chuckie having a memory but thinking it’s a dream because he has nothing to tell him it’s reality. He didn’t know the woman in his ‘dream’ was his mother, just some unknown lady whilst Tommy knows who his mother is and so can link it to a memory. Also I’m assuming part of the premie theory is that Tommy was in an incubator and has a bald head (ECG?) so it means he was in the NICU for at least a few months, which would be a quarter of his life minimum. Whilst Chuckie is two and his mum must’ve died when he was only a few months old given both his youth in the memory and ‘when she was in the hospital’ implying she was there for a while before passing - making the memory more distant.
His episode ages like wine as you age yourself.
The sweetness and bitterness get stronger.
One of my favorite episodes of Rugrats, and you covered it fantastically!
I will say, I’m not sure if Chaz necessarily tried to hide the memento box away because he wanted Chuckie to forget his mother. I moreso got the impression that he felt unsure of how to explain the situation to Chuckie with him being so young, and also with the death still possibly being very hard on Chaz to really talk about. I figured he was planning on waiting until Chuckie was older-4,5, something like that?- when he might better understand the concept of death (Like death of a human/parent, not death of a pet bug. RIP Melville.)
That’s just my thoughts though! And I’m 100% in favor of how they DID have Chaz sit down and talk to Chuckie about who his mother was, how much she loved him, and explained in a comforting way that while she had to leave early, she’s still with him in a really profound, lovely way!
Sorry for rambling so much, I really DO love this episode 😅 thanks for the video, and here’s wishing you and your family a wonderful Mother’s Day!
It just dawned on me that Chucky probably has anxiety because of the separation anxiety caused by losing his mom when he was really little. That's why he wasn't afraid of the butterfly when she was holding him but he is afraid of everything now.
And now I am crying.
Wow i never realized how hard this episode hit but of course i was still a kid. Its much different now rewatching this as a new mom. My daughter was a preemie and although she was never in an incubator she spent her first 3 weeks in the NICU. Now she is 2 months old and she seems to get bigger and stronger everyday!
In the future, chucky would eventually become the lakeside strangler and dab in the arts of voodoo to transfer his soul into a good guys doll.
UGH, I have never analyzed this episode like this. This definitely helped me cry. I am so grateful that you brought light to this episode, too often, we do not talk about things that regard grief. We let people and their lives go forgotten just so we don't "dampen the mood", but I think it creates authenticity in the mood, and that is beautiful.
I grew up watching the Rugrats and I didn't see that episode until I was 19. I bawled like a baby, because I lost my mom when I was 9. I still tear up whenever something about "being a mom" pops up
Ouch. Only saw the thumbnail and all the feels I associate with the episode come punching back. For a show that was about 80% poop and toilet humor; Rugrats got super emotional and real sometimes in its early days.
Heck YES it makes me CRY! Melinda's letter to Chuckie made me sob when it was new and every time I watched it after:( Dead moms and dogs, man, don't even with me...this, the 'My Mother' song in 'The Chipmunk Adventure', the ending of 'Homeward Bound', and the ending of the '7th Heaven' episode 'All Dogs Go To Heaven', I'M LITERALLY CRYING AS I TYPE THIS...
When your a parent you’ll understand Chaz’s fear. It was logical. It was the fear of him not knowing if he would be able to handle seeing his kid being sad and him going through her death again through his kid ..
Grief is weird, because you could only hurt so much from loving so deeply. Love y’all, cosmic hugs.
Also, we had the best cartoons growing up.
Both our kids had to spend a week+ in the NICU and we’re around a month early. They’re both great today!
I miss cartoons like this.They delve in deep into real life scenario.and love how much emotion they place into cartoons like this.whereas this generation they try to hard to make it family friendly
Casas just projecting his feelings onto Chucky. What got me about that episode was how hurt you could tell Chas was and how much he wanted to avoid the topic. As a kid the idea of having a kid with a wife but then she dies really made me feel bad for Chuckie's dad more than I felt bad for Chucky
I really appreciate that the creators made a mothers day episode about a child who no longer had his mother.
This episode meant so much to me as a kid. I lost my Mum age 2 so I always related to Chuckie 😢
This episode brought me to tears when my mom was alive, so after I lost her, it’s definitely painful to watch and I generally skip it on rewatches. Great video as always!
One of the best episodes period
My mother passed away in December of 2021 as this episode broke my heart I feel for chucky and the poem broke me even more weeped my little heart out
My 2nd baby had to live in the nursery at first due to jaundice. I was allowed to go nurse him, but because he was born early I struggled to make milk at first but due to the generosity of other mothers who donated milk I was able to provide that for my little one.
So oh man does this episode hit like a truck rewatching it as an adult. My daughter is watching the show so I'm seeing them all a kid and loving this show as much as an adult as I did watching it with my grandmother.
Now I'm half to tears lol
Fun Fact: Mother's Day is a day before my birthday. Not that anyone will care. Just thought it was cool that there's 2 special days back to back in my mother's live! 💝
Happy early birthday!!
@@SpookyGhostHippy Ty!
That’s awesome! Happy almost birthday! 😁
@@DuskTillShawn you replied! Thanks! 🎂
Happy belated Birthday!
Betty giving Howard the day off means a lot. It implies Howard is the mom, and Betty is the breadwinner. I really forget how underrated the two are as a couple.
Even if you take into account both are each other ‘Beards/Cover’ the two have the healthiest relationship.
First of all, Betty is NOT the breadwinner. Just because Howard does the typical mom stuff like cooking and cleaning doesn’t mean he’s the stay at home mom while Betty works. We don’t know for sure who’s who, since we don’t get any information on their work lives, until All grown up when Betty works with Charles in his store.
As for them having the healthiest relationship, think again. Betty has numerous of times shown that she controls Howard much to his dislike, in one episode it was especially noticeable when he looked uncomfortable by her bossing him around.
@@sandiego2380
You claim Betty isn’t the breadwinner but also say we don’t know who makes the money. Like dude it’s a 7 month old comment chill
Oh my gosh. I forgot about this episode...
I'm not crying! You're crying!! *runs away sobbing*
This is my mom's favourite episode she cried every time
This episode makes me cry. I can't remember if I cried all the way back when it was first released, but I know the poem always makes me cry, and when chuckie talks about it to his friends. I have five kids so far, and whenever I watch the end of this episode, it just makes me cry and then makes me want to hug my babies tightly.
"It's only a dream. You cant give presents to a dream."
We really wish we could. That line made me cry
A good friend of mine...we always used to joke around because we LOVE rugrats to this day. I was like "You legit remind me of chucky finster." I was his Tommy, I guess. All we have is our moms now.
I didn't realize it at the time, but Chuckie's storyline was so important to me as a kid. I lost a parent around his age and Rugrats in Paris (which came out around that time) was something I connected to even if I didn't know why. I think I had a similar outlook as Chuckie though with some more awareness of the death. According to my mom I was picking out 'new dads' everywhere we went. My mom was a mess when she took me to see that movie and realized the plot, but it didn't upset me because it made sense in my life. Rugrats became a comfort show for me and I can see now being able to identify with a character on that level was a major reason. Rugrats was ahead of its time when it came to diversity and inclusiveness.
I like chucky as my favorite as well, I had a similar childhood, and i'm glad they had him in the series and that they dealt with this issue
I was a bit older but I understood Chucky and my mom did a great job in spite of what happened, so i'll just say hold onto them tight they may eembarass or bother you but they'll always love you