| Angelica for a Day | Gallery | Transcript |
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| Season 5 Episode 8b | |
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| Angelica for a Day | |
| Original Airdate | August 17, 1998 |
| DVD release | Season 5 Nickelodeon Rewind, Vol. 4 Complete Series |
| Previous Episode | The Wild, Wild West |
| Next Episode | Fugitive Tommy |
"Angelica for a Day" is a Season 5 episode of Rugrats.
Characters Present[]
Characters Introduced[]
- Nick
- Little Kid
- Moody Little Girl
- Girl's Father
- Jogger
- Elderly Woman
- Timmy
- Kim
Synopsis[]
Chuckie switches shoes with Angelica and takes on her personality. Meanwhile, when Angelica puts on Chuckie's shoes, she takes on his. - Description from Klasky Csupo
Plot[]
It starts at the park, where Tommy and Chuckie are building a sandcastle, Angelica is playing with Cynthia's dollhouse in the sand, and a moody little girl complains to her father that she wants ice cream, and she wants it now. Drew remarks that he would not want to be in the man's shoes. Tommy asks Angelica why her daddy doesn't like the other guy's shoes, and she claims that, when you put another persons' shoes on, you become just like them. She claims that Drew doesn't want to be like the "mean" daddy who won't give his daughter ice cream. A jogger runs past and Tommy says that if he put on the jogger's shoes, he would want to run all over the place. Chuckie sees an elderly woman feeding the pigeons and comments that if he put on her shoes, he would want all his friends to be birds.
Then Angelica gloats that she will play on the "best" part of the park; a hill she calls "Big Kid Mountain", as only three year olds and up can play there. Timmy and Kim (from "The Word of The Day") and a few other kids are running, skipping and rolling on the hill. Tommy wants to play there, too, but Chuckie does not, as Angelica said they were too little. Tommy points out that she is an unreliable source of information, as she had told them they would float to the moon unless they put sand in their pockets, which was not true. Chuckie takes the sand out of his pockets and follows Tommy. Tommy is eager, but not Chuckie; he is scared of the hill and wants to make mud houses instead.
He wants to put off climbing the "mountain" for the next day (or never). Angelica says that if Chuckie was braver, Tommy would have a "funner" time. Tommy now wants to make very good mud houses with mud, sticks and grass. Chuckie starts to get grass, but a duo of older, intimidating-seeming boys (who both look about three) asks what he's doing. Chuckie explains what he is doing, but the older kid and his friend claim that they own the grass, so Chuckie has to leave. Chuckie nervously apologizes to "Mr. Big Kid" and "Sir" as he calls them, puts the grass back and backs away. Tommy asks if something is wrong and Chuckie replies no-- he was just walking away, as the grass belonged to the other two children. Tommy claims the grass belongs to everybody, and Chuckie says "Sort of, but it belongs more to them than to you and me."
Tommy is now very frustrated with Chuckie's timidness and tells him he can't be scared all the time. Stu then puts the kids into their pushchairs for a nap and Drew dismisses Angelica to the sandbox. Chuckie apologizes for being so scared and falls asleep, while Tommy ponders Angelica's shoes and what she'd said about shoes as he also falls asleep.
He is awoken from his nap by Stu, who takes him out of his chair, and Tommy declares to Chuckie that they will climb Big Kid Mountain. Chuckie says no, but Tommy thinks he should be brave and wear Angelica's shoes to be like her. He puts the shoes on Chuckie, who claims she will get extremely mad at them, but Tommy says that being like Angelica will makes Chuckie not scared of her. Once the shoes are on, Tommy asks Chuckie if he feels mean, but Chuckie says he does not. Tommy thinks he should tie the laces, but Chuckie angrily says that he doesn't know who will tie them, as babies cannot tie shoes. Tommy thinks that this anger is Angelica-like. So, they agree to play on Big Kid Mountain. They climb the hill, but Chuckie is a bit grumpy, and accuses Tommy of being a scaredy baby and that it was no big deal climbing a mountain.
Angelica climbs the hill while holding Chuckie's shoes; she is in a bad mood and wants her shoes back. Angry, Chuckie bullies Angelica, claiming the shoes as his own. Angelica chases Chuckie but steps on a thistle. Wanting to protect her feet, she puts Chuckie's shoes on and suddenly becomes a lot friendlier to Tommy, but also much more nervous. She then invites Tommy to play peek-a-boo. This makes him ask her if she is feeling funny. Angelica replies no, but thanks him for asking. Tommy wants to get her shoes back from Chuckie, but Angelica says that she's lonely, so they both go to find Chuckie.
Chuckie, meanwhile, threatens the sand box kids that a sandworm may eat them if they play there, then exhibits dominance over the box. Tommy says that what his friend did was mean, but Chuckie wants him to go away. Tommy wants the shoes back, but Chuckie refuses. Angelica exhibits fear about the sandworms.
Chuckie has made himself king of Big Kid Mountain and demands cookies. Tommy is playing in the mud and invites Chuckie in, knowing that you can take off your shoes in the mud, and says that some people are too scared to play in the mud. Chuckie starts to take Angelica's shoes off but the two boys from before showing up, causing Angelica to freak out, with Tommy noting he's starting to miss the old Angelica. The kids want Chuckie to get off their grass, however he throws mud on them, making them cry and run away. Chuckie realizes what Tommy was trying to do and refuses to take the shoes off. He starts chasing Tommy (as Angelica cowers nearby), but as he runs, he falls over and the shoes are knocked off. However, Chuckie doesn't change back to normal, but gets even angrier. As he runs away, Tommy regrets wanting Chuckie to change just before he trips on a rock and falls face first into the mud...
Suddenly, Tommy wakes up from his nap, everything that happened since falling asleep having been his dream. He is very relieved to find Chuckie is still his old self and tells him all about his dream. Tommy then tells Chuckie he likes him just the way he is and never wants him to change. Angelica then shouts at the two for stepping on Cynthia's Malibu Beach House. Tommy is overjoyed to see Angelica is back to being mean and gives her a huge hug, one which she struggles to escape from.
Trivia[]
- Most people class "big kids" at around eight to twelve, but these kids classified "big kids" as being three or older. This is justified in that Angelica is the oldest Rugrat (except maybe for Susie) and thinks of herself as more "grown up" than them.
- While not getting the same level of recognitions as past episodes like "Angelica's Worst Nightmare", "Pickles vs. Pickles", or "Chuckie's Wonderful Life" in terms of having a somewhat darker tone, like those episodes, this takes place in an entire dream sequence where Tommy dreams of Chuckie being as mean and bossy like Angelica, and the thought of seeing your best friend behave in such a way that is beyond your expectation to the point where the change becomes permanent, gives the episode a sort of darker feel, but in a more subtle fashion especially in how visually normal the setting of the dream sequence appears to be.
- By taking Chuckie's shoes, Angelica notices that he has big feet.
- It is unknown if "Big Kid Mountain" is an official name or if Angelica named it.
- This episode is based off "Dead Man's Shoes" from The Twilight Zone.
- Stu and Drew are the only parents to appear in this episode.
- The bratty little girl who wants ice cream resembles Veruca Salt from the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.
- Morals:
- Be careful what you wish for; it might come true.
- Accept your friends for who they are.
Video Clip[]
Chuckie Needs His Afternoon Nap Rugrats The Splat