LogFAQs > #969904710

#81: Mother's Day
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Show: Rugrats
Original airdate: May 9, 1997

"My sweet, little Chuckie, though I must leave you behind me
This poem will tell you where you always can find me.
When a gentle wind blows, that's my hand on your face.
And when the tree gives you shade, that's my sheltering embrace.
When the sun gives you freckles, that's me tickling my boy.
When the rain wets your hair, those are my tears of joy.
When the long grass enfolds you, that's me holding you tight.
When the Whippoorwill sings, that's me whispering, 'Night, night.'"

Early episode retcons notwithstanding, the current whereabouts of Chuckie Finster's mother was one of the biggest mysteries of Rugrats, and we got a definitive answer for that mystery in the Mother's Day special, one of several special Rugrats episodes produced between the initial run and the 1997 revival. The episode was released at the peak of my own love of the show, and I also wondered where Chuckie's mom was and whether or not she'd ever return. I knew her death could be a possibility, but I held out hope that she was alive, and unfortunately, that was not to be... but the episode did an amazing job touching on the subject of death while also showing the other moms on the show and their own relationships with their kids. Chaz's reluctance to discuss his dearly departed wife with Chuckie is completely understandable, and the way it's ultimately handled, with Chuckie coming to accept his mom's death while still realizing she'll always be there for him is one of the most heartfelt and poignant moments in Nickelodeon history. The B-plot, with a mom computer that was ultimately overloaded after Betty tried to program it with her own knowledge about being a mother, was also excellently executed and provided some much needed comic relief to the gravitas of the main Chuckie storyline. All in all, Rugrats was never a show to shy away from the realities of life and death, and that was never more apparent than in this excellent Mother's Day special.