The Splat has arrived to remind people everywhere how great Nickelodeon was in the '90s, and among its roster of returning shows is the showcase of urban living that is Hey Arnold! Following the adventures of Arnold as he grows up in the city of Hillwood (which is reminiscent of New York City), as well as his large group of schoolmates at P.S. 118. While The Splat will be airing Hey Arnold ! , including a special week dedicated to episodes involving the character Stoop Kid, sometimes there's nothing better to do in a day than stream Hey Arnold! online so you can have a 100-episode marathon.
When Hey Arnold! is not airing on The Splat, episodes of the classic cartoon can be watched by purchasing them on Amazon Instant Video, or on Hulu Plus with a subscription. Hulu's partnership with Viacom, Nickelodeon's parent company, means that the service gets streaming rights to classic nickelodeon shows such as Hey Arnold!, as well as Spongebob Squarepants and The Wild Thornberries. Hey Arnold! has a lot of characters, stories, and episodes to keep track of and it can be a daunting series to try and tackle. Here are some suggestions for episodes to watch that show how ahead-of-the-curve Hey Arnold! was when it came to cartoons.
"Stoop Kid" (Season 1, Episode 3B)
"Stoop Kid's Afraid To Leave The Stoop!" Hey Arnold! was an exceptional show in its ability to show empathy for all of its characters. None of its antagonists were truly bad people, simply misunderstood. When a football lands on Stoop Kid's stoop, Arnold makes it his goal — in an effort to get the ball back — to help Stoop Kid find the courage to leave the stoop. It's a fun episode that manages to encourage its audience to always strive to be understanding and helpful.
"What's Opera, Arnold?" (Season 2, Episode 17B)
Helga's undying love for Arnold is one of the constants of the show. No matter what the situation, Helga will be mean to Arnold and the moment she is alone, she will eloquently profess her love for him. One of the best manifestations of this fantasy takes place when Helga and Arnold fall asleep and have dreams about their relationship, set against the plot of the opera Carmen. This wasn't the only time Hey Arnold! juxtaposed childhood feelings with classic works of art, but this one involved singing so it takes the cake.
"Arnold's Thanksgiving "(Season 3, Episode 14)
Arnold and Helga, in an attempt to avoid their own unconventional families during Thanksgiving, go to the house of their teacher Mr. Simmons. However, Mr. Simmons has an incredibly dysfunctional family, and Arnold and Helga realize their traditions aren't as bad as they thought. While it's a very standard plot for a Thanksgiving episode of a television show, it still showed kids everywhere that there may be no such thing as a "normal" family. The episode tells us that everyone has their own unique situation, and the best thing we can all do is be understanding and support each other.
"Helga On The Couch" (Season 4, Episode 16)
If any episode of Hey Arnold! is going to make you tear up, this is the one. When a school psychologist comes to P.S. 118, she sits down with Helga Pataki to try and figure out why Helga is such a bully. During her discussion with the psychologist, Helga talks about her difficulties with her family, the sister she could never be better than, and how her feelings towards Arnold came from when he did something as simple as just show kindness to her. Even though the show was called Hey Arnold!, it became clear over the course of its run that Helga's story was just as important as Arnold's. This episode proved to be the best display of the complexity and importance of Helga as a television character, and will certainly get you hooked on Hey Arnold! all over again.
