My Most Favorite "As Told by Ginger" Episode of All Time!
I don't think I've properly revealed and discussed what may be the most enjoyed, most respected, and most favorite episode of As Told by Ginger yet. For the past several months, I was mostly showing my hate for season three's infamous "Wicked Game" (please don't make me explain again why I hate its guts
and organs). That was easy for me to name my most hated episode, but for my most loved episode, it was a bit more tricky. The top two nominees are "Hello Stranger" from season one, "Butterflies Are Free" from season three. They could easily tie in as my favorite episode of the entire series. Both of these amazingly sweet episodes, after watching them in their entirety once, I instantly fell in love with, and became respectful towards. Also, the two are both episodes I'd recommend to any newcomers of Ginger, because I feel that they define its overall down-to-earth tone perfectly.
So, out of those two absolute favorite episodes, which one of them do I feel I respect the most, and see that it screams what this great show is (supposed to be) all about? I've been thinking, and saying to myself that my favorite As Told by Ginger episode of all time is...
Okay, before I reveal, I'll hint that it was nominated for an Emmy (which it didn't won, but the nomination was still good). No! Not "Lunatic Lake"! That's my most hated season two episode; I don't know about overall.
Of course, I'm talking about "Hello Stranger"!
Where to start? Where to start? Okay, first I'll tell you, if unfamiliar, what the episode is about, which is much easier than writing down my thoughts on it.
Ginger's plot: The school arts fair is almost here, but our ginger-headed hero is stumped on what to write a poem about for the event. That's until she receives a surprise belated graduation card from her divorced dad, Jonas. As much as Ginger wants to hear the crowd at the arts fair cheer for her and her poem, it would make her especially happy if her estranged father would attend the night and be proud of her wonderful little girl. The night she got her dad's message (but was unable to reach him on phone), Ginger gets her idea for a brilliant poem, titled, you guessed it, "Hello Stranger". Unfortunately, Ginger couldn't find Jonas' face in the audience, which was what she hoped for, given the context of her poem.
It makes her sad for a bit, but she lightens up as soon as she gets praise for her well-done piece of poetry. And how does it end? Only in one of the most heartwarming ways this show could! I'll reveal it later!
Carl's plot: Before the arts fair happens at Lucky Jr. High, it's show and tell with pets at Lucky Elementary. Typical Carl wants to freak out his fellow classmates with the most unusual "creature": a dehydrated sea snake! Sadly (and I mean it sarcastically, because I honestly see it as funny), Lois drinks the unborn liquid snake thing thinking it was lemonade, leaving Carl devastated! Okay, first of all, that pitcher was filled with green liquid! It wouldn't be lemonade; it would have been limenade! Lemons are yellow, limes are green! It's not that hard to tell the difference between them! Now, Lois is risk of giving birth to an artificial snake baby. Then, Carl, with no pet to show and tell about, gets bitten by Brandon Higsby's crazy monkey, Mr. Licorice, and starts acting like a rabid monkey himself, to the point where he gets sent into the hospital with his "pregnant" mom". Yeah, it's typical Carl subplot weirdness.
Well, that's the summary out of the way. Time to praise! First of all, I must get this out of the way: "Hello Stranger" deserved the Emmy nomination in 2001! Yes, it may have lost to that relatively dumb Simpsons episode where Homer's revealed to have a crayon lodged into his brain, thus causing his trademark stupidity, it was still nice to know how As Told by Ginger proved itself to be Emmy material, in the first of three nominations during its entire run. It wasn't melodramatic like how Family Guy may be when it isn't relying on stupid "comedy"; the episode was just a perfect balance of down-to-earth drama that makes you feel for Ginger, and her now distanced relationship with her "deadbeat" dad. This show's a master of getting empathy out of you, isn't it? And as always, the main story is something many people could relate to; dealing with the absence of a parent. Obviously, at least depending on said parent's character, it can feel painful not having another parent in the house, and in your life to care for you.
And you know what I just realized? I myself can relate to Ginger in this episode! Not just with her talent and love for writing (which this episode establishes), but also with the absence of Dad. My father left when I was very, very young, and I never saw him again afterwards. I never communicated with him, I never got any messages of any kind from him. Nothing! And because he barely did nothing in my life while he was there, I have no memories of him whatsoever, and my knowledge on him is very little. Not to mention, he was a self-centered asswipe to give that much a crap about parenting me.
So, while I don't have a dad around like Ginger, my relationship with him seems non-existent compared to Ginger and Jonas' relationship.
Oh, by the way, we don't actually get to see what Jonas looks like until the holiday special.
Back to praising the episode, I really liked the interactions between Ginger and Darren shown here. I don't know, I just see and feel that they (as well as the previous episode, "Dare I, Darren?") are cute hints on their future relationship in season three. Yeah, I know Darren does act like an ass by condescending Jonas being a deadbeat dad, which Ginger takes personally, but he turns understanding of the situation, so he's still a good guy. They do get a bit angry with each other (Ginger for Darren making a big deal somewhat negatively over her so-called "deadbeat" dad potentially coming by, and Darren for Ginger supposedly not accepting Darren's offer to stay at his house at first, while both Lois and Carl are in the hospital), but like I said, things get positive between them. Darren really cares for Ginger, and vice versa. Ginger knew Darren longer than she knew Macie and the big-mouthed one, you know. I think. Also, I liked the part where Darren offers a bite of his apple to Ginger before he does. It's sweet and a bit gross at the same time, although he eventually leaves the apple for her to finsih. That's good. Germs are bad.
Oh, and let's not ignore how funny this episode is, as it was sad but touching! Basically, the entire subplot is full of laughs, as most of Carl's subplots are. In general, everything involving Lois' snake in her tummy, and Carl going bananas cracked me up! Also, everybody's (least) favorite attention whore made me chuckle as well in the beginning. Just as Ginger talks to her teacher about ideas for the fair, Dodie and Macie butt into the conversation, with Dodie saying she most definitely take part into the event. "No question about that!" said Macie. Uh, yes, question, Macie. What exactly can Dodie present at the arts fair? She has no talent in anything (unless constantly backstabbing her friends count as a talent), nor does she have anything artistic we know she can share. The closest thing might be her stained underwear from the last time she had a sexual fantasy of Courtney, or something like that. Screw you, Dodie Bishop! Just sit your flat white ass down, and shut up for once! Thank God all she (and Macie) got was a job as an usher, because Mrs. Zorski saw how much of a whore for attention Bishop is!
And finally, my favorite moment of the episode: Ginger reading her poem! Here it is:
Hello, stranger - you came just in time I look for your face in a crowd, or in line Hello, stranger - not a moment too soon See, that old picture's fading in the drawer of my room Now toys have gone lost, baby teeth have come loose There were accidents involving stitches, spilt juice Report cards were shown, and one time I got sick But it's nothing I couldn't catch you up on real quick Hello, stranger - I saved you a place And it hardly seems strange now that I've seen your face
Thank you, ShelteredShrubs.com for transcripting it.
Oh my God! First of all, that poem deserved the praise it got from its listeners! Second, I love how it establishs Ginger's creativity in writing, which is one of the reasons why she's my favorite characters, because she's (usually) a good role model with a certain talent not ever seen on Nickelodeon before.
Obviously, I salute to that. Third, once again, you (unless you lack any empathy) can feel for poor Ginger as she as reading her poem, hoping that her estranged father could see her succeed, even though he couldn't attend. To the eyes of some, including myself to some extent, that's easily kinda dark. Not "A Lesson in Tightropes"-dark, but still one of (if not the) darkest moments of season one. Nevertheless, way to go, Ginger! Whatever the hell Bishop would have "presented" into the arts fair can not top your real art!
And what was the last scene of the episode that's the ulimate heart warmer? Lois sends flowers to Ginger, but under Jonas' name, to surprise her. She loves them, and tells Lois over the phone, "Mom? Thanks for the flowers." Awww! How does Ginger knew it was Lois who sent her the flowers, and not Jonas? Simple! Uh...well...because mothers are more likely to send flowers than fathers? I don't know. Anyway, still a sweet ending to a sweet episode.
In conclusion, not only do I see "Hello Stranger" as my favorite As Told by Ginger episode over "Butterflies Are Free", but I also see it as one of those episodes along aside classics like "Come Back, Little Seal Girl", "And She Was Gone", and "The Wedding Frame" that define what this complex Nicktoon is. Like I said earlier, if you're a new fan of As Told by Ginger, and haven't seen "Hello Stranger" yet, I highly recommend you checking it out. You can thank me later!