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"Graham Canyon" is the first segment of the thirteenth episode of Season 1, and the thirteenth episode overall of Rugrats.
Characters Present[]
Characters Introduced[]
Synopsis[]
Stu and Didi take Tommy and Angelica on a car trip to the Grand Canyon, but their car breaks down. While exploring the garage repair shop, the Rugrats unwittingly foil two unscrupulous mechanics who were planning to rip them off.
- - Description from Klasky Csupo
Plot[]
Didi and Stu are taking a road trip to the Grand Canyon and bring along Angelica as well as Tommy. They leave at the crack of dawn because it's a very long journey by car. Angelica asks what they're going to do when they get there, and Didi says they're going to ride donkeys to the bottom of the canyon.
Angelica quickly becomes bored and decides she wants to color. When Tommy points out she only has markers and not a coloring book, Angelica manages to grab the map and scribbles all over it. A short time later, when Didi looks at the map, she sees Angelica's scribbles and mistakes them for potential routes to take. Stu takes a wrong turn, and they go up a dirt road away from the highway.
Angelica pulls out some gum and taunts Tommy with it, saying he's not allowed to have any because he'll swallow it instead of chew it properly. Moments later there's a big bump and the car stalls (with Angelica accidentally swallowing the gum in the process). Conveniently, there's a garage and diner right there. The adults arrange to have their car repaired and decide to eat in the diner while they wait.
Stu begins to look at the menu, while Didi goes to the restroom to clean up after the elderly waitress accidentally drops a pie on Didi's lap. Tommy and Angelica use this opportunity to go explore the garage.
In the garage, it's revealed the two mechanics dug the hole, Stu drove into in order to get business. Repairing the Pickles' car only requires reconnecting a wire, but they decide to replace the engine (without asking Didi or Stu) as well, in order to make even more money.
Tommy and Angelica, however, are unaware of this. They see the wall of tires, and Angelica pretends they've arrived at the "Graham Canyon". Tommy and Angelica climb up several tires and admire the view of the garage. Angelica says now it's time to ride back down on a donkey. Tommy points out there aren't any, and Angelica says he'll be a donkey substitute and tries to climb on Tommy.
Tires are knocked over, and in the resulting commotion, oil is spilled, and the car is started, turning on the radio. The mechanics are terrified and think the car is haunted. Tommy and Angelica flee back to the diner. Moments after they've returned, Didi returns as well. The mechanics show up and tell Didi and Stu that they've installed a new engine for free and even gave them a new air freshener...and to please leave quickly. Didi and Stu drive back to the highway, amazed by the apparent kindness of the mechanics.
When they return to the highway, Stu becomes unsure if they want to drive all day to the Grand Canyon. Didi notices a sign for the Clam Canyon, which is significantly closer, and suggests they go there instead.
At the Clam Canyon, the adults eat clams and watch the people on the water slides while the kids enjoy some ice cream. Tommy tells Angelica that the Clam Canyon is fun...but not as much fun as the "Graham" Canyon.
Trivia[]
- This episode marks the first appearance of Angelica's favorite doll, Cynthia. In this appearance, Cynthia's dress is more reddish-purple. It'll become orange and purple in her next appearance. Also, in this episode, Angelica is more abusive toward Cynthia, where she does acts such as throwing her on the floor and sticking her head in ice cream. This abuse would be toned down in later episodes.
- Tommy calls the Grand Canyon the "Graham Canyon". This is of course a malapropism, but it actually makes perfect sense; the canyon has a very distinctive rock color that resembles that of graham crackers.
- This episode implies that Rugrats takes place in the southwest.
- Though "Home Movies" references the trip to the Grand Canyon, it's unknown if they actually continued onward after the Clam Canyon, or if they turned around and went home (however, it's implied that the Clam Canyon was just a stop to rest, and they really did go to the Grand Canyon).
- One of the mechanics is voiced by the late Pat Buttram, best known for his many voice roles with Disney (such as The Aristocats, Robin Hood and The Rescuers) as well as portraying the similar shyster character Mr. Haney on Green Acres.
- Stu's license plate says "INVENTR".
- Stu and Didi sing "Old MacDonald Had a Farm", "I've Been Working on the Railroad", "Camptown Races", and "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain".
- When Angelica swings into the Pickles' car, she does an imitation of the Tarzan yell.
- Note: The Pickles were taking U.S. Route 66 to the Grand Canyon. The legendary Route 66, stretching from Chicago to Los Angeles, was phased out by the federal government several years before this episode aired, as it was replaced by various Interstates.
- Morals:
- Always keep track of where you're going.
- Never fall for impostor mechanics. Make sure they are trained ones.
Goofs[]
- The elderly waitress tells Didi to go back into the kitchen and she will clean the pie stain off of Didi's lap. The waitress could have meant the restroom.
- Angelica would probably be too heavy for Tommy to carry on his back when he was made the donkey with Angelica the driver.
Video Clips[]
