Remember The Time Tommy Was ABDUCTED?!

Rugrats is a show that walked a really fine line when it came to dark topics. Like, they would tackle them without a doubt, but they did it in a way that really kept their core audience in mind. It was never really shocking by any means, but when you put the events under a microscope, they tend to get more and more shocking...
That's why today, on our nostalgic walk down memory lane, we're looking at one of the DARKEST and most SHOCKING episodes of Rugrats...
Thank you for watching!
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[@helixsol7171]

I feel so bad for Grandpa Lou, being used for jokes about old people being incompetent, and being blamed for losing the kids when the parents are constantly leaving them with him

[@ajstudios9210]

Exactly.

[@ZeranZeran]

Uhh.. even a grandpa should know to CLOSE THE FRONT DOOR

[@spicybeantofu]

Old people are incompetent. The parents are too for leaving the kids with him.

[@emilycarrick3570]

@@ZeranZeran XD Wasn't Didi the one who left the front door open in this episode? I distinctly remember the whole thing being kicked off by her going out shopping.

[@goomba1000]

Not to mention, the babies get away from them too.

[@chefchef6797]

My favorite line from the first movie . Is when deedee finds out the kids are all missing “Stu you left them with your father for god sakes the man slept through Pearl Harbor “ Grandpa Lou goes “I woke everyone up as fast as I could”

[@sean.furlong1989]

As a child I thought Grandpa sounded the alarm about the babies being missing, I was 8 when the Rugrats movie was released and had only learned very little about World War II.

[@comettamer]

Didi always was kinda contentious toward Grandpa Lou.

[@coolchrisable]

@@comettamer but still leaves toddlers with him when she knows he sleeps alot

[@coltonk.3086]

...I don't get the punchline.

[@Biz_God]

​@@coltonk.3086he was young during Pearl harbor. If your confused about what Pearl harbor is, it is an attack done by the Japanese on our harbor where we had a bunch of ships and people stationed. So the joke is he slept through a war

[@gingergoddess8953]

This episode is actually based off a classic short story by O. Henry called The Ransom of Red Chief. In it, a millionaire's kid is kidnapped for ransom, but he ends up being such a pain in the butt to deal with that the two kidnappers pay the kid's father to take the kid back. O. Henry would be referenced for a second time in this show during The Santa Experience, where Phil and Lil's subplot basically resembles The Gift of the Magi.

[@gmmartines7331]

"Soon everybody started giving presents, even the Easter Bunny til Santa slapped him with a law suit" 😂😂 one of Angelica's best lines

[@sean.furlong1989]

@@gmmartines7331 At least the Easter bunny still brings Easter eggs.

[@misspinkpunkykat]

Reminds me of the meme with Ralph Wiggum from the Sipmsons being tossed through a window with the caption "My kidnappers returning me after me talking about X the whole time"

[@JawbreakerXD]

I remember reading that in school! I never put that together until now!

[@comettamer]

That story never gets enough credit for how many times it's been the basis for an episode of various TV shows.

[@pichugirl6]

The real funny psychology knowledge is how Tommy will no longer enjoy Bananas ever again. I know the creators wouldn't use this or bring it up in All grown up, but just imagine how crazy it would be if Teen Tommy still had this un-nerving feel anytime someone tries to hand him a banana.

[@spicybeantofu]

That would be too much work

[@emilycarrick3570]

Would Tommy have really been traumatized by what he went through in this episode? XD I remember him having a ton of fun messing with the burglars.

[@eatmynutsarchmage4883]

@@emilycarrick3570 even if he didn't understand what was going on, he probably associates the memory with some sort of uncomfortable feeling... right? i'm no psychology nerd so I've got no clue really.

[@andyghkfilm2287]

@@emilycarrick3570 I stepped on a bee in the backyard while I was barefoot when I was a toddler and I get skeeved out from being barefoot outside to this day lol

[@comettamer]

Agreed. The banana peel was a far worse enemy to Tommy than the knockoff Harry & Marv.

[@roycerowland2699]

Growing up I never pay attention to the fact that Stu and DiDi were the worst parents on Rugrats next to Charlotte and Drew.

[@oooh19]

All the adults were kinda bad. But you know they all loved their children but yea even with Chaz, Betty, Howard, etc the kids escaped

[@comettamer]

I mean, even Drew might've had the good sense to notice Angelica missing, mostly because it would be way too quiet around the house.

[@SomeGuyWhoPlaysGames333]

The show wouldn’t work if the parents were better.

[@LittleMissLounge]

@@SomeGuyWhoPlaysGames333 Dee Dee: Oh, just a second Betty. Tommy's about to put a fork in the socket again. What would Dr. Lipschitz say? Episode: [ends abruptly]

[@MelaninMuffin]

​@@oooh19 you can love your kids and be terrible parent's

[@Chocolatepain]

I totally agree how those early season 1 episodes have such a different vibe than later Rugrats. It almost feels like you are Tommy since you get a lot of POV shots and he doesn't talk as much.

[@andykishore]

Yeah, Tommy Pickles doesn't talk in "Ruthless Tommy," outside of crying noises. This was common in a couple other early season 1 episodes.

[@doggg4977]

P​@@andykishore

[@KenjuKizawa]

It brings things to reality that yeah, he actually cant talk and the babies all babble.

[@gmmartines7331]

"In true cartoon baby fashion..." Nah that's real baby's too bro. EVERYTHING goes in that dang toilet

[@saphiriathebluedragonknight375]

My younger siblings flushed an entire roll of toilet paper. Needless to say our parents were not amused.

[@HandsomeLongshanks]

I don't know a single person who ever had a tendency to flush things down the toilet. Must be a trait of kids raised by bad parents.

[@prixe12]

​@@HandsomeLongshanks it's almost as if all kids are different dude. No need to be such a judgemental dick

[@saphiriathebluedragonknight375]

@@HandsomeLongshanks I guess you don't have younger siblings.

[@asiayournet8593]

I used to throw away silverware.

[@mistingwolf]

Context is key. As a kid, you don't know the real scary stuff about "stranger danger" until you get older and are able to truly understand what could happen (or for those unfortunate souls, who got experience with being kidnapped).

[@spicybeantofu]

That's why I've told my kid straight up what will happen

[@oooh19]

@@spicybeantofuyea kids learn early on but they get older and see things more in depth like with most things in life

[@PyroGothNerd]

I got introduced to human trafficking by "Madeline lost in Paris" Literally the plot is a man pretending to be her uncle takes her to work at a lace factory

[@fieryphoenix586]

I swear, a movie like Pinocchio got darker the older I got. We always learn about Stranger Danger at young ages, but never fully understand the real danger behind Strangers and Kidnapping.

[@RaeHadzega]

I swear, even as a kid I was like "its a jewel! You can WASH it!" I really liked crystals and shiny things as a youngling. 💎 So it didnt make sense to me lol

[@LadyLunarella]

I wanted to hold the pretty crystals as a kid

[@tjstarzz9231]

Likewise! Got into scratching glass beakers (mom would bring up spare stuff from the lab sometimes) and growing crystals. What got me was the dude dripping from the neck down after half of his arm was in the toilet lmao

[@HeShoeTooBig]

One thing I noticed in this episode that I thought you might point out about the Banana: The kidnapper is reading a parenting book and it tells him kids like Bananas At the end Dee Dee, who is infamous for reading parenting books tries to give Tommy a Banana, implying that she read the very same parenting book. I found that hilarious.

[@evancredeur7498]

I think he started not liking bananas after he slipped on the peel at their hideout.

[@amethyst_cat9532]

I honestly thought that the page was actually about nutrition and the banana thing was supposed to be interpreted as "this guy doesn't know how to read," really playing into the dumb criminal persona

[@SupHapCak]

I noticed that too :)

[@christychicken998]

I also don't think babies even eat bananas like that at that age, he's like... 1

[@mirachan9217]

My neighbor's baby was eating all kinds of fruit at the age of 1 ​@@christychicken998

[@FlyingDuckMan360]

This episode is basically Rugrats (1991)'s equivalent of the first Home Alone movie, with Tommy, Mike, and Bob in the respective roles of Kevin, Harry, and Marv. It may also very well have served as the inspiration for another John Hughes film, Baby's Day Out.

[@ZeranZeran]

I love that movie as a kid As an adult.. I'm left wondering why the hell I loved that movie, lmao

[@1heKing]

ahh yes mr plinketts favorite John Hughs movie

[@the1magageneral323]

​@@ZeranZeranI still love Home Alone

[@XSilver_WaterX]

Presumably because the story adds onto itself rather that the overcooked explanation from the writers and directors. I been to that re-meeting, time is not a kind master.

[@arthas640]

Also much like Home Alone 2 it involves a Trump scene. The man who's kid the kidnappers are targeting is named "Ronald Thump"

[@STEPHxCA]

The genius behind the Trump reference is that he's a New Yorker, the two criminals have thick NY/east coast accents and are a parody of the criminals from Home Alone, a series in which Trump made a cameo in it's sequel film

[@myowncomputerstuff]

It's kinda prophetic, since this episode aired in October 1991, and Home Alone 2 was released in 1992.

[@oooh19]

@@myowncomputerstuffbut the first Home Alone was released in 1990! Classic film!

[@lillianahunter1199]

The original reference to Trump nice, the guy was pretty respected for the amount of money he invested in New York.

[@HitTheFloor16]

@@lillianahunter1199he's still respected by being a great president

[@lillianahunter1199]

@@HitTheFloor16 Oh I know, I'm just referring to how he was respected back then

[@thenightbutterfly1]

I had a fear of being kidnapped as a child this episode just added fuel to the fire 😂

[@dancinwolf21]

I had this fear too. My older cousin tried to reassure me by saying I was important enough to be kidnapped 😂

[@jocelynecupcake]

Same, this show came on in the morning (in the early 2000s, when I watched it) and I had a dream that they kidnapped me too right after I watched the episode. I was only 4... this episode was too scary to me

[@geminiguy6032]

I can't blame the kidnappers for thinking Tommy was trolling them the whole time. This whole episode felt like a Home Alone sequel.

[@1faithchick7]

Around that age, babies don't really have stranger danger irl actually. They recognize people and such, but don't realize people they don't know aren't friends. Basically, the same way puppies have favorite poeple but don't understand what a 'stranger is yet until they get bigger and start barking at random people on the streat, humans go through the same thing. They may not like some people, but they don't automatically fear people. Stranger danger kicks in for most kids later on.

[@Heattokun]

Two things I wanna add: 1: that toilet is probably grody as hell considering the rest of their apartment but they can't show it and 2: if you lived in an apartment like that, that rugrats house looks like a mansion. Considering it's - what; 3 bedroom with basement?

[@tomforge614]

But that brings up the question that, even if they worked for a higher boss, with a suitcase of jewels and cash, why were they living in that place other than cover?

[@MASTEROFEVIL]

3 bed 2 bath, 2 car garage and a basement

[@AH-is5yg]

it shows bad parenting and don't bother to check their surroundings. they always lose the babies. these kidnappers are so stupid that they didn't check to see if the house is the target before committing the crime. Tommy's family didn't even know that Tommy was kidnapped.

[@aerodynamiccow3597]

It was a pretty close reference to O Henry's "Ransom of the Red Chief" where two criminals kidnapped a millionare's kid, but the kid was so annoying they paid his dad to take him back

[@AH-is5yg]

@@aerodynamiccow3597 that is funny. Guess annoying save the kid's life

[@PintheDog]

​@aerodynamiccow3597 And the kid didn't even _want_ to go back!

[@AH-is5yg]

@@PintheDog lol

[@michaellynes3540]

And Tommy made his kidnappers as bumbling idiots by causing all sorts of mischief.

[@shadowguy321]

I just imagined an All Grown Up episode where Tommy sees a banana and absolutely freaks out without too much context on why. I have no idea if that would be funny or depressing

[@Magosspud]

🙏You dropped this just in time for my 6 hour plane ride, finally have some more entertainment

[@DuskTillShawn]

Awesome!! Have a safe trip, my friend! :D Thanks so much for watching.

[@Magosspud]

@@DuskTillShawn No problem! Keep making awesome videos

[@abellabarbie]

Have a safe flight!

[@a_friendly_idiot]

Safe travels ❤

[@catsareamazing3616]

How you watching it on a plane I thought phones need to be on airplane mode

[@ZeranZeran]

There's another episode where 2 old women try to kidnap Tommy from a grocery store! It always gave me the creeps. I TOTALLY forgot about this one. Woah..

[@gmmartines7331]

No what happens is he's accidentally taken from the grocery store because Grandpa's an idiot. but they do try to keep him and don't alert the police to the missing child which of course is wrong but they give him right back when it's proven that he's actually Lou's grandchild

[@anidnmeno]

BOSTWICK!

[@andykishore]

That would be the season 2 episode "The Case of the Missing Rugrat."

[@misspinkpunkykat]

​@@gmmartines7331They believed he was their father, Bostwick reincarnation

[@emilycarrick3570]

@@misspinkpunkykat XD I remember it being their uncle, but they really did think that Tommy was "Bostwick" reborn! I always found it creepy that they used that to justify their intent to keep Tommy for themselves. And that their butler was just... going to go along with that for the most part.

[@Applemangh]

Now it seems weird just how little this episode stood out to me as a kid. But this was the era of franchises like Three Ninjas, Home Alone, Baby's Day Out, and lots of other stories about little kids overcoming bumbling idiot adults.

[@Punykirby]

if the criminals weren't basically Harry and Marv, this episode would be much more scary, it was a good choice to make the criminals incompetent, or this episode would be too real

[@tierefuerimmer9635]

Even before 1 year old infants a toddlers can distinguish between who they know and complete strangers.

[@flariz4824]

[citation needed]

[@oooh19]

Yea they recognize their parents at least

[@dennisahlarson1584]

They recognize anyone who takes care of them or scares them. Starts in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy with familiar voices and scents. Then by around 6 months old, they actively seek out people they know and trust to pick them up and hold them. Babies are social just like older people. They try to communicate as soon as they are born. Many people often underestimate the social intelligence/capacity of babies.

[@evancredeur7498]

When you think about it, this episode really isn't that serious. The two kidnappers are complete nincompoops, and Tommy ends up downright forcing them to return him. It's all played for laughs. This would be an entirely different situation if it was in real life. Tommy just got lucky because its a kid's show.

[@LittleMissLounge]

I'd rather deal with these dudes than the Home Alone guys for sure.

[@jeremyfratefrate6450]

Well his mom showed that Banana and was scared as shit that is some trauma

[@evancredeur7498]

@@jeremyfratefrate6450 Yeah, I get that. He slipped on a banana peel at the lair, but he's little, so I'm sure he'll get over it.

[@neworldfool9625]

I mean did you see their loot? They’ve clearly had successful jobs

[@kabinovskorner7205]

Yes as a parent this episode most definitely hits differently. I thought the same thing about the thugs when they dove out the window. Like they shouldn't have survived that. Reminds me of the Season 5 episode "Where's Grandpa" where Stu straight up gets run over by a train amusement park ride at full speed and in the next scene only has bumps and bruises.

[@ChaosSono]

While Lou has a point about Deedee taking him for granted, I think he was being sarcastic about the decathlon in this episode, which is why DeeDee didn't even vaguely take it seriously.

[@Microfoot]

Yeah it was his way of saying he'll do it but he's not happy about it. He knows he doesn't have much going on but that doesn't mean they should just assume he'll always agree to help out on a moment's notice.

[@bewd4310]

Exactly it was definitely sarcasm. Lou is a sarcastic old goat 😂 all the time.

[@blobbertmcblob4888]

I am always amazed looking back at the Rugrats and realized just how horrible of parents Stu and DeeDee were, like my god. Negligent doesn't even begin to cover it. Also, canonically, DeeDee would have needed to get pregnant IMMEDIATELY after Tommy was born, when you consider that he was just over a year old when Dill was born. Of course Tommy was also canonically a pre-term baby so there's a theory that Stu and DeeDee decided to get pregnant right away just in case Tommy died, which is just...oof lol

[@amethyst_cat9532]

I think at that point doctors were still saying that breastfeeding is adequate birth control so it was more common than you'd expect. (It turns out that breastfeeding only works as birth control if your caloric needs are tied up in other things, like thermoregulation and physical and psychological labor. That really isn't the case in a world of plentiful high-calorie food and central heating)

[@saphiriathebluedragonknight375]

Yikes! Two of my siblings are almost exactly a year and half apart. Because of that my sister would push our baby brother out of the way to nurse. He had to switch to a bottle.

[@blobbertmcblob4888]

@@amethyst_cat9532 Oh trust me, I know. Some doctors STILL say that. My younger brother and sister were born 11 months apart lmao. (Well, 11 months and 2 days to be exact)

[@BloodyBraces]

Stu and DeeDee didn't necessarily decide to have another kid they just found themselves having another kid

[@oooh19]

@@saphiriathebluedragonknight375why didn’t they each get breastfed both would be on different sides?

[@yunochiii]

Also notice in this episode that Tommy, like, NEVER talks at all. He’s basically a “normal” baby this episode and it makes it a little more messed up that the writers went for realism 😭😭

[@Skipatronic]

This entire episode could have been prevented if Grandpa closed the door.

[@comettamer]

Kinda true, although you could potentially put that on Didi too, as she could've checked after exiting the house, but before leaving entirely.

[@na-ky8ou]

"...when you'll fix that DAMN DOOR!"

[@Zack-cr9ic]

​@@na-ky8ouSpiderman 3?

[@na-ky8ou]

@@Zack-cr9ic Yeah.

[@Decembirth]

The ball was a visual display of "Distraction Distress Tolerance". He didn't really 'want it' he needed it for comfort in a stressful situation.

[@ZidaneWarner]

1:28 Honestly, I don't think anything could top that one episode where Tommy nearly gets mauled to death by a pitbull all because Angelica throws his ball into the next door neighbors yard.

[@emilycarrick3570]

Spike heroically saving him was awesome as hell though.

[@tetra_zelda]

Thanks! Your hard work is loved and appreciated ❤

[@DuskTillShawn]

Awwww, thanks so much, friend. I really appreciate your support. Sorry it took me a while to respond. I've been going through a lot in my personal life. Your kind words mean the world to me

[@patcahill3724]

This episode is such a classic. I loved how morbid it is.

[@skepticcritic4995]

I really like the work you do for these videos. I remember being unfazed by this episode because i recall characters being kidnapped were common in fiction, plus of all the hijinks Tommy always seems to get into. As a kid, I recall the banana thing at the end as part of the joke. It really does paint a different picture seeing this as an adult. Keep up the great work sir!

[@DuskTillShawn]

Thanks for your support, friend. I really appreciate it.

[@JohnSmith-jh6ey]

Your take on this kinda makes me wish we got not necessarily a whole episode but maybe a throwaway line in all grown up where we could learn tommy hates bananas if we remembered this episode at the time we would know but if it was just a brief moment we wouldn’t miss out on anything if we didn’t

[@endane]

Whenever I tell anyone about how dark Rugrats could be back then, this is the episode I bring up, and almost no one remembers it.

[@emilycarrick3570]

XD Remember the episode where Tommy goes through the US postal system? There's a frigging skeleton in one scene!

[@endane]

@@emilycarrick3570 Core memory unlocked. Oh my god yes! These episodes were just something else!

[@TBustah]

It should surprise no one. The least realistic part of that show is that the babies didn’t get abducted MORE with that narcoleptic old man watching them.

[@comettamer]

They weren't usually out in the front yard much, and the backyard had a rather large fence.

[@TBustah]

@@comettamer Yet they still managed to escape into other yards, break out of playpens, wander away from daycare centers and waiting rooms, nearly get crushed by machinery behind the counter at various facilities, follow some random kid clear to the other side of a park, or simply crawl away right under the adults’ noses because they were watching a movie or something. Half the time, it was on Lou’s watch, and he never seemed to see any consequences even when he was caught. Worse, the parents continued to trust him after the second or third time it happened.

[@starckie]

I don’t know what it is about your delivery but whenever you point out cartoon logic / characters who should be in severe pain, I can’t help but laugh. “Them getting full-blown EJECTED through the windshield and THEN through the back of that cop car…” has me rolling

[@ZimVader-0017]

7:50 "in true cartoon baby fashion" No, no, this is accurate to real life, too 😂 My cousin had to get a plumber because my niece thought it was a good idea to flush a box of crayons down the toilet. I'm honestly surprised that the kids weren't kidnapped or got lost more often. And the adults are VERY MUCH aware of the fact that they just keep losing the kids because of their own incompetence. In the movies, when the kids vanish, the adults are always blaming each other, blaming Lou for not paying attention, and screaming at each other for KNOWINGLY leaving the kids with grandpa anyway. The first seasons were definitely a lot darker (and stranger) than the later season. I had VHS tapes of the Rugrats, and one episode in particular that always stood out to me was the episode where they think that Stu is a robot. Like, these babies keep escaping the crib and Stu keeps finding them trying to open up his chest with a toy wrench, but he does nothing about it. Just goes, "Huh, that's weird" and goes back to sleep. Like bruh.

[@coolchrisable]

ikr they know that man sleeps alot is in constant pain and they jsut leave 1-3 year old toddlers with him the age where they need the absolute most attention from adults. im more surprised the babies didnt hurt themselves alot more often given how little attention they got

[@charliepuppy.]

@@coolchrisablebro its insane they didnt die in the movies either omg!😂 literally in the first movie all of them almost could have died and im suprised they didnt get sick either due to the rain or monkeys, tommy almost let dil get taken by monkeys too. and it all could have probably stopped if either Susie, or lou was there /awake and the door wasnt open too. in the second movie, they could have lost spike and fefe(or fifi?) too! in the final movie, the babies suprisingly didnt die to the cheetah after it 😂

[@coolchrisable]

@@charliepuppy. ikr babies lost in the forst any other wild animal could have killed them and dill who is A FUCKING NEW BORN is alright with being out in the rain, cold and havent eaten in hours his crying alone should have had wild animals converging on their location. the 2nd movie was still them in unbelievable danger like alot. the 3rd again who the fuck isnt watching the kids on a deserted island with any manner of animals could have killed them not just the leopard ( it was a leopard by the way). im surprised CPS hasnt been called on them with how much they dont pay attation to toddlers.

[@lonewolfatari475]

That last paragraph is dead on. There were some episodes that were essentially bad acid trips.

[@addy8857]

Anyone noticd the ransom note was addressed to "Ronald Thump" 😂

[@ChestersonJack]

Yeah the Trump allusion gets a whole segment in this video we’re watching.

[@docjoe86]

I guess Bob and Mike meant to kidnap Eric trump. I’m guessing they wouldn’t have gotten their ransom had they succeeded.

[@twist58]

Tommy being abducted is terrifying, yet he gave the two kidnappers the Home Alone-style treatment.

[@adminblanc5752]

This whole episode is your parents saying "you’d annoy the kidnapper so much they’d give you back"

[@larryjester]

Happy 10th birthday to your daughter. Great videos Shawn. Very entertaining.

[@DuskTillShawn]

Thank you so much for your support, my friend! My daughter is SO hyped for her birthday :D It blows my mind how quickly the last 10 years have gone by!!

[@vonniebeth]

Considering how filthy Bob and Mike's apartment is, I'm actually impressed that their toilet is seemingly clean. I'd definitely grab the jewels out of the toilet for millions of dollars if it was clean! If it was as dirty as their apartment, I would need gloves and goggles before sticking my hand in it.

[@FatMarioHeads]

Thank you for the shout out, i too am waiting for King's new album. You should do the other episode Tommy gets abducted sometime, by those two crazy old rich sisters and their butler. It's a crazy one to say the least

[@gmmartines7331]

Abducted is a strong word. In that episode, Tommy ends up there because Grandpa's an idiot lol

[@DuskTillShawn]

Thanks again for your support, friend! I really appreciate it. I’ll add that episode to my list 😁 definitely another classic one!

[@jasonrandom372]

Only Tommy was kidnapped in a supermarket parking lot by 2 rich creepy old ladies.

[@FatMarioHeads]

@@gmmartines7331 true, but the fact that they decided to keep him without reporting a missing child to the authorities and even went as far as renaming him and making plans to enroll him into a military academy when he was old enough is pretty close enough to that

[@Chlober_Official]

Wasn't Tommy kidnapped twice, though? He was also taken by some very rich old ladies. 😂

[@emilycarrick3570]

XD Those old ladies didn't kidnap him. What happened was that Grandpa Lou took Tommy out on a run to the grocery store. Lou saw a cool car in the parking lot, and put Tommy in it for fun. Deciding that leaving Tommy in the cool car was simpler than taking him into the store with him, Lou asked a guy who he assumed was the cool car's owner to watch Tommy for him. Lou comes out of the store a few minutes later, sees that the car, and thus Tommy, is gone and proceeds to freak out. Cut to a bald-headed guy with a posh accent carrying Tommy into the rich old ladies mansion. Apparently he was the real owner of the cool car this whole time! Rich old ladies take one look at Tommy and proclaim that he's the reincarnation of their male relative "Boshwick". Butler wanders off, old ladies proceed to dress Tommy up in a fancy outfit, and then lay him down for a nap. Tommy decides that the ladies are weird and decides to go looking for his grandpa, cue rest of episode. So not an intentional kidnapping, just a very weird and oddly specific set of circumstances that led to Tommy being separated from Lou. Those old ladies absolutely intended to keep Tommy for themselves though, which is... pretty messed up. lol.

[@TigerPenguin789]

@@emilycarrick3570They were actually finished with the grocery run. Lou went in the car with Tommy to reminisce about his private eye days. Problem was his cart full of groceries rolled away and Lou ran to grab it before it hit another car. In the time it took him to retrieve the cart, the butler came back and drove off without noticing Tommy was there.

[@jocelynecupcake]

@@emilycarrick3570 I don't think I remember that one, what was it called?

[@RyneMcKinney]

​@@jocelynecupcake The case of the missing Rugrat

[@comettamer]

@@TigerPenguin789 For a former private eye, he seems to lack attention to detail.

[@AnAverageGoblin]

poor Tommy is gonna have some weird issues later in life because of this incident.

[@NoirRose21]

Especially with bananas

[@Jordan-tu4ki]

Season one Rugrats hits so much harder

[@anidnmeno]

red text title cards > black ones

[@Brittanybeautician]

I still say Ronald thump to this day 😂😂😂

[@Kaboomboo]

Same! 😂😂😂

[@zibane6246]

@@stellarobado4269 More like incredibly famous and a stand-in for basically any insanely rich person, hence the joke.

[@HandsomeLongshanks]

​@@stellarobado4269you really don't know history, do you? EVERYONE wanted to be like trump until he came out as against the Regime. You don't like him because you wee told not to like him. You're a sheep.

[@arminiusofgermania]

I’d love to shake hands with the fine gentleman named Ronald thump.

[@zombehmallow]

Lol i forgot that part and almost choked when i heard it in me ear 😆 it shouldnt be as funny as it is

[@CatholicDragoon]

Just watching the ending in the recap brought a smile to my face, really tells how well put together the episode was. All I can say is, is it disturbing? Yes. Is it hilarious? Also yes. And finally get me a glove.

[@KairaSuperSayan93]

Thanks! Dear Dusk, Thank you so much for my shout-out. My new job is going great and I get my own office space while having my disability accommodated. These days your videos are either enjoyed during work or after church. God bless and keep up the good work. Also, please do SpongeBob season 2!

[@DuskTillShawn]

I'm so happy to hear that Kaira

[@pettykittyfam]

​@@DuskTillShawnOh wow I would love another long SpongeBob video 💛 The original one made me fall in love with your channel 💕 Now I'm practically addicted 🤣 But that would be a fantastic video I'd be thrilled to see! Thank you Shawn for being one of those rare creators who truly care about your audience & you take the time to engage with your audience in the way a real friend would 💜💙🩵💚💛🧡❤️

[@MageMelonVT]

I would chalk up some of the weirdness of this episode to the conflicts within the writing team. Some of the writers, particularly the showrunner Arlene Klasky, wanted to write the babies just that. Babies who don't really understand anything. While the other part of the writing team, particularly Paul Germain, wanted to write them as being more aware of their situation. Most of the time, Germain won out. I would suspect this was an episode where Klasky won out. This is a gross simplification of the situation, for the record.

[@emilycarrick3570]

Season One has A LOT of episodes where the babies are very... baby-like. Definitely the result of the writing team trying to find their feet. Rugrats, like many shows, only really started coming into it's own in it's Second Season IMHO.

[@comettamer]

Perhaps, but it's a very accurate gross simplification. Personally, I side more with Paul Germain as I can imagine how incredibly boring watching a show centered around babies that don't really understand anything would be and how quickly it might hit an end. Making them a bit more aware and understanding of their surroundings and situation brought the show to life and gave it more of a fantastical but interesting angle.

[@Medachod]

I was always in the very small pool that enjoyed the balance between the two. Things got real boring once the show ended its initial run before returning a year later. It definitely has good episodes in there, but something about the first three seasons felt stronger.

[@medeucaa]

Yessss im off today about to make a coffee and zone out on art. Thanks Shawn. This episode legit triggered me, i had totally forgot about this episode!

[@DuskTillShawn]

I hope you have an amazing day expressing yourself through your art. :D Thank you so much for being here, my friend!!!

[@AutisticBearLover]

As someone who almost had their little brother get snatched, this episode is just terrifying. I’m so thankful I used to hover over him and constantly refused to leave him alone while in public.

[@Irish_Ian17]

I had a vague Recollection of this episode in the back of my head, But this, Much like the Episode where Tommy is Mistakenly taken by the Rich Family are the two I have very few memories about! It makes me wonder if Nick Limited how much they showed the episode due to the Subject matter? As Always, Sending all the Positive vibes to you and your family! Have a Safe April Fools Day! (And DON'T be a Squidward!)

[@DuskTillShawn]

Oh, man. That episode with the rich family is definitely another one that's burned into my memories lol. Thanks so much for your support, my friend. I've been going through a lot in my personal life and your positive vibes are very much appreciated

[@valerieellison2483]

I think Tommy is also really well socialized. He was born premature and had to stay in the NICU with doctors and nurses. His mom took him to mommy and me type classes and they went to social events like church. He is most likely used to strangers wanting to hold him, so strangers taking him away from his house is probably not a distressing thing for him.

[@meganshaw1987]

Worse, a baby left alone and in an apartment filled with garbage.

[@TrialzGTAS]

I was a young child during the Elizabeth Smart Case, 9/11 and other local crime issues. This scared me. I slept in my parents room for safety.

[@mauricecherry1209]

“How did the guy know he was packing a banana?” Phrasing

[@bewd4310]

Adult joke not for the kids. They are scattered throughout Rugrats. Theres another near the bone when phil and lil say its not normal for for a guy to be boppin his boppo, lil then goes chuckies got a problem. This is a very adult joke which youll be in hysterics over when rewatching.

[@AoiUsagiOtoko]

the weirdness of the earlier seasons is something i've always loved, i feel the same about early south park lol. the writers seemed like they were having a lot of fun, there's almost an experimental vibe to a lot of it that i really dig

[@TheoRae8289]

Tommy not being scared is believable to me because I was an escape artist like him growing up, and I let myself be picked up by a pair of teenagers who found me wandering a strip mall sidewalk by myself. Thankfully they were good kids who took me to the police station, but yeah.

[@brandiarmstrong2902]

*A* toilet? For a million smackers? Totally. *Their* toilet? Sorry, no. You couldn't pay me enough; that whole apartment was FOUL!

[@rebellsprout5754]

Banana slapstick was really big in the 90's. They prob only included it because they wanted Tommy or one of the kidnappers to slip on it and the writers tying it back to Dee Dee at the end was kinda genius ngl.

[@yrn_ing]

I saw this when I was really young and it creeped me out especially since my family would always tell me to be careful around strangers and do not listen to anyone that says they know my parents or friends if I never seen them before.

[@giisides2870]

The banana wasn't random and was likely an easily missed nudge about a certain type of kidnapping, i.e. child predators. The men each pulled out a "banana" to show tommy and it made him cry, so the hatred of the banana at the end was showing the trauma of that since it often is triggered by things adults deem as nonsensical as they grow up

[@pianobooks42]

I have to assume that Tommy wasn’t traumatized in the moment purely to lighten the mood. It’s so that young viewers can feel like the biggest worry is the ball. The adults worry about the kidnappers.

[@PelinalDidNothingWrong]

Rugrats is the king of "Generally pretty wholesome and light but can occasionally veer into darker or heavier topics"

[@KairaSuperSayan93]

Also your episode came just in time for hair dye day. Keeps me busy while the dye sets in.

[@gmmartines7331]

Ooohh what color??

[@wilsonkierankitsune]

Finally finished watching your backlog and listening to your personal stories. I'mhappy you pulled through what sounds like a nightmare of a job to find success here on youtube

[@destineejohnson5315]

I think the reason Tommy cried when he didn't have his ball is because it's his comfort item. He didn't know those people, and the ball gave him comfort because it was outside his house and he associated the ball with being back home with his family so everytime he lost the ball, he felt like he lost his family and had to get it back.

[@ThatOddChickenHippie]

Thanks!

[@Nicholasmcmath-cr1xl]

Great video man and this episode is a lot darker then I remember it being from when I watched it as a kid but it is still one of the best episodes of the show

[@MissKitty1997-q5m]

Episodes like this make me question why Stu and Didi continue to allow Grandpa Lou to babysit when he's prone to fall asleep.

[@jjj6854]

Watching/listening from Walmart here in Louisiana! Always love the videos. They really help the slow parts of work go by fast!

[@FanaticMitchell1]

You live in Louisiana too?

[@jjj6854]

Yep. Born and raised!

[@FanaticMitchell1]

@@jjj6854 Same

[@Isaac9539-f6l]

New follower here, your content is amazing to listen to while I destress from my CT job and while i play some og Spyro, thank man!

[@DuskTillShawn]

Thanks SO MUCH for your support, my friend! I really appreciate it. Sorry it took me a while to respond. I've been going through some tough stuff in my personal life, but I'm hanging in there! I'm so glad that you enjoy my videos! That absolutely means the world to me... Also, Spyro is one of my all time favorites! It was one of the first ps1 games I ever played. Such a classic. :D

[@Isaac9539-f6l]

Hey, no worries there! We all gotta take care of our own lives and mental health 1st! Sending you all the positive vibes 🩵🩵

[@Gadgetman1989]

Hey Shawn, great video as always, few minor things, The fear of the banana actually extends when you watch the Rugrats Movie, he nearly coats Dil with all the banana paste, almost sacrificing him to the monkeys, anyway naybe thsts just my observation/call back to this episode, and being a dad myself I see how crafty chikdren can be lol, the criminals also made ne think of Home Alone as well and think they were testing the water of what they could get past censors

[@Vexic929]

Oh man I remember watching this as a kid and not being scared for Tommy at ALL but as an adult with four godkids this has my stomach twisting in worry! It's amazing how well they did with this episode!

[@daelen.cclark]

I found it kinda funny that these kidnappers were just annoyed into surrendering. Sometimes I wonder if that ever really happens.

[@TimberWolf1000]

Yeah, grandpa does need to stay awake more often. For example he blames Stu for ‘losing’ the kids in the movie while it was his fault for falling asleep

[@Drums_of_Liberation]

No Stu and Didi just need to get a proper sitter. As Didi said in the movie "The man slept through Pearl Harbor for heaven's sake."

[@just_an_internet_explorer8038]

@@Drums_of_Liberationholy shit

[@Drums_of_Liberation]

@@just_an_internet_explorer8038 the best part was that he said that he sounded the alarm as soon as he could.

[@celestewheelock4771]

Hey there, watched this from bed, while I curled up and stayed warm, on a cold, but sunny day, as while the calendar says spring, here in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, it is very much, still winter. As for this particular Rugrats episode, I felt bad for Tommy in this episode, and seeing he’s my favorite character on the series, that can be hard to watch, but nice look at this episode, I love your videos and look forward to catching more of them in the future. I’ll often watch your videos while I’m eating meals, such as breakfast and dinner, and ironically, during my childhood, many of the shows you talk about in your videos, such as Hey Arnold and Rugrats, I use to watch on TV, while I ate breakfast and dinner. So way to bring it, full circle.

[@kalinadesseaux8011]

"I hate when this happens" like ppl just land in the back all the time

[@racefoxxproductions8975]

I can't help to think this episode was a callout to parents to watch the kids

[@sierratree93]

With Pop seeming tired and pained, yet somehow also being a bit of an athlete does kind of track with how older people are. My father-in-law is in his 70s, has arthritis, and a heart murmur, yet he works all day on his farm and works on his home all the time. But the moment his butt hits a chair, he's out like a light.

[@Caffeinated-DaVinci]

Interesting how the time an episode releases changes the context of so many things. Nowadays you see Ronald Thump and immediately assume it's a political reference, but back then it was just referencing the fact that Donny T was a rich businessman.

[@TheJohnLytleShow]

I don't have money to send but I wanted to let you know how much you help me get through the hard times. You're one of the KZbinrs I listen to to brighten up my day or to just keep me from falling farther into the darkness of my mind.

[@DuskTillShawn]

Thank you so much, my friend. That really means the world to me

[@DPWFG]

I am literally watching my baby playing on the floor, and I still had to make sure the front door was double locked when I saw Grandpa leave the front door open. My baby can't even crawl yet.

[@michaelablair5659]

Loving these cartoon break down videos! You've definitely become one of my favorite youtubers! You always use clean language and share your opinion about what you're covering. Keep it up! 😁👍

[@DanniRamey-eb6eh]

Has anyone seen or heard of a movie called Baby's Day Out? I don't know why, but the dumb and bumbling kidnappers kinda remind me of the ones from that movie.

[@GhostKyng]

I love that movie!!!! I have a copy at home of it

[@angelinacamacho8575]

you really have to hand it to the criminals who kidnap kids but try their best to calm and comfort an otherwise terrified child by trying to not be all that terrifying themselves.

[@nl396]

The part with the dummi bear mask still slays me!

[@newbiegamelover4767]

Can I just say how much I love how you responded to that last super chat comment? I could tell you absolutely had fun with that one! And that voice you did was absolutely perfect!👍

[@JadeAnimationsAndGameplay]

It might just be me, but that guy's bear mask gives me Freddy Faz bear vibes.

[@Gadgetman1989]

It's actually their version of the Care Bears, but I can see that

[@JadeAnimationsAndGameplay]

Oh, yeah... that makes sense. FNAF is just the first thing I generally think of when I see almost anything.

[@26th_Primarch]

​@JadeAnimationsAndGameplay it gave me the same vibes lol. It just looks like what a cheap late 80's-early 90's plastic Freddy Fazbear mask would look like in the Fnaf world.

[@JadeAnimationsAndGameplay]

Yeah, like, you could win one if you got enough tickets at the pizzeria or something.

[@26th_Primarch]

@JadeAnimationsAndGameplay and it's not one of the really expensive prizes either. And now I'm mentally stuck thinking about Fnaf themed novelty prizes, and for some reason, my is laser focused on the little plastic armymen that were like ten tickets for a handful and those specific armymen being designed to look like the Fnaf animatronics. AND NOW I NEED A COMPLETE SET OF THEM EVEN THOUGH THEY DON'T EXIST...

[@Metahunt638]

14:25. Baby’s also will cry sometimes until they see a familiar face that will comfort them. So baby’s do recognize people that they know.

[@nellywilliams2776]

Before he became president, DT was like a rich pop culture icon. He made guest appearances in tv shows and movies. His name has been mentioned in numerous songs. The Greatest and Silent Generations had John D. Rockefeller…. Our current generations (Boomer, Gen X, Elder Millennials) have Donald Trump.

[@oooh19]

Isn’t Rockefeller earlier than that? He’s from like the 1800s the gilded age.

[@mynameisreallycool1]

I guess gen z has Elon Musk.

[@InzidenzPanik]

As a millennial…Richard Branson > Trump any day

[@SomeGuyWhoPlaysGames333]

As if that’s a good thing. Donald Trump is a horrible person.

[@LittleMissLounge]

​@@oooh19 Yes, when it comes to John D. Rockefeller Sr. Then there''s John D. Rockefeller Jr., Nelson Rockefeller, David Rockefeller, etc. That's not even getting into the women or the shit-ton of people who married into the Rockefellers.

[@ItsAMiiCurrenOfficial]

The episode was actually released not too long before the development and creation of laws and programs, like the AMBER Alert system, were put into effect to help save and protect children from abductions.

[@shawn_7413]

All of this is nothing compared to the comic made by people working on the show. That was DARK. Anytime I hear about disturbing rugrats episodes the trauma of learning about that comic returns.

[@na-ky8ou]

Ah, yes...the storyboard that started as an inside joke, and got filled with increasingly disturbing stuff by a single dude who tried to encourage his co-workers to put more sexual content in it, who's now known to be a pedo, and against whom Nickelodeon has done absolutely nothing despite knowing damn well that he was a monster. I've heard that story.

[@TheLalacream]

Wait wat

[@gh02tdu2t]

@@na-ky8ouwhat??? 😰

[@na-ky8ou]

@@gh02tdu2t Yep. The Storyboard is called "Rugrats: unbelievable", and its safest part is available online. I wouldn't advise looking fo it if you're a bit sensible, because it still contains some very disturbing stuff.

[@DianneRoberts722]

​@@na-ky8ou Who was he?

[@b.t.harris9005]

"Bobbing for rubies", lol. As morbid as this episode is, it also depicts the only scenario where we will stick our head in a toilet willingly. Thank you, I needed that laugh

[@XMizzTuraX]

Interesting concept that Tommy has some PTSD after what happened without him realising it. The fact he becomes so distraught after seeing a banana is subtle

[@Thatemojiartist]

I was about to say that

[@Angelmama22]

Your sweet intro was a source of sunshine I needed. Thank you Shawn 💕

[@MidnightWonko]

(GASP) WAIT! "Ronald Thump?!?" Man, I was too young to realize it at the time whom that referenced, but now....

[@KettleBlacktheBat]

Meaning the baby they were gonna kidnap.... Is Don, I mean, Ron Jr.