Hey Arnold! is an underrated classic and arguably one of the best Nicktoons on Nickelodeon in the past 20 years. Created by Craig Bartlett, the show about an inner-city kid with a football-shaped head has been lauded as being a down-to-earth slice-of-life gem and a must-watch by adults and children alike.
With 100 episodes and two movies under its belt, the series has proven its appeal and staying power, and over the years, fans have had plenty of time to determine which episodes are the best and which are best forgotten by time. Here are the top 5 best (and top 5 worst) episodes of Hey Arnold!, as determined by the website IMDB.
Worst: Girl Trouble/School Dance (1998)
This season 3 episode is only saved by its first entry, “Girl Trouble”. Grandpa Phil retells the tale of his youth and how he used to be constantly harassed by Gertie, a classmate who bugged him the same way that Helga bugs Arnold. Perhaps it’s the unsatisfying conclusion to the episode that aggravates fans: Arnold is once again verbally assaulted by Helga, and afterward it is revealed that Gertie is Arnold’s Grandma...but Arnold leaves the room before the truth comes out! "School Dance", however, is the irredeemable dud of the duo.
Probably one of the lamest, most straightforward plots of the series (next to perhaps “Stuck in a Tree”), the episode starts with Arnold hiring washed-up lounge singer Dino Spumoni. His fellow classmates are none too pleased with the choice, and sure enough, he stinks up the school dance with his presence. After a quick talking to, Dino Spumoni apologizes, sings songs that kids would actually dance to, and the episode ends. Nothing special here.
Best: Parent’s Day
For the first three seasons of Hey Arnold!, it’s been established that Arnold lives in a boarding house with his grandparents, Gertie and Phil. "Parent’s Day" is the first episode to introduce viewers to Arnold’s absentee parents, Stella and Miles.
The couple has been missing since Arnold was a baby; in this season 3 special, Arnold grapples with having his grandparents as stand-ins for the annual Parent’s Day games. A very emotional, heartfelt episode, its somber tone sets the stage for future buildup to the eventual answer of the question: what happened to Arnold’s mother and father? The first theatrical film does not answer this question at all; rather, it’s not revealed until the television sequel, Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie, in 2017.
Worst: Sid's Revenge/Roller Coaster
Another season 3 entry, while these two episodes are not particularly bad, their biggest supposed sin is their lack of focus on the main protagonists, Arnold and Helga. In "Sid’s Revenge", Sid’s paranoia is ramped up to extreme levels, and he takes out his rage on Principal Wartz in the form of a voodoo doll made out of soap.
Through a bizarre series of events, he mistakenly thinks he killed his principal until the contrary is revealed at the end of 11 minutes. “Roller Coaster” is a similar story; 11-minutes are spent with one-note character Eugene and his legendary bad luck jinx powers when he and Arnold get trapped on a roller coaster ride at the amusement park Dinoland.
Best: The Journal (2002)
The 2-part series finale of Hey Arnold!, this season 5 episode continues where season 3’s “Parent’s Day” left off, filling in the gaps of who Stella and Miles truly were before their untimely disappearance.
With art direction by Raymie Musquiz, this particular episode feels different from its season 5 counterparts, but in a good way. This may also be because "The Journal" is only one of two episodes that enlists Max Keeble’s Big Move star Alex D. Linz as the voice of Arnold.
Worst: Best Man/Cool Party (1998)
This season 3 episode’s only crime is once again not being centered around Arnold and Helga; rather it lets some of the secondary characters shine. "Best Man" is about recurring character Coach Wittenberg (voiced by Jim Belushi) remarrying his estranged wife, (voiced by Fran Drescher).
The hilarity and malapropisms ensue when the couple’s competitive nature almost forces them to separate again. "Cool Party" is essentially an ensemble cast episode; Rhonda Lloyd spurs the majority of her classmates, decrying them not cool enough to attend her exclusive cool kid party. In retaliation, Arnold hosts a geek party and invites everyone in the neighborhood to attend. A fun episode with loads of neat cameos, including the return of The Stoop Kid.
Best: Helga on the Couch (1999)
Helga Pataki has always been a fan favorite, some even considering her the true protagonist of Hey Arnold! The definitive Helga episode, "Helga on the Couch" covers Helga’s history: what her family life is like, and why she is such terror to the main character Arnold.
Equal parts funny, depressing, and heartwarming, it features a new character in the form of the compassionate Dr. Bliss, played masterfully by Kathy Baker. Not only is this considered one of the best episodes of season 5, but also the best episode about Helga and arguably the best in the series. It’s a shame that Nickelodeon never greenlit The Patakis spinoff when the show was still at its peak in popularity.
Worst: Grandpa's Sister/Synchronized Swimming (1999)
In “Grandpa’s Sister” it is revealed that Grandpa Phil has a twin sister, Arnold’s (great-)Aunt Mitzi, played by the late comedienne Phyllis Diller. “Synchronized Swimming” once again brings back character Coach Wittenberg; this time he attempts to teach Arnold as his friends the basics of the aquatic acrobatics sport.
A season 4 episode whose focus is mostly on secondary characters, both “Grandpa’s Sister” and “Synchronized Swimming” are fine in their own right, but tend to go wholly ignored by Arnold and Helga shippers as they do little to progress the series’ major plot arcs.
Best: Spelling Bee/Pigeon Man (1996)
"Spelling Bee" is a decent season 1 episode; when both characters are pitted against one another in a spelling competition, Helga must grapple with her loyalty to the Pataki name and her love and devotion to Arnold. The true star, however, is the critically acclaimed "Pigeon Man".
One of the many urban legend episodes of the series, "Pigeon Man" is a somber episode with heart about a homeless eccentric that hangs around with birds (played beautifully by the late great Vincent Schiavelli). The episode teaches about tolerance, and while there may be a bunch of nasty people in the world who harm others who are different, there are also people like Arnold who could see a human being beyond their station in life. Like The Stoop Kid, Pigeon Man makes a brief appearance near the start of Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie.
Worst: Arnold Betrays Iggy/Helga and the Nanny (1998)
Sitting with a middling score of 6.8 on IMDB, this season 3 episode is not a sum of its parts. While "Helga and the Nanny" is actually a compelling character study of Helga Pataki and her dysfunctional behavior toward her family life, it’s actually the divisive "Arnold Betray Iggy" that drags the score down.
Heralded as the worst of the series by most fans, the infamous episode unfairly subjects Arnold to the wrath of Iggy, a veritable background whose only prior credit is saying he was devoid of acting motivation when he played utensil in "Downtown as Fruits". Hey Arnold! is not always a happy show, but when an episode ends poorly, it’s usually for a good reason. Such is not the case in "Arnold Betrays Iggy", where no justice is served, and it is implied that things are not alright between the two boys at its conclusion. Truly a mean-spirited watch.
Best: Arnold's Christmas (1996)
The first of many 22-minute holiday specials, "Arnold's Christmas" examines the true meaning of celebrating the season beyond empty consumerism.
Arnold picks Mr. Huynh for Secret Santa, but when the Vietnamese boarder tells him that all he truly wants for Christmas is to be reunited with his estranged daughter, he is determined to conjure up a Christmas miracle. What makes "Arnold’s Christmas" truly special is that it’s one of those holiday timeless specials that can be enjoyed perennially, much like A Charlie Brown Christmas, or A Wish for Wings That Work. It’s a standalone classic that Hey Arnold! fans and holiday enthusiasts wish to revisit every year.