Arnold Betrays Iggy is an episode in the Hey Arnold! TV Series.
Synopsis
Iggy in his bunny pajamas
Arnold goes to Iggy's house, and finds out he wears bunny pajamas. Arnold finds it funny that a boy Iggy's age wears bunny pajamas - risking social embarrassment and humiliation from peers at school. Iggy makes Arnold promise that he won't tell anybody. The next day on the bus, Arnold is chuckling to himself, thinking about Iggy wearing the bunny pajamas. When Sid and Stinky ask what's funny, Arnold makes the mistake of saying " it was just something Iggy was wearing." When Sid guesses, Arnold's cheeks turn red, and within ten minutes the whole school knows Iggy's humiliating secret. Iggy is convinced that Arnold told all the kids about his secret, and refuses to forgive him. Arnold witnesses Iggy being ridiculed and humiliated by boys and girls all day at school — so he thinks of some ways he could make it up to Iggy. He buys him chocolates and even offers to do his chores for a whole week. However, Iggy still refuses to forgive Arnold.When Arnold asks Iggy what he has to do to prove he is sorry, Iggy gets an idea. He takes Arnold to his closet and shows him that he must humiliate himself in front of the whole city.
The next day we see Iggy has gathered near fifty people to stand outside Arnold's house. There is a long, red carpet stretched down the steps of his house, that goes all the way across the street. Iggy is sitting in a lounge chair at the end of it smiling, with a sign put out that reads: "Grovel Here." Even Arnold's own grandfather is looking forward to see his grandson humiliated, and tells him he'll be "taking pictures for the album" and laughs at him. He says "You're gonna look great." However, Iggy finds out it was really Stinky and Sid who blabbed his secret while overhearing them talking about him taking things too far with Arnold's punishment and how it was really them who spread his secret, not Arnold. Iggy tries to stop Arnold, but it's too late - Arnold's door creaks open, and we get a close up shot of bunny slippers slowly walking onto the carpet. It is Arnold in the bunny pajamas, not noticing that Iggy was trying to stop the dilemma. The scene is shot in slow motion of Arnold walking past dozens of boys and girls, pointing and laughing at him, and taking pictures. A young boy takes a water gun and squirts the fluffy bunny tail on the butt of the pajamas, and laughs as Arnold becomes increasingly embarrassed and humiliated. A man with a news camera is laughing, and broadcasts Arnold's humiliation on TV while kids point and laugh and say "Look, the bunny boy's on TV!".
Arnold's humiliation
Arnold looks around and takes a long glance at everyone pointing, laughing, taking pictures, and enjoying the humiliation before he slowly walks back toward the house, in which Iggy yells out to him. Arnold turns to look at him then walks away.
The next day, the now (very) bitter Arnold finds Iggy on his front doorstep, begging for forgiveness for his embarrassing punishment, trying to tell Arnold he regrets doing it, and not knowing that it was really Stinky and Sid who found out. However, Arnold simply glares at Iggy and walks away as Iggy yells out after him in regret.
Reception
Thousands of fans, critics, and even Craig Bartlett himself hate this episode and call it one the worst episodes in the series (if not, the worst) because it has a sad ending, Arnold gets unfairly humiliated, Iggy, Stinky, and Sid were huge jerks, and nobody stood up for Arnold. Therefore, this episode rarely airs anymore. Bartlett was so angry at the writers and directors that he made them publically apologize for making this and never make an episode with Iggy again. It last aired in 2004 against Bartlett's wishes and never aired again. Many even want this episode banned. However, on Febuary 2014, this episode aired after 10 years and everyone, fans old and new still pamm it.
Trivia
- This is the only time Iggy played a major part in an episode. Mainly because he acted like a total jerk.
- Gerald wasn't watching Arnold's horrible humiliation, proving that Gerald is a true friend to Arnold and would never laugh at his demise and saddness.
- Stinky tells his friends every morning why he likes lemon pudding.
- As of this episode, Arnold and Iggy are no longer friends.
Goofs
- In the cafeteria scene, when the camera faces the top view, we see Harold eating beside Iggy. But when it faces Arnold, we see Iggy eating alone.