Phoebe's Little Problem is an episode in the Hey Arnold! TV Series.
This is the final episode in the 8 years of Hey Arnold! (though it was not intended to be).
Summary
Phoebe is given a Perfect Attendance award at P.S. 118. After eating several of Arnold's prune cookies, she accidentally farts into a microphone while accepting her award. Ironically, she vows never to return to school after facing such humiliation.
Mr. Simmons, Stinky, Rhonda, Arnold, and Helga all try to cheer Phoebe up, but she feels even more embarrassed ever since Stinky said his poem's last line which was; "On account'a y'farted." Eventually, Arnold tells Phoebe that she has to face her problem head-on.
Taking Arnold's advice, Phoebe gives a speech in the auditorium, acknowledging that she farted, but stating that she is not just "that girl who farted", and that she is "much more than that." After Phoebe ends her speech, Harold stands up and begins to mock her, and, in the course of his laughing, wets his pants. This incident takes the attention away from Phoebe and transfers it to Harold. The episode ends with Phoebe smiling and leaning back in her seat.
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On the bus, Arnold offers his classmates some cookies his grandma made. Everyone is turned off when they find out the cookies are full of prunes. Phoebe says they are an excellent source of iron and many people enjoy them. Arnold gives her the entire box of cookies and she happily takes them saying the iron will prepare her for her acception speech for an award. By the time she gets to school, she has eaten the entire box.
At the assembly, Principal Wartz presents her with the award. When she bows to the audience as she is accepting her award, she holds the microphone to her back and farts. She becomes incredibly embarrassed when everyone begins to laugh at her and she runs from the auditorium. Arnold follows her and tells her it was no big deal and everyone will have forgotten it by tomorrow.
When she returns to school the next day, Harold and others make fun of her all day, embarrassing her to the point of which she no longer wishes to return to school. She tells her parents of this decision and they say she can stay home the rest of the week and think it over though Phoebe is sure of her decision. Arnold stops by her asks and tells her that he knows today was hard for her. She says she is never returning to P.S. 118.
At school, Arnold tells his classmates and Mr. Simmons of Phoebe's decision and he decides that they will all go to her house and make her feel better. When they arrive at her house, they go in her room one at a time, unfortunately, most of the time the speeches they mean to make her feel better, make her feel worse. Arnold comes in last. She tells him that she wants to be remembered for her achievements not for farting. Arnold tells her that she should find a way to do that.
At the assembly the next day, Phoebe arrives and tells them that if they cannot see her beyond the person who farted in a microphone then they are the ones with problem and not her. She sits down triumphantly and Helga and Rhonda show their support by putting their hands on her shoulders. When Harold stands up to make fun of her, he accidentally wets himself and everyone begins laughing at him. She smiles, knowing her incident has been forgotten.
Trivia
- Although originally intended to be before the season finale "The Journal", it eventually became the last episode of the series.
- Gerald's voice actor, Jamil Walker Smith, left the cast after the episode Gerald vs. Jamie O. As a result, he doesn't speak at all in this episode. However, it's rumoured that he did speak in a deleted scene involving Mr. Simmons and Helga. His reference from "Gerald's Tonsils" is also mentioned.
- The background music for "Never Let Go Of Hope" from "Stuck in a Tree" is played before Phoebe farts for the first time.
- Mr. Simmons constantly breaks the fourth wall, and he says "what do you say we join the class and the rest of the school and forget about what just happened and put this little episode behind us forever? let’s move on and make a brand new fart."
- The last line of the series is by Harold, who off-screen is running out of the auditorium crying and says "Oh no!"
- This is the final episode of season 5 along with "Grandpa's Packard".