History YMMV / ThePuzzlePlace

** "Big Boys Don't Cry" deconstructs the MenDontCry trope, and the boys admit that crying is okay for any gender.

* RetroactiveRecognition: Skye and Nuzzle are performed by Peter Linz, who would go on to perform [[Series/BearInTheBigBlueHouse Tutter, Pip]], [[Series/BetweenTheLions Theo]], [[Series/ItsABigBigWorld Snook]], and [[Film/TheMuppets Walter]].

** "I Scream, You Scream" focuses on Jody and her relationship with her father.

* BrokenAesop: In one episode they want to act out a story, and they find a fairy tale in a book where the accompanying illustration shows the main characters with light skin and blonde hair. Kiki, Leon, Skye, and Julie collectively decided that since only Ben & Jody look like that, those two are the only options to play the main characters. This makes them sad until they all decide to go find tales and myths from cultures that match their ethnicity. But it never mentioned that the parts didn't ''have'' to go to Ben & Jody and that it would be fine for any of the kids to play the Prince and Princess in a fairy tale. The Aesop came across looking more like a repudiation of the BlackVikings trope - telling kids that they should only ever act as someone of their own race on stage, and that people of color can't play leads in fairy tales of European origin.

BrokenAesop: In one episode they want to act out a story, and they find a fairy tale in a book where the accompanying illustration shows the main characters with light skin and blonde hair. Kiki, Leon, Skye, and Julie collectively decided that since only Ben & Jody look like that, those two are the only options to play the main characters. This makes them sad until they all decide to go find tales and myths from cultures that match their ethnicity. But it never mentioned that the parts didn't ''have'' to go to Ben & Jody and that it would be fine for any of the kids to play the Prince and Princess in a fairy tale. The Aesop came across looking more like a repudiation of the BlackVikings trope - telling kids that they should only ever act as someone of their own race on stage, and that people of color can't play leads in fairy tales of European origin

Ship: The kids have moments like this in various pairings throughout the series. Most obviously Ben/Kiki (in more than one episode she gives him a heartfelt pep talk when he's discouraged, and is the only person who ever calls him [[AffectionateNickname Benny]]) and Skye/Julie (see their "good night" exchange in "Rip Van Wrinkle," which ends with Julie sleepily murmuring "I love you" and a shocked Skye stammering "I love you too"). In "Deck the Halls," there's also a [[LesYay Julie/Kiki]] moment where Julie gives Kiki "love" as a metaphorical Christmas gift and Kiki kisses her cheek.

** In "Finders Keepers" Skye is distraught after misplacing an Apache pollen pouch he brought in to show his friends, (which Julie fould but was too enamored with it to return) and he sings a mournful song "The Sacred Ways of My People" expressing how much it meant to him and his grandfather.
*** When Julie finally does return the pouch and confesses she had it all along. The two get into an emotional argument about the matter, that ends with Skye storming into the greenhouse to think things over, leaving Julie in tears about the damage to their friendship that she unwittingly caused. [[spoiler: at the end of the episode, it is implied that the two quietly start to mend fences over a box of popcorn]].

** "Party of One" deals with racism as Leon is banned from attending a friend's birthday due to the former being African-American.

* ToyShip: The kids have moments like this in various pairings throughout the series. Most obviously Ben/Kiki (in more than one episode she gives him a heartfelt pep talk when he's discouraged, and is the only person who ever calls him [[AffectionateNickname Benny]]) and Skye/Julie (see their "good night" exchange in "Rip Van Wrinkle," which ends with Julie sleepily murmuring "I love you" and a shocked Skye stammering "I love you too"). In "Deck the Halls," there's also a [[LesYay Julie/Kiki]] moment where Julie gives Kiki "love" as a metaphorical Christmas gift and Kiki kisses her cheek.

* BrokenAesop: In one episode, the kids want to act out a story, and they find a fairy tale in a book where the accompanying illustration shows a prince and princess, both with light skin and blonde hair. Kiki, Leon, Skye, and Julie collectively decided that since only Ben & Jody look like that, those two are the only options to play the main characters. This makes them sad until they all decide to go find tales and myths from cultures that match their ethnicity. The Aesop is supposed to be that anyone of any ethnicity can be beautiful or handsome. But it never mentioned that the parts didn't ''have'' to go to Ben & Jody and that it would be fine for any of the kids to play the Prince and Princess in a fairy tale. The Aesop came across looking more like a repudiation of the BlackVikings trope - telling kids that they should only ever act as someone of their own race on stage, and that people of color can't play leads in fairy tales of European origin.

* {{Anvilicious}}: Given that it's a children's educational show, it's more like SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped.

* RetroactiveRecognition: Skye and Nuzzle are performed by Peter Linz, who would go on to perform [[Series/BearInTheBigBlueHouse Tutter, Pip]], [[Series/ItsABigBigWorld Snook]], and [[Film/TheMuppets Walter]].