The thirteenth episode of the third season of Rugrats (1991).
Destination Moon:
The babies pretend Lou's new trailer is a spaceship that they use to go to the moon.
Angelica's Birthday:
On her birthday, Angelica starts acting like a baby, wanting to avoid the responsibilities of growing up.
"Destination Moon" provides examples of:
- Cheesy Moon: The babies believe the moon to be made of cheese. They find some old cheese in the garbage, and eat it (with no ill effects), thinking it's moon cheese.
- Continuity Nod: When Chuckie loses his rocket ship, Tommy tells him they could always go to the moon in a spaceship like Captain Blasto does on TV. Captain Blasto is a Show Within a Show previously seen in "Superhero Chuckie" and mentioned in "Angelica Breaks a Leg".
- Human Ladder: The babies form one to get inside Lou's trailer, believing it to be a rocket ship.
- Hypocritical Humor: When the parents notice that their children are missing, Didi says, "How could this have happened? We're always so careful with the kids!", even though she and the other adults have not kept close eyes on them on a regular basis.
- Imagine Spot: Used when the babies pretend that Lou's trailer is a rocket ship and the garage is the moon.
- Real After All: At the end of the episode, a two-headed alien sneaks into Stu's barbecue grill and uses it as a spaceship.
- Shout-Out:
- When Stu and Lou push Lou's trailer, the babies believe that their rocket ship is flying into space. At one point, Chuckie tells Tommy, "She can't take much more of this, Tommy! She's gonna blow!"
- When the babies believe they are on the moon, Chuckie says, "Must be The Dark Side of the Moon".
- When Chuckie is scared to leave the "spaceship", Tommy reassures him that it's just "One small step.
" Chuckie responds, "It looks more like a giant leap to me." - When the babies are surrounded by aliens, Phil tells Chuckie that, "In space, no one can hear you scream".
- When the babies return to their rocket ship to head back home, Tommy says, "This is Major Tom to Ground Control!".
- This Is Reality: When Tommy proposes going to the moon like Captain Blasto does on TV, Chuckie counters with "This isn't TV or something! This is the regular old real world!".
- Trip to the Moon Plot: The babies imagine that Grandpa Lou's trailer is a rocket ship which they use to travel to the Moon, and that Tommy's garage is the Moon.
"Angelica's Birthday" provides examples of:
- Ageless Birthday Episode: While it is never actually said how old Angelica is in the episode itself, in a previous episode, "The Seven Voyages of Cynthia", Angelica mentions having gotten her doll Cynthia as a present for her third birthday, so logically the birthday we see her celebrate should be her fourth, but in a later episode, "Pickles Vs. Pickles", her parents say that she's still three years old.
- An Aesop: Don't be afraid of getting older.
- Birthday Episode: Angelica celebrates her birthday in this episode.
- Call-Back: Besides Susie, the guests at Angelica's party include Dean and Jean-Claude from "Angelica's in Love" and Belinda and Prudence from "Showdown at Teeter-Totter Gulch".
- Comically Missing the Point: When Drew reads over the birthday card that Angelica's grandmother sent her, he tears up, thinking about how grown up Angelica's becoming. Angelica, missing the point, tells Drew that her grandmother probably just forgot to put the money in the card, and they can always call her so she can send the money. Similarly when Angelica shakes down the card and tosses it upon realizing there's no money, Drew thinks she accidentally dropped the card out of excitement.
- Creative Closing Credits: The circus music from Chas and Howard's performance as Flubbo and Looney Boy plays during the closing credits.
- Crying at Your Birthday Party: As part of her plan to act like a baby, Angelica cries like one instead of talking like a big girl. When Drew sees this, he complains to Charlotte that whenever Angelica wants something, she just cries. Charlotte then tells Drew, "It's her party and she can cry if she wants to."
- "Eureka!" Moment: This exchange when Angelica decides to start acting like a baby:Tommy: Wow. It's too bad you can't stay little like us.
Angelica: Yes, it's too bad I can't stay little like... wait a minute, that's it!
Chuckie: Uh-oh! - Goo Goo Getup: As part of her plan to act like a baby to avoid responsibilities, Angelica dresses herself in a purple shirt and a green bonnet from the dolls in her own bedroom, as well as a diaper from the babies' diaper bag.
- Growing Up Sucks: Angelica fears responsibilites, and attempts to revert to being a baby again. She soon finds out that being a baby isn't as fun as she thought it would be, since babies can't eat candy and they have to drink from a bottle and wear diapers.
- Literal-Minded: The babies make a mud pie for Angelica, using actual mud.
- Manly Tears: Drew cries these as he reads his mother-in-law's birthday card to Angelica, knowing that his dear daughter is starting to become a young lady.
- Non-Ironic Clown: Chas and Howard appear as birthday clowns Flubbo and Looney Boy, respectively, for Angelica's birthday party.note
- Noodle Incident: When the babies see Angelica decide to be a baby again, Chuckie tells Tommy, Phil, and Lil about the time Angelica made him wear frilly panties, only to regret doing so.
- Nose Shove: Discussed; when the babies refuse to let Angelica knock down the pinata with her friends, Chuckie mentions that she can't have any little candies, as they're too dangerous for babies. Angelica asks him why, and Tommy tells her that they might put them in their noses.
- Shout-Out: When Drew asks Charlotte what he should do about how Angelica is acting like an infant, she says, "It's just a phase. It's her party and she can cry if she wants to", referencing the Lesley Gore song, "It's My Party".
