YMMV / Rugrats S 4 E 2 Mothers Day

• Heartwarming Moments: The entire special:
  • Phil and Lil recall the first time they laughed was when they were being fed "the old way" (breastfed) and how it made their mother laugh too. The best part is that Betty is clearly exhausted from having just given birth to twins. Her hearty laughter and great big smile prove that to her, it's all worth it. The twins say it's their favorite memory.
  • The Reveal during Tommy's flashback that he was born premature and his earliest memory was being in "a giant fish tank" (an incubator), with Didi holding his hand. Not only is it one of the most touching moments in the whole show, it's also how we learn why Stu is always calling Tommy "champ."
  "I don't even think I knowd she was my mom then. But when she held my hand, I didn't feel a'scared any more. As long as I was there, she'd never let go."
  • The b-plot of Didi treating Minka to a day at the spa for a Mother's Day gift. Minka is unimpressed and Didi bemoans how she just wanted to find something for her mother that she would like. Minka responds, "You want to know what I like?" She then hugs Didi and says "This, I like."
  • Didi finally convincing Chas to talk to Chuckie about his mother, telling him that it's better that Chuckie be sad and miss her than forget about her.
  Didi: Chas, I think it's time you shared these things with Chuckie.
  Chas: I'm just afraid he'll miss her.
  Didi: Then you can miss her together.
  • The poem Chuckie's mom wrote for him. Keep tissues handy.
  My Sweet Little Chuckie
  Though I must leave you behind me,
  this poem will tell you where you always can find me.
  When a gentle wind blows, that's my hand on your face.
  And when the tree gives you shade, that's my sheltering embrace.
  When the sun gives you freckles, that's me tickling my boy.
  When the rain wets your hair, those are my tears of joy.
  When the long grass enfolds you, that's me holding you tight.
  When the whippoorwill sings, that's me whispering, "Night night."
• Tear Jerker: It is in this episode where we finally learn what happened to Chuckie's mom: she died of an unexplained but terminal illness. It culminates with a letter the dying woman wrote to her son for him to read when he was older, with a poem about how she'll always be there for him even after she's gone.
  • It's natural to feel bad for Chuckie, but don't forget Chas. He keeps her belongings stored away and doesn't talk about her much. It's clear that up to that point in the series he wasn't yet able to get over what happened to her. The scene where Chas finds that Chuckie has gotten a hold of some of her stuff is downright heartbreaking.
  • When Didi tells Chas that he should begin sharing the memories of his wife, Melinda, with Chuckie, Chas simply replies, "But... I'm just afraid he's going to miss her." But when Chuckie found Melinda's picture earlier, he didn't realize she was his mom; he instead knew her as "the nice lady from my dreams". With this in mind, Chas's comment seems to be less about protecting Chuckie, and more about how even about a year after Melinda's passing, Chas still cannot bring himself to accept what happened to her.
• Values Resonance: "Mother's Day" has earned lots of praise, retroactive and otherwise, for touching on mature topics (namely, the loss of a mother and premature birth), for its loving depiction of breastfeeding in the form of Betty feeding her twins, and for extending the definition of motherhood to single fathers like Chas.