Episode 4009 Reminded Me of The Aristocats

[salemfan]

Did anybody catch episode 4009 in season 33 in which Susan and Miles are putting things together for a clothing drive and Telly brings out a box of things from when he was a baby, including his toy horse Clark, which brings back so many memories that Telly can't decide whether or not to give Clark away? The episode reminded me of the finale of the Disney cartoon movie, "The Aristocats." The whole idea of Clark the horse being at risk of getting put in a clothing drive reminded me of when Edgar tries to send Duchess and her kittens to Timbuktu. And the part where Susan and Miles pulled Clark out of the giveaway bin before the truck comes and takes everything reminded me of when Thomas O' Malley and Scat Cat let Duchess and the kittens out of the trunk and Frou Frou the horse kicks Edgar into it before the baggage men arrive. I guess Telly is the counterpart of Madame, Clark the stuffed horse is the counterpart of Duchess and the kittens, and Susan and Miles are the counterpart of Thomas O' Malley and the alley cats. But I guess the counterpart of Edgar is the thought in Telly's mind that he should give Clark away because he is beyond the age for it. Does anybody think this episode was meant to be a takeoff on the Disney story of The Aristocats?

 

[D'Snowth]

I remember that one. I thought it was sweet, and it's true too. Just because you kept something from since you were a baby, it doesn't mean you're still a baby, it means you love that something and you don't want to let go of it. Aristocats is truely a classic, I love the part where Edgar jumps onto one the windmill blades with Napoleon hanging from his pants.

 

[salemfan]

Another detail they could have used

You know, maybe the finale of that episode could have been that after Telly decides to keep Clark and has rescued him from being given away, he could have set up a foundation in his house for all the rest of the toys that remind him of when he was a baby, just like Madame set up a foundation in her house for all the alley cats of Paris.

 

[salemfan]

Or maybe Telly could have set up a foundation for all the off-age toys that the residents of Sesame Street liked too much to get rid of. I remember the part when Alan tells Telly about the pet rock he didn't want to get rid of, so when he got beyond the age for it, he started using it as a paperweight. It looks like Telly wasn't the only one who didn't want to get rid of a baby toy!

 

[Don_Music_2004]

I loved this episode, you know why? It was one of those very rare episodes that actually starred SUSAN!!!!

 

[salemfan]

As I said at the beginning, I loved this episode because it sounded similar to the ending of The Aristocats when Edgar tries to send Duchess and the kittens to Timbuktu(See above for details). And when naming all these similarities, maybe the counterpart of Frou Frou kicking Edgar into the trunk was when Alan comforted Telly and, "kicked the obligation to give Clark away out of Telly's mind". But while Duchess and the kittens watched the truck drive away with Edgar, do you suppose Clark imaginarily* watched the truck drive away with everything?

*Because Clark wasn't really living, he was just a stuffed animal.

 

[salemfan]

Well, there's multiple reasons why people liked this episode:
1)It sounded similar to the ending of the Aristocats
2)It had a sweet and true message
3)It was one of the rare episodes which actually starred Susan

 

[salemfan]

I've tracked three reasons to like this episode. Does anybody have any reasons to like this episode other than the three reasons listed above?

 

[salemfan]

Before this episode, were there any other Sesame Street episodes that talked about giving one's used items away to the poor? Other TV shows have used that subject in the 2000s.