| |
| Release date: | November 18, 1998 |
"Arnold's Thanksgiving" is the Thanksgiving episode of the Nickelodeon animated series Hey Arnold!, produced and aired in the show's third season.
Plot[]
Arnold's grandmother celebrates the Fourth of July when it's really Thanksgiving, which is not what he had in mind for the holiday. Meanwhile, Helga's optimistic hopes are squelched when her mom tells her to put her pine cone table piece she made next to Olga's ice sculpture of a turkey. This annoys Helga, who doesn't bother displaying her table piece. She becomes increasingly unhappy when she has to put up with helping Olga make dinner, Big Bob watching football, and a usual drunk Miriam. When Arnold has had enough of dealing with his family's way of celebrating Thanksgiving, he decides to leave. At home, when Helga bluntly states she is thankful for nothing when having her Thanksgiving dinner with her family, Bob sends her to her room. She decides to leave her house as well.
Coincidentally, Arnold and Helga run into each other and start talking about how things at home aren't working out. During this time, Helga's family notices her absence and becomes increasingly concerned about her whereabouts. As the day progresses, Helga's family takes to the streets (Olga posting flyers) and starts looking for her. Eventually, both Arnold and Helga go to Mr. Simmons's house in search for the perfect Thanksgiving, only to find out that his isn't going so well either. After they leave Mr. Simmons's house, they realize that their Thanksgiving wasn't as bad as they thought and return to their homes. When Arnold gets home, he embraces his grandmother's Fourth of July celebration and Helga's anxious family warmly greets her with a loving embrace. The Pataki family also places Helga's pine cone place setting back onto the table next to Olga's and sit down together to eat dinner.