11 'Hey Arnold!' Moments That'll Take You To 2004

Today marks a monumental day of immense historical importance: it is the 11 year anniversary of Hey Arnold! That's right, it has been 11 full years to the day since Hey Arnold! graced our TV screens with a new episode for the very last time. To commemorate the 11 years that have passed since the Hey Arnold! series finale, I have for you these 11 great Hey Arnold! moments that'll take you back to 2004.

Hey Arnold! was a mainstay of children's television back in the day and I am confident that it holds a special place in your heart just as it does mine. Hey Arnold! was more than just a show – it was a generational phenomenon. There's nothing that takes me right back to my childhood mindset like watching an episode of Hey Arnold! and asking myself over and over why Helga didn't just try being nice to Arnold.

Hey Arnold! was a quintessential mainstay of '90s and early '00s kids culture. There's nothing better than looking back at the things we loved as children and letting the child that still lives on inside out again, even if it's for a fleeting moment. It seems like just yesterday that we were eating Totino's Pizza Rolls on the couch after school and watching Hey Arnold! but, sadly, it's been at least 11 years since that was even possible. To commemorate the 11th anniversary of your favorite football head, let's take a look back at some of the greatest Hey Arnold! moments.

Stoop Kid

Who could forget the iconic episode of Hey Arnold! in which we met Stoop Kid, who had supposedly lived on his stoop ever since he was born (and was afraid to leave his stoop). In retrospect, it's a pretty dark story about a bunch of kids mercilessly bullying another kid who presumably has some type of serious phobia or anxiety issue. Poor Stoop Kid.

The Synchronized Swimming Episode

In which the P.S. 118 kids get in touch with their sensitive sides.

Helga Gets a Makeover

After years of wishing to see a unibrow-less Helga G. Pataki, our dreams finally came true in this episode where Helga gives herself a makeover (and ends up looking like a cheap prostitute).

Harold's Bar Mitzvah

Harold's bar mitzvah episode was one of my favorites and, to this day, makes up most of my knowledge about Judaism. Also, props to Nickelodeon for risking a religous-themed episode of a children's show. I doubt any show these days would risk anything like this.

Gerald (and Jamie O.)

Gerald was the epitome of kid coolness and, in this episode, we got to see Gerald's game put to the test when the girl he's crushing on (who is supposed to be 13 but has the voice of a first grader) tries to use him to get closer to his dreamy (and kinda mean) older brother, Jamie O.

Arnold, Gerald, and the 6th Grade Girls

In this hilarious episode, Gerald and Arnold get hit on (as a joke) by some foxy 6th grade ladies who also happen to sound kind of like middle-aged Jewish women.

Birdman

Long before Michael Keaton came along, Hey Arnold! was home to the O.G. Birdman. A melancholy and misunderstood individual, Birdman was perhaps one of the most complex characters featured on the show.

Helga Sleepwalks...

... and almost blows her big secret.

Arnold and Lila Sittin' In A Tree

This episode is singlehandedly responsible for an extended period of time when I was child during which I used the phrase "ever so lovely" way, way too much.

Miriam Pataki

As with most things I loved as a child, Hey Arnold! took on different meaning when I revisited it as an adult. Case in point: Miriam Pataki. I only recently figured out that the Miriam Pataki, Helga's mother, was, in fact, a (barely) functioning alcoholic. Helga's emotional problems suddenly make much more sense; her mom is a hot mess.

Helga and the Love Potion

Possibly funnier than the love potion scene in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and I didn't even think that was possible.

Image: Nickelodeon