Nineties Nicktoon viewers are hardened TV veterans. From their living rooms, they took in the action of Rugrats, Hey Arnold!, Ren & Stimpy, Rocko's Modern Life, SpongeBob SquarePants, and CatDog. Every once in a while an episode would send a shell into their cushion-lined comfort zone, traumatizing them for years to come.
Hyperbole aside, Nicktoon viewers from both the '90s and '00s can recall many scenes that freaked them out as kids. The good thing about these mortifying moments is that they convert to nostalgia just like the pleasant ones. As adults, we remember them fondly... with a couple of exceptions. These are the Nick episodes that got surprisingly dark.
- 1
'CatDog' Does Legitimate Body Horror
After visiting the dentist in the Season 3 episode "Teeth for Two," Cat and Dog learn that what they do to their teeth affects the other. Cat keeps impeccable care of his teeth, while Dog neglects his own which therefore affects Cat. Fed up with his indifference, Cat goes inside Dog to clean his teeth himself. That bloodcurdling moment is captured above.
Weirdly dark? - 2
Squidward's Suicidal Ideation In 'SpongeBob SquarePants'
In the Season 8 episode "Are You Happy Now?," SpongeBob tries to give Squidward a happy memory. Meanwhile Squidward alludes to ending his own life by hanging a rope and sticking his head in the oven. These scenes give credence to the creepypasta "Squidward's Suicide."
Weirdly dark? - 3
Zombie Grandpa Phil In 'Hey Arnold!'
In "Part Time Friends," Arnold and Gerald have a falling out over an argument at work. Grandpa Phil tries to convince Arnold to make up with Gerald by telling his own story about a falling out with a close friend that was never resolved. As a result, Arnold has a nightmare that takes place on a bus 70 years into the future, where he and Gerald are still enemies but neither remembers why. Then we see Grandpa Phil at the back of the bus, long since dead, saying "I told you so" and cackling so violently that his jaw falls off. WTF?
Weirdly dark? - 4
Ren Tries To Murder Stimpy In 'The Ren & Stimpy Show'
In "Stimpy's Fan Club," Ren gets jealous of all the fan mail that Stimpy receives, so he decides that he'll murder him by snapping his neck in his sleep. He's only deterred after envisioning himself roasting in Hell for his crime. We genuinely wonder how Ren & Stimpy could have ever been considered a kids' show.
Weirdly dark? - 5
George Liquor Tortures Ren And Stimpy In 'The Ren & Stimpy Show'
George Liquor is one of the most disturbing cartoon characters of all time. A caricature of a classic militaristic American, George buys Ren and Stimpy from a pet store in "Man's Best Friend" with the intention of "training" them. The training is much closer to torture, as Ren and Stimpy are physically and mentally abused throughout the episode. However, the worst abuse is perpetrated against George after Ren snaps and beats him with an oar. George respects this act of violence because he is a psychopath.
This episode is so dark that it was actually banned from airing on Nickelodeon.
Weirdly dark? - 6
Ginger Writes A Disturbing Poem And Is Forced To See A Psychologist In 'As Told By Ginger'
The Season 2 episode "And She Was Gone" has Ginger writing and narrating a poem of the same name. The narration is accompanied by Tim Burton-esque black-and-white animation which shows a marionette puppet walking alone across a wasteland and trying to escape her strings. Along with us viewers, the poem alarmed the teachers and students at Ginger's school. She is forced to see a psychologist to talk about her alleged depression. Although the hysteria eventually subsides, we're still left with the image of that creepy marionette.
Weirdly dark?
