Introduction
In Hey Arnold!, Helga Pataki is the one of the few kids at P.S. 118 who is shown to have a typical family, with parents and at least one sibling. Helga's family is seen more than any of the other show's kids and their family members (apart from Arnold's), most of the time without Olga (her older sister) around. They are very dysfunctional because they all have flaws that don't make them a very happy and functional family. Bob (her father) is a loud, dominating, and very competitive blowhard, Miriam (her mother) is a ditzy and lazy alcoholic, and Olga is an overly perky perfectionist and ignorant to the problems in the family. Helga is left in the dust for the majority of the time because her family almost never pays attention to her or even gives her a lot of encouragement, kindness, and all other positive traits.
I chose to do an essay on the Patakis because there is so much about them that interests me and can be discussed about them, namely possibilities on why they act the way they do. We Helga fans know her very well, and since I already gave so much information about Helga in my shipping essay, I won't be going into so many details about her in this essay. But I will cover some info about her family, episodes that feature all four of them together, offer my opinions on their behaviors, and even talk a little about the abandoned spin-off series The Patakis.
Before I step into the actual essay, I would like to take a moment to dedicate this essay to my buddy Cassandra (NintendoGal55), as today is her birthday and this is my birthday gift to her. And to all my friends and viewers, I hope you all enjoy this new essay of mine that focuses on the Patakis, and happy birthday to you, Cass!
Robert "Big Bob" Pataki
The head of the Pataki family is Robert, or Bob, though he is better known by his nickname "Big Bob," and is usually called by the initial "B" by Miriam. As the "Beeper King," Bob sells pagers and cell phones through his beeper store called Big Bob's Beepers, though he also may have another small business selling high-tech camping equipment, as seen in "Roughin' It." Bob's business seems to be majorly his creation (since his name is in the store's name) and is his main source of income. Since the Pataki household seems fairly large and well-established, it points out that the store is reasonably productive, due to the beeper's then relatively high price. Bob is the sole manager and head of the business and the only person who seemingly has any association within the store's management is his associate Nick Vermicelli.
Bob is a very competitive man and often takes his competitiveness too far, serving as an antagonist to Arnold and his family on several occasions (especially when he called Arnold an "orphan boy" in "Parents Day"), and during competitions, he makes angry and rude remarks towards his competitors. He is constantly shown to be a very self-centered and selfish man, with his major passions being his store, making money from selling beepers, and his image as the "Beeper King." He is always thinking about more ways to increase and promote his store, and by doing so, he shows very little concern as to what it may do for other people. In "Save the Tree," Bob tries to expand his store on the property that holds Mighty Pete, which is the main hangout for the kids. In the end, he decides to leave the tree alone, but decides to use the vacant lot instead (which is the location of Gerald Field). In Hey Arnold!: The Movie, Bob works with Nick to have a store called Big Bob's Super Beeper Emporium built in Scheck's mall. While Helga points out that people are going to suffer if he builds his store, Bob argues that if they leave the neighborhood alone, his store won't exist. He also insists that change is good (like Scheck constantly says during the movie) and tells Helga that when his store is built, Bob will become so successful that their family will be rich and be able to buy anything. But later, as Phil and the boarders attempt to stop the bulldozers from tearing down the neighborhood, Bob decides to help because Nick had double-crossed him. Also, in "Big Bob's Crisis," Bob suffers a gas attack and has an epiphany about his personality, truly realizing what kind of person he is and has been. He attempts to make up for his behavior, change his ways, and decides to let go of all of his material things.
A large man, Bob looks like he was muscular at one point, but has let himself go and started becoming overweight. He has the same eyes, ears, nose, and unibrow as Helga. Several episodes have shown that his favorite show is The Wheel, a show that is possibly similar to Wheel of Fortune. Bob drives a blue Lincoln Continental and also owns an olive drab Hummer. With his short temper and boorish behavior, Bob has been described as a loud and overbearing blowhard by Helga, and it is evident that she has picked up her aggressive and loud behavior from him. Bob can also sometimes be very thick-headed, such as when he ran through poison ivy in "Roughin' It." His catchphrases are "hey-hey-hey-hey-hey" and "criminy," and both have been picked up by Helga (with "criminy" being her main catchword).
Miriam Pataki
Bob's wife Miriam is a housewife who is indirectly portrayed as an alcoholic: she speaks in a slow and slurred voice, often looks very depressed, bored, and tired, struggles to stay awake (and frequently sleeps on the couch or on the living room table), and is almost always seen drinking smoothies and coffee. Episodes such as "Summer Love" and "Big Bob's Crisis" show that she seems to have an emotional attachment to her blender. "Helga and the Nanny" mentions her doing a "community service job" at an animal shelter, indicating she has committed some sort of offense. "Road Trip" shows that Miriam is a horrible driver and "The Beeper Queen" reveals that she had her driver's license revoked, possibly for drunk driving, although it is unclear if it ties in with the community service job she was sentenced.
Despite her alcoholism, multiple episodes suggest that Miriam truly is not who she appears to be. In "Road Trip," Miriam wins a mechanical bull riding contest and reveals to Helga that she used to be a rodeo queen, and in "Olga Gets Engaged," she tells Olga's intended that she was once an Olympic class swimmer. The majority of Miriam's abilities are shown in "The Beeper Queen," where she fills in for Bob at the Beeper Emporium. After he injures his back, Miriam offers to go in his place for a meeting, but because of her usual role as an absent-minded housewife, her offer is met with much disbelief and sarcasm from Bob and Helga. Though initially hesitant following her first few successes at the Beeper Emporium, she quickly becomes confident and takes on a businesswoman's approach to things, and even changes her usual house dress and bland hairdo for a proper business suit and bun. Miriam becomes sharper and more attentive (including with her driving), seems to stop drinking, and becomes genuinely interested in Helga's life. (After her first major day at work, she even admits to Helga that "I haven't been this happy in years.") They spend large amounts of quality time together, with Miriam preparing healthy lunches for Helga, dropping her off for school on time, helping Helga with her homework, and generally making great improvements at home. Everything that Miriam does in this episode indicates that her unemployment and Bob's aggressive and overbearing personality are the cause of her alcoholism and inattentiveness.
Bob and Miriam do not seem to exhibit any love interest towards each other. Their marriage is extremely dysfunctional, with their lack of communication, Miriam's alcoholism, and Bob's blowhard ways. It is unknown if Miriam and Bob's relationship was ever lively, but it is hinted that Miriam gave up her life to marry Bob because she thought he was a great guy and wanted to be with him, but she was proven wrong in the long run. This is referred to in "Olga Gets Engaged," when she mentions that she dropped out of college to get married, and earlier in the same episode, when she also advises Olga not to make the same marital mistake she made.
Olga Pataki
Olga is the first child and oldest daughter of Bob and Miriam. A straight-A student at Bennington College (Wellington College in "Olga Comes Home"), she is the apple of her parents' eyes because she is a prodigy and obviously perfect in every way. Olga is a pretty girl who is very popular in school and with boys, an intelligent student, and a gifted pianist. "Olga Comes Home" reveals that she hasn't received an A- since third grade, and in the same episode, Ms. Slovak brags about how Olga was the best student she ever had. Olga had a gift for spelling from an early age and has won every citywide spelling bee ("Spelling Bee," "Helga on the Couch"), and she is able to play the Minute Waltz in exactly one minute ("Helga on the Couch"). Olga's trophies and other awards are so great in number that they completely fill up the Patakis' living room as proof of her accomplishments. She seems to take after Miriam a lot since she is a very bright young woman, but is willing to quit school and give up her life to marry a man she has only known for three weeks ("Olga Gets Engaged").
Helga Pataki
The one member of the Pataki family that fans know best and love is Helga, the second and youngest daughter of Bob and Miriam and younger sister to Olga. Helga's dysfunctional home life is heavily suggested as being the main cause of her antisocial behavior.
Bob is the one Pataki who hardly ever notices Helga's existence, and she frequently refers to him as "Bob" or "Big Bob," indicating that she does not really see him as her father. Bob generally does not get involved in her life unless it benefits himself, such as when she approached him to sponsor her class float in "Runaway Float" (to promote his store) or when it involves a competition, such as the Parents Tournament Weekend in "Parents Day" and when he bribed Helga with $20 to caddy for him in "Grudge Match." Besides for times when it serves his own competitive behavior, Bob will only pay attention to Helga by pushing her to become a copy of Olga. In "Spelling Bee," Helga becomes a contestant in the citywide spelling bee, and Bob pushes her to win the trophy and says that belongs to all of the Patakis, as Olga has won every past spelling bee in the city (and this obviously shows the pride he has in his family name). In "Phoebe Takes the Fall," Helga learns that Olga didn't win a past citywide academic quiz competition. Seeing an opportunity to impress her father, she forces Phoebe to overthrow the one at school so she can enter the current citywide one and win (though she forfeits it in the end). Because he has almost no regard for Helga, Bob often absent-mindedly calls her "Olga" rather than her real name. Other times, he calls her "little lady" or "the girl," which seems to show that he has more disregard towards her, as if she has no significance in his life as his daughter (since he doesn't call her any name). Bob also disregards Helga by forgetting her true age, usually assuming she is two to three years younger than her real age of nine. Despite all of this, Bob has come through for Helga on a few occasions. In "Quantity Time," he notices how miserable she looks in some family pictures and buys her tickets for Rats (even though Helga actually wanted to see a wrestling match), and they even manage to bond over it. In "Arnold's Thanksgiving," the family becomes concerned when Helga goes missing, and when she finally comes home, Bob admits that they were worried sick about her and are thankful that she is their daughter. In "Big Bob's Crisis," he completely changes his image, but goes back to his old self after Helga tells him that she loves him for who he is, despite his flaws (and in the end, he even thinks carefully to make sure he calls her "Helga" rather than "Olga" when he addresses her by name).
Although she is not exactly like Bob with the neglect, Miriam does not pay much attention to Helga, either, and hardly ever spends time with her. She is clearly very depressed because she is held back by her marriage and is bored since she all she does is stay home and not work. So she appears to look out for herself only, and seems to be unable or even unwilling to take care of Helga. Like she does with Bob, Helga also sometimes calls Miriam by her first name and relates poorly to her. Helga is also resentful to her mother because Miriam frequently forgets to make her lunch or actually give her eatable items. But like with Bob, Miriam has also come through for Helga a few times. "Arnold's Christmas" shows that Miriam got the Nancy Spumoni snow boots Helga wanted, after standing in line for eighteen hours to get them. "Road Trip" shows the misadventures they encounter together, and Helga tells Miriam how much of a lousy mother she is after they get lost with a busted car and no money. But Helga is impressed after Miriam wins money in a bull riding contest and seems to become more interested in her. (Before all the mishaps, when Helga tells her mom that she's not a little girl anymore, Miriam says, "You're still my little girl, Helga.") "The Beeper Queen" shows that when Miriam begins working at the Beeper Emporium, she and Helga start spending a lot of time together, but she later becomes more wrapped up in her work and neglects Helga once again. Helga helps Miriam realize what she has done, so Miriam decides to come back home, saying that "I've only got right now to be a better mom, and that is what I'm going to do." Unlike Bob, Miriam does address Helga by her name more, and even with the occasional "honey" or "sweetie," although it does not make Helga show more affection to Miriam than to Bob.
While Olga notices Helga more than their parents do whenever she visits, the sisters do not relate to each other very well, causing great conflict and resentment between them (although much of the resentment is exerted by Helga, for Olga doesn't seem to resent Helga at all). Helga is overshadowed by Olga because Olga is everything Helga isn't, particularly with her many awards and achievements and her good looks. Helga is very jealous of Olga's "perfect image" and the excessive attention she receives from their parents. Olga is kind to Helga and tries to be affectionate with her by calling her "baby sister." But Helga does not return her kindness because she feels it is insincere, as Olga does not pay attention or listen to Helga's more serious concerns about their family and relationship. Olga looks down on Helga and refuses to address and discuss the problems in their family. The only time she ever makes any mention of them at all is in "Olga Comes Home," where she admits to Helga that she does feel pressured by their parents and is tired of having to always perform for them "like some kind of wind-up doll."
All in the Family
There are only seven episodes in which all four of the Patakis appear together, where "Olga Comes Home" was the first and "Big Bob's Crisis" was the last. The majority of them show how much Olga is an effective presence in the household (and she still is even when she's not home). Whenever she visits, Olga shines through with her achievements, making Bob only care about what she wants and needs, while Miriam is front and center for Olga only. As for poor Helga, she is left in the dust and neglected even more by her parents, although Olga doesn't actually neglect Helga in the way their parents do. But some of these episodes have shown her family coming through for Helga, especially "Arnold's Thanksgiving." It helps to show us that on some level, Helga does love her family and they love her, too, even if they don't always show it.
"Olga Comes Home" – At school, Helga is dismayed when Ms. Slovak goes on about how Olga was the best student she ever had, and eagerly asks Helga if she will ask Olga to visit P.S. 118 while Olga is home for her spring break visit. At home, Bob and Miriam are excited for Olga's visit, while Helga couldn't care less. From the moment she comes home, Miriam and Bob turn all their attention to Olga, who only makes them more proud of her by telling them about her grades and playing the piano for them. When her grades come, Helga, out of jealousy, changes one of her A's to a B+. This sends Olga into a crying fit and she spends several days in her room, lying in her bed and crying while listening to dramatic music. Helga is pleased to have brought her down, and even tells Arnold what she did. But soon Helga becomes angrier when Bob and Miriam become depressed and less active, since they are too worried about Olga. Finally, after she has a dream in which Arnold (as an angel) tells her to "do the right thing," Helga confesses to Olga the truth about what she did. But Olga decides not to tell their parents, saying that "they don't have to know everything that goes on between us." She also tells Helga that she (Olga) gets really sick of how she has to always perform for their parents whenever she visits, and that Helga's lucky that they don't notice her. After they make up, Olga suggests to Helga that they spend time together the next day, and Helga accepts.
"Olga Gets Engaged" – At school, the girls tell Helga how much they like her sister, putting Helga down as usual. At home, Olga visits again and tells her parents them she has met a boy only a few weeks previously and has decided to drop out of school to marry him. This leaves Bob and Miriam in dismay, but Helga is glad because of how this new turn of events makes Miriam and Bob disappointed in Olga for a change. When they meet Olga's fiancé Doug LeSham, they initially disapprove of him, and Helga suggests to Olga that she and Doug should elope. Before they can, Doug soon manages to win Bob and Miriam over, though Helga is clearly convinced that he is a con man and a cheater. At first, she is happy about this more because Olga's life will be miserable if she marries Doug. But after getting some advice from Arnold, she has a change of heart, and reveals to Doug that she knows he is a fraud. In the end, he leaves and Helga writes a note in his name, saying why he left, which breaks Olga's heart and she cries hysterically, much to the irritation of Helga.
"Arnold's Thanksgiving" – Helga is having a rotten holiday, as she does every year, because Miriam overcooks the food, Bob watches football and burps constantly after eating breakfast burritos, and Olga continues to maintain a cheerful disposition when she burdens Helga with the task of preparing the food. It gets worse for her when Bob says that she also has to unwrap his new packaged beepers, and Miriam says the table's centerpiece will be Olga's sculpted turkey rather than Helga's little pinecone. When they finally sit down to eat, they all say what they're thankful for, and Olga acknowledges Helga after Bob skips her. Helga refuses to cooperate and states that she is not thankful for anything, so Bob sends her to her room. Out of anger and frustration, Helga goes out and meets up with Arnold, whose holiday also isn't going well. They visit Mr. Simmons, but see his Thanksgiving isn't going too well, either, which makes Arnold and Helga realize that their families aren't so bad after all. Arnold walks Helga home, and just as she steps in the door, her family is all in a panic since she is not home and are preparing to go out and find her. But as soon as they see Helga, they admit that they were concerned about her and are happy that she is home. They all sit down to eat, and Helga's face brightens when Miriam places her pinecone in the center of the table.
"Student Teacher" – At the airport, Helga and her parents wait for Olga's plane, and Helga laments to herself about how bad it is going to be with Olga visiting during her spring break, as it's the same routine every year (her being neglected while Olga gets all the attention from Bob and Miriam). As soon as she steps off the plane, Olga embraces Bob and Miriam, then greets Helga with a kiss (much to Helga's disgust). On the car ride home, Olga tells Helga that she has missed her while she was away, and after learning about sibling relationships in her psychology class, she wants to spend more time with Helga and get to know her. Olga knows that she and Helga have never been very close and wants to change all of that. Helga is horrified, but becomes even more so when Olga becomes the new student teacher in her class! She tells Olga she thinks some boundaries should be set up between them, though Olga says she would never do anything to embarrass Helga, and just wants to get closer to her. It isn't long before Olga goes back on what she said (although she may not have realized she was doing it) by telling the class that Helga used to wet the bed and giving her detention before she pounds Harold (who provoked her by calling her a bed-wetter, and when Helga tries to say Harold started it, Olga refuses to listen to her), and Helga becomes even more furious when Arnold comes over to be tutored by Olga. She decides to play pranks to try and drive Olga away, but they all backfire. She admits to Arnold that she has tried to talk with Olga, but Olga keeps saying how wonderful and perfect everything is to listen to Helga, so Arnold says that if she wants to get through to Olga, she has to force her to listen and she will if she really cares about Helga like she says she does. Helga tells Olga that everything is not working out between them, which sends Olga into yet another crying fit. But Helga says that if Olga goes away to Alaska to teach Inuit students (which she had originally planned to do), it will make them even closer since they will be further away from each other. The final scene shows the sisters writing letters to each other, and Helga even replaces "From Helga" with "Love, Helga" after she looks at a picture of Olga living in Alaska.
"Helga on the Couch" – Bob gets mad when Helga is recommended for therapy and complains that none of this would have ever happened with Olga, to which Miriam concurs. Olga is only seen in flashbacks in this episode, but both times show how she was always the center of attention, even when Helga was a little girl. On Helga's first day of preschool, Bob and Miriam were fawning over Olga as she played the piano for them. Miriam comments how she was a concert pianist and class valedictorian at only fifteen, and Bob gestures to the trophies she has won from every citywide spelling bee. Because they don't take any notice of Helga, she is forced to go to preschool by herself without a coat or umbrella to shield her from the rain. In the other flashback, which is in the present and is played out like the other flashback, Olga comes to visit from Alaska and serves coffee she made while telling Bob and Miriam stories about Alaska. Helga is forced to pack her own lunch and walk to school alone and in the snow without her coat because Miriam forgot to pick it up. None of them notice Helga as she exits from the kitchen and announces she's leaving before she walks out of the door.
"Big Sis" – Helga angrily laments on the bus about Olga's upcoming two-week visit. She gets home before Olga does, and Bob and Miriam are at the door and cheer when she steps in, though they are immediately disappointed when they see it's Helga. Then Helga gets pushed by the door when Olga suddenly appears there. She embraces her parents, but then asks where Helga is, who is standing behind the door and pushes it away. Olga greets Helga with a hug and kiss (again, disgusting Helga). Then she tells all three of them that she joined a sibling's program to act as an older sibling to an only child. Helga is initially thrilled that she won't have to spend any time with Olga, but is soon horrified to see that Olga's new "little sis" is Lila! At dinner, Helga's face is obscured by the orchids Lila brought for Olga, shutting her out even more (and even Bob gestures to Lila that "the girl could use some nice little friends like you," while Helga's face is still hidden). Though she denies it, it is clear that Helga is jealous that Olga is spending time with Lila, and tries to break them up with pranks (similar to what she did in "Student Teacher"). But when Arnold catches her in the act, she again denies that she is jealous. Finally, Helga confesses the truth to Olga, who assures her that she will always love Helga, and that the bond that they share as real sisters can never be broken. Helga decides to come night sailing with them, but she instantly regrets it when she is forced to row their boat. As Olga and Lila sing "Moonlight Bay," Helga sneaks off the boat and swims back to shore. It's only shortly after she and Lila stop singing that Olga finally realizes that Helga is gone.
"Big Bob's Crisis" – After collapsing in a restaurant following a gas attack, Bob realizes how much of a jerk he has been in the past, and decides he and his family must give up their material possessions and live in the wild in Oregon. Helga is concerned immediately following Bob's major personality changes, but Miriam and Olga (who had come home after hearing what happened to Bob) say it's nothing serious. When they finally realize how serious it is, they try to talk to Bob, only to have him to brainwash both of them and they agree to do what he wants to do. Helga tries to do all she can to bring Bob back, but nothing works. After some inspiration from Arnold, Helga finally gets through to Bob when she tells him at the Beeper Emporium about how he made his Empire all himself, and that even though he is a jerk and blowhard, she still loves him for that. When he gets their household items back, he admits that he changed his mind about moving, much to Helga's joy and Olga and Miriam's (initial) dismay. But he has decided to keep some of his changes, and he even addresses Helga by her name by thinking carefully first and not absent-mindedly calling her Olga.
My Thoughts on the Family
Because Olga is the stellar child in the household, the Patakis act very different when she is not home as opposed to when she is home. On most occasions, Bobs acts very self-centered and watches a lot of TV, and Miriam spends most of her time making smoothies and sleeping. They barely acknowledge or spend time with each other as well as Helga, who spends a lot of time alone and caring for herself. Though they both still act the same when Olga visits, they are more attentive to her, especially when she first comes home. When she does, Miriam and Bob both spend a lot of time with her and pay almost no attention to Helga, acting as if she doesn't exist (Bob does more so than Miriam).
When it comes to Bob, almost no details have ever been revealed about his past, though it is likely that he picked up his temper from his own father, as most people pick up behaviors from one or both of their parents. After Helga gets recommended for therapy in "Helga on the Couch," he complains that "we didn't have therapy when I was a kid." Then he harshly tells Helga: "I don't want you blabbin' to some school shrink. We Patakis don't talk about things. We sweep 'em under the rug." and "Whatever you do, don't blab anything or they'll give us all a one-way ticket to the funny farm." The last two quotes tell us that Bob does know he has a temper and is a jerk, but he is not willing to admit it to anyone (especially to someone who works in therapy) or get help or accept it from anyone. Bob is also says that "This never would have happened to Olga," which suggests that he wants to pretend that they are a perfect family and keep their problems quiet. Bob is a perfectionist and particularly expects perfect performances from his daughters at all times, but he shows Olga a lot of love and attention because she is very talented with her music, trophies, and grades, thus fulfilling his wish. As a plus note, Bob obviously takes pride in his family name because he has a daughter who is such a perfectionist in everything, and it makes him so proud that he enjoys bragging about it and rubbing it in other people's faces. The quote above also hints that, besides her achievements, Olga makes them a perfect family because she puts on a cheerful face and always does what her parents tell her, and has never given them any trouble (and still doesn't). On the other hand, Helga is very rebellious and usually causes trouble for her parents, which is why Bob gets mad about her being recommended for therapy. So when it comes to his relationship with his youngest daughter, Bob clearly expects Helga to be exactly like Olga so that she would also be a perfect daughter to him and Miriam, and still make them be a perfect family, but since she doesn't, it's another part of why he disregards her.
Besides Helga, Miriam is the other Pataki that really interests me since she can be very different from her usual role as an absent-minded housewife. While we know she is an alcoholic, it's never stated exactly what type of alcohol Miriam drinks (especially since her alcoholism is more implied since the series is aimed at children), but my best guess is vodka. Vodka is clear and colorless, and I think she puts it in her smoothies so that it's hidden and no one really suspects that she drinks it. In "The Beeper Queen," Miriam searches for her Tabasco sauce, which combines with vodka and tomato juice to make cocktails, suggesting that she also may drink those now and then. (However, "Arnold's Hat" shows that she puts Tabasco in her smoothies, and one kind called peppy papaya mango includes that as an ingredient.) Miriam obviously turns to alcohol as a comfort because she is depressed and feels trapped with her life. She is bored and constantly mopes around the house because she doesn't have a job. But in "The Beeper Queen," she becomes much sharper and more focused because she's actually doing something and making herself useful. Once she gets confident, she really enjoys doing her work, and like I said earlier, she admits that "I haven't been this happy in years." Her relationship with Bob is the other cause of Miriam's alcoholism. Bob is just so overbearing that Miriam has lost the will to assert herself and that she's afraid of what might happen if she stood up to him. She thought that Bob was a great guy that she gave up school and all of her own achievements to be with him, but she was eventually proven wrong about him and clearly regrets marrying him. I think Miriam wants to leave him and would do so if she could, but she doesn't have a job and no money to support herself and no longer has the strength to stand up to him. Therefore, she is still married to him because she is literally unable to leave him, which makes her more depressed and feeling trapped in her marriage.
When it comes to her relationships with her daughters, Miriam shows Olga so much more attention than she does to Helga because (in my opinion) she sees a lot of herself in Olga. It has been shown that she truly is a very smart and dedicated woman, and was very talented when she was younger (strongly suggesting that Olga takes after her with her intelligence and capabilities), but getting married destroyed her because Bob puts her down so much and she is not making any real use of herself, only to take care of him and their daughters. So Miriam is proud of Olga because Olga is a lot like her in that sense, and Olga is even doing just what she (Miriam) didn't finish. She wants Olga to finish school and not make any of the same mistakes she made in her past. (And like most parents, who wouldn't be proud of having such a talented and brilliant child?) I think that she's not generally as bad as Bob in terms of neglecting Helga, but she's apparently a little more concerned about herself. She's always front and center when Olga's home because she's proud of her for her accomplishments, and it's as if she feels that Olga's visits are her only motive to be her true self. But when Olga is away, nothing exciting happens or gives her a chance to be very useful. Since Helga doesn't give her family excitement with her schoolwork and other things, it's another part of why Miriam doesn't pay attention to her younger daughter.
The fact that Olga and Helga have very opposing natures is why they don't relate well. Helga is a pessimist, but also realistic because she knows that there are problems in the family and wants to address them to try and make them better. But Olga is just the opposite: very optimistic and bubbly, acting as if everything is just so wonderful in their family, and as if nothing is wrong at all. I think Helga does want a sister to talk to about the problems at home and find a way to cope with them, but Olga won't come down to reality and just pretends the problems don't exist and refuses to address and discuss them with Helga. As such, she is not the big sister that Helga wants and needs. Helga even said in "Student Teacher" that she feels that Olga only thinks about herself and has never shown to really care about her, which is why they don't get along. While Olga doesn't neglect Helga, I think she does ignore her in that way because Helga is almost her antithesis: a huge bundle of problems. She doesn't seem to understand Helga's problems and concerns and thinks they are just childish things, nothing big or important at all (as said by my friend Jose a.k.a. acosta perez jose ramiro). Nor does she even seem to notice that all the attention she receives from Miriam and Bob is taken away from Helga completely. It's like she's too blinded by the good she receives in that attention that she doesn't want to focus on anything bad. If Olga actually did pay attention and genuinely listen to Helga, then things may not be so bad between them and for Helga herself; however, that's just not the case. In "Big Sis," Olga bonds and gets along so well with Lila in the fact that they are much more similar in personality, particularly with their outlooks on life: overly optimistic and hiding from the problems in their lives, viewing everything around them as just wonderful and perfect. Olga may have told Helga that "Lila may be my little sis," but I really think that she would prefer Lila over Helga as a sister because of all that, even if she doesn't say so. However, because Olga is still her older sister by blood, Helga does not like having to share Olga since she is Olga's only biological sibling, and it partially explains why she gets so jealous of seeing Lila and Olga spend time together.
I got to thinking further that probably part of why Olga ignores the problems in the family is because Bob and Miriam always gave and still give her nothing but love and extreme positive attention. Her mother's alcoholism and her father's overbearing ways never really took an effect on her upbringing (at least maybe not too much), so it's like she thinks, "Why should I let it bother me? I was always perfect and the apple of my parents' eyes." I even noticed how Olga obviously ignores her family's problems in "Student Teacher," when on the car ride home, she cheerfully kept talking about herself and her achievements while her parents weren't paying attention and looked bored and annoyed. I'm just saying that it seems Olga always got so much positive attention from Miriam and Bob that she wants to pretend everything is well in the family. She didn't have to face ignorance and neglect from them like Helga does, which is why Helga is much more bitter and angry. However, "Olga Comes Home" shows that she does get stressed at having to always be perfect. I mean, it's probably not so hard for her to do since she's a prodigy and naturally perfect in every way and everything, but Bob wants it from her since he expects perfection and Miriam wants it because Olga is doing everything she did and/or didn't finish. I also thought Olga's reaction to the grade change in that episode was really was childish and immature. Some people might say she's more emotional than Helga, but I think she overplays her emotions and acts very childish about them, crying hysterically about the stupidest, pettiest things (also seen in "Olga Gets Engaged," "Student Teacher," and "Big Bob's Crisis").
Moving on away from the parents and sister and onto Helga, no one can say exactly what went on in the Pataki household before Helga was born. But it seems that Miriam and Bob were happy enough together because they had a prodigy for a daughter, and at the same time, they still had problems with each other. My friend Robert (Pyrex Shards) actually wrote a story called "The Argument," which showed what the Patakis' lives might have been like before Helga was born. In it, Bob and Miriam have an argument after discovering that Miriam is pregnant again (which is obviously Helga), and that they can't afford to have another baby now. Olga overhears and is thrilled to become a sister, but while Miriam wants the baby, Bob doesn't and wants to have it aborted. In the end, Olga destroys her violin so that they will be able to have the money to support the baby, showing that she saved Helga's life.
As I said before in my shipping essay, it has been implied that Helga was an unplanned (and even an unwanted) baby because of the twelve-year difference between her and Olga, along with the fact that her constantly parents ignore and neglect her, as if they didn't even want her. Additionally, Bob and Miriam don't strike me as parents who would "wait" twelve years for another kid. Like in the story, I think it's very possible that Bob and Miriam had an argument after discovering she was pregnant, and maybe Miriam wanted the baby, but Bob didn't, while Olga wanted to be a sister. Robert even suggested that they feel guilty over the thought of aborting her and they can't bring themselves to address it, so they ignore the thought, and as a consequence, they ignore Helga. So Miriam wanted and gave birth to her because couldn't bring herself to kill her, but she ignores her particularly (besides her problems with her marriage) because it brings back painful memories to when she was pregnant with Helga and she and Bob argued about what to do with her. And as for Bob, he ignores her because she doesn't give him perfection like Olga does, and because he already didn't want her, though he also probably tries to ignore the fact that he wanted Miriam to abort her and didn't do it. Robert also believes that they both probably feel equally guilty about the situation, but handle it differently. As for Olga, the fact that she and Helga are siblings makes the relationship a little different than the ones they have with their parents. She is nicer to her more than Bob or Miriam is because she wanted to be a big sister. But again, Helga is seen as a "black sheep" in her family since she has a lot of flaws and does not make her family perfect. If you've read my essay on "Helga on the Couch," I talked about the one flashback with Olga, which starts with black-and-white film and has applause-and-laugh tracks, making it a parody of the "picture perfect family" shows of the 1950s and 60s, and then when Helga walks into the room, the color returns. The joke and irony there is that the Patakis aren't a picture perfect family, though sadly, they might be if Helga didn't exist.
More information is known about Helga than any other member of her family, and because she is frequently ignored and unnoticed by them at home, it is the reason why she is so lonely. She is also lonely at school because she was teased as a preschooler when her classmates saw her exhibiting signs of having a crush. An interesting trait about Helga is that she is very intelligent and gets good grades (most of the time), but she underplays herself because she has no confidence in her abilities. She knows that she can't live up to everything Olga has done, and their parents expect her to be exactly like Olga and do what she has done, and since she is unable to do that, she is a disappointment to them, which is another explanation as to why they ignore her. To me, part of why Helga holds back is because she wants to be smart for herself and not come off of Olga and be exactly like her. She feels that everyone will turn away from her and neither respect nor accept her for her own self, and will just encourage her to live up to her sister. If Bob and Miriam saw just how bright Helga is, they would only encourage to become a clone of Olga, and not really care about Helga's own abilities in that way. Besides her parents, the kids and teachers at P.S. 118 obviously expect Helga to follow in Olga's shadow, as Olga is as much a legend at P.S. 118 as she is at home. In "Olga Comes Home," Ms. Slovak practically begs Helga to ask Olga to visit the school and brags about how Olga was the best student she ever had, and in "Olga Gets Engaged," all of the girls in the class tell Helga how great and pretty Olga is, as if they expect Helga to be just like her older sister. So while it's sad to say, Helga obviously has it bad at home and school, largely because of Olga. Helga is like an ugly duckling compared to the graceful swan that Olga is. (As an interesting side note, Helga reminds me very much of Matilda, in the fact that she is very bright, but is misunderstood by her family and is very often shut out by them. However, Helga also has it pretty bad at school, and Matilda only has it bad there because of her principal. The other major difference between them is Matilda always acts kind to other people, despite her home life, while Helga hides her kindness from others and constantly shows her anger and bitterness.)
After The Jungle Movie
Arnold and Helga were supposed to get together in the end of The Jungle Movie and date afterwards, and it would have been interesting to see what would happen with them after the film in regards to their new relationship and how their families would feel. For Helga's family, Bob would very much object at first, not only because he thinks Helga would ruin the Pataki name by dating at a young age, but because she loves "an orphan boy with a weird-shaped head." He would not initially approve of Arnold because he is not from a rich or well-connected family and lives in a boarding house with "his ancestors" and "weird boarders" (if that's what he would call them). Miriam and Olga would probably be a little more open about it, especially since Arnold would admit to them how much he cares for Helga and wants to make her happy. They would all see how much of a good thing he is for Helga, and with Miriam and Olga growing to love him, Bob would accept him and be impressed by him. (I even think it would start by being very annoying to him because he couldn't find a good enough reason to dislike Arnold.)
And even when they would start going together, it will be even better for Helga, because she would have someone else besides Dr. Bliss to tell about her family problems. Arnold would do just what he does with others, but even better with Helga: he would listen to her, hold her hand, comfort her, and offer her advice. He would assure her that her family does love her in their own way, but need to show it and love her like they love Olga. Arnold's encouragements would help Helga stand up for herself and try to mend things between her and her family. Not that they have to be 100% better, but just enough so that Helga will be happier as she gets older.
The Patakis (The Spin-off Series) and Beyond
The Patakis are one of the most dysfunctional and complicated families on TV, animated or otherwise, so much that Craig Bartlett planned to make a spin-off series about them called The Patakis. Its premise was to focus on Helga in her teenaged years, along with her family and classmates. Most of the kids from Hey Arnold! would appear in the spin-off except Arnold, because he has moved away, thus making Helga the star of the series. Unfortunately, the series never saw the light of day because Nickelodeon thought it was "too dark" for a Nicktoon, and MTV turned it down because they thought it was too similar to their low-rated program Daria. Some information about The Patakis has been revealed through Bartlett's chats and interviews.
In the spin-off, Helga is fifteen years old and still crazy about Arnold. After The Jungle Movie, they became a couple, but later broke up (it is unclear when and why they did). Helga writes a letter to him every night, mails them, but then takes them out of the mail, and puts them in binders, which she keeps very organized like her shrines. A budding author, she keeps her pigtails and unibrow, has become taller and skinnier, and is developing breasts. She also keeps her pink bow, but hides it under a blue cap (her own, not Arnold's). Helga continues to have therapy sessions with Dr. Bliss, her psychologist from "Helga on the Couch." Bartlett had an idea for an episode where Helga runs away to find Arnold.
As for the rest of her family, Olga has moved back home from Bennington (still keeping straight A's as usual!) and is pursuing an acting career. She is always auditioning for plays off-off-off-off-off Broadway. The Patakis pilot involves Olga losing favor with her parents after she reveals to them that she has decided to become an actress. Bob continues to run his successful beeper empire, and looks and acts a lot like Tony Soprano. Miriam attends AA meetings and works at a TV station.
Although there was not much more plot information revealed about the spin-off, it was revealed that a few years would have passed between Hey Arnold! and The Patakis. Arnold and Helga once dated, but broke up before the spin-off would have begun, and it is unknown when and why they broke up. Fans have speculated that Arnold has moved to live with his parents in San Lorenzo, but Bartlett did not confirm details of his whereabouts. He had Arnold taken out of the picture for this series because it was clearly meant to have Helga be the star and not the costar. Like I said in my shipping essay, because Hey Arnold! ended prematurely, then the second film and this spin-off were canceled, it left a lot of fans deserted, and it especially upset fans of ArnoldxHelga, wondering if all of this is canon or not. But like I have also said many times, Bartlett himself clearly said that Arnold and Helga are meant for each together and will end up together in the end, and The Patakis was meant to give Helga her own time to be in the spotlight. In my shipping essay, I included a line from one of Bartlett's chats about the series, and here it is again so we can be clear on it:
"A lot of stuff happens before The Patakis starts between Arnold and Helga. They are meant for each other, you know, duh (I mean doi). They will get together, but I want Helga to have her own show in the meantime, ya know? Arnold is Arnold and how could it be The Patakis unless he's out of the way for a while."
I think The Patakis can still be considered canon because Bartlett had the idea and wanted to do it. The Jungle Movie was meant to be the end to Hey Arnold!, but The Patakis would have been an interesting continuation with Helga, because she is a very complex person with a dysfunctional but interesting family, and exploring so much on all of them would have helped fans and viewers learn even more about them than what we already knew in Hey Arnold! It would have also been interesting to see what Helga and the rest of the other kids would be like as teens, and how Helga would act in regards to loving Arnold since she is older and more mature than she used to be. In all, what was meant to happen before the spin-off may be a mystery to fans, but I think it would have ended on a happy note, possibly with Arnold and Helga reuniting for good. Cass has written a few stories within the timeline of the spin-off. "Departure" is a story that acts as a prequel, leading to Arnold and Helga's break up and Arnold's move. She is currently writing a sequel called "South of the Continent," which occurs during The Patakis and Helga is planning to go to San Lorenzo to see Arnold. She has also written a separate story called "The Patakis: Last Minutes," which includes the possibility on how the series may have ended if Helga had not succeeded in finding Arnold, but they still reunite in the end. Our mutual friend SuprSingr has also written a few stories that fit in with the timeline, including "Ten Years" and "The Return of the Football Head."
Once Arnold and Helga grow up and finally get together again, not to mention get married, Helga would become even happier since she would finally have the man of her dreams and they would be together forever. While I can't say for sure about her parents and sister, I do think she would continue to make amends with them as she grows up and they would gradually improve over time. Arnold would continue to help her with that so that she can be on good terms with them for the remainder of their lives. Additionally, when Arnold and Helga have their own family, I definitely think Helga would realize the mistakes her parents made in raising her, and she would make sure she didn't do the same to her own children with Arnold. In all, Helga is the coolest of the Patakis and she will grow up to be a wonderful person, even with any and all flaws that remain from her childhood.
Conclusion
So in conclusion, this is all I wanted to share on the Patakis. I feel that sharing the facts and my own opinions has helped me to learn more about them, and it's like how I felt when I wrote my essay on Arnold and Helga. I feel that I have learned so much more about Hey Arnold! since my rediscovery in September 2009, more than what I knew about it as a kid. This was another enjoyable essay to write and I hope it was enjoyable for you to read.
Thank you all once again, have a nice day, and have an awesome birthday, Cass! Hope you liked this as your present! :D