Helga G. Pataki must be the most complex character in a slice of life setting that I've seen. The way her character is written a stroke of genius because whatever kind of personality change the writer would give her it would still make sense. Also, she is the most relatable especially in the part where she find it absolutely horrendous that people will find out that she like-like someone. Even gong extreme lengths to absolutely diminish that idea by bullying her crush relentlessly
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Helga's is a sensitive, creative and caring person that hide within a tough as nails, bully type persona to protect herself from being hurt due to her difficult upbringing. Barely being noticed even as a child due to her parents attention constantly directed only to her big perfect sister, Olga. She grew up in a dysfunctional family where every member is pretty messed up.
Big Bob Pataki, the man of the house, a brute and aggressive man whose dreams and ambitions consumed him to the point that he lost interest for his own family. I have yet to find a fanfiction where he is not portrayed as a complete asshole because he really is not. There some episodes wherein he tried to actually bond with Helga and there is one episode (Halloween Special) where he embraced her and Helga's shocked face from this rare affectionate contact tugged at my heart.
Miriam, her alcoholic mother, a housewife and according to Craig Barett himself she's an "unfulfilled potential personified". She could have done anything but I'm still unsure why. It maybe because Bob is holding her back or she truly loves Bob and wanted to portray the wife he envisions. I don't know I'm just sure that they are all really messed up. They had their eldest daughter, Olga, at a pretty young age. I think Miriam got pregnant unexpectedly and all her plans and dreams shambled because she kept Olga. I guess they are just too young to start a family of their own and being lost and unsure messed up raising both of their children. Her turning to alcohol for solace just to avoid feeling worthless and unfulfilled. Watching her husband she loved turned into someone she barely knew anymore but still loved all the same.
Olga, the perfect straight A, beautiful, accomplished big sister must be the most fucked up among them being a person who values herself completely and only in her idea of perfection. That one episode here Helga tampered her exams result that her personality did a 180 degree change from being her sickeningly happy, unaware ditzy self to a crying and depressed mess. I remember tearing up watching it, what happened that made her like this. Bob and Miriam solely focused their attention to Olga all her life and Olga must felt the being perfect is her responsibility for whatever the fuck reason. Imagine living your whole life into that pressure! What drove her to think that way? Does she think her existence is a mistake to her parents that's why she tries to make it up to them by being perfect? Did Miriam and Bob used to fight so bad and so much that she realized distracting them with her achievements would keep them from fighting? It is also obvious that she truly love her baby sister but is completely dense of Helga's resentment to her due to their parents favoritism. She also doesn't know how to give her support and love in a healthy way. She just smothers Helga and makes her resent her even more.
This family, even if dysfunctional, is a big potential of a running family gag series. Every cartoon family gag series is all pretty dysfunctional actually. I could call family guy and American dad just as messed up but the series were successful. However, if this series ever come into fruition I wish that its humor will be in line of the likes of Rick and Morty. The dark humor is prominent but still displays vulnerability and layers of personality of their characters and thus there is growth. There will be development and change in everyone that will eventually would knit the Patakis , though still dysfunctional and weird, but tight.
I imagine it to be like this.
As Craig said the series will take place when Helga and the gang are fifteen. All events happened in that one year just like the original series where it all took place only in the fourth grade. Helga is still the same, maybe less angry because the source of her passion, Arnold, is gone. Not depressed, a bit sad maybe but generally just a cranky teenager with still her unibrow and gangly body. Still thinks about Arnold, never send her mails despite writing to him constantly. Just living her life trying to get by awkwardly together with the gang. Phoebe and Gerald still going strong. Them becoming the new trio. Helga and Gerald actually being really good friends with Phoebe's constant teasing of their almost similar names (Geraldine and Gerald). Phoebe and Helga are the ones who actually drags Gerald to cause trouble. Lila would be Helga's feminine side good friend. And Curly, I wish he had more sole episodes in the original series. He's just an easy source of jokes because of his craziness. Harold, Stinky and Sid will be a trio of trouble making with their teenage boyish hormones. Rhonda would have a pretty strained relationship with Helga with friendly yet still spiteful bickering. Nadine and Sheena still pretty much themselves and of course Eugine...whose jinx is not as bad as before (because Arnold is gone).
Helga would still meet with Dr. Bliss but is now a lot more uncooperative. Some new characters like perhaps a girl will be mean to Helga. A usual miss As perfect, student representative would always calling out Helga for sometimes out of nothing because…she actually have a crush on her. Her character is inspired with a song "Miss Perfect". She got attracted to Helga's unapologetic behavior but refuse to acknowledge her feelings because she thought that being gay would tarnish her reputation as a model student and become unfavorable to the family who adopted her.
Maybe some new bullies that will be surprised that Helga can actually fight back. Some weird student-teacher crushes again. School events like setting up stalls at school festivals (if that is a thing in the US as it is here in Asia) and Helga's class will be setting up a horror house. Maybe new characters in the neighborhood because some of the gang would start having part-time jobs.
So in that one year at their 15th going to 16th year existence in this world that all the shenanigans will happen. And just like in the original series a major event will happen in the end that will cause the major changes in Helga's life and her family.
Arnold stopped writing to her.
It messed with Helga's head even if she knew this is exactly what she wanted to happen, that is why she never sent her mails to Arnold. She wanted Arnold to forget about her, move on, because she knew that she couldn't just be friends with him. They're just children, just dated and held hands at eleven and still their relationship has been chaotic. She's just messed up and believes that he deserved better than her. She don't know how to receive and express love, she never experienced it at home. In the original series she even has to keep it a secret whenever she helps anyone.
And now that he has to move away to come with his parents she just knew that they just can not be. She knew she's just damaged and Arnold can't love her as much as she loves him anyway. She let him go and wished him happiness in this new adventure that he'll be facing. She don't want him to think that she's still inlove with him so he would not take pity on her and be nice just because of that reason.
This is exactly what she wanted but when it actually happened the emptiness she felt when he moved away consumed her like a blackhole.
In her hazy mind she thinks, she has to do something.
So in a summer night ,on the edge before junior year,she went way from Hillwood with some cash she saved from odd jobs and went to find him.
She told no one.
Just like that for a month or so she vanished and her family was shaken.
She got stuck in a city where she can barely understand their language. She was lost, don't know where she is. Her phone stolen, cash ran out and she can barely feed herself with the cash she's currently earning from odd jobs around this city. She's unsure of what to do, she don't want to go back to Hillwood. Does anyone really noticed she was gone. Maybe soon they'll find out but would they care. Phoebe would but she'd move on eventually…Gerald is a wonderful boyfriend after all. She don't need her anymore. Maybe it's for the best that she was gone especially for her mom and dad.
It was currently the lowest point of her life. Arnold would not want her anyway.
In a dingy restaurant where she usually take odd jobs, she entered with an empty stomach. On one of the tables under it was a paper bag.
A takeout left behind perhaps.
When she lifted it she was surprised of the weight.
Then the paper bag ripped.
And a 9mm gun fell.
Her eyes zeroed on it with a ringing in the ears, her previous thoughts came rushing back.
"What is the universe trying to tell me"
She lifted it up and stared at it for a moment until a panicked shout on her side alerted her.
In a few seconds the whole restaurant is in a chaos. She felt dizzy, the ringing in her ears louder and from her back something collided and tacked her on the ground.
She passed out.
She woke up in a cheap bed and white walls. A hospital. On her side a man is telling her that her family will be coming over immediately. She lost consciousness again .Days of not eating well finally took toll on her body.
The next time she woke up it's Olga's crying face she saw. Red eyes and running nose, her mother as well. Her father on the foot of the bed with his face unreadable. Turns out she got pneumonia, from constantly sleeping outdoors probably.
Needless to say, the Patakis tried harder for her…for each other. And she also started to finally change.
Helga has always been the most relatable character. I actually see myself so much in her because we share the same type of family. It's not as bad as her's but neglect would really damage a child.
In the Patakis, I wish that they will show Helga's growth from solely defining the bane of her existence to her love for Arnold to a person that would learn how to complete herself. And that will family would finally find the rhythm that suits them.
One day, at the edge of seventeen, she woke up without a thought of green eyes and corn yellowed hair. As an ode to real people out there who thought finding another person to love will fill their voids and complete them, I want Helga G. Pataki to be an example that self love is more than enough.
A/N: At the edge of 17 is a movie a recommend