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* BittersweetEnding: Mikey gets over his Bonky obsession, but he and his mother both realize that growing up is going to change their relationship, and not necessarily for the better. But a heart-to-heart does help resolve Mikey's obsession with Bonky. The episode ends with Mikey getting on the bus by himself, and Mrs. Blumberg hiding behind a nearby tree [[SoProudOfYou proudly]] [[TearsOfJoy crying]] as she watches her little boy become independent.
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* BittersweetEnding: Mikey gets over his Bonky obsession, but he and his mother both realize that growing up is going to change their relationship, and not necessarily for the better. But a heart-to-heart with his mother does help resolve Mikey's obsession Mikey come to terms with Bonky.growing up. The episode ends with Mikey getting on the bus by himself, and Mrs. Blumberg hiding behind a nearby tree [[SoProudOfYou proudly]] [[TearsOfJoy crying]] as she watches her little boy become independent.
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Sounds more like a somewhat complain-y interpretation of a Hard Truth Aesop that doesn't really explain how the Aesop is broken.
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* BrokenAesop: The episode's aesop can be very strongly taken as "You're not allowed to like things if you're older than the target demographic of them."
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* WhatYouAreInTheDark: TJ turns in Mikey's Bonky toys to Miss Finster, but only says he found them without naming Mikey in order to spare him from more trouble.
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* WhatYouAreInTheDark: TJ turns in Mikey's Bonky toys to Miss Finster, but only says he found them without naming Mikey in order to spare him from more trouble.trouble.
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* BrokenAesop: The episode's aesop can be very strongly taken as "You're not allowed to like things if you're older than the target demographic of them."
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* EntertainmentBelowTheirAge: The episode's plot revolves around Mikey becoming obsessed with Bonky The Dragon, a character targeted towards kindergarteners.
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* SanitySlippage: Mikey suffers from this when he regresses into a kindergartener due to growing up, he recovers later.
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* SanitySlippage: Mikey suffers from this when he regresses into a kindergartener due to his fear of growing up, he recovers later.
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* BittersweetEnding: Mikey gets over his Bonky obsession, but he and his mother both realize that growing up is going to change their relationship, and not necessarily for the better. But a heart-to-heart does help resolve Mikey's obsession with Bonky. The episode ends with Mikey getting on the bus by himself, and Mrs. Blumberg hiding behind a nearby tree proudly crying as she watches her little boy become independent.
to:
* BittersweetEnding: Mikey gets over his Bonky obsession, but he and his mother both realize that growing up is going to change their relationship, and not necessarily for the better. But a heart-to-heart does help resolve Mikey's obsession with Bonky. The episode ends with Mikey getting on the bus by himself, and Mrs. Blumberg hiding behind a nearby tree proudly crying [[SoProudOfYou proudly]] [[TearsOfJoy crying]] as she watches her little boy become independent.
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* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Confrontation, acceptance, and intervention are all ways people try to help those with drug problems.
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* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything:
** Confrontation, acceptance, and intervention are all ways people try to help those with drugproblems.problems.
** Upon turning ten years old, Mikey regresses to kindergarten things, aka things that were half his lifetime ago. This gives a feel of someone experiencing a mid-life crisis, fitting with the episode's GrowingUpSucks theme.
** Confrontation, acceptance, and intervention are all ways people try to help those with drug
** Upon turning ten years old, Mikey regresses to kindergarten things, aka things that were half his lifetime ago. This gives a feel of someone experiencing a mid-life crisis, fitting with the episode's GrowingUpSucks theme.
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* BittersweetEnding: Mikey gets over his Bonky obsession, but he and his mother both realize that growing up is going to change their relationship, and not necessarily for the better. The episode ends with Mikey getting on the bus by himself, and Mrs. Blumberg hiding behind a nearby tree crying as she watches her little boy become independent.
to:
* BittersweetEnding: Mikey gets over his Bonky obsession, but he and his mother both realize that growing up is going to change their relationship, and not necessarily for the better. But a heart-to-heart does help resolve Mikey's obsession with Bonky. The episode ends with Mikey getting on the bus by himself, and Mrs. Blumberg hiding behind a nearby tree proudly crying as she watches her little boy become independent.
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* BookAndSwitch: During Ms. Grotke's lesson on the Founding Fathers, Mikey hides a Bonky lift-the-flap book behind his history book.
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* MilestoneBirthdayAngst: Mikey becomes depressed about losing his childhood when he turns 10, causing him to regress to a kindergartner-like mindset.
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* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Confrontation, acceptance, and enabling are all ways people try to help those with drug problems.
to:
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Confrontation, acceptance, and enabling intervention are all ways people try to help those with drug problems.
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* AnAesop: Growing up does mean becoming more and more independent from your parents with time, and it can be a [[GrowingUpSucks scary thought]]. But it doesn't have to change the love you share with your parents.
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* AnAesop: Growing up does mean becoming more and more independent from your parents with time, and it can be a [[GrowingUpSucks scary thought]]. But it doesn't have to change the love you share with your parents. Alternatively, while growing up can be intimidating, there are healthier ways to cope with it than regression.
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* ItsAllMyFault: After being exposed as the person inside the Bonkey suit, Mrs. Blumberg consoles Mikey about it and admits it was her fault for enabling Mikey's regression/obsession with Bonkey.
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* ToughLove: When Mikey says "he has to go potty," TJ has the gang hold him down while he turns in his Bonky toys.
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* ToughLove: When Mikey says "he has to go potty," TJ has the gang hold him down while he turns in his Bonky toys.toys.
* WhatYouAreInTheDark: TJ turns in Mikey's Bonky toys to Miss Finster, but only says he found them without naming Mikey in order to spare him from more trouble.
* WhatYouAreInTheDark: TJ turns in Mikey's Bonky toys to Miss Finster, but only says he found them without naming Mikey in order to spare him from more trouble.
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* AnAesop: Growing up does mean becoming more and more independent from your parents with time, and it can be a [[GrowingUpSucks scary thought]]. But it doesn't have to change the love you share with your parents.
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* BookEnds: The episode begins with Mrs. Blumberg goes through the bus stop routine of checking all the personal things Mikey needs for school, much to his [[AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents annoyance]]. By the end, Mikey is going through the routine himself, checking all the personal things he needs for school.
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* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: When TJ turns in Mikey's Bonky toys to Miss Finster, she simply reminds him that toys from home are forbidden and locks them away.
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* SanitySlippage: Mikey suffers from this when he regresses into a kindergartener due to growing up, he recovers later.
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* BittersweetEnding: Mikey gets over his Bonky obsession, but he and his mother both realize that growing up is going to change their relationship, and not necessarily for the better. The episode ends with Mikey getting on the bus by himself, and Mrs. Blumberg hiding behind a nearby tree crying as she watches her little boy become independent.
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* DownerEnding: Mikey gets over his Bonky obsession, but he and his mother both realize that growing up is going to change their relationship, and not necessarily for the better. The episode ends with Mikey getting on the bus by himself, and Mrs. Blumberg hiding behind a nearby tree crying as she watches her little boy become independent.
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* DownerEnding: Mikey gets over his Bonky obsession, but he and his mother both realize that growing up is going to change their relationship, and not necessarily for the better. The episode ends with Mikey getting on the bus by himself, and Mrs. Blumberg hiding behind a nearby tree crying as she watches her little boy become independent.
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* GrowingUpSucks: The reason why Mikey starts getting back into his love of Bonky is because he is concerned about his mother not being with him at the bus stop.
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* GrowingUpSucks: The reason why Mikey starts getting back into his love of Bonky is because he is concerned about his mother not being with him at the bus stop. It's expanded upon later in the episode when he confesses that he's terrified of losing her altogether.
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* ParentsAsPeople: Mr. and Mrs. Blumberg try to give Mikey what he wants by throwing him a Bonky-themed birthday party, complete with Mrs. Blumberg in a Bonky suit. Later, she and Mikey have a heart-to-heart conversation about the pain of growing up and how youth is something that has to end, to the disappointment of both parents and children. It's one of the frankest depictions of GrowingUpSucks in any children's cartoon.
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* StillSucksThumb: Mikey is briefly shown doing this as he regresses into a kindergartener.
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* DelightfulDragon: As the show's equivalent to [[Series/BarneyAndFriends Barney the Dinosaur]], Bonky is a dragon who is a FriendToAllChildren and beloved by kindergarteners (and Mikey when he briefly goes through a phase), but disliked by older children.
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* {{Expy}}: Bonky is this for [[Series/BarneyAndFriends Barney the Dinosaur]].
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* {{Expy}}: Bonky is this for [[Series/BarneyAndFriends Barney the Dinosaur]].Dinosaur.
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*INeedToGoIronMyDog: When TJ and the others see that Mikey's lips are blue from eating candy, Mikey claims that he "fell in a puddle of blueberries." As soon as Mikey leaves, Gus discovers that he's been sucking on a Bonky-shaped lollipop.
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!!Tropes:
*BirthdayHater: Mikey becomes this for most of the episode due to [[GrowingUpSucks his fears of growing up]].
*BirthdayHater: Mikey becomes this for most of the episode due to [[GrowingUpSucks his fears of growing up]].
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*GrowingUpSucks: The reason why Mikey starts getting back into his love of Bonky is because he is concerned about his mother not being with him at the bus stop.
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* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Confrontation, acceptance, and enabling are all ways people try to help those with drug problems.
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* KiddieKid: Mikey starts acting more and more like a kindergartener as the episode progresses, reading pop-up books and carrying a stuffed animal.
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* KiddieKid: Mikey starts acting more and more like a kindergartener as the episode progresses, reading pop-up books books, throwing tantrums, and carrying a stuffed animal.
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* ThisIsGonnaSuck: Spinelli is not keen on indulging Mikey's kindergarten regression.
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With his tenth birthday around the corner, Mikey becomes obsessed with Bonky the Green Dragon, a character intended for kindergarteners.
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* {{Expy}}: Bonky is this for [[Series/BarneyAndFriends Barney the Dinosaur]].
* KiddieKid: Mikey starts acting more and more like a kindergartener as the episode progresses, reading pop-up books and carrying a stuffed animal.
* ReadingLips: Gretchen does this while Mikey and his mother are talking in the backyard, determining that they are talking about food (actually their food-related pet names for each other).
* ToughLove: When Mikey says "he has to go potty," TJ has the gang hold him down while he turns in his Bonky toys.
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* {{Expy}}: Bonky is this for [[Series/BarneyAndFriends Barney the Dinosaur]].
* KiddieKid: Mikey starts acting more and more like a kindergartener as the episode progresses, reading pop-up books and carrying a stuffed animal.
* ReadingLips: Gretchen does this while Mikey and his mother are talking in the backyard, determining that they are talking about food (actually their food-related pet names for each other).
* ToughLove: When Mikey says "he has to go potty," TJ has the gang hold him down while he turns in his Bonky toys.
