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General[]

The words on the wall

The words on the wall

  • There are two trucks seen. The first one says: "LANDSCAPERS CO.: 555-DIRT"; the second one says: "I'LL DIG ANY HOLE FOR A PRICE: 1-800-EAT-MY-DIRT".
  • The list of things the adults did with the vacant lot:
Ernie Potts - Planting tomatoes
Harvey - Raising Chickens
Mr. Green - Horseshoes and Sweat Tan
Phil - Checkers and Relaxing hammock
Suzie Kokoshka - Croquet
Mr. Hyunh - Checkers and Potted Plants
Mrs. Vitello - Flower Garden and Bocce-ball Court
  • Suzie doesn't appear turning the lot into a real baseball field with everyone else.
  • Oskar is the only boarding house character that doesn't appear in this episode.
  • Harold doesn’t speak throughout this episode.
  • This is the first episode where Brainy manages not to be hit by Helga.
  • Mrs. Vitello punches Marty Green off-screen.
  • The boy with the green shirt, blond hair and glasses is credited as "Robert". He's never actually called by name and even stops being credited through the middle of Season 5.
  • Around timestamp 09:45, during the scene of Arnold and Gerald discussing finding their own spot as they are walking pass a brick house two words can be seen on the wall: the 1st word says "BUILDIT", while the 2nd word seems quite illegible.

Cultural References[]

  • Helga watches Court TV, the predecessor to cable channel TruTV.

Continuity[]

  • Arnold and his friends go back to playing baseball in the street in a few episodes including 24 Hours to Live, Crush on Teacher, Harold's Bar Mitzvah and Part Time Friends.
    • This could imply that the Vacant Lot was again used by someone else throughout the episodes, or the kid's choice of playing in the street was arbitrary.
  • In episodes New Bully on the Block and Mudbowl Gerald Field is converted into a football field.
    • At the end of "New Bully on the Block" Arnold and his class lose the vacant lot again to the antagonists, Wolfgang and Ludwig, after participating in a football game.
  • When Ernie feels bad about taking over the lot he says “I feel like a real heel”. He will use this expression again in Door Number 16.

Story Analysis[]

  • The effort and commitment of people are proportional to the needs they have and could supply by such commitment. Kids have a need to find a secure, appropriate place to practice sports as the street proves annoying at best and dangerous at worst; this motivates them to work from zero to clean and adapt the lot. The adults, on the other hand, have no immediate need to supply. They don't care about the lot until it is ready for use, thus making the effort to supply their personal desires minimum.
  • Adults are, to some extent, portrayed as villains. They take the clean lot and divide it among themselves, completely ignoring the kids and their work. When the kids start being a nuisance the adults kick them out, only to finally start arguing with each other. Kids, out of frustration, also express their disagreement with adults' perceived indisputable authority. At the end, though, adults reconsider their actions and redeem themselves by admitting their mistakes, repairing the field and joining the "inaugural" game.

Morals[]

  • Appreciate what others have done and do for your community.
  • Greediness leads to conflict.
    • Share and take turns instead of being selfish and greedy.