The 'Rugrats' Reboot Brings Back Buster And Edwin Carmichael In Season 2
Sure, Dil might have been the headliner, but find out how this surprise appearance was written
When visuals for the Rugrats reboot started coming in for its May 2021 premiere on Paramount+, one thing was clear: A lot had changed for the Carmichaels. While Susie kept her original design and voice actress, she was aged down from Angelica's age (~3 years) to Chuckie's (2 years), and brought into the main group of babies instead of being Angelica's foil. Sure, all the parents were recast, but Randy and Lucy were also aged down considerably, having easily been the most experienced parents in the original series, having 16-year-old Alisa, 8-year-old Buster, and 6-year-old Edwin. And why were they so visibly aged down? Because in the reboot, Susie is an only child.
Yeah, that was also the case with Tommy and Chuckie, but the reincorporation of Kimi and Kira Watanabe was planted especially quickly in the first season, and has only developed more in the second. The birth of Dil was a selling point for the new season. Even Fluffy, Angelica's cat, was adopted in-series in season 1 rather than already being owned when introduced. Grandpa Lou might not have Lulu but he does have a little something going on with a new character. A reference to Howard is supposed to be coming. In all, if you were dropped from the circumstances for the status quo at the start of the series, you're probably going to be brought back around.
Case in point, Buster and Edwin are reintroduced in season 2's first segment of episode 13, episode 37 overall "Baby Talk". Instead of being Susie's brothers, they are now her cousins. They essentially look no different from the original series. However, Edwin's been aged down from 6 to 5, but that's still far enough over the threshold of the language barrier that because Susie is still a baby, he can no longer understand her. They've also been apart for a full year. It's the same communication issues that prevented her from forming a real relationship with Buster, who spends time with Randy and Stu building a Click n' Pops Lord Crater Sinister Star Smasher, from the world's Final Eclipse movie series, their Star Wars equivalent, so they're bigger nerds about it than Buster is. He decides to kick around his soccer ball instead.
Susie's trying to help Edwin remember the games they used to play. It's a plush pig, their magical warthog beast that he accidentally left behind that does the trick, and their medieval forest fantasy game begins anew (check out that aspect ratio change!). It's a farewell-for-now visit as Edwin hears Buster invite him for soccer, so he bequeaths his staff to Susie, their reconnection fully established. Now that she has the staff, she takes Tommy, Chuckie, Phil and Lil to the Magic Forest for new adventures.
The oldest sister Alisa is still missing so it remains to be seen how or if she'll ever be incorporated. "The Last Babysitter" was always a memorable episode of the original series to me. The first half of the Rugrats reboot's second season is streaming now on Paramount+, with the second thirteen expected before the year is out. A third season has already been ordered.
