Like Riding a Bike

Pepper Ann
"Like Riding a Bike"

Season 2

Number 22

Episode information

Production code

209 (package)
4346-114^[1] (production)

Written by

Matthew Negrete & Nahnatchka Khan

Directed by

Brad Goodchild

Original airdate

November 28, 1998

*Pepper Ann* Episodes
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"P.A.'s Life in a Nutshell"	"Portrait of the Artist as a Young Milo"

"Like Riding a Bike" is the twenty-second episode of Pepper Ann. It aired on November 28, 1998.

Synospsis[]

Pepper Ann is horrified when Lydia starts dating her science teacher, Mr. Carter, and tries everything she can think of to break them up.

Plot[]

Following the intro and finding maracas, which are revealed to belong to Dieter, Pepper Ann voices her belief that Mr. Carter is out to get her. Later that night, Lydia tells her and Moose that she is going to a PTA meeting. She arrives home later than planned, but brings Mr. Carter with her, much to Pepper Ann's confusion. Unlike his strict self at school, Mr. Carter is very jovial and kind to her and despite having brought pizza with him, on taco night, Pepper Ann decides to go up to her room; having lost her appetite.

Meanwhile, Stuart has asked Nicky out, so she suggests doing a "trial run" to see if things go south. She begins to weigh the pros and cons of dating him. Milo is attracted to Gwen Mezzrow, but she does not like him. However, their feelings begin to swap daily and are never in sync. Lydia and Mr. Carter, whom she calls Roland, begin to go out more, angering Pepper Ann as they have not been to a PTA meeting in a long time. After Lydia comes home late again, Pepper Ann demands an explanation and learns that she and Mr. Carter are, in fact, dating.

Ironically, Pepper Ann's classmates are happy with this development as Mr. Carter has become a much nicer teacher and has begun giving passing grades to everyone, but Pepper Ann insists that this is about keeping things the same and tries to dig up dirt on Mr. Carter. All this fails and Lydia sets up a day for Pepper Ann and Moose to hang out with Mr. Carter. While Moose is obviously having fun, Pepper Ann makes up stories about Lydia to break them up. Mr. Carter reveals that she knows she was lying and is not trying to replace her father. Pepper Ann solemnly tells Lydia that things are changing and that is what is bothering her.

The next day at school, Pepper Ann learns that while Nicky has chosen not to pursue a relationship with Stuart, she still thinks about him. She tells her that she should pursue a relationship with him regardless because that is what makes her happy. Realizing that she hadn't extended this courtesy to her mother and Mr. Carter, Pepper Ann returns home to apologize, only for Lydia to tell her that she and Mr. Carter broke things off. Pepper Ann is distraught, believing that her self-centeredness towards the situation drove them to end things, but Lydia assures them they just didn't have much in common. Pepper Ann apologizes regardless, reassuring that her mother's happiness is more important, and Lydia resumes taco night for the family. Sometime afterwards, Mr. Carter, Stuart and Milo are drinking cocoa together at the JavaNutt while lamenting their love loss, except for Stuart who is back together with Nicky, at the expense of her making him learn Italian. Soon after, Abriola Stark enters the bar, offering free lattes for everyone; Mr. Carter tells the boys that love is "like riding a bike" before deciding to pursue Abriola Stark.

Cast[]

Kathleen Wilhoite as Pepper Ann Pearson
Jeff Bennett as Dieter Liederhosen*, Craig Bean (dropped), Additional voices
Danny Cooksey as Milo Kamalani
Clea Lewis as Nicky Little
Pamela Segall as Moose Pearson
April Winchell as Lydia Pearson, Abriola Stark

* Marks an uncredited voice role

Additional voices[]

Jim Cummings as Roland Carter
Luke Perry as Stuart Walldinger
Kimmy Robertson as Gwen Mezzrow
Kath Soucie as Cissy Rooney, Crying Girl, Additional voices
Cree Summer-Francks as Tessa and Vanessa James
Susan Tolsky as Janie Diggity
Jenna von Oÿ as Trinket St. Blair

Other characters[]

Alf (cameo)
Bennie (cameo)
Businessman (cameo)
Cossie Van Tuttie (cameo)
Distressed Mother (cameo)
Dermott Swink (cameo)
Gladys (cameo)
JavaNutt Guy (cameo)
Jorge (cameo)
Lamar Abu-Dabe (cameo)
Melba (cameo)
Milicent (cameo)
Myrna (cameo)
Pumpkin (cameo)
Timmy (cameo)
Timid Boy (cameo)
Tommy (cameo)
Yassir (cameo)
Moira (mentioned)
Principal Hickey (mentioned)
Alice Kane (mentioned)
Amber O'Malley (mentioned)

Desk Gag[]

"Ha ha, cool maracas!"

Trivia[]

Jeff Bennett is miscredited as playing Craig Bean, who does not appear in the episode.
- It's likely that Dieter was meant to be credited instead, as he does appear in the episode's opening.
This episode actually continues directly after the intro.
This is the only episode from the second season in which Gwen Mezzrow has a major role, as well as portrayed by Kimmy Robertson.
- She had spoken in A 'Tween Halloween, although she was voiced by a different actress.
- Due to this being her only role for the season, Kimmy Robertson is mistakenly uncredited in the second season's syndication credits.
The events of this episode, specifically Nicky "going" with Stuart, were referenced in a Disney's Daily Blast chat with Pepper Ann from April 8, 1998, seven months before the premiere of this episode.^[2]

Continuity[]

For the first time since Crush + Burn," Gwen Mezzrow gains a crush on Milo, restarting their on-again, off-again cycle.
- In most episodes between the aforementioned ones (and others which proceed this episode), Gwen is shown to have a crush on (and in some instances, date) Dieter.
Stuart mentions that he and Gwen are part of the school's metal shop, with Gwen being his torch maid. The metal shop has been mentioned in A 'Tween Halloween, even being seen in the previous segment.
Milo brings up Principal Hickey, Alice Kane, and Amber (the locker bandit) as a few examples of Pepper An's arch enemies
Moira the Lunch Lady is mentioned for the first time; she will become a recurring character in the following season.
Nicky's distaste of Stuart's RC car racing hobby will continue to be a point of contention in their relationship.
Nicky teaching Stuart Italian is a callback to "Nicky Gone Bad," where she was shown to be fluent in said language (possibly in relation to her ultimate dream of being the toast of Italy as a concert violinist).

Allusions[]

The opening of each of this episode's segments are both a homage to the show's intro, with the first occurring right after the desk gag, and the second's being a homage to Pepper Ann sneaking into Mr. Carter's class late.