Ep 12. Arnold's Valentine

In Hey Arnold! season 2 episode 12 titled "Arnold's Valentine," the gang at P.S. 118 celebrates Valentine's Day. Arnold, who's a hopeless romantic, gets excited to shower his secret admirer with gifts. Arnold's grandmother, in an effort to help make Arnold's Valentine's Day special, convinces him that his crush is likely his classmate, Ruth McDougal. Arnold sets his sights on Ruth and begins crafting the perfect Valentine's present for her, complete with hand-painted portraits and a custom poem.

Meanwhile, at school, the mailbox designated for Valentine's Day cards is overflowing with letters. Arnold's best friend Gerald takes note of the fact that Helga, a girl in their class, is the only one who hasn't dropped a letter in the box yet. Gerald knows that Helga has a massive crush on Arnold, despite her relentless teasing and bullying.

As Arnold prepares to present Ruth with his homemade Valentine's Day gift, Helga becomes more and more unhinged. She's desperate to tell Arnold that she's the one who has been writing secret love letters to him for years, but can't seem to muster the courage to do so. Instead, she schemes to ruin Arnold's Valentine's Day surprise for Ruth, hoping that the failure will make Arnold turn to her for comfort.

On Valentine's Day, Arnold stands outside of Ruth's house, gift in hand. Just as he's about to ring the doorbell, Helga swoops in and sabotages the gift, destroying the carefully-crafted portraits and poem and leaving Arnold empty handed. Arnold is heartbroken and devastated, but plays it off as if nothing is wrong. Helga, guilt-ridden, follows Arnold around all day in an effort to make things right.

Throughout the day, Helga helps Arnold with small tasks and offers him words of encouragement, hoping that she's done enough to make up for her previous behavior. Just as Arnold starts to warm up to Helga's kindness, Ruth shows up, excited to present Arnold with her own Valentine's Day gift. Arnold is grateful, but still hung up on Helga's betrayal.

As the day goes on, Arnold ends up getting into a fight with Ruth and realizes that she isn't the one he wants to spend Valentine's Day with after all. He confides in Helga, telling her that she's the girl he's really been hoping to spend the day with. Helga finally confesses her love to Arnold, and the two share a sweet moment together.

In the end, Arnold forgives Helga for ruining his original Valentine's Day plans and realizes that he may have found true love after all. The episode ends with Arnold and Helga sitting together on a rooftop, watching the sunset and reflecting on their day together.