Ep 7. Grouch University

In Sesame Street season 50 episode 7, titled "Grouch University," Oscar the Grouch decides to start Grouch University, a school for young misanthropes to learn all the important skills needed for a successful life as a grouchy resident of Sesame Street. Oscar is excited to share his expertise in grouchy behavior with his students, who are mainly his fellow Grouches, but also include a few non-Grouches who are interested in learning about this unique lifestyle.

The episode opens with Oscar's students gathering in a makeshift classroom, which is essentially Oscar's trash can outfitted with some chairs and a chalkboard. Oscar greets them and explains the rules of Grouch University: no smiling, no laughing, and no happy talk. The students are excited to get started, and Oscar starts by teaching them how to grumble and murmur incoherently.

As the class progresses, Oscar introduces his students to various grouchy activities, including trash sorting, trash diving, and trash hoarding. He also teaches them how to be unfriendly to others, how to complain about everything, and how to live in a perpetual state of gloom and doom. The students are enthusiastic learners and soak up every lesson, eagerly putting into practice what they've learned.

Throughout the episode, there are several musical interludes, featuring classic Sesame Street songs about grouchiness, such as "I Love Trash" and "Bein' Green." Oscar and his students perform these songs in their own unique Grouch style, adding their own snarls and growls to the lyrics.

As Grouch University progresses, Oscar realizes that some of his students are a little too good at being grouchy. One of them, a little girl named Grizzy, is so good at frowning and snarling that Oscar worries she might end up being too miserable to enjoy life. He decides to give the class a break and take them all out for a field trip to the park.

At the park, Oscar and his students have a grouchy picnic, complete with sour milk and moldy bread. As they sit and eat, they observe all the happy people around them, playing and laughing and having a great time. Oscar starts to feel a little bit envious of all this happiness and starts to worry that maybe he's been missing out on something all these years.

As the episode comes to a close, Oscar realizes that being grouchy is important, but so is finding joy and happiness in life. He decides to loosen up a little bit and allows himself to smile and laugh for the first time in ages. His students are shocked to see Oscar's rarely-seen pleased expression, but they quickly join in and start laughing and joking around. Overall, the lesson of the episode is about finding a balance between being grouchy and finding joy in life.

Overall, "Grouch University" is a delightful episode that showcases the unique Sesame Street brand of charm and humor. The Grouch characters are always fan favorites, and this episode does a great job of exploring their world and their way of life in a fun and engaging way. The musical numbers are catchy and fun, and the overarching message of the episode about finding balance and joy in life is a valuable one for viewers of all ages.