10 best moments from Netflix’s Carmen Sandiego series

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Stamp of approval

Carmen is a young and proud woman. The fact that she never passed Shadowsan’s pickpocketing exam haunts her at night, because she knows she’s more than capable of pickpocketing anyone and getting away with it. She knows in her heart Shadowsan cheated by keeping his coat empty, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. If she had succeeded, she would have graduated from VILE Academy and would have been VILE’s top criminal.

Still, it’s the principle of the thing. When she and Tigress face off at the top of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, Carmen sees this as an opportunity to prove herself once and for all. Unlike Tigress, who only passed her exam because of her sharp claws, Carmen swoops in on her first try and snatches the rare “One-Cent Black on Magenta” stamp from Tigress’ boot.

Not only that, but she also steals Tigress’ phone. When Shadowsan calls, Carmen says only a few words to him, “Now, will you admit the coat was empty? Like I need your stamp of approval anyway.” With that, she drops the cell phone and metaphorical mic into the water.

It’s one of the coolest things she’s done, because she refuses to let that moment in her past drag her down. Instead, she pushes past it. It may not be a stamp of approval from Shadowsan, but it’s most definitely a stamp of approval from us.