The Lookback: Arthur 20: Locked in the Library /Lost

The Flashback  Arthur 20

    20 Years ago,  PBS launched a television series based off books of the same name  "Arthur" premiered. Since this is Joshuaonline (ie: that crazy TV blog )  we are looking back at Arthur in one way we know how : by looking back at  every episode of Arthur (psst whispers something ) oh well that might be a little much. Since there are 19 seasons with 2 more on the way  we are looking at an episode from each season , they were picked randomly. (ish)

      "Arthur" is one of the longest running animated shows so that's an accomplish thanks to viewers like you.  Let's dive in.

In season 1  we picked an episode called "Locked in the Library" , the first half of Season1 ,episode 6
 the other half is called "Arthur Accused".

   For those who don't know the show (besides the fact: spoilers!),  episodes start with a monologue before we get to the content, a character , usually Arthur breaks the fourth wall (does that mean he could see me? I'm scared. ) , so that means each episode we talk about we will have a section about the monologue.

Now back to the episode:
   Monologue:  Arthur is talking  about how Francine is best friend , besides Buster (scandal!) and how they met in Pre-school. He walks to the school building after talking to us (he never let fame keep him from us little people) when Francine calls him and apparently is mad that he said she looked like a Marsh mellow. (darn kids and their slang?)  Buster, reminds Arthur of what happened and Francine orders Arthur to apologize or he's going to get it.  (what he's going to wake up with a horse's head in his bed? )
                                   
  Now the episode:  In the classroom , Arthur gets a threat note from Francine (ah 1996), that he is in big trouble if he doesn't apologize. A class assignment forces the two to be paired (ah writers you never fail me )and this means they will meet at the library.  The librarian suggests some heroes they could look at in their research , while she also mentions when the library closes. (random, ah writers you never fail me) The library does close  (at 6pm !)  and Arthur has fallen asleep and he wakes up after it closes (hmmm odd)  As he founds out , the Library is closed and it's locked! (hence the title)  He bumps into to Francine and they start bickering about who's fault it is to be locked in the library.  They both try to find ways to get out of the library  (see kids in 1996, didn't have the cell phone to call people if they were stuck in a library)  and well those don't work well.  Arthur says it's Saturday and that means they will be stuck in there until Monday. (so who will eat whom?)  They  found out the library has a phone  but they can't figure out how to work it. (darn it they aren't 90's teenagers)
   

  Let's see.. what is my phone number?/copyright WGBH

 They get into a fight again and separate ,but after awhile Arthur starts to worry and he hears a scream and thinks it's Francine.
 He runs around the library to look for her , he enters the staff room and trips right into some pizza. (don't ask) Francine  is alright  because this is Arthur not "Locked in the Library of Death"  she is moved that he was worried about her and offers him pizza. They were found by their parents and the librarian and they tell their tale to the class mates  (with more ghosts than we had...hey were jipped!)   They use their story to fill in for their report until turn in their real one.

  So that's the season 1 episode we looked at for this, season 1 of "Arthur" is the longest and has some interesting stories , again the stories are simple ideas like being locked in a library  and a fight between friends to make an story that helps resolve their problem in an nice way.

     There are some good season 1 episodes so check them out if you  are felling nostgalic ,or want to see it for the first time or something.

Now to season 2 join us after the jump.

      We have  a theme here , Arthur falling a sleep at bad times.. this is "Lost!" from Season 2 episode  9 part a.
     Monologue:  Arthur's mom is on the phone and says the word lost, D.W repeats the word and Pal is a dog but the words above him say lost? as well.  (smart dog)  Arthur's father asks who's lost? (right now he is us)  D.W screams Arthur. He never showed up to his swimming lesson.(well that's a sad way to end the series guys)   The parents go to look for him and leave  D.W at home with Pal (uhh guys)  Then we get the sad music and D.W screaming "Oh Arthur where are you?" (great, now I am sad.)
 

  Now the Episode:  Did Arthur end up never seen again? (Well no this isn't Arthur's series finale)  In fact, he walks right in the door  of his home at night. (Did we skip a scene?)  We found out that Arthur wasn't lost in the forest eating his own shirt, nope he was stuck at the bus station.  So the parents want to hear the story (this how they get their kicks, isn't it?)  and D.W wants to tell her story of being worried.(I'm worried too)
    The flashback starts with Arthur at school telling Buster he has to take the bus to get to his swimming lesson and Buster tells him that's a bad thing because he heard about a guy who got on a bus and it kept going and going  and Arthur imagines he's on the bus that never stops. (hmm diesel is no object)   The bus driver and passengers change to squid people (I hate when that happens), after that  Francine  says it was a movie that he will be fine , but she heard about a kid who didn't have any money and the bus driver didn't let him leave.(ummm that's not how buses work) Arthur imagines that he was left on the bus for 40 years because he had no money. (that bus driver really wants that raise)
           

For being stuck on the bus for 40 years, Arthur looks alright/copyright WGBH

   Arthur gets on the real bus and he's nervous and everyone on the bus is reading the same newspaper (Wall Street Journal had an aggressive sales pitch)  A lady on the bus winks at him (why?)  and he reads a book about squids and guess what ? He falls asleep!  (Darn it Arthur! Stop falling asleep in places he should really have that checked out)  Of course this means he misses his stop.   Arthur wakes up and he is distraught. The woman who winked at him earlier is the only other one left so he asks her did they pass the pool and she tells him yes and that they are near the edge of town now , but he doesn't tell her he's lost.  He gets off the bus at a random spot  and tires to figure out what to do.  Arthur cries ... great thanks episode now we get Arthur tears poor Arthur all lost he can't back home doesn't have enough money for the bus and he's stuck and now he's crying darn it!  D.W wants everybody to know that she was sad as well when she heard Arthur was lost.
   

Poor Arthur/copyright WGBH

 

     Arthur sees a pay phone at a diner  (hey kids , a pay phone was a phone that was hooked to a wall in a spot where you put some money in and eh I really don't care , it's 1997)  He decides to call his Grandma where we get him imagining that she some how has K.I.T.T's cousin of a car with a police light and can fly. (what did we just watch?)  But the payphone doesn't work , and apparently, the woman who winked at him on the bus works at the diner.
  DW's turn for a second , she tells us that what happened before the scene that happened in the monologue and D.W answers the phone and tells her mother that Arthur never showed up for the swimming lesson.
   Arthur's father knowing the  episode only has 2 minutes left to go  wants Arthur to finish his story.  Arthur eats at the dinner and he asks , what if somebody what does some one do if they don't have money for the bus? The woman asks if he is asking for some money,  Arthur says his Dad says don't accept money  from strangers. She says good advice. (yes , no stranger you can't have money , get out of here) . Arthur talks to the bus driver about his situation and he helps him , and tells him it happens all the time.(that's good to know)  Then the bus driver drops off at home.   The ending is sweet , D.W doesn't want Arthur to get lost ever again. Darn it episode makes me tear up.
   

                                         And he never got lost again.... /copyright WGBH
This episode was a nice one and it is nice to see loving Arthur and D.W moments ,  it might make you feel  a little teary eyed.  It was genuine nice episode and well you know nothing could really bad to happen Arthur  (unless it's the series finale).  The story itself was interesting and you do feel for Arthur , if  you've ever gotten lost it does give you hopeless feeling that Arthur had.  The gags were funny too, like how Arthur imagining being on the same bus for 40 years ,yet somehow his clothes didn't get too messed up, and the bus driver doesn't age ,that's funny.

   Season 2  is also the season where Arthur Meets Mr.Rogers  (episode 1a) and some other really good episodes, we picked this episode because it's simple plot line and really it was a heart warming episode.