We have made it to season 24, which for our marathon series of posts is the last aired season of new episodes until season 25 airs, which actually will be the final season. These episodes aired in 2021. This season has 3 episodes or 5 segments, including a special that's a re-done episode. So it only made sense to just two segments and get it done with instead. So I picked "D.W's Best Friend" and "Freaky Tuesday" which are part of episode 3. I do have admire that Arthur's theme intro is still just over a minute, they never cut it so that's good. Anyway to the episodes.
Cold Opening: D.W and Bud, wait what's he doing here, they were supposed to have moved away, did they forget him? Oh huh? What? Not mad, just confused. Anyway, D.W and Bud are riding in a minivan, (apparently the Reids got a mini van at some point) to a puppet making thing.
The Episode: The puppet making class is taught by an eight grader (which to 4 or 5 year olds is old) named Hana (they spelled it that way, don't yell at us). The episode really sets up awkwardness where the young kids are baffled by the 13-year-old, like the adults writing the episode. D,W and Bud didn't seem to have fun with the class.
The next day, Hana knows about D.W's character she's trying to make because she was a fan of it when she was younger. She uses a word that will be outdated by people in the future when this episode reruns in 2033. (If there is a year 2033) This quickly turns D.W to like Hana as they bond over scars the toys caused them, which is something.
This is the future of clothing/ Copyright WGBH
Through out ride in the van D.W mentions Hana multiple times. Later in the grocery store, D.W meets Hana and her friends. (Hana is the only that stands out) D decides to start liking things Hana likes. Anyway, D.W with Hana's help makes D.W's puppet into a making a bug princess.
Katinka Mink, the favorite singer for Hana, is coming to town and D.W tells her on the phone. D.W thinks the girl is her best friend (hence the title) and decides to start dressing up kind of like Hana.
At the puppet class, and D.W finds out that Hana doesn't consider a best friend in the way D.W thought she would. She's heart broken, and presents her puppet as sad. Then the episode goes into a song. Yep it's animated sequence of D.W as her a bug princess singing about being rejected. I guess Hana got the message and apologizes to D.W and it works. She and Bud make up and the end.
That was alright, simple episode. There's not much more to really add for me.
More after the jump
We now head to episode 3b, Freaky Tuesday or it's I'm actually surprised it took them 24 seasons to do this kind of plot.
That's right they are doing a "Freaky Friday" themed episode.
Cold Opening: Buster has to be woken up in class, and he has to do a math test; Buster suggests they should do the test outside, but nah. Also Ladonna is there, she doesn't speak, so I guess they forgot. Anyway, Arthur speaks to us ( I missed that) and says this seems like a normal day but actuallyyy...
The Episode: It's a "Freaky Friday" plot. Buster was mentioning in the cold opening he thinks teachers have an easy time, then it shows him having a hard time with the pencil opener, and Arthur could have just given him a pencil if he knew what Buster was asking, but ok, plot.
Buster goes to the teacher's lounge and is stunned by how amazing it is, and sees a spanakopita cooked with lightning. (What?) Then, Mr. Ratburn shows up and tells him to hurry up and sharpen his pencil, Buster asks about the spanakopita and as Mr. Ratburn explains he notices that Buster's pencil shaving end up on the thing. The both end up touching a side of the dish and woosh. (that's right woosh)
woah man/ Copyright WGBH
They end up swapping bodies. It does that voice thing because it's hard to understand body swapping some how. So now, they have to figure out how to swap back. Buster has to be Mr. Ratburn while Ratburn has to find the teacher who made the food to see what he can do to fix this problem.
Buster has to run the class and this only goes as well as that sounds. Ratburn steals the desert and tries to use science to fix the problem but is stopped by the principal and is returned to the classroom where he sees Buster "teaching" the class about ancient Egypt. Through the episode, Buster is also learning how hard it is to be a teacher. (ha teacher ha learning ha ironic)
Buster decides to let the class end up outside and Ratburn finds him but the charged food apparently doesn't work. So Ratburn to get the pan, but this doesn't work either. Buster then admits he thought teachers had it easy but apparently nope. Oh it was all a dream, that way the episode makes sense for Arthur world.
This was a fun episode, I like how chaotic it was, and a "Freaky Friday" themed episode is always something fun. They had Buster do a moral, more than it being both of them learning something, but I guess they wanted to really note that teachers do have a lot of work to do. The dream was a nice way of keeping the show grounded, I guess.
Wow, that's it for our marathon, it's been an interesting ride, looking through this one of the longest running animated series on American television. We had the intention of covering it for the 25th anniversary and, of course found out it was ending during the process. I think the series is well remembered because it has a lot to be remembered for, and hope that the reruns will last for sometime.
Though not every episode is great, there isn't a lot of considered bad episodes over the length it's been on, though that might be because the seasons are pretty short. The animation does change over time because I think the funds got less and they had to cheapen up a bit. (You, yes you, give PBS more money you cowards!) The writing doesn't seem as snappy as it did in the start ,but most didn't feel badly written for a show written for people under 11 years old. Anyway, that's my blathering for now, tune in next time when we calm down and do something else to get that theme song out of our heads.
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