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Monday, October 04, 2021

The Lookback: Arthur 25: Seasons 19 and 20: Mr. Ratburn's Secret Identity/Arthur and the Whole Truth

Arthur PBS 


     We've made it to seasons 19 and 20 as our Arthur turns 25 marathon continues.  Back when we did the 20th year, Season 20 didn't start yet , Season 19 was the last season we did for that run. Eventually, Season 20 did get a post  and thankfully we get to do a partner episode for that one. 

 This is a look at season 19 , episode  9a.  (You can read about season 19 episode 9 b here


      The Cold Opening :   It starts with Arthur and Buster leaving a movie and talking how people don;'t notice  how a superhero, Dark Bunny, looks like his non super counter part. (Oldest topic ever) While superhero things happen around them without noticing. If there was a superhero in their city they'd notice, they said.

     The Episode:  First in class his portable telephone rings (his words not ours) and he has to leave the class with a movie while he takes care of something. Arthur and Buster wonder what's going on because it was so out of character for him.  Buster claims Mr. Ratburn is a super hero. (They also reference season 1 where they thought he was a vampire) 

        Mr. Ratburn was talking to Principal Hainey about  Sir. Chester Whimple is coming to town, who is a great opera singer. He's coming to guest star at the community theater.  Buster walks by the teacher's lounge and sees Mr. Ratburn singing and looking like he's flying since it's one of those doors that only has a window that can show shadows. 
  
            Buster imagines a whole super hero scene where Ratburn and he take down aliens. Oh yes, the episode gives away that Ratburn is not a hero early on, and decides to mess with Buster and now Ladonna when they see him carrying a giant rock thinking it's real.  Ladonna imagines that she is in the swamp, and Mr. Ratburn a swamp creature superhero.  Arthur doesn't believe Ratburn is a super hero.  
  
Take me to Park Avenue ! / Copyright WGBH

        While he goes to the man's house, convenience comes into play again when  Mr. Ratburn decides to go outside and leap around in tights and the door getting closed by the wind and locked. (Because that's how these shows have doors work)  He sees an open window to scale back into the house and now Arthur is convinced. Arthur now imagines Mr. Ratburn as Silkworm man. (what?)  Arthur is Larva lad. (what?)  This episode is weird. They start to act weird around the teacher and they found out he's a costume designer.  
 
           It's funny that season 1 episode is mentioned because it's kind of re-tread of that one where kids think Mr. Ratburn is something he's not, this time Arthur tries to doubt and prove differently buts into is as well. It's slightly entertaining to see though, the episode uses convenient moments to as the joke and to make things seem as they aren't.   


More after the jump
   

    Truly we take you to an Arthur episode from Season 20, we've made it!  Anyway, here's episode 1b , since we've already done 1a 



           

    The Cold Opening:   Arthur is practicing piano for his recital and he misses a step and his dad walks by and says keep up the good work, you'll do great. (Paraphrasing)   Arthur wishes people would just tell the truth and D.W decides to do it.  Then Arthur wonders if he was wrong and telling the truth sometimes can be a pain. 


  The Episode:    Arthur made a diorama and he asks Buster what he thinks and Buster says he finds it cool. Buster shows Arthur his own. Arthur worries his isn't very good, but Buster says it's fine. Arthur gets a C+ (C+ hahahahahahahaha C+ ) Francine (B+) says he's lucky he got that because it looks like D.W made it. (rude)  Buster got an A-, then he ate it.  Francine later tells Arthur that Buster never disagrees with Arthur, never. (Never!) Arthur can't remember episodes where he and Buster disagree.  Francine tells him that Buster never tells Arthur what he doesn't want to hear. 




        Doubt has been into Arthur's mind tearing away at him and his sanity.(Citation please?) Arthur imagines that cave Buster and he almost get eaten by a mammoth. ( No wonder Arthur got a C+, he thinks mammoth's were meat eaters)  The next day, Arthur puts on a sweater that is over the top that makes everyone in the ice cream shop cringe but, Buster lies and Arthur yells at him and runs away. Buster says he doesn't want to fight Arthur and wants to be agreeable. Arthur tells him to be more honest, he can accept it. 

Oh it's scary/ Copyright WGBH



         When Arthur wants to play a video game; Buster doesn't want to play it because it's boring to him.  Buster brings back a book and they disagree about the ending. It becomes time for Arthur to have his recital.   Francine likes it but Buster says he made some mistakes.  Arthur gets mad and says that Buster was being mean.  D.W says the same thing  and Arthur feels kind of bad and decides to apologize to Buster. They make up  and Buster made him an edible piano. 

                  The episode just ends,  but it's truthfully, fine. It's always interesting to see the moral about the truth trying to straddle the line between telling their young audience to not lie but that sometimes lying is alright when they trying to protect feelings or something.  

                 
    That's it for now, tune in next time when we learn your secret identity  and sell odd sweaters. 

     

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