History Recap / ArthurS1E10ArthursBirthdayFrancineFrenskySuperstar

Mr. Ratburn's class is putting on a school play about the inventor Thomas Edison. Francine, who has a history of getting bad parts in such plays that often lead to physical abuse, is cast as the star of Edison! But the part starts to get to her head and she goes on a power trip and starts acting like she's running the show - with an iron fist. Her classmates are not enjoying being badly treated by "Edison", and all try to convince her that it's not just ''her'' show.

* BrickJoke: Francine mentions she wants to play SpinTheBottle at Arthur's birthday party. Binky, with some sympathy and humor, tells Arthur to uninvited her but Arthur says he'll make sure they take out bottles for recycling. In the end, Francine insists that Arthur open her present first, revealing it's a glass bottle for a "Spin the Bottle" game! Then among demonstrating the game, Pal kisses her when the bottle goes to him, which she finds ActuallyPrettyFunny.

* AgelessBirthdayEpisode: The age is not stated, due to the show's NotAllowedToGrowUp rule, but it's presumably Arthur and Muffy's eighth birthdays.

** When Francine demands Brain remove the air holes from Buster's incandescent light bulb costume (complete with the {{Leitmotif}} usually used for the Tough Customers accompany her yelling at Brain) and even approves of the costume having air holes despite Buster struggling to breathe.

** For the Thomas Edison play, Arthur is cast as the first phonograph, Buster as the first incandescent light bulb (to which Buster comments, "[[JustForPun I'm also very bright!]]"), Sue Ellen as the first kinetoscope, and Binky as a locomotive for a scene re-enacting ''The Great Train Robbery'', which greatly excites him as he enjoys playing big sturdy objects in class plays...

* KickTheDog: Francine was already somewhat of a bully in the first season (due to EarlyInstallmentWeirdness), but when she's cast as the star in the Thomas Edison play, she firmly grasps the JerkassBall and begins abusing others while acting like it's her show.

** She even ''yells at Mr. Ratburn in the face'' when noticing a flaw in Sue Ellen's kinetoscope costume. Lucky for her, Mr. Ratburn doesn't mind that much and humors her.

* YoureJustJealous: When Arthur flat-out tells Francine that the other members of the cast are angry at her for mistreating them, she brushes it off saying that they're just jealous of her talent. [[RageBreakingPoint This proves to be the last straw and the kids conspire to sabotage the dress rehearsal]].

'''Binky''': Is that a joke?

* AwesomeButImpractical: In-universe, when Mr. Ratburn asks his class for any story ideas for their upcoming SchoolPlay. He rejects Sue Ellen's idea of a horror play (with a huge mucous monster) and "The Brain" space travel story (as he can make rocket fuel easily) as he finds them good but too complicated to perform. Both would require extensive special effects way beyond their budget.

** When Francine demands "The Brain" remove the airholes from Buster's incandescent light bulb costume (complete with the {{Leitmotif}} usually used for the Tough Customers accompany her yelling at "The Brain") and even approves of the costume having air holes despite Buster struggling to breathe.

* BatmanGambit: The other kids decide to teach Francine a lesson for being DrunkWithPower in the role of UsefulNotes/ThomasEdison and treating the others badly by intentionally screwing up their parts in the performance for the kindergarten kids. Muffy intentionally [[MondegreenGag mispronounces "Menlo Park" as "Mental Park"]] during the introduction, Arthur acts like a telephone when it's his cue as the phonograph, Buster squirts Francine with a water gun when he is "switched on" as the light bulb, and Binky, playing the train in "The Great Train Robbery," attempts to rob the bandits! It works.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: All of the kids wish for Francine to get a good part in the play. Francine gets the lead role, and ends up turning into a Prima Donna.

* DrunkWithPower: Francine begins to take over the play and boss everyone around as if it were her show and she was a PrimaDonnaDirector. She gets a wake-up call when the cast mutinies.

* InsistentTerminology: Francine, as part of researching Thomas Edison for her part in the play, soon starts insisting that Buster is not playing a light bulb in the play, but an "incandescent lamp." And then in class when Mr. Ratburn brings up Thomas Edison inventing "the first light bulb," Francine corrects him in that at the time it was called an "incandescent lamp." The rest of the class is horrified in that Francine corrected a teacher in class, but fortunately Mr. Ratburn doesn't mind.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: Francine insists that Buster's costume as a plastic "incandescent lamp" needs no air holes, even when he's clearly suffocating. Brain mutinies and gives him a screen through which to breathe because he doesn't want a dead classmate on his hand.
* TookALevelInJerkass: Francine. She was already somewhat of a bully in the first season (due to EarlyInstallmentWeirdness), but when she's cast as the star in the Thomas Edison play, she gets DrunkWithPower and begins abusing others while acting like it's her show. Worth of note are these examples...
** When Muffy thinks Francine's research on Thomas Edison is boring, Francine retorts that it's not boring and that "Without lights, you'd have to shop in the dark! Oh, sorry, [[ImpossiblyTackyClothes I guess you already do.]]" Muffy is so offended she starts ''crying''.
** When Francine demands "The Brain" remove the airholes from Buster's incandescent light bulb costume (complete with the {{Leitmotif}} usually used for the Tough Customers accompany her yelling at "The Brain") and even approves of the costume being airhole-less despite Buster struggling to breathe.
** When Arthur doesn't want to wear the bell-speaker as part of his phonograph costume due to the echo that ensues in his ears -- and besides which he's not even rehearsing at the time-- Francine snaps the speaker onto Arthur's head and ''yells'' at Arthur's face right through the speaker, proving his point.
--->"If you don't do it right, [[SuddenlyShouting I'll UN-INVENT YOU AND YOU WON'T BE IN MY PLAY AT ALL!]]"
** She even ''yells at Mr. Ratburn in the face'' when noticing a flaw in Sue Ellen's kinetoscope costume. Lucky for her, Mr. Ratburn doesn't mind that much and humors her.
--->"Sue Ellen's film has no sprocket holes! How could the pull-down claw move the film without SPROCKET HOLES?!!!"

-->'''Mr. Ratburn''': The record player? ... It was before [=CDs=]. It played music with a needle.
-->'''Binky''': Is that a joke?

* OffModel: Arthur gets into his best blue suit with purple bowtie for his [[spoiler:(and Muffy's) double-]] birthday party. But when he says to Sue Ellen, "Yeah, come in!" his bowtie is red.

* {{Corpsing}}: Sue Ellen is the only cast member to start laughing at the antics onstage. To be fair, Binky as the train was making her crack up by challenging the would-be train robbers to a fistfight, and by then Sue Ellen was part of the cast mutiny.

* FromBadToWorse: The way that Francine's stint as Sir Isaac Newton went. Arthur was on the tech crew and dropped one apple on her, as the script went. Then he stumbled and fell. Several apples fell on Francine, which she took in stride but then the bucket holding them fell on her.

* BatmanGambit: The other kids decide to teach Francine a lesson for being DrunkWithPower in the role of UsefulNotes/ThomasEdison and treating the others badly by intentionally screwing up their parts in the performance for the kindergarten kids. Muffy intentionally [[{{Mondegreen}} mispronounces "Menlo Park" as "Mental Park"]] during the introduction, Arthur acts like a telephone when it's his cue as the phonograph, Buster squirts Francine with a water gun when he is "switched on" as the light bulb, and Binky, playing the train in "The Great Train Robbery," attempts to rob the bandits! It works.

* RealityEnsues: Francine insists that Buster's costume as a plastic "incandescent lamp" needs no air holes, even when he's clearly suffocating. Brain mutinies and gives him a screen through which to breathe because he doesn't want a dead classmate on his hand.

* BrickJoke: Francine mentions she wants to play SpinTheBottle at Arthur's birthday party. Binky, with some sympathy and humor, tells Arthur to uninvited her but Arthur says he'll make sure they take out bottles for recycling. In the end, Francine insists that Arthur open her present first, revealing it's for SpinTheBotle. Then Pal kisses her when the bottle goes to him, which she finds ActuallyPrettyFunny.

* ExactWords: Francine told Brain no air holes, even when Buster is suffocating. So Brain adds a screen instead during dress rehearsal. It also allows BUster to squirt Francine with water during his scene.

* BirthdayBuddies: Arthur and Muffy have their birthdays on the same day. This becomes a plot point in that their two friend groups can't decide whose party to go to.

* SurpriseParty: [[spoiler: Arthur has all the boys and girls sans Muffy show up at his house on the day of his party, so they can make it a surprise double-birthday party for Muffy. Arthur writes on his note to get Muffy to arrive...]]
-->[[spoiler:"I have a special present for you. It is so big I can't carry it by myself. Please come to my house today at noon to get it."]]
* WhenTheClockStrikesTwelve: Although it's noon instead of midnight, Arthur's party is supposed to begin at twelve noon, and the grandfather clock in Arthur's living room strikes twelve right when Muffy is scheduled to arrive at his house [[spoiler: for the double birthday party.]]

* ActuallyPrettyFunny: For what it's worth, everyone except Francine finds the dress rehearsal antics hilarious. The cast backstage laughs at her getting squirted with water, and the kindergartners ''love'' Arthur as an automated telephone. Mr. Ratburn tastefully describes them as "technical difficulties," showing he didn't mind that much.

** When Francine demands "The Brain" remove the airholes from Buster's incandescent light bulb costume (complete with the {{Leitmotif}} usually used for the Tough Customers accompany her yelling at "The Brain") and even approves of the costume being airhole-less despite Buster struggling to breath.
** When Arthur doesn't want to wear the bell-speaker as part of his phonograph costume due to the echo that ensues in his ears, Francine forces the speaker onto Arthur's head and ''yells'' at Arthur's face right through the speaker, proving his point.

** She even ''yells at Mr. Ratburn in the face'' when noticing a flaw in Sue Ellen's kinetoscope costume. Lucky for her, Mr. Ratburn doesn't mind that much...

* AwesomeButImpractical: In-universe, when Mr. Ratburn asks his class for any story ideas for their upcoming SchoolPlay. He rejects Sue Ellen's idea of a horror play (with a huge mucous monster) and "The Brain" space travel story (as he can make rocket fuel easily) as he finds them good but too complicated to perform.

* DrunkWithPower: Francine begins to take over the play and boss everyone around as if it were her show and she was a PrimaDonnaDirector.

* DrunkWithPower: Francine begins to take over the play and boss everyone around when she's the director.

* SurpriseParty: [[spoiler: Arthur has all the boys and girls sans Muffy show up at his house on the day of his party, so they can make it a surprise double-birthday party for Muffy. Arthur writes on his note to get Muffy to arrive...
-->"I have a special present for you. It is so big I can't carry it by myself. Please come to my house today at noon to get it."]]

* OffModel: Arthur gets into his best blue suit with purple bowtie for his [[spoiler:(and Muffy's) double-]] birthday party.

* WhenTheClockStrikesTwelve: Although it's noon instead of midnight, Arthur's party is supposed to begin at twelve noon, and the grandfather clock in Arthur's living room strikes twelve right when Muffy is scheduled to arrive at his house for the double birthday party.

--->"If you don't do it right, I'll UN-INVENT YOU AND YOU WON'T BE IN MY PLAY AT ALL!"

* AdaptationExpansion: The TV version adds a bit more to the shopping-for-party-supplies scene, along with Arthur attempting to deliver his note to Muffy going unnoticed, and aso showing more of the party than depicted in the book.

* DrunkWithPower: Francine Frensky, obviously.

Work in progress