Original airdate: April 5, 2010
"When Carl Met George"
Written by: Peter K. Hirsch
"One of the reasons I like Carl is that he's really honest. He's also an amazing artist. See this train? He drew it completely from memory!"
— George Lundgren
George meets a new boy named Carl who has Asperger Syndrome, leaving George unsure how to communicate with him.
Tropes for this episode include:
- Character Name and the Noun Phrase: Some platforms and regions give this episode the alternate title of "George and the Missing Puzzle Piece".
- Inspirationally Disadvantaged: Brain reveals to George that his uncle has Asperger Syndrome like Carl does, but he's also apparently a genius and has won the Crown City Physics Prize.
- Photographic Memory: Carl is able to draw an almost completely accurate picture of a train from memory. Justified as one of the traits of his Asperger Syndrome.
- Rail Enthusiast: Justified with Carl, as he has Aspergers, and trains are his special interest. He also has an encyclopedic knowledge of them.
- Shout-Out: The episode's title is a reference to When Harry Met Sally....
- Tuxedo and Martini: Carl saying that he prefers his apple juice "in a box, not a bottle" is a reference to James Bond's preference to have his vodka martinis "shaken, not stirred." Also doubles as a Parental Bonus since James Bond is aimed at adults.
- Very Special Episode: The episode focuses on Asperger Syndrome and how people with it interact with neurotypicals.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Carl is afraid of dummies, and has a panic attack when he first sees George's dummy, Wally. He's working with his therapist to eventually overcome this, however.
"D.W. Swims with the Fishes"
Written by: Cydne Clark and Steve Granat
"Even the nicest people in the world can lose control sometimes. Take Brain, for instance. You don't get much nicer than him... usually."
— Arthur Read
D.W. and James take up swimming classes and recruit their older siblings to coach them. Soon though, Arthur and Molly become too invested in them winning.
Tropes for this episode include:
- Beware the Nice Ones: Discussed by Arthur in The Teaser, where he claims that even the nicest people can lose control sometimes. It is then demonstrated by Brain furiously chasing Buster around after he accidentally unplugged an arcade game Brain was just about to beat his own high score in.
- The Big Race: There is a preschool swim race coming up, and Arthur and Molly team up to train their younger siblings for it.
- Compressed Hair: D.W.'s swim cap only covers her scalp, yet somehow hides her cheek-length bob cut completely.
- Continuity Nod: When Arthur wakes up D.W. for swimming practice, she complains that "Uni was just about to show me where my snowball is."
- Dark Horse Victory: Since James got his flipper stuck on a lane marker during the swim race and D.W. went back to free him, Emily ends up being the victor, rather than either D.W. or James whom their respective older siblings were expecting to win.
- Dudley Do-Right Stops to Help: During the swim race, James gets his flipper stuck on a lane marker and is unable to free himself without taking the fin off, which is implied would cause him to sink and possibly drown as he's unable to swim without it. D.W. abandons the race to go back and free him, sacrificing her chance to win the first-place trophy she wanted as a result. D.W. finds it to be Worth It, however.
- Fictional Video Game: In The Teaser, Brain is playing a fictional arcade game titled Fort Lord in which he's just about to beat his own high score when Buster accidentally trips on the cord and unplugs the cabinet, causing Brain to chase him around in a rage.
- Got Volunteered: When D.W. sees that James has his older sister Molly as his coach during his swimming classes, she instantly demands that Arthur be hers.
- Here We Go Again!: Double Subverted. At the end of the episode, Molly brings up how she supposedly saw D.W. elbow James and Arthur is about to argue with Molly again. Molly reveals she was just kidding… but then suggests that she and Arthur should compete over who of them can buy their younger sibling the bigger banana split.
- Jerkass Realization: After D.W. and James give their second-place trophies to Arthur and Molly respectively, the latter two realize it was mean of them to force their respective younger siblings to win the swim race.Molly: I feel like I just won an award for Jerk of the Year.
Arthur: No, you didn't win. We tied. - Never Say "Die": When Molly tells James to take off his swim flipper to free himself from the lane marker it's stuck on, Buster warns her that doing so will "cost him." Based on the context, it's clear that he's talking about him sinking to the bottom of the pool and drowning.
- No Full Name Given: The fact that Emily's last name is not known at this point in the series is Lampshaded by Buster.Buster: And the winner is... Emily, whose last name I don't know!
- Pet the Dog: Bratty Half-Pint she may be, D.W. just can't bring herself to leave James helpless when he gets his flipper caught on a lane marker during the swim race. It should be noted that going back to help him cost her the first-place trophy she wanted, but she considers having helped James to be Worth It.
- Squick: In-Universe, D.W.'s reaction to Buster telling her that some professional swimmers put grease all over their bodies is "Eww!"
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork:
- Arthur and Molly working together to coach their younger siblings for the upcoming swim race soon devolves into them competing over whose sibling will win.
- Inverted with D.W. and James, who aren't exactly enthusiastic about having to compete against each other.D.W.: Well... I'd wish you good luck, but I'm supposed to want to win. So, er... good luck to me.
James: Yeah. Good luck to me, too.
- Training Montage: Most of the episode is focused on Arthur and Molly training their younger siblings for the upcoming swim race.
- Worth It: D.W. going back to free James when he gets his fin stuck on a lane marker during the swim race costs her the first place trophy she wanted to Emily. However, she considers having helped James a reward of its own.
