Airdate: October 7, 1996
Seen in flashback, Arthur tells D.W. the story of when he first got his glasses. The flashback begins with Arthur's suddenly deteriorating school performance; when taking the eye exam, he learns that he needs glasses. Unfortunately, when he walks into class, he is immediately teased by Francine, who calls him a "four eyes" and gets laughed at by everyone else in the classroom, and soon begins to detest having to wear them. After multiple failed attempts to get rid of them, later he learns that Wilbur Rabbit, the man who plays his favorite TV character Bionic Bunny, wears glasses just like his. Soon he begins to adapt to the idea of wearing glasses and the other kids begin to warm up to it as well.
Arthur's Eyes contains examples of:
- Adaptational Context Change: In the original book, Arthur starts to feel better about his glasses when his teacher, Mr. Marco, shows that he wears the same pair. In the episode, Arthur watches a behind-the-scenes special about Bionic Bunny and sees that Wilbur Rabbit wears similar glasses.
- Did You Get a New Haircut?: Binky actually asks this word-for-word when he notices that something about Arthur is different. Then he asks if it's a new shirt.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: Plenty of examples;
- D.W. is only two in this episode's flashback story but uses the stock giggling and crying sounds that would later be used with Kate, Sue Ellen appears in Mr. Marco's despite having later been shown to be a transfer student in 3rd Grade, Muffy also appears despite having shown to transfer after he got glasses in "The True Francine", and Francine is much more of a Jerkass in this episode instead of a Jerk with a Heart of Gold (though she does eventually concede that she likes the idea of having glasses herself).
- Binky appears to be part of Arthur's class, when he had to repeat third grade.
- The living room looks completely different in this episode than it does in any other. Rather than the green couch and the TV sitting on top of the cabinet, it instead has a pink chair with a footrest and the TV sitting on a mobile stand.
- The music cue that plays when Arthur makes a basket wearing his glasses in gym class would typically later be used at the end of episodes instead of an earlier point as heard here.
- Fingore: G-rated version. Arthur initially tries to get D.W. to smash his glasses with her toy peg-and-hammer set, but when Jane comes in and sees this, he immediately puts them back on and pulls Wild Card Excuse... before D.W. smashes his hand.
- Here We Go Again!: After Arthur finishes the story of how he got his glasses, D.W. sees a picture of their parents as a young couple, but doesn't recognize their dad because of his beard. She then goes to wake up their mom and demand an explanation.
- Jerkass Realization: Buster has this when Arthur catches him making fun of his glasses.
- Kids Are Cruel: Francine gets the whole class laughing at Arthur when he comes to school with glasses. Buster seems to shrug it off, but he makes fun of Arthur later.
- Recycled Animation: The establishing shot of the school is used three times. It's painfully obvious it's the same shot too, as you see the same kid riding in on his bike every time. The shot of Mr. Marco handing back everyone their quizzes is also used twice.
- Skewed Priorities: Arthur would rather be blind than mocked by Francine.
- Stock Audio Clip: Arthur whispering "D.W.!" from the opening is used in this episode when he tries to stop her from waking up their parents.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome:
- The point of a school eye exam is to find out if kids need glasses. While the kids think Arthur is in trouble with the school nurse, she's actually seeing that he needs help.
- It's revealed that without glasses, Arthur can't do his schoolwork, play sports, or even find the right restroom. It's even worse than before.
- "Which Restroom?" Dilemma: Subverted; Arthur knows which restroom he needs, but when he tries to "prove" he doesn't need glasses, he can't tell the two apart and attempts to go into the right one from memory. He doesn't succeed.
- Whole Episode Flashback: The story is told in flashback as Arthur shows D.W. how he first got his trademark glasses.
- Wrong Bathroom Incident: Arthur puts his glasses in his lunch box to avoid getting teased at school. However, without his glasses, he doesn't seem to find the boys' room. Just like in the book mentioned above,he accidentally uses the girls' room, assuming to be the boys' room, he finds Francine there. All the girls screamed when they saw Arthur, attracting everyone at school.
It is almost time for school pictures, and Francine wants to make sure she looks her absolute best. Muffy offers to fix her up, but Francine has trouble complying with her demands when the big kickball game is coming up.
Francine's Bad Hair Day contains examples of:
- Anything but That!: Francine covers her eyes when Flossie shows her an Egyptian-style hairdo.
- Brutal Honesty: Flossie tells Francine that they don't promise miracles in her price range. With that said, she still gives Francine the salon treatment, as well as visuals from a computer that shows her the potential styles.
- Captain Obvious Aesop: Arthur gives one in the cold opening.Arthur: It's not a good idea to drink six cans of soda and then have your picture taken.
- Curly Hair Is Ugly: Francine's reaction to her new hairdo.
- Doomed New Clothes: Subverted; Francine's owned the dress before, but she rarely wears it. Also, while the girls talk about if they're wearing new dresses for school pictures, but everyone is in their normal wear.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: Arthur and his friends go up against the fourth graders, which they become nervous about when Francine says she won't play kickball. This is before Mighty Mountain would become their main sports rival.
- Gasshole: In the cold opening, Buster lets out a big belch when he gets his picture taken due to all the sodas he just drank.
- Innocently Insensitive: Muffy takes Francine to her appointment at a fancy salon, but despite being rich doesn't offer to cover her for the treatment. It is implied that Flossie gives Francine a discounted rate on seeing her, but still Francine moans that she has to pay her soccer ball money.
- Kids Are Cruel: As turnabout is fair play in the previous episode, Arthur and Buster laugh loudly at Francine's new look for picture day. Brain also gets in on it by saying too much hairspray may be the reason for a pin to have nearly impaled Buster.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Buster and Arthur make fun of Francine's hairdo and dress. They find out that she can't play in the game because of it. Cue the two failing to get the ball, with the fourth-grade runner making fun fo them for it.
- Muffy tried to change Francine, so her picture went wrong.
- Francine mocked Arthur in the previous episode, so she got mocked by him and Buster.
- Last-Second Photo Failure: According to flashbacks, during their previous picture day, Buster (due to having drunk soda beforehand) burped and Binky (due to hay fever from the flower he was wearing) sneezed while having their pictures taken, while Prunella got a static shock which messed up her hair. In the present day, Buster asks the photographer "Remember me? I'm the one who burped.", only to have the picture taken while he's still speaking and his eyes are closed.
- Picture Day: The entire episode's focus.
- She Cleans Up Nicely: Zig-Zagged. Muffy thinks that Francine looks nice with her perm and dress, but the boys don't. Arthur, Brain and Buster laugh at her, and besides which Francine doesn't like that she has to stay out of kickball.
- Squick: In-universe; in the girls' restroom when a dirty Francine is washing her hands after a kickball game, the other girls are visibly grossed out from the water in the sink getting dirty from Francine.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome:
- Due to Francine's hair being different from Muffy's, her hair, rather than come out long and luscious like in the photo, has tight curls that cling to her scalp. Francine is mortified at first until Muffy compliments it.
- The perm then gets ruined when Francine slides home during kickball. It gets lampshaded.
- Unflattering ID Photo: The kids shown getting their photo taken for Picture Day end up with not very good photos...
- In The Teaser, Buster's photo is of him burping (he drank six cans of soda before his picture was taken), Prunella's hair is standing up from a static electric shock (she rubbed her feet on the carpet before sitting on the metal stool), and Binky is sneezing and knocking down the backdrop (he was allergic to his boutonniere flower). Francine's school picture from that time shows her being very messy and giving a somewhat goofy look.
- Later during the actual school pictures after the kickball game, Buster declares to the photographer he was the one who burped, and ends up having his picture taken with his eyes closed. When it's Arthur's turn, the flash bounces off his glasses making a bizarre lighting effect that temporarily blinds him. Francine is still dirty, but has a more pleasant smile this time, while Muffy's photo shows her giving an annoyed look from fuming, "Oh, that Francine!"
- What the Hell, Hero?:
- Francine nearly attacks Brain and Buster for making fun of her hair.
- Later, Francine tells Muffy that she's sick of being perfect and likes the way she used to look.
