Arthur's Underwear
While solving a complicated multiplication equation, Binky rips his pants when he reaches down for the chalk. Arthur can't stop laughing about it all day...until he has a nightmare about arriving to school late without any pants. The nightmares continue, in different contexts. Arthur worries that it means his pants will rip in real life and asks Buster for help.
Tropes for this episode include:
- Butt-Monkey: Binky becomes one after he accidentally ripped his pants at the beginning of the episode. Arthur becomes a Butt-Monkey once he starts experiencing underwear nightmares.
- Exact Words: Buster attempts to hypnotize away Arthur's nightmares by saying he won't dream about losing his pants. It works but instead, his pants come to life with the zippers becoming sharp teeth and chase him down. Lampshaded by Arthur when he wakes up.
- Here We Go Again!: Said word-for-word by Buster in the end after he has a nightmare of forgetting his pants.
- Hope Spot: When Buster hypnotizes Arthur and puts him in a trance, Arthur realizes the pants are still on in his dream. He cheers and thanks Buster for curing him. Cue his pants ripping off, developing eyes and teeth, and trying to eat him alive.
- Idiot Ball: Buster promises Arthur not to tell anyone about the underwear dream; then he goes to seek help from Francine, Muffy, and the Brain. The Brain at least is sympathetic, but Francine and Muffy giggle at Arthur and tease him. As Arthur shouts at Buster, the whole point of asking a friend to keep a secret is so that no one else will know. Buster stammers that he wanted better advice from his friends but later on, admits it was not a good excuse, especially since he didn't ask for Arthur's permission beforehand.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Buster accidentally set up the circumstances for Arthur to rip his pants in front of the cafeteria by asking Francine, Muffy, and Brain for help with Arthur's nightmares. He starts having nightmares a few days later.
- No Sympathy: Zigzagged throughout the episode.
- At first, the entire class laughs at Binky tearing his pants during class (Arthur and Buster continue to laugh at it until Arthur's nightmares begin). Mr. Ratburn, on the other hand, takes charge; he quickly wraps his traditional green coat around Binky's torn pants and tells him to go to Ms. MacGrady to sew them up. He then tells the class to settle down, saying it was an accident.
- In Arthur's dreams, everyone laughs at him for losing his pants. Even Mr. Ratburn has some snarky remarks in the dream where he arrives late to school. In real life though, Binky quickly comes to Arthur's rescue when the latter rips his pants; he uses cafeteria trays to cover the tear and whispers for him to come to the kitchen so Ms. MacGrady can fix his pants as well.
- Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: Arthur began having recurring nightmares of forgetting to come to school with his pants. He worries that this trope is in place, that it will happen for real, and begs Buster not to tell anyone. Buster of course blabs to Francine, Muffy, and Brain asking for advice, and Arthur has a panic attack when they talk with him about it. (Rather, Francine and Muffy think it's hilarious.) He then rips his pants by accident in front of everyone in the cafeteria. Afterward, however, the nightmares stop.
- Tomato in the Mirror: In Arthur's first nightmare, he wakes up to find he slept in, forcing him to rush to school. When he arrives in class and begins to explain himself, the class laughs at him for some reason. Ratburn scolds Arthur that "Coming to class late is one thing, Mr. Read, but coming without trousers is quite another matter." This leads to Arthur realizing he came to school in his underwear.
Francine Frensky, Olympic Rider
Francine has saved up money for riding lessons. She wants a horse to ride in the Kentucky Derby or the Olympics. Her parents say that Catherine has to go with her, so that someone is making sure she arrives and leaves safely. Catherine gripes, but soon is besotted with their trainer Stanley, as well as riding. Francine then considers quitting when Stanley says that Francine is not up to Catherine's level.
Tropes for this episode include:
- Character Development: Francine doesn't know how to make her horse Bronco listen to her at the beginning of her lessons. Stanley just say "Show him who's boss," but Bronco doesn't respect Francine's authority. She later gets him to listen to her and ignore leaves, and bribes him with a carrot to admit that he missed riding with her.
- Hard Work Hardly Works: Discussed. Francine has a passion for horses but no experience and she's a bit too exciting for Bronco. Catherine had no interest before her parents made her take lessons, but soon realizes she likes riding, as well as hanging out with Stanley. Stanley does note that Catherine is working hard, but it's coming more naturally to her.
- Heroic BSoD: Francine nearly quits her lessons and misses a few when overhearing Stanley saying that she's not as good as Catherine is while offering Catherine free lessons if she helps out around the barn. She does want to go but decides to watch rather than ride, while walking off despondently. Catherine snaps Francine out of it by offering her a similar deal.
- No Sympathy: Subverted; Catherine and Stanley do look guilty when they realize Francine overheard about her not being at Catherine's level. When the two teens talk about it, however, they admit that Stanley told the truth. Stanley says that Francine won't improve or feel better until she decides to ride a horse again.
