Bitzi's Break-up

Summary
Bitzi is breaking up with her boyfriend, Buster's baseball buddy Harry. Can Buster get them back together in time for the next game? And if not, can Buster and Harry stay friends anyway?

Plot
Buster is walking home from the circus with his mother Bitzi and her boyfriend Harry Mills. Harry mentions that he has to get home, but Buster suggests they get something to eat at the Sugar Bowl. Buster points out the sandwich called The Harry Mills Meatball Experience, which is named after Harry. At a table, Bitzi mentions to Buster that she and Harry have something they would like to talk to him about, but Buster is too busy reading the newspaper. He observes that a new animated movie called House Wars is playing, and dashes out the door to go. Harry and Bitzi leave as well, but thinking that something is wrong, Buster sadly lets go of his balloon from the circus, and it floats up into the sky.

Bitzi's Break-up

Buster is laying in his bed and throwing an autographed baseball into his glove. His mom comes in to talk to him, but he pretends to be sleeping. When she leaves his room, he wakes up and continues throwing his baseball into his glove. The next day, Buster tries to rush off to school without breakfast, but is stopped by his mother and is told to have breakfast while she talks to him about something. At first, Buster thinks that it is because Harry is moving away because he has chosen to get a new job, requiring him to move out of Elwood City. He is happy when Bitzi tells him that Harry isn't going anywhere, but becomes surprised when he finds out that his mom's news is that she and Harry are breaking up. Later in the treehouse, Buster tells Arthur that he is upset about Harry and his mom breaking up because he enjoyed going to Elwood City Grebes baseball games with Harry. A flashback occurs where Harry and Buster are at a game: a Grebe throws a baseball, and lands in Harry's drink, but Harry and Buster are happy to get it. Buster mentions that he can't go with his mom because she doesn't like baseball. When Arthur suggests that Buster's mom might get a new boyfriend, Buster imagines that his mom gets a boyfriend named Martin Spivak who works for an insurance company, and is very boring and doesn't want to spend time with him. Then Buster prclaims that his mom and Harry can't break up and goes to Muffy for advice. Muffy assumes that Buster has come to her about winning Sue Ellen, but he insists that it is about his mom. Muffy gives him a love magazine to help him get Bitzi and Harry back together.

First, at the Elwood City Times, Buster drops off a secret invitation at Harry's office. Despite Buster using too much of his mom's perfume, and his misspelling of "dinner" as "diner", Harry is convinced that Buster's mom is inviting him to dinner at their apartment. Buster then looks for some flowers: he is about to pick a stranger's flowers off his lawn until he is caught, not realizing that the stranger is on his front porch, and instead goes to the park to get some. He tries to order some food from a restaurant, but finds it to be too expensive and buys a $0.99 pizza instead. He takes everything home and sets up the dinner with love music from Tyrone Bellows. Bitzi arrives home, surprised to see Buster's setup, and even more surprised when Harry shows up. As Bitzi and Harry bicker, Harry mentions Bitzi's invitation that she never wrote. Buster tells them they shouldn't be fighting and that they should be making up, but his mom tells him that she doesn't want to Harry to take him back because she broke up with him. That night, she explains to Buster that the reason she broke up with Harry was because she is too busy for a relationship. Still disappointed, Buster goes to sleep.

The next day after school, Buster gives Muffy her magazine and tells her that his mom and Harry didn't get back together. Then Harry shows up and tells Buster that although he and Bitzi broke up, they are still friends, and that he and Buster can still go to Grebes games. Then they go to the Sugar Bowl and enjoy a new salami, Swiss cheese and peanut butter sandwich. As the episode finishes, Harry and Buster leave to go to a Grebes game, and Bitzi gets her sandwich to go, which is shown on the sandwich menu as The Buster.

Characters

 * Buster Baxter
 * Bitzi Baxter
 * Harry Mills
 * Arthur Read
 * Muffy Crosswire
 * Martin Spivack (cameo)
 * Francine Frensky (cameo)
 * Alex (cameo)
 * 3rd Grade Male Rat (cameo)
 * Maria Pappas (cameo)
 * 4th Grade Male Rabbit (cameo)
 * Fletcher (cameo)
 * Backstreet Boys (mentioned)
 * Sue Ellen Armstrong (mentioned)

Trivia

 * When Buster asks his mom if Harry is leaving in order to become a pilot, it could be a reference to Buster's father, who is a pilot, breaking up with Bitzi because he didn't spend enough time at home.
 * Harry brings over Bitzi's favorite dessert, a Boston cream pie. It is also mentioned as Buster and Harry's favorite when they first meet in the episode, "Bitzi's Beau."
 * Timeline: A St. Patrick's Day banner appears in the school, so it might mean this episode takes place in Saint Patrick's day.

Cultural references

 * As Buster looks through his condo's records for music, he mentions that some of them are from folk-singing trio Peter, Paul and Mary. "Tyrone Bellows" spoofs Barry White, a soul singer who was famous for his deep voice and romantic songs.

Episode connections

 * Buster murmurs "Comet is coming..." when pretending to sleep, referencing the events of "The Boy Who Cried Comet."
 * Buster wears Arthur's elephant nose disguise he wore at Crazy Bus Live in "Play it Again, D.W.."
 * Bitzi can be heard discussing "the new bug wing at the museum" which first appeared in "Binky Barnes, Wingman," which could hint that this episode takes place before the events of Bug Week.

Errors

 * Possible: Buster pulls out a 5 dollar bill and five coins and says that he has seven dollars. These coins could not add up to the two extra dollars.