Arthur and the Square Dance

Summary
Binky convinces Arthur that Francine has a crush on him.

Plot
The episode starts with Arthur dreaming that he is an adult, running a catering business when he arrives home to find out that his wife is Francine and she tries to kiss him! Then Arthur wakes up says nightmares like that make him never want to grow up. Then in the episode proper, Francine and Arthur are partners for Mrs. MacGrady's square dance class.

Muffy is shown struggling with Binky as her partner. Then Binky inadvertently gives Muffy a high five too hard inadvertently pushing her into Sue Ellen and The Brain causing everyone to fall over like dominoes Alex kicks the chair and Mrs. MacGrady snatches it out of the air before it hits the floor.

Outside, Muffy asks Arthur if the next time they square dance he'll switch with her. Instantly when Arthur agrees, Francine interjects and says that Arthur is her partner and no one else's before the two of them hitch a ride in Francine's dad's garbage truck.

When Binky and Muffy are left alone on the steps, Muffy jokes that Arthur and Francine are married, but Binky thinks that they're actually together. He teases Arthur about it the next day at school.

Arthur assumes this is a joke at first until he goes on to tell Francine what Binky said to him, but she stops him and tells him about the two cowboy hats she bought for them to wear. Then they start dancing randomly, as a joke.Then when he sees Binky and a few other kids looking at him, he leaves.

Later on, as the kids get ready to play baseball, Muffy comes out on the field and gives Francine's old baseball glove to Arthur, since Francine has a new one. This time, Arthur starts to think that maybe Francine is in love with him.

Next, they are seen at the Sugar Bowl, he wants to ask Francine if she likes him or not, but then he sees Binky through the window making smoochy faces, he gets surprisied and leaves, making Francine suspicious.

Arthur later calls Buster, who says that he should avoid Francine. Arthur initially objects, but then changes his mind after imagining himself in a doctor's office covered with "cooties" (actually lipstick marks). Later, Arthur does awfully weird activities, like almost going into the girls'restroom and when Francine saved a spot for him in the cafeteria, he refused and mentioned he wanted to sit with new people and older kids. After that, in recess, Francine tells Prunella that Arthur is behaving in a weird manner lately.

Prunella asks Francine questions like does his cheeks go red when he is around her and does he stutter when he talks to her. When Francine says yes to all of these, Prunella suggests he likes her, she gets confused and dismisses that suggestion, but Prunella tells her it just might happen. When Mrs. MacGrady tells them it is going to rain which means square dancing, they tell each other, they shouldn't dance with each other. When it is time for square dancing, they tell each other to stop dancing with each other, they both say "I'M NOT IN LOVE WITH YOU!" and they question each other. Concluding this episode, Francine and Arthur promise to each other to not let a stupid thing like love come between their friendship.

Major

 * Arthur Read
 * Francine Frensky
 * Binky Barnes

Minor

 * Leah MacGrady
 * Alex
 * Buster Baxter
 * Jane Read
 * Prunella Deegan
 * Muffy Crosswire

Cameo

 * Alan Powers
 * Sue Ellen Armstrong
 * George Lundgren
 * Fern Walters
 * 3rd Grade Male Dog
 * Mary
 * 4th Grade Male Dog
 * Jenna Morgan
 * Oliver Frensky
 * Maria Pappas
 * 3rd Grade Male Dog (Number 3)
 * Coach Grimslid
 * David Read
 * Kenny
 * 3rd Grade Male Rabbit
 * Jessica
 * Fletcher
 * Rattles
 * 4th Grade Male Rabbit
 * Kiefer
 * Billy
 * 3rd Grade Female Cat (Number 2)
 * 3rd Grade Female Aardvark
 * 3rd Grade Male Rat
 * 3rd Grade Male Cat

Trivia

 * This is Buster's first cameo appearance since he left in "Arthur's Faraway Friend."
 * In the second episode, Arthur calls Buster and he is playing a video game, but the episode when he comes back didn't come out, so Buster is in his house and not traveling with his dad.
 * The boys' and girls' restrooms switched sides from "Arthur's Eyes".
 * The painting seen at Buster's house is the same as Binky Barnes, Art Expert.

Episode connections

 * When Arthur asks if Francine ever wanted to kiss him, she says she'd rather have head lice. The entire school suffers a lice outbreak later in "The Lousy Week".

Errors

 * Arthur and his friends mention that the worn-out glove was a "glove that won last year's championship". However, Arthur did not have the talent for baseball until in "Arthur Makes the Team", which took place in his and his classmates' third grade year.

Home Video
VHS: DVD:
 * Arthur's Best School Days (VHS)
 * Arthur's Best School Days (DVD)

Gallery
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Screenshots
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