The Last Tough Customer

Summary

 * The Tough Customers realize that it is time to quit bullying, but can Molly ever truly change her ways?

Plot
A girl is playing in the sandbox at the playground when two big kids come up to her and call her “Muffin Head” because she ties her hair in a bun right on top of her head. After some more name-calling, the older boy stomps on the girl's sand castle and the bullies walk away. Another boy runs to the girl and asks if she is okay, but she yells at him to get lost. She unties her hair, climbs up the jungle gym, and begins to cry. The girl turns out to be Molly.

The Last Tough Customer

After the title card, Binky tries to take Fern's pudding in the cafeteria at school, but Mrs. MacGrady tells Binky to get his own pudding, since they're free. Later in the school day, Rattles calls Arthur “Four-Eyes” and asks if he is going to class, but Buster says that that insult was old in first grade. Then Rattles tries to come up with a new insult, “Big Glasses Molasses Kid”, but Arthur says that insult doesn’t even make sense, and adds, “Come back when you have some new material.” Rattles, Slink and Binky look surprised. At recess, Slink threatens to throw a water balloon at George, but George uses reverse psychology and tricks Slink into hitting himself with the water balloon.

At the Ice Cream Shop, the Tough Customers eat frozen treats while they discuss their plans at their "emergency meeting". Binky tells them that ever since their school became “bully-proofed”, kids are no longer afraid of them it seems like they don't even exist. So Binky proposes that they change, and adds, "From now on, no more bullying!" This shocks the others, especially Molly, because she states how they called themselves the Tough Customers for a reason: because they're tough. Slink also adds in that they're also customers. Binky tells Molly that bullying isn’t working anymore; as an example, Binky threatens to twist Brain into a pretzel if he doesn’t get a free scoop of ice cream, but Brain just laughs, saying that it’s physically impossible. Realizing that Binky is right about the fact that bullying isn't working anymore, Rattles suggests that they need to re-brand and make a new image for themselves. Then Slink asks what their new image should be, and Binky comes up with an idea.

They start exercising at the park, and call themselves the “Buff Customers.” After George laughs at Rattles for being unable to break a stick, Molly tells him he looks like a coat rack and that he can't read, and George runs off crestfallen. Binky tells Molly that she was a little harsh to George, but she just says that calls it like she sees it, also stating that she told them the "Buff Customers" was a bad idea. Rattles agrees, stating that they're not cut out to be body builders and that he thinks he pulled his litysimus.

Realizing that they need professional help, they go to see Muffy, who requires that she receives 75% of any profits that the new, re-branded Tough Customers will make. After failing to find the right outfits at Care to Ware, Muffy has Bailey custom tailor them at home. They have a photo-shoot in the Crosswire Mansion's library, and use the picture on a poster.

Outside the Ice Cream Shop, “MCTC” (“Muffy Crosswire's Tough Customers”) perform a song, except for Molly. Afterwards, Molly throws her costume on the ground and tells Muffy that she wants the old club back. Pushing Muffy out of her way, Molly walks off with James as Slink thinks of a new idea.

At the library, the "Shush Customers” demonstrate for Paige Turner what they plan to do: shush anyone who makes too much noise in the library. However, they go overboard and shush anyone who even turns a page too loudly. They even do this in the story area, where Arthur says that talking is allowed. Molly tells Binky, Rattles, and Slink that their idea is even worse than Muffy's. Binky says to Molly that at least they're trying to change and asks her why is she stuck on bullying. Molly tells Binky the reason: because she wants respect. Molly then leaves with James, calling the other Tough Customers “losers” on her way out, making them sad and Arthur and the others in the story area shocked.

At the playground once again, James tells Molly that he wants a drink of water. He goes to the water fountain and pushes Amanda out of the way, calling her a loser. Shocked at James’ behaviour, Molly asks James why he did that. James says he’s just doing what he sees her do, leaving Molly even more shocked. Molly tries to apologize to Amanda, but she angrily looks back, climbs the jungle gym, and begins to cry, just like Molly had done when she was younger. Molly tells James to apologize, and he agrees, so long as she apologizes to all of the kids she had bullied. She agrees.

Molly writes apology letters to George, Muffy, and Binky explaining that she now wants to not just be respected, but liked as well.

The Tough Customers reunite outside a Chickin Lickin'. Calling themselves the "Tough Consumers", they inform a customer about how unhealthy and overpriced the food is, and how they underpay their employees, finishing the episode.

Major

 * Molly MacDonald
 * Binky Barnes
 * Rattles
 * Slink

Minor

 * D.W. Read
 * Arthur Read
 * The Brain
 * Buster Baxter
 * George Lundgren
 * Wally
 * James MacDonald
 * Muffy Crosswire
 * Leah MacGrady
 * Little Boy (flashback)
 * Big Kid #1 (flashback)
 * Big Kid #2 (flashback)
 * Fern Walters
 * Amanda Hulser

Cameo

 * Maryann (flashback)
 * Jenna Morgan
 * Alex
 * Mrs. Bickles
 * Nancy
 * Jack Weasel
 * Rattles' father (mentioned)
 * Bailey
 * Francine Frensky
 * Sue Ellen Armstrong
 * Paige Turner
 * Maria Pappas
 * Ms. Morgan
 * Sara
 * Liam
 * Kyle
 * Emily

Songs

 * "Muffy Crosswire's 4 Open Hearts Tough Customers"

Trivia

 * In the Four Open Hearts song, they sing, "...a preteen's dream!" Though a preteen can be anyone below the age 13, it mainly refers to one between the ages of 8 and 12.
 * It is revealed that Molly ultimately became a bully because she herself got bullied a lot when she was little.
 * When Molly was little and got picked on by very mean bullies, she went to the same preschool D.W. goes to.

Episode connections

 * The bullies tease Molly about her hair. This is also what the Tibbles do to D.W. in "D.W., Queen of the Comeback."
 * Muffy dresses the Tough Customers in Sgt. Pepper outfits like she imagined with the Backstreet Boys in Arthur - It's Only Rock 'n' Roll.
 * The Tough Customers meet somewhere other than the Tower of Pain to hold a meeting for change, like they did in "The Law of the Jungle Gym."
 * Like at the end of "Arthur's Big Hit," Binky decides to rebuild the club with a new goal. Instead of merely not hitting anyone like last time, Binky plans to stop their bullying altogether.

Cultural references

 * Muffy dresses the Tough Customers in costumes like The Beatles from their album . Binky dressed in sky blue as Paul McCartney, Rattles dressed in rose red as George Harrison, Slink dressed in hot pink as Ringo Starr, and Molly dressed in light green as John Lennon.
 * During the photo sessions the Tough Customers (except Molly) make the flag semaphore signs for E-L-P, like The Beatles did on the cover of .
 * The other album cover spoofed is Queen II by  (Binky as Freddie Mercury, Slink as John Deacon, Rattles as Brian May and Molly as Roger Taylor).

Errors

 * Maryann can be seen in Molly's flashback.
 * Muffy's gasping sound clip is used when Molly gasps as her sand castle is being destroyed.

Production notes

 * The song in this episode was recorded on January 25, 2012.
 * This is Mrs. MacGrady's first 9 Story Media Group appearance.
 * A special preview broadcast of this episode and "So Funny I Forgot to Laugh" was aired for North America on May 3, 2013 on Ovee.

Storyline analysis

 * The hat Ladonna buys from Care to Ware in "Based on a True Story" is still in the store's window, so this episode takes place before "Based on a True Story."

Home Video
DVD:
 * Arthur Stands Up to Bullying