Phony Fern

Phony Fern is the first half of the 4th episode of Season 11. It first aired on June 28, 2007 with Brain's Shocking Secret.

Summary
Fern receives the latest phone for simple communication, but becomes addicted to the appliance.

Plot Outline
Muffy shows Fern her new phone, the Portilex 360. Despite initially voicing contempt for the phone, the consumerism it generates and the fact that seemingly everyone has one, thus limiting social opportunities, Fern receives a Portilex from her parents, a happenstance that she initially bemoans.

In light of this, Fern eventually becomes glued to the phone after being lulled by its extensive panoply of features. She uses the Portilex almost constantly, and even lands herself in trouble with Mr. Ratburn when she uses the phone in class.

When the battery begins to run low during a heated talk with Muffy, Fern frantically attempts to recharge it, but the phone is destroyed when she trips and loses it under the drum of a road roller. Fern's parents are disappointed that Fern did not stick to the phone's bare mandatory purpose, and so Fern decides upon a simple, no-frills model, deciding that she would be happier.

Trivia
In Fern's opening Fantasy sequence, She and George's alter egos: Detectives Watto and Vastings, are a parody of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. With Fern as Holmes and George as Watson

Goofs

 * In the beginning where Muffy and Fern are in the movie theater, Muffy answers her phone and is talking during the movie. The usher would have told her and Fern to leave since they are disturbing other people who are trying to watch the movie.
 * When the book cart is pushed out of the library in Fern's song, the background outside the doors is the school hallway.
 * Fern's fantasy parody of she and George potraying Sherlock Holmes And Dr. Watson (Detectives Watto and Vastings) is set in the early 19th century, Cell Phones-let alone payphones, were not inroduced till a century later

Home Video
DVD:
 * Arthur: Season 11
 * Big Brother Binky (DVD)
 * Germophobia (DVD)