Making Conversation

Summary
George learns how to talk to adults.

Plot
George imagines him and Wally as cat burglars breaking into a museum to steal the Diamond of Ozymandias. In reality, he is sneaking into the living room to steal some snacks set out for a house party, only for his mother to notice him. She makes him interact with the other adults, to his chagrin. Wally explains to the audience that George doesn't like talking to others before George grabs him so he can talk to the guests for him.

At The Sugar Bowl, George complains to Arthur, Francine, and Buster about having to interact with adults, as they always talk about how they knew him when he was a baby and pinch his antlers. Francine explains that adults simply don't know how to talk to kids, which is quickly demonstrated to them all when Mr. Manino has an awkward interaction asking if they want to order anything else.

George's mother informs him that Mrs. Renaldi is having a retirement party and he is invited, despite his protests: she tells him he needs to learn to interact with people other than his friends, and without the help of Wally. Muffy tries to help George learn how to have conversations by giving him advice, and telling him compliments are key. Carl shares what his special ed teacher taught him, that he should ask questions and listen, then have them ask questions and he answers. Unfortunately, this all just leads to some awkward interactions with Mr. Manino and Mrs. MacGrady. Mrs. MacGrady suggests he be curious about what other people have to say.

George has a nightmare about having to talk to a crowd of giant strangers. Wally suggests, that if all else fails, he hides under a table like he did when he was little. At the party, he once again has the usual patronizing conversations with the adults. Unable to find a table with a big enough tablecloth, he finally sneaks into an empty room to avoid the crowds. He soon meets Norman, an elderly man who happens to share his dislike of parties and forced conversations. They soon get to chatting about their favorite comedy bits, with Norman relating an old silent film star he enjoys named Whizbang Dupree, while George talks about some funny videos he watches. Norman reveals that he plays piano at the Gaslight Theater which is going to be screening a Whizbang movie. George decides to come to see it and finds himself enjoying the conversation so much that his mother lets him stay longer.

Characters

 * George Lundgren
 * Arthur Read
 * Buster Baxter
 * Muffy Crosswire
 * Francine Frensky
 * Carl Gould
 * Carl Manino
 * Norman
 * Wally
 * Leah MacGrady
 * Mrs. Lundgren
 * Mrs. Renaldi
 * Alfonz (cameo)
 * Ethel Saperstein (cameo)
 * Mr. Saperstein (cameo)
 * Mrs. Gould (cameo)
 * Rufus Compson (cameo)

Trivia

 * This episode marks Mr. Manino's first appearance since the fifteenth season episode "Through the Looking Glasses."
 * Speaking of Mr. Manino, both he and Carl Gould happen to share the same first name, and both of them appear in this episode.
 * The "Dog Park" video that George describes, of a dog with human hands, appears to be a reference to the artist William Wegman, who often features his dogs in his short films and photographs. "Wegman's Dogs" have also been featured on the PBS series Sesame Street.
 * 4th Wall Break: Wally explains to the audience George's nervousness about talking to people.
 * Timeline: The following episode "A Cloudy Day" is a direct follow-up to this episode.
 * Moral:
 * You may not be able to talk with everybody, but you can often find common interests.
 * Just because someone is shy or isn't social doesn't mean you have to force them to talk to other people.
 * Someone else might be anti-social just like you.

Episode connections

 * Fern also gets forced by her mother to talk to other people in Fern's Slumber Party.

Cultural references

 * The dog video George describes, of a dog with human hands, is a reference to artist William Wegman, who is most well-known for his photographs and short films featuring his dogs.
 * Whizbang Dupree is a reference to Charlie Chaplin.

Home video
DVD: Believe in Yourself!