When Carl Met George

Summary
George is excited about spending time with his new friend, Carl, who seems to understand all kind of cool facts about trains and about... well, lots of things! Then George learns that Carl has Asperger's Syndrome - a form of autism that makes Carl see the world differently than most people. Can George and Carl remain good friends - and perhaps even learn from each other?

Plot
The intro starts with George drawing a lion. Carl tells him that lions used to live around the world. He also tells him he hates brown. George says Carl's honest, and an amazing artist. Then he shows a picture of a train. Carl explains that it is a steam locomotive nonstop. George then says once you get him talking about trains, it is hard for him to stop. George then plans to tell the story of how he met his friend Carl, who has Asperger's Syndrome.

After the title card, George is sent by his dad to get more glue. At one of the classrooms, he meets Carl. At first, George didn't understand about Carl's disorder, and George thought something was strange because he didn't understand if Carl liked him or not. Later, George goes to visit Carl again and he shows his blue backpack and his dummy Wally. Carl is unexpectedly terrified of it which causes him to have a panic attack and it is then revealed by Carl's mother that he has Asperger's Syndrome.

George later goes to Brain for advice on what Asperger's Syndrome is, and The Brain tells him all about it in the form of imagination. George then understands what Carl is going through, and chooses to bring him a book on trains (Carl loves trains) and also give him the puzzle piece that accidentally fell into his pocket the first time they met.

We return to George in his bedroom, with Carl sitting at his table (just like he was at the beginning of the episode) still going on about his train picture. He asks Carl if he wants to get boxed juice. He agrees, and then he says to the viewers "It was nice to meet you" and George explains how he taught Carl to say that, and how Carl taught George to understand his behavior by speaking quietly, be clear, and not to take it personally when he ignores him. He also says Carl might teach him to draw a better lion.

Major

 * George
 * Carl
 * Mrs. Gould
 * Wally

Minor

 * Arthur Read
 * The Brain
 * Francine Frensky
 * Neal Lundgren
 * Remi

Cameo

 * James MacDonald
 * Maria Pappas
 * Unknown Female Rabbit (Number 8)
 * Kenny
 * Billy
 * 3rd Grade Male Cat
 * 4th Grade Female Aardvark
 * David Read
 * Kate Read
 * Unknown Female Rabbit (Number 5)
 * Little Boy

Trivia

 * This is the first episode since "Arthur and the Real Mr. Ratburn" to have two title cards.

Cultural references

 * This episode's title, "When Carl Met George," is a reference to the film .
 * Carl often states that he likes to have his apple juice "in a box, not a bottle." Not only is this one of Carl's quirks of his Aspergers' Syndrome, it is also a partial reference to James Bond's preference for martinis: "Shaken, not stirred."

Production notes

 * This episode has an alternate title in some regions and platforms: "George and the Missing Puzzle Piece." On Amazon, On Demand, iTunes, and Netflix, "When Carl Met George" is still used.